After a 6 week seperation from Matt, I got to spend this past weekend with him. My family and I went to Warsaw to attend his sister Lindsay's wedding. It was beautiful!!! It was a PERFECT fall day, the whole ceremony and reception took place without any complications. Lindsay looked simply stunning, all the bridesmaids looked beautiful, Antonino (the groom) looked handsome and all the groomsmen looked handsome. It was such a joy to be a part of.
Before the wedding, Lindsay had emailed me to ask if I would be willing to help serve at her reception. I was overjoyed to be asked and of course said yes. When I arrived to the wedding I found myself recording the entire ceremony as well. I had known that there was going to be a family pic taken at the wedding that they want to use on their Christmas cards this year and that Lindsay and the rest of her family wanted me in it. But I was very touched, as I watched the photographer help capture the joy of her special day,to hear Lindsay say to the photographer: "Could we get a pic with Nicole and Matt real quick? I think this would be a good time for that." Talk about feeling special! I have never felt like Matt's family doesn't accept me. They always have and I truly feel that I fit in with them. But on Lindsay's wedding day, I felt more accepted and more a part of the family than ever. It was such a wonderful feeling! Lindsay even gave me a wonderful thank you gift basket for my help. I am so thankful to know that I will one day be an offical part, of such a wonderful, loving family!!
The day after her wedding, Matt and I made our way to my house. We went to church with my family that night to attent communion. In the time of sharing that usually takes place after the congregation has taken the elements, Matt shared something with the church family. He said that his sister's wedding was really nice and it was a joy since they had been engaged for 8 years. Then he proceeded to say that the message given during their ceremony, that had pointed out how a marriage depicts the relationship of Christ and the church, had really touched him. We moved into a time of prayer after that and I couldn't help but cry. To hear him say that something like that was touching to him, touched me. This is the man that I'm going to marry. The man I'm going to spend my life with, that I will let lead me and that will help to guide and direct me through our life together. It is such an encouraging thing to know that he realizes what his duties will be. That he realizes he is supposed to love me, care for me, and lead me as Christ loves, cares and leads the church. It is a comforting, wonderful feeling to know that I will be marrying a godly man, that I know will strive to be the kind of husband that God desires his Christian men to be!
Over the last weekend, I was just reminded again how BLESSED I am to have Matt in my life! I am truly thankful to God for him!
Lindsay's wedding did make me a little antsy to really begin planning mine, but even the antsy-ness is a joy to have! I am excited to plan for the special day that God has ordained in our life. I'm excited to share my thoughts, ideas and visions of that day with Matt. I am SO thankful to be in the season of life!!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Great Love Changes Your Life
There is a line in one of my favorite movies that goes like this: "Love, you get over in 2 months. Big love, 2 years. But great love changes your life." Being in love with Matt and him loving me back has changed my life.
I love so many...well, ALL of Matt's qualities!
His love has changed my life by placing someone in it that never fails to remind me that God is in control. Someone that reminds me that I need to be in prayer. It's changed my life by placing someone in it that will put me in my place when my attitude isn't right. It's changed my life because I now have someone in my life whose encouragement I crave and long to receive. And I always do. It's changed my life because there is a quiet strength in him that makes me feel stronger. He doesn't even have to say anything and I can draw on the strength that he has. I have someone in my life that can make me laugh and make me happy no matter what. There have been times that I've been so upset about something and I've just wanted to pour it all out to him when I get to talk to him that night, but then I'll hear his voice and whatever made me upset doesn't matter anymore. I find myself feeling light hearted again and laughing. There's someone there for me that wants to help carry any burdens that life brings my way. Someone that wants to understand the things that make me happy, the things that make me sad and the things that make me hurt. It's changed my life because there's someone in my life that understands that I'm a sinner and I'm not perfect, but he loves me anyway. He loves me knowing that there will be times in our life together that I will sin. He loves me knowing I will never be perfect, but he loves my good qualities enough to overlook that and see those good qualities as nearly perfect. It's changed my life simply because it's wonderful to have someone in your life that finds you amazing!
Our love has made me look at things like Titus 1, and 1 Timothy 3 differently. These are the passages that give the qualifications for elders. I knew about these passages and what were in them before I met Matt, but when he and I started talking, I started to think about the fact that whoever I'd end up marrying would need to posses alot of these qualities. Now, almost 3 years later, I can see that he has so many of them!
Here are some of the qualifications that Titus 1 lists that I want to touch on:
A man must be:
not self willed
not quick tempered
not given to wine
not violent
not greedy for money
A man must be:
self controlled
holding fast the faithful Word
I, sadly, can be a quick tempered person. Matt however, is not. He has SO much on his plate everyday with work, school 2 nights a week and homework every night. Yet it takes ALOT to get him upset or mad.
