Thank God for Weddings.

I'm sure all of you have read about my friend Brittany's brain aneurysm last weekend. She's in surgery as I write this. 2 hours into what could be a 5 hour process at the least. It's so strange that all of this happened. It was out of nowhere. I had just talked to her on Friday afternoon. She sent me a picture of her in her bridesmaid dress and she was so excited about everything that was happening and her involvement in such a new adventure for me. Needless to say, I've been pretty reflective of our friendship these last couple days. And all I can say is: thank God for weddings! Not even just because it's my own and I've found my happily ever after, but because it gave me the opportunity to reconnect with one of my best friends. Up until this point, our lives had taken a bit of a different path. She got married and started a family. I finished college and went to work. But now our life paths are starting to cross again and I'm so excited. So please...allow me to express for a few minutes. Express the beauty of an unlikely friendship...

We met my second year of Master's Commission. I had seen Brittany around a few times before this, Fine Arts and events with Dallas Master's. We were told that we wouldn't like each other, that we would never be friends. Funny how wrong people were. We quickly became best buds, almost inseparable. If she wasn't staying the night on my trundle bed, I was making a pallet on her floor. We had so many good times together. We would drive to Killeen, about a 30 minute drive, often just to eat at Rosa's. She had never had it before and I introduced her. She loved it. We would sing Christmas carols at the top of our lungs through the halls of the church. All year, for no reason other than we enjoyed it. She was my partner in mischief. Brittany taught me how to get out of work by simply carrying around a tool and looking busy. She introduced me to High School Musical and Hairspray and Hannah Montana. I'd like to say that I contributed more to our friendship during that time, but it was more like she took me under her wing of protection and laughter. Brittany always makes me laugh. She is so supportive. She made me read her the entire book I wrote in one night while she cleaned her room and threw hangers at me when parts didn't go like she wanted. 

Then Master's ended and we went home. She met Jason and I was overjoyed to be in her wedding. She slept next to me in my hotel bed her last night as a single woman. Then she got pregnant with Jacob and I helped decorate baseball cupcakes for his shower. She's a great mommy and wife! Almost like she was made for it. Then our lives drifted for a bit. But then I got engaged and she is so happy for me! She can't wait to be a bridesmaid.It's given us an excuse to hang out again and talk on the phone more. She came to my bachelorette weekend in Houston and got to meet all of my other best friends. And I got to be surrounded by 5 of the most amazing women on the planet!!! All together to celebrate a new chapter in my life. We had so much fun together! Singing in the car, taking magazine quizzes to find out how self-absorbed we were, dancing and laughing. I'm looking forward to many more girls weekends. Brittany is excited about the lingerie shower the girls are planning for me. We just had a meeting about it last week and her ideas were flowing like always. She has such a knack for those types of things. 

Now I find myself pleading with God to just touch her body. To restore her to full health. To work a miracle on her behalf. Not just for her family, but for me. I wouldn't have made it through that second year of Master's without her. I'm sorry I didn't realize or acknowledge it sooner. She's an amazingly funny and kind person, though she'll do her best to convince you that she's mean. I'm looking forward to swapping stories about underwear on the floor and dirty dishes piling up, about babies that won't sleep. I'm looking forward to hearing about Jacob's adventures on the baseball field. She's going to be a proud mama and I can't wait to celebrate with her and experience more life with her! 

Sunday morning we sang Revelation Song which happens to be the song Brittany did a group human video to the first time I ever saw her. I remember being amazed at her skills. As I sang the wordss, eyes closed, tears streaming down my face, I was instantly transported to the front row of Bethel A/G with Brittany next to me singing her heart out as well. She has a beautiful voice. I can't wait to hear it again - joking, singing, giving advice.

God, bring healing to Brittany's body. Complete restoration and no side effects! She has more to do on this earth! By your stripes we are healed and I claim that for Brittany right now! We rebuke Satan's attacks and claim your will for her life! Work a miracle on her behalf! In Jesus name! 

