If sappy, lovey blog posts bother you, then you probably want to keep on scrolling past this one.
Because it's full of the sap and the love.
Weddings.
I love weddings.
What girl doesn't love a good wedding...?
As a photographer and a pastor's wife, I experience a lot of weddings.
Many times I'm behind the camera, capturing the wedding through my lens.
And even through my lens, there have not been many weddings that I haven't, at very least, became very teary eyed.
And as a pastor's wife, I've attended my fair share of weddings.
I've been a bridesmaid in eight weddings.
But of course my favorite wedding was my own.
My husband has said jokingly, more than once, that he can't keep my hands off of him after I've photographed or attended a wedding. He acts like that bothers him, but I know that it really doesn't. :)
But I guess, if we were honest (which I try to do here) weddings do make you feel more "in love."
Back in July, Justin had the opportunity to officiate the wedding of one of our church members, Ashton, and her new husband Andrew. The wedding was July 9th. This particular wedding blessed my heart, and moved me to worship in a way that I have experienced very few times in my life. It was completely God-centered, and more worshipful than I have the words to describe. As a congregation, we lifted up our voices and sang, "Holy Spirit, You are welcome here. Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere..." and believe me, the Holy Spirit without a doubt filled that place.
And the bride and groom? They were stunning. And portrayed the picture of true love.
But as beautiful as they were, I couldn't take my eyes off of that preacher boy in the background.
This guy....
The one that after all of this time, still sometimes literally makes my heart skip a beat.
And on that day, July 9, 2016, I couldn't help but to think back to that same day, 11 years earlier.
July 9, 2005.
The day that sweet preacher boy said "I love you" to me for the very first time.
We had been dating for about six weeks. And neither of us had any doubt that we loved each other.
He had told me that "he thought that he loved me"
to which I replied "well, I think that I love you too."
But we had never officially said it until that day.
And I can close my eyes and go right back there, even now.
And when I saw that sweet preacher boy up there preaching that wedding on this July 9th, I couldn't help but think back to that very first July 9th that he was in my life.
Then there was yesterday,
October 22, 2016.
And Justin was blessed to participate in another wedding ceremony at our church.
This ceremony was something that was dear and precious to our hearts, because we set this couple up. Mitchell and Kelsey's first date was a double date with us over three years ago.
And they got married yesterday...
And talking about it still gives me goosebumps because I have seen the fingerprints of God firsthand in this relationship. God is so good, and I'm so thankful that He brought Kelsey and Mitchell together. And I can't wait to see how He works in their lives...
The ceremony was beautiful, God honoring, and filled with awe and all the right things that just make you feel love. But again, all I could focus on was that preacher boy in the middle.
And I couldn't help but to once again think back to this day 11 years ago.
October 22, 2005
The day that sweet preacher boy got down on one knee and asked me to be his for forever.
We had only been dating for five months, but we knew after about five minutes that we never wanted to spend another day without each other.
God is so good, and I'm so thankful for the ways that He shows Himself to me every day, in both big ways and small ways...
But the fact that He orchestrated the events surrounding two sweet, perfect weddings and planned them to happen on two dates that are so special to me makes me smile across my whole face.
...My whole face.
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