Matt is not self willed. He does his best to pray for and seek God's will in every major desicion in his life.
I know he will never be given to wine or alcohal. Having spent 8 years in Sicily where there is no "you have to be 21" kind of law, he has tasted wine and different things and doesn't like them at all.
I've never seen Matt have a violent attitude towards anyone. I really don't think he has a violent bone in his body.
He's not greedy for money. He works to make a living and he continues to work because he needs the money, and God has given him a job that provides it. He doesn't continue to work just because he wants the money.
Matt is very self controlled. The times when he has started to get mad or frustrated at work, he manages to keep it inside. And...lets face it, Matt and I have been together for almost 3 years. He loves me and I love him. And as you've read in another post, we've kissed already:) For some all of those things combined is enough to take the control right out of them. But he has managed to exercise self control when it comes to his love for me. That's something I'm extremely thankful for as you can imagine!
With all that he has to do Matt still manages to be faithful in the Word. I don't know how or when he is able to do his devotions...but he does. I'm so thankful to know that, because it lets me know that when we are a married couple, he will keep me on track in my daily walk.
I could touch on more of them, but this post has to end eventually:)
Yes, I agree with a movie line. Great love...changes your life. Thank God for great love!
I love so many...well, ALL of Matt's qualities!
His love has changed my life by placing someone in it that never fails to remind me that God is in control. Someone that reminds me that I need to be in prayer. It's changed my life by placing someone in it that will put me in my place when my attitude isn't right. It's changed my life because I now have someone in my life whose encouragement I crave and long to receive. And I always do. It's changed my life because there is a quiet strength in him that makes me feel stronger. He doesn't even have to say anything and I can draw on the strength that he has. I have someone in my life that can make me laugh and make me happy no matter what. There have been times that I've been so upset about something and I've just wanted to pour it all out to him when I get to talk to him that night, but then I'll hear his voice and whatever made me upset doesn't matter anymore. I find myself feeling light hearted again and laughing. There's someone there for me that wants to help carry any burdens that life brings my way. Someone that wants to understand the things that make me happy, the things that make me sad and the things that make me hurt. It's changed my life because there's someone in my life that understands that I'm a sinner and I'm not perfect, but he loves me anyway. He loves me knowing that there will be times in our life together that I will sin. He loves me knowing I will never be perfect, but he loves my good qualities enough to overlook that and see those good qualities as nearly perfect. It's changed my life simply because it's wonderful to have someone in your life that finds you amazing!
Our love has made me look at things like Titus 1, and 1 Timothy 3 differently. These are the passages that give the qualifications for elders. I knew about these passages and what were in them before I met Matt, but when he and I started talking, I started to think about the fact that whoever I'd end up marrying would need to posses alot of these qualities. Now, almost 3 years later, I can see that he has so many of them!
Here are some of the qualifications that Titus 1 lists that I want to touch on:
A man must be:
not self willed
not quick tempered
not given to wine
not violent
not greedy for money
A man must be:
self controlled
holding fast the faithful Word
I, sadly, can be a quick tempered person. Matt however, is not. He has SO much on his plate everyday with work, school 2 nights a week and homework every night. Yet it takes ALOT to get him upset or mad.
Matt is not self willed. He does his best to pray for and seek God's will in every major desicion in his life.
I know he will never be given to wine or alcohal. Having spent 8 years in Sicily where there is no "you have to be 21" kind of law, he has tasted wine and different things and doesn't like them at all.
I've never seen Matt have a violent attitude towards anyone. I really don't think he has a violent bone in his body.
He's not greedy for money. He works to make a living and he continues to work because he needs the money, and God has given him a job that provides it. He doesn't continue to work just because he wants the money.
Matt is very self controlled. The times when he has started to get mad or frustrated at work, he manages to keep it inside. And...lets face it, Matt and I have been together for almost 3 years. He loves me and I love him. And as you've read in another post, we've kissed already:) For some all of those things combined is enough to take the control right out of them. But he has managed to exercise self control when it comes to his love for me. That's something I'm extremely thankful for as you can imagine!
With all that he has to do Matt still manages to be faithful in the Word. I don't know how or when he is able to do his devotions...but he does. I'm so thankful to know that, because it lets me know that when we are a married couple, he will keep me on track in my daily walk.
I could touch on more of them, but this post has to end eventually:)
Yes, I agree with a movie line. Great love...changes your life. Thank God for great love!
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