Promises Fulfilled - Part 12

      

Up to this point, we've covered just about everything! From my & Brandon's initial meeting, to the pre-wedding jitters... however, I have just a little more to say before I conclude these "Promises Fulfilled" posts.
I hope you guys don't mind ;)

Brandon & I were blessed with a beautiful wedding, filled with so many loved ones! We, afterwards, found out that our wedding set the new record for "largest wedding" at Northside Baptist Church with nearly 400 in attendance! I think we knew we were loved and blessed to have so much support in our lives... but I believe it all REALLY set in on our wedding day. Thank you to everyone who attended, prays for, loves and supports us. We wouldn't be who/where we are now if not for you!- & Jesus of course, but that's a given :)

Immediately following the ceremony it was time for the cake! We gathered around being told "wait- wait-wait!" as cameras and phones snapped numerous pictures. My husband & I were kind to each other when it was time to eat the cake... I laughed so hard the whole time thinking "Surely he is going to cram it into my face... I just know he is..."..but he was a good little groom ;)



   



After we ate the cake, we spent awhile talking to everyone. There were so many people and I wasn't able to speak with everyone but I do have to share a funny story. Here I was, all dolled up in my pretty dress and I kept having parents walk up to me and say "Can my daughter say hello? She thinks you're a princess!". This happened on many accounts but the one I want to highlight is sweet Gracee. Christie, Jori, Carrie and myself had several laughs as Gracee would exclaim every time I'd come nearby "Look! Look! It's the Princess! Princess Taylor of Blackburn!". She sincerely thought I was a princess and was quite enthused by me... Naturally, we had to get a picture :) I will never forget that!

Once that portion of the day was finished, we packed up our things and went to make our grand exit. My Grandparents so graciously volunteered for us to drive their convertible and we were stoked! We loaded in the car and headed out, ready to kill some time before the private dinner reception that evening. As we drove away, we shouted and waved...got a little ways down the road and then looked at each other. This was the first time we'd ever really been alone!

Driving down the road we couldn't help but tease that we should have our chaperons in the back seat and this just didn't feel right! Once we got even further I asked "What now? Where are we going??". Brandon said he didn't know at which point I replied "Well... I'm hungry. Let's go eat!" Any guesses as to where we ended up??? Haha....                                   TACO BELL!

I know, I know. Of all the places we could have gone, we ended up there! I will always laugh when I think back on it... Going through the drive-thru, having the guy say "Duuude, you guys look, like, really nice..." and getting to shout "We just got married!". We sat in the parking lot, wanting to take full advantage of the sweet ride, and ate our tacos right then and there. I have to say, our marriage had a pretty swell start :)

Finally, we headed to the dinner reception. Wind blowing through my hair, music playing loud, HUSBAND sitting to my left: Life couldn't possibly feel more perfect than that moment. Once we arrived, my jaw dropped. A sight more stunning than words will permit me to explain filled my eyes. What a beauty the reception was, vintage this, vintage that... We'd been preparing for awhile but I had NO idea that things would piece together so flawlessly! To prove my point, here are a few gorgeous pictures for your viewing :)



 


 
 

 

I was truly blessed by everything! My family, the Hewitts, the Sorah's and everyone else who helped worked very hard to make my & Brandon's special day as perfect as could be... and they succeeded! THANKS!!!
While we were waiting to eat, we took lots and lots of wedding party pictures. What a blast! We ignored the rain clouds that were rolling in and managed to get a few good shots. Here are some of those. :)

(Here's a picture of our homemade bouquets! *Mine is made out of brooches*) 

We then enjoyed a beautiful evening of music, (My precious friend MYCHAL!! and Aaron sang/played some tunes. They were delightful!), food, fellowship and some slight showers. When it started to lightly rain my fleshly response was "freak out"... but upon speaking with Brandon and Mr. Sorah we came to the conclusion that in the Bible, rain is considered a form of God's blessing: It means He's going to bring blessing and growth! After that, I tucked in my bottom lip, thanked God for blessing me even when I don't realize it...
then proceeded to enjoy the evening!

After we ate, there were many wonderful speeches from the wedding party. We laughed, cried and further realized how blessed we are to have the people in our lives that we do! God is SO GOOD!