Thoughts on Cooking

I have been thinking recently about my new family, as one tends to do in the days leading to their wedding. Not only am I gaining a husband but I'm gaining a whole new family as well. A new mother, a new father, a new brother, new grandparents. It's been an interesting endeavor simply because these new family members are different from the family members I've always known.

My soon-to-be mother-in-law is very different from me. Especially in the kitchen. She doesn't bake. She's a healthy person. Her freezer is stocked with vegetables and her counters sport fruit bowls. My cabinets are filled with flour and sugar and chocolate chips. My refrigerator is stocked with butter, all flavors and sizes. So that has gotten me thinking...how do we develop our culinary style?

I think my baking addition is inherited, pasted down in my genes starting with my Sweetheart all the way down through my mother. I come from a long line of bakers. But that can't be the only factor because my mother-in-law's mother loves to bake. So what else influences it? I suppose celebrity chefs do. I have a friend who recently posted a photo of a dinner she prepared with the statement "look at me being like Julia Child. Bon appetit!" There's a whole movie dedicated to Julia Child that I love!!! But I don't own a Julia Child cookbook. I own a Betty Crocker cookbook. I have a pinterest board entitled Just Like Betty Crocker for my cooking tips. I love Paula Deen! Her current (ridiculous) struggle does nothing to affect the deliciousness of her butter-filled dishes or the warmth of her love-made recipes. But what leads us to a certain chef? 

How do we develop the love for the crispness of a perfectly cooked asparagus over the creaminess of a fresh cheesecake? The sweetness of an apple versus the richness of chocolate lava cake? I think a study needs to be done on this subject, because I simply cannot comprehend the lack of desire to pull a tray of fresh baked cookies out of the oven on a cool fall evening. But perhaps, this new woman in my life can introduce me to a whole new side of culinary love. And maybe, just maybe, I can show her the comfort of a good slice of pie a la mode.

A Letter to the Women of the Married Club

To the Members of the Married Club:

For years we've watched you, envied you, longed to be invited to your club. We've watched others younger than ourselves be inducted and welcomed with open arms. We try to be patient and wait for our chance to find a man and be invited to join at last. We've stood on the outskirts of the circle longing to contribute to the conversation about men who leave their socks on the floor. We've done our best to be close enough to call you our friends. We've attended your parties and stood alone on the wall, watching, feeling isolated because love hasn't come our way yet. We've celebrated and tickled your babies, filled with excitement and longing for our own. 

Now the time has finally come for our own weddings and still we wait for our membership to the club we have coveted for years. But it hasn't come yet. We continue to wait with anticipation and wonder when it will come. But more importantly, we are slowly realizing that we know nothing about wedding planning or how to be a wife. All those years of watching from afar have done nothing to actually prepare us for the journey ahead. We have no idea what it takes to run a home or deal with a disappointed husband who has been passed over for a promotion at work or even simply had a rough day. How do you handle burned meals when the in-laws are expected for dinner? How do you express hurt feelings or longing for intimacy? How do you explain disappointment without being accusatory or causing resentment? We can't help but feel ill-equipped and embarrassed at this lack of knowledge. We have no one to talk to about delicate issues of intimacy and romance as our mothers are mortified at the thought of the deflowering of their babies.

So perhaps instead of forcing us to stand on the sidelines, invite us to join the conversation. Take us under your wings and teach us some things before we're standing at the top of the aisle staring at a man we love, but terrified that we're not prepared. Lead us in the right direction and then share in our excitement at this new chapter. Don't make us force our way into the club. Don't force us to figure it out by ourselves. Welcome us to the club and realize we're not little kids anymore. For some of us, it's too late. We've already matured and started down the aisle. But there are others behind us that could benefit from your knowledge and experience. This letter isn't meant to shame or manipulate, solely to raise awareness. You are being watched. You are being envied. You are the ones we long to be like someday. Sure there are others who are older, but they aren't the ones we've been looking up to for years. They aren't the "cool" girls we saw in college while we were struggling through high school. They were the mothers of the cool girls; they were the ones that taught you. It's your turn to teach us, because now we're in college and we don't feel "cool." We still feel overshadowed and behind you - the women of the married club. Maybe someday we'll figure it out on our own and we'll find ourselves finally equal with the women we've always wanted to be. It would sure be a lot easier with your help though. And who knows? Maybe with some direction beforehand, our marriages would be a little bit more successful.

