We did finally discover which paper flowers we would use in our decorations after days of looking and hours of cutting, hot gluing, and attaching different patterns. After that, we started chugging away at making them; some lovely girls even came over for a night of paper flower making to help me in my wedding decoration endeavors! It was a fun time! I forget sometimes how fun and refreshing it is to hang out with groups of girls chattering away and catching up with each other. So, thank you very much for that reminder and night of girlie fun! Even if it started with our dear friend Kyle just busting up into my home without a knock of warning. He was walking his girlfriend to my house to help make flowers. Luckily, I was presentable and already making flowers, or it may have been an awkward encounter.
By Now, I've had the beginning of this post saved as a draft for at least a week! I've been so busy! We've ordered flowers for bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages (for mothers). I learned how to SPELL the word boutonniere...We've made more headway on decorations, etc. So, I'm so VERY excited that our wedding is coming up so quickly!
Two weekends in a row, I had bridal showers. One given by Seth's sisters outside of Kearney. It was beautiful and fun and my guests were so very generous!!! The next weekend, my aunts threw me a bridal shower in Bellevue and many of my friends were able to be there. It was fun hanging out with my girls and chatting it up and getting MORE presents! It has amazed me how generous people have been in their giving to Seth and I for our upcoming marriage. I have had the great privilege of being flooded with the love, support, and generosity of friends and family around me and I thank God for that daily, because He is the Great Provider. Everything that I have received has flowed out of God's working in my life and the lives of those around me. And I am so joyful that I cannot take credit for the things that I have been blessed with in my life; I am overjoyed that I can point to my wonderful Savior, and testify that it is through Christ that I have received every blessing in my life.
I was able to attend the Global Engagement Conference at Grace University with Seth. It was a great conference! It was focused on ministry to Muslims and I learned so much about Islam and Muslim people that gave me some really great, challenging perspectives. It was amazing to hear from two former prime ministers; one, a Christian from Ethiopia and one, a Muslim from Somalia. The main speaker was Carl Medearis, a follower of Christ that has had an amazing ministry for our Lord to Muslim people, specifically in Lebanon. He had a great story to tell about how God has worked in and through Him. I was so encouraged and awed and challenged by the conference in my own faith and how I live out my faith and what my perspectives should be as a minister to unbelievers and show Christ to them in my own life. It was overall a wonderful growing experience. I'll try and write more about some amazing and specific stories that struck me from the conference...
Finally, Seth and I picked up our marriage license!!! We can now officially get married in the neighboring state of Iowa. And we only have 16 more days to wait! I can't believe that it's just around the corner! I keep trying to convince Seth to elope, but he won't have it. He knows me too well and knows that a nice wedding is important to me. Such a wonderful man! I love him! It is getting sort of surreal getting this close to our wedding date. It seems like I've been waiting for EVER to marry this wonderful, loving, and kind man of my dreams. Now, I've been waiting so long and the day is almost here! The 22nd of March is almost here and then I get to begin my life as a wife, with a new name, and some new family members! It is such a blessing from God that we have come to this point in our lives where we are able to start a new adventure, together as husband and wife. I can't wait to see where God takes us!
