Goin to the chapel...

AND EVERYONE'S GETTING MARRIED!!!!!!!!!

And I say that with excitement, overwhelming thankfulness for God's provision, and slight stress. I was a little nervous that this wedding season would be slow. And I was SOOO wrong. Now come July we might have a different blog to write, but right now, I have two in the next two weeks and then three back to back in June, the one lone ranger in July.

I don't really have time to even write this, but I feel like I need a call out for prayer. Yesterday at church, our sermon was about joy. I LONG for joy. I want joy to be my response to all things. My biggest prayer requests at the moment are:
1) that I am joyful for my Brides. I long to reflect God's love for them in this crazy time in their lives. I want them to feel peace and joy when we're together so that they can enjoy their planning process and then carry that over into their time with their husbands to be. If you would, please pray that God will overpower every inch of me and how I see things or respond to things and BE my Joy. Be my responses. My self control.
2) On that same note, I pray these same things for those that I interact with throughout the week. Just because life is crazy, that does not mean I should give Karleigh less of my attention when we're together. That does NOT mean I get to suddenly be a crappy wife. He deserves my attention and affection even more so in these crazy times I think. I tend to zone out and get focused, but he's still my priority. He's not in my way, he's living in the mess I'm making. He's not a distraction, he's my husband. I'm telling Brides to not be stressed out so they can enjoy this time with their significant others; how counterproductive and honestly hypocritical of me to say this to them, but not to be that way in my life!
3) Protection. I tend to get very self critical and take things very personally OR get full of myself during wedding season. It is good to rest in the knowledge that God has called me to this position, but I am working for His glory. NOTHING that I do should be done out of self ambition or for my own benefit. It is all for Him and for the success of these couples wedding days. The extreme is that I mess up and freak out and forget how to function OR they get stressed and get snappy and I shrink on the insisde. I'm not an idiot. I know weddings inside and out (even though there is ALWAYS something to learn) so I should be confident in that knowledge and that God DOES want me there (as well as the client!) BUT I'm not perfect either. As a professional people are looking to me to respond well. However, all humans recognize humanity. I want to respond with "it is what it is" and move on. No over apologizing, no dwelling, no locking up and acting like a lost child looking for approval. One step in front of the other. One OBEDIENT and GUIDED step in front of the other.
4) EMILY NEEDS JESUS TIME! None of these things happen without the Lord. Why in the world I think "its so busy right now I can't stop and read" and think it will actually work, that a tree who took a drink a few days ago or even last week can survive all week without another one... you get the idea. Jesus is a priority. He is the One who stretches out time. He is the One who fulfills all callings. He is the One who overcomes the flesh. He is Joy. He knows how crazy weddings are... and He knows how to make miracles happen behind the scenes in order to benefit the families and couples who get to continue celebrating... which is especially precious to me =)

"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him, 'They have no more wine.' 'Dear woman, why do you involve me?' Jesus replied. 'My time has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever He tells you.' Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water;' so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.'

(I love this part!!) They did so and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside, and said 'Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best til now.'

This is the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him." John 2:1-11

Jesus... I long to be a reflection of your glory. I long for my responses to be like the servants that you instructed at the wedding. They heard you clearly, they trusted you, they acted in faith humbly and quietly, and they did not make a big deal about what happened to anyone. They knew who you were and saw your glory in your miracle and in your compassion for those who may have never even known where the wine came from. I long to be that kind of joyful servant. Amen.