Sincerely,

Hopeful pledges everywhere

The Proposal Story

I'm sure many of you are wondering about The Proposal Story, so I figured I'd put it on my blog so you can all enjoy it! :)

So I had a sneaking suspicion that he was gonna propose that weekend because a) I had already picked out my ring, b) he told me he was taking me out for a fancy date and c) he told me I could get my nails done "if I wanted to." Anyway, he was running late from work and was super upset about it, but I just rolled it with and was ready when he got there.

So we got all dressed up and went to Cheddar's for dinner, which is where we went on our first date. We always play paper football when we're at Cheddar's and he told me before that he had the idea of sliding the ring box across the table instead of the football. So I told him that I wanted to play paper football but I was afraid I'd get a box instead of a football and he just laughed. So then I was teasing him and asking if it was in my food or my drink and of course it wasn't and it was just good silly fun.

So after dinner we get in the truck to go to Baskin Robbins and I see something weird shaped in his pocket. I keep staring at it and trying to figure out what it is. When we get to Baskin Robbins, he goes "You know those are just my keys in my pocket, right?" and starts laughing. So I tell him not to laugh at me because he knows what's going on and I don't. So then I just start being over the top with everything. I kept asking him "Is it in my ice cream?" "Is it at the bottom of this cone?" and other ridiculous type questions.

So we start driving out to the EQ (The Equalization Channel at the Lake) and I find like this shiny hard thing in my ice cream and I'm like "what the heck is this?" It turns out to just be a frozen chunk of ice cream, but I honestly had a mini heart attack for a second. So we get to the EQ and finish eating our ice cream. He starts digging around in the backseat for a water bottle and we were joking around when I decide to get out of the truck for a little bit. So he eventually gets out too and comes over to me and is acting all nervous and weird and I start thinking "Oh my gosh. Is this about to happen?"

Well then this weird creepy dude drives up and parks right across from us and just sits there staring at us. It was super weird. So Bryan suggests we move in front of the truck where that weird dude can't creep on us. We're just standing there chatting and being silly and he calms down so I'm like "Well maybe he isn't doing it tonight."

I get tired of standing on the caliche in my high heels so I go get in the truck. He follows me and is standing in the passenger door while I start cleaning out the middle console so we can cuddle in the truck and watch the sunset. So I'm cleaning and we're joking around and he goes "Babe did you know that I love you?" I can tell that his voice is coming from low to the ground. So I turn towards him....

And he's kneeling on one knee outside the passenger door and I go "Oh my god, WHAT are you doing?" And he goes "Tying my shoe." It was so obvious he wasn't tying his shoe, but it was that little moment we needed to realize this is happening. So then he said "Babe do you know I love you? Do you know there's no one who is more perfect for me? Do you know I want to spend the rest of my life with you?" Then he pulls out the ring and goes "Do you want this?" I of course said yes and put it on and started kissing him and crying and everything.

Then he gets in the truck and I literally scream out of excitement and hurt his ears. Then he pulls a package out of the backseat and hands it to me. Inside is a Dolphins jersey with the number 1 and MRS PEARCE on the back because he always tells me I'm his number one draft pick! :) 

I thought I wanted some grand romantic gesture but it was absolutely perfect just the way he did it. It was so us and he caught me completely off guard and it was amazing. Now it's only a few months till we're together forever!!!

It's Gonna Rain...

