We're back! The honeymoon was incredible. Amazing views from all angles at the resort, the sea of cortez, our infiniti-edge pool. Delicious cuisine, Cuban Cigars, private beaches, I could go on and on, but I'm too exhausted from it all to describe w/ words. Here are a few of our highlights. For more click the link to head to our
wedding website for honeymoon pics and up coming wedding pics.
One more thing... Well the day is upon us - or Jen and I rather and we're looking at about 8 hours until we are at least on our way to get married. As I start to reflect on what it's meant to go through this process of Jen and I becoming one, I am realizing two really key things for me.
1. In reality - life is going to be really close to the same, at least in appearances... and what I mean by that is aside from rings and maybe a really stupid looking grin, nothing is physically going to change once we are married. What's changing is the really important stuff - the spiritual bond in a covenant before God. That is an incredible thing to even think about being a part of. I have no idea what marriage will be like, but Jen and I will still be two strong-willed people just acting in faith and knowledge of the level of commitment we have in each other before God.
2. The second part has been an ongoing lesson in my life. My family both the Hullingers/Daniels side of things and the Gruits/Hughes side I am marrying into are AMAZING. There are a lot of people who have rallied around the idea of Jen and getting married and they have put their time, talents, sweat and tears into making it an incredible day. NOT everyone has that going for them, but Jen and are blessed to have two wonderful sides to our family. And our friends, well, let's just say they are incredible as well, and picking a bridal party was a painful process. The cool thing is our family sees our amazing groups of friends, sees the commitment, sees the love in Christ they have for us, and they want that - so in a way Christ is already being furthered even before we are married.
I can't wait for 4:30PM today when Jen and I will be Mr. and Mrs... well you know where I'm going with this. It's going to be an incredible start...
There's probably only one person reading this thing at this point - but I'm just going to say it. We are just a bit more than a day away from my impending marriage! I couldn't be more excited, and exhausted. I have been getting up early every morning, so I'm hoping that tomorrow I can get some much needed rest... It's been hard to come by. Anyway, this time tomorrow I'll be gather things up to head over to Bethesda to start getting ready for our wedding.
This is crazy - crazy that I didn't do it sooner.
Oh well, at least we have the rest of our lives!
W
We're actually inside of 48 hours people. LESS than 2 days. This is incredible. Amazing, fantastic... I can't believe it's almost here, and it will be gone even faster than it came. We will remember hopefully more than others have of their nights, and my prayer is that we are just present, we are alive in that moment, fully aware of our bond and our covenant before God.
1 day and 16 hours left as I post this. A-Mazing!
See you soon.
Less than 3 Days! -
WoooHooo!Not sure if anyone has bothered to check the countdown timer, but it has me totally pumped right now. We are less than 72 hours (that is
"the wedding day" <>) away from the walk down the isle at this point. Pretty amazing stuff. I am excited to say the least, and tired from the little that I have done to plan the wedding. I would imagine that Jen is nearing full-fledged heart disease with the stress she has been carrying around to get this thing planned.
Luckily for us, we have the amazing Joy Gruits to keep us motivated and moving as well as a small army of Aunts and other family members who have continued to help out in great ways. The showers, the favors, the planning, the time everyone has sacrificed has been greatly appreciated. This has been an amazing journey!
We can't even believe it's been 5 months since this whole idea started after a small proposal in Amsterdam.
That's all, just pure excitement and exhilaration from here on out!
Our God is more faithful than the rising and the setting of the Sun. He is a strong tower for those who seek refuge...
May we find ourselves, together and apart, in Him.
I'm off to my cottage tonight for a bachelor party of sorts... Really it's just a good excuse to hang out with some great friends in an uninterrupted time of relaxation. I love the refuge I find at the cottage, and I hope my friends get to experience the solitude and refuge I feel each time I'm there.
More next week!
- Single Digits - 9 Days - I can't believe we are this close to the day... A day of celebrating, a day of spending brief seconds in the same conversation over and over, a day of trying to be completely present in the most important moment of our lives...
What's crazy is that the time leading up to the wedding has been almost out of control, and left Jen and myself a bit overwhelmed. I guess that is our doing because we wanted to get married so quickly, but that was better than the other options - or so it appeared at the time. Truth be told, we wish maybe we could have had another month or two simply so the planning would not have been as hectic. All in all, though, we have learned a lot through this process, really had to rely on each other and our families and grown closer in the process. I guess we really couldn't ask for more in the end.
What matters most is that August 12, 2006 around 4:30 pm, we will be in the eyes of God and our family and friends - ONE. I've been thinking a lot about what that word means and how we will become one, in an instant, and then spend the rest of our lives attempting to grow into the mold of being single minded in all we share and do. I guess it really starts with being like-minded and hearted, with God more than with each other.
Reality for us is that we are all separated from the love of God,
but for Christ's death and resurrection... And that is our middle ground. When we are differing in opinion and ideals... We must look to God to be the commonality and the direction we move to. Otherwise, we are destined to remain two, to continue being separate and we will fail to experience the joy of being truly joined together for God and by Him.
That is our prayer - to be ONE.
We're back! The honeymoon was incredible. Amazing views from all angles at the resort, the sea of cortez, our infiniti-edge pool. Delicious cuisine, Cuban Cigars, private beaches, I could go on and on, but I'm too exhausted from it all to describe w/ words. Here are a few of our highlights. For more click the link to head to our wedding website for honeymoon pics and up coming wedding pics.
One more thing... Well the day is upon us - or Jen and I rather and we're looking at about 8 hours until we are at least on our way to get married. As I start to reflect on what it's meant to go through this process of Jen and I becoming one, I am realizing two really key things for me.
Less than 3 Days! - WoooHooo!
Our God is more faithful than the rising and the setting of the Sun. He is a strong tower for those who seek refuge...
- Single Digits - 9 Days -