(I could only get a few of the pictures uploaded from those who gave speeches... )

Once we concluded the speech giving portion of the evening, we moved on to our "first dances". Mrs.Susan and Brandon danced to "A Mother's Song", My Daddy and I danced to "Sweet Pea" and Brandon and I shared our first dance to "Tonight" by JJ Heller. It was rather dark where we were, so the pictures didn't turn out all that great... but hopefully you still enjoy seeing them :)

  

 
  


We spent the rest of the evening taking pictures in the photo booth area, talking, eating sweets, drinking coffee... but mostly, WE DANCED! Here's a picture of Jon Sorah bustin' a move and showin' us how it's done! ;)

   Around 10pm we decided to head out... it was finally finished. I was now Mrs. Brandon Blackburn! Wife to the most amazing man God's ever created. I'm not being sentimental and I'm not being partial, I'm being honest. Never in my life have I known someone to love God so deeply and seek His plan above all else. What a blessing to be married to someone who I know loves and cares for me, but loves and cares for Christ even more. I know I'll always be safe and in God's hands because I have a man who is selfless and will not lead me astray. What a joy it is to stand by his side and help him fulfill the calling on his life! Once we drove away, we headed to OUR home. The one that we'd been renting for a month but had never been in alone together before. (Any time I'd come to clean or drop things off, Brandon would have to wait outside or plan to be gone haha) Our honeymoon was, to be brief, perfection. God truly knew what He was doing when He made marriage. The unity of marriage is the most breathtakingly beautiful thing I've ever known. Brandon carried me over the threshold that night as he always dreamed he would someday do.


The deep intimacy that is experienced between a couple who have saved themselves for marriage is beautiful and just as Christ created it to be. Innocent. Pure. Blameless. Brandon and I had nothing to compare things to, no contrary standard had been cultivated... our standard was the word and what God revealed to us. Constantly we, as believers, tend to say "Yes, I'm a Christian.. I've surrendered myself completely to the Lord".. but we won't let Him be a part of our relationships or intimacy. The bottom line is this: The areas that you surrender to God will flourish, while the areas you push Him out of will produce nothing but dull, void, nothingness. Think about that the next time you think you know best, even in the area of love. You have the choice to surrender and be blessed or fail due to pride and thinking you know what's best.
Being as transparent, open and honest as can be I'll say this: having lived it, having endured the path of purity and seen the blessing/fruit associated with sacrificing fleshly pursuits/desires and doing things God's way, I can now assure you that it's truly as wonderful as Christ depicts in His word and He really did intended for marriage and intimacy to glorify and honor Him. No matter if you're married or single, you have the CHOICE to honor and glorify Christ in your marriage/intimacy. Married folk, embrace the gift of marriage. As a book I've read states "God didn't create marriage to make you happy, but to make you HOLY". I urge you to stop seeking your own happiness and start seeking holiness...That is the thing that makes a marriage work and last when it seems hopeless. For single folk, embrace the gift of singleness and preparation! Don't waste your time on people who may or may not be "the one". This is a mentality that pushes people to pointlessly test out many relationships in an attempt to figure things out on their own based on nothing more than emotion and feeling. I can wholeheartedly promise you that if it's a God thing, there will be no "maybe" or "if" about it, you will simply know. Until that time, until the moment where God says "yes"... wait. Wait upon the Lord, His timing is flawless and you will never regret choosing to remain in the covering of His plan.
The best way to sum up the marriage that Brandon and I share would be this.
One Man. One Woman. One God.
It's a threefold cord serving ONE purpose: The glorification of Christ.

I pray that you've been blessed as you've traveled this journey with me. It's been an honor getting to share with you all over the last several months! Hopefully you've all been encouraged by our story and have seen the goodness of God in a way you'd yet been able to... Jesus has been so wonderful to us and it's always a joy being able to share our testimony. Be blessed my sweet friends and always love others as Christ has loved you- selflessly, genuinely, unceasingly and wholeheartedly. :)



THE BEGINNING.....

-Taylor

:Promises Fulfilled - Part 11:

 It was the day before my wedding and I couldn't help but be faced with many emotions! As my mind raced through all of the "lasts" I was experiencing... I pondered all of the "firsts" that were soon to come. People had told me the day before your wedding is madness and you find yourself frantically running about trying to make last minute things happen... I'm not sure if it was because we were actually very prepared or if it was simply because my Mom and Jeana were so fabulous at getting things done, but whatever the reason, my "day before" was pretty relaxed. The biggest things we were struggling to finish were the handmade lace flowers for bridesmaid bouquets! That night we sat around making, what felt like, hundreds of flowers...Around 12am we finally decided it was time to call it good and rest up a little before the big day. I remember hitting the midnight hour and saying "Oh my!! Today's the day!!". I will always remember sitting around with Shelby, Jeana & my Mom as we strung lace, burned our fingers with glue guns and glued many pearls to ourselves! Not to mention, reminisced on all of the great memories we have! So fun. :)

Once I got home I was pretty exhausted from the previous few hours so drifting to sleep, thankfully, wasn't an impossible task. I always imagined myself unable to sleep due to the approaching excitement but God was gracious and granted me a very peaceful rest. As I snuggled into bed I did lay there awhile thinking "Wow... this is the last time to sleep in MY room, the last day to be a Huse..". I awoke early refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to take on the day! I got to the church and began my transformation! The every-so-lovely Krisha Collins was my darling make-up artist.. and what a true delight. I like to brag that the same woman who has previously done the make-up for Kari Jobe was the same woman who graced me with her assistance on my special day! Krisha gave my hair/make-up as a wedding gift, and I am so very thankful. While I know that her talent alone was enough to make me thrilled, God knew I truly NEEDED her to be the one... Krisha was so kind and helpful during the day. There were many times where I would be laughing and then the next thing you know, I'd be tearing up! She was always so quick to get me laughing again or lift my spirits. Thank you Mrs. Krisha for the blessing you were/are to me- I love you!