You know the old saying "when it rains, it pours." Well I feel like I need to start heading for a life raft. This week has been nothing but one storm after another. Long lasting storms. Not little showers that refresh your faith and move on. Like hurricane force winds affecting every aspect of life. I don't want to go into a lot of detail, just suffice it to say that it seems like every time I've turned around this week something else has tumbled down. Most stemming from one unpleasant event.

So I've been pretty frustrated and annoyed and just generally down this week. It happens when one sustains a week's worth of storms. The gloomy gray sky starts to take its toll on one's soul. I felt the urge to give up. Multiple times. If I didn't have such an amazing man - who let's face it - is practically carrying me right now, I probably would have given up and runaway. Yeah I'm a runner. I'm working on it. 

Needless to say, my Bible devotion this morning focused on perseverance through storms. Of course right? God always has to do things like that. In times like these it's both comforting and slightly irritating. Irritating in that way one gets irritated with the know-it-all in math class. Like we get it! You know everything! Quit rubbing it in my face! But of course, it's comforting at the same time to know that God knew exactly what I was going to be feeling/going through on February 8th and thus directed Tony Dungy to write the perfect devotional for this day over 2 years ago. Makes you feel kinda special when you think about it that way.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Back to the point. I was talking with God and I was like I don't understand why it has to rain right now. Like this is the worst possible time to try and drown me. I have 900 other things to think about. And does it really have to rain this much? It seems excessive. And then He said the most profound thing to me: April showers bring May flowers. Obviously I was confused because 1) it's February and 2) what does that have to do with anything that's going on right now??? Then He explained further. Basically the land is scorched right now. Life has dried us all up. His blessings cannot grow in dry, dead, scorched land. Thus we have to go through some heavy monsoons before blessings can once again abound in our lives. Very plainly and simply: flowers cannot grow in May without the land being prepared through the April showers.

I am oddly comforted by this thought. Mainly by the humanistic thought of "Awesome only a month of this!" Which I have no doubt is not true by any stretch of the imagination for God's timing and storms are often more complicated than that. But it's comforting to think that there's a reason behind these intense showers now. See I'm looking to move into a new chapter in life very soon. My heart must be ready before I can gain the wondrous blessings of that season. Honestly, it totally sucks! It double sucks! It's terrible and I hate it and I want it to be over with already. But I know it'll be worth it. I don't know how or when or why...but I know that God isn't going to take such precious care to water the land and then never allow flowers to grow.

So glory to God - I've got a garden growing soon!!! And it's gonna be magnificient!!!

Rebuild the Temple!

The first part of my devotion today was focused on taking care of your body. The focus verse was 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God: You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."

In the devotional part, Tony Dungy said something that really gripped me. "The truth is, your body is still a temple, whether it's run-down or not." That just hit me as so profound. We always hear in church that our bodies are temples. Over and over and over until it's like yeah we get it. I'm a temple. But it never occurred to me that my body in its current state could still be a temple to God. I immediately thought of the story in the Bible when the Jews were rebuilding the temple of Jerusalem. They were worn out and didn't want to continue. But Nehemiah urged them forward and they rebuilt the temple of Jerusalm. 

Right now I feel like my temple is a bit run-down. I haven't exactly taken awesome care of it. But lately I'm trying to change that and I'm turning it around. Rebuilding the temple God gave me one piece at a time. There are days when I'm discouraged, but then Jesus urges me forward and I know that I can do it! I also kinda feel like Solomon. Building the temple from scratch. I can't imagine the portable temple wasn't a bit worn after being used and moved so many years. But my new temple is going to be glorious. One of splendor and talk for years to come!!! Moving forward....

Encouragement Anew...

Few quick thoughts from my devotion time this more:

1) First of all, check out the beatitudes from the Message:
         "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. You're blessed when you're content with just who you are - no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought. You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for. You're blessed when you get your inside world - your mind and heart - put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family. You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom. Now only that - count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens - give a cheer, even! - for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble."

I absolutely love the fresh wording of these verses. We've all heard these a bazillion and one times. Thought I would share a new perspective on them.

2) Apparently it is the year of the wedding. One of my closest friends recently got engaged, along with 4 other people I know. This my dear friends makes me terribly impatient and annoyed! I want it to be MY turn already! Yes, I am selfish and greedy in this area! However some encouragement came from Romans 8 this morning. Again from the Message:
           "This is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along."

Granted I have never experienced the waiting of pregnancy, but I can imagine what it's like. No I've never felt it, but I've been around plenty of pregnant women and listened to their sighs and groans for the baby to hurry up and get outta there and into their arms. So I can identify with the metaphor. However, the longer the wait, the more joyful the expectancy. It's been a long journey for Bryan and I. One that began and exhausted me long before I ever met him. However, I know that God understands my "pregnant" condition, and is working out all the details into something amazing that I will be able to cherish and hold close in due time. He understands my groans and sighs and isn't frustrated with me. But I imagine he smiles a bit while I'm throwing a mental tantrum.....because he knows the awesomeness that is just over the horizon. That I will soon call my own! Ahhh I CANNOT WAIT! Haha :)

PS God is totally amazingly awesome!!!

A New Year

So like everyone else in the entire world, I made some New Year's resolutions. Some goals to work towards in this fresh start of 2013. They were pretty typical too: 1) Have a daily devotion time with God everyday. 2) Get in shape and finally lose some serious weight. 3) Dedicate at least 1 hour to writing daily.

Nothing big or fancy right? But that doesn't make them any less important. So in typical Eowyn fashion, I started a little late. Apparently the new year doesn't start until the 8th for me. What can I say - change is terrifying for me. Even little changes. Nevertheless, I woke up this morning with a dedicated mind and decided today was the day to begin.

So I pulled out my copy of "The One Year Uncommon Life: daily challenge" by Tony Dungy. Yes the old head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. The man is amazing and loves God and has awesome character. One reason I initially fell in love with the Colts, and one reason why I became disenchanted last season. But that's another story for another time. Anyway, since I started a week late I'm having to do two daily challenges until I get caught up. No big deal. So my plan is to read the one-page devotional by Mr. Dungy, then read the chapter that the core verse is taken from in the Message. (I have to read the whole chapter mainly because in maddening fashion the Message has no verse numbers. Thus it's quite difficult to find the single verse.) Then having done that, I read the verses in my Women of Faith Study Bible and any little side devotion related to the original passage. Seems complicated but it's really not and trust me, I NEEDED an outline. Otherwise I sit and stare and drool and accomplish nothing. After reading, Jesus and I spend some time in conversation. Simple. Easy. Great for habit forming.

So I started today and the first devotional dealt with self-discipline. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Verses I've heard and memorized a bazillion times, yet today they seemed new and fresh and just for me. I need some serious self-discipline people - physically and spiritually. That is my challenge for today. Run from self-indulgence! So that was pretty cool that the first thing was directly aimed at my new year's goals. 

Then day two. Focus on God's promises for a good future. Revelation 21:1-5. My favorite parts of these verses come from the Message. I actually highlighted them in my Bible. Yes people! Understand what just happened! I wrote in a book! It's utter craziness I know, but I really couldn't help myself. Here are my favorite parts: "God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women....He'll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good - tears gone, crying gone, pain gone - all the first order of things gone...I'm making everything new. Write it all down - each word dependable and accurate." He's making all things new! I can't accurately express the excitement these words brought me. It's a season of change for me. A new chapter is just on the horizon. I can see glimpses of it in my dreams. I cannot wait! 

God spoke directly to my heart about the two things that I needed to hear the most. He's with me on the journey and he's taking me toward the new great things he has been planning for me before I was born. He knows the desires of my heart and is moving to fulfill them. He's completely awesome and totally amazing!!!

Be prepared people! He said to write it all down! Which happens to be resolution number 3. So this blog should be overflowing. :)