         

While in the bridal room, many people came in and out, there was certainly a lot going on! Once my make-up was finished we took all of the pictures we could before the wedding, leaving only the shots where Brandon and I were together. I felt like Barbie- all dolled up and ALL smiles! After we made it through the pictures it was time to wait... and wait... for what felt like forever! 

   

When my Daddy came into the room to see me for the first time I lost it. Even now thinking about that moment brings me to tears.... There's a special bond formed between a dad and his daughter. He hugged me, told me how beautiful he thought I looked and asked me once again if I was sure that I wanted to get married, telling me that it wasn't too late...

{This is something that is important for some of you who may feel as though my relationship with Brandon was arranged. You are correct, I did have an arranged marriage... But not in the way that you might think. I've heard that some people feel like our parents arranged the marriage or that my parents picked out my spouse... but the truth is: GOD arranged my marriage, and I feel He did a pretty spectacular job! While courtship is different than the typical dating scene, let it be known that I DID have a choice and a say in our relationship. I CHOSE to be obedient to God and embrace the calling He has for me. God brought Brandon into my life, all I did was respond to his proper pursuit of me. :) }

Once the time had arrived, I fought back tears and walked down the hallway with my Dad making my way to the main doors. I took a deep breath, clenched my Dad's arm tightly and gave the nod for the doors to be opened. My eyes took in quite a sight, SO many dear people filled the room- an overwhelming view to my left and right... but to be honest, my eyes were fixated on what was at the end of the aisle. With each step I took, I stepped closer and closer to my future, to my forever.. and with each passing step I stepped further away from the life I'd previously had, everything I'd ever known passed away as I finally stood before my handsome groom, my Brandon.

                 

Now, everyone knows the part of a wedding ceremony where the Pastor asks "who gives this bride..". God pressed upon my Dad's heart to add to that portion by verbally transferring headship to Brandon. He was nervous initially because none of us had ever seen anything like that done before, but we knew God had lead him to do it, so he was obedient. That portion of the ceremony ended up being one of my favorite and most memorable parts. My Dad spoke of the great responsibility that comes with taking his greatest treasure and that he expected him to take the job very seriously, among other things. I had to pull out my hidden handkerchief as my Dad publicly declared his love for me and the expectations of Brandon to all present. I have never before felt so cherished- Having the two greatest men in my life acknowledging my importance.

As the ceremony continued time passed so quickly, as I'd been told it would. Before, I'd imagined myself being nervous in front of so many people, but to be honest... it felt as it were just me & Brandon up on that stage. We laughed about my handkerchief and how I even had to borrow Brandon's because I was crying so much... we laughed at my nearly catching my veil on fire when we went to do the unity candles, Brandon actually ended up having to blow my candle out!! Great memories were made to say the least.

We took communion together and had a kneeling bench where we wanted to fully humble ourselves before the Lord. Our desire, when planning our wedding, was not to put on a show or even have the most elaborate of things... but to glorify God. We were there to make a covenant with God, not to impress people. Our hearts desire was to impress and please God, but we also wanted to walk away causing people to desire strengthening their relationships with Christ. If we didn't hear a single thing about how beautiful the wedding looked or if people liked the cake but we heard others say "God was present" or "the Lord touched me"... we would know we'd accomplished our goal!

Brandon and I, in addition to the traditional vows, wanted to exchange personal vows. I stated mine and after that had my song of love and purity played for Brandon- the one I'd written for my future spouse at the age of 14: KEY After that was finished Brandon recited his personal vows and read the poem he'd written for me the night we first entered into our courtship... He also was able to, for the first time, recite the last stanza of the poem! 

Shortly after the conclusion of our vows and ring exchange, it was time for the FIRST KISS! This would not only be our first kiss as man and wife but our first kiss EVER. Brandon and I each saved our first kiss for our wedding day... God had preserved us far before we even knew each other's names. After awhile of Pastor Jon (Brandon's Dad) being ornery and saying "You, Brandon... Brandon Paul Blackburn, may now... after all this time... kiss. your. bride!" we shared our first kiss :)          (Pardon me while I blush, haha)

A burst of excitement rushed through me and an unexplainable joy radiated from within! My lips had ever been kissed so, being as candid as possible, they felt tingly for nearly 10 minutes afterwards! Ha!

I will always remember that moment, his public confession of purity and love meeting mine- showing people that it is indeed possible to save your first kiss for your wedding day! It was always so comical to hear people say "but... if you save your first kiss for your wedding day, how will you know how to kiss? How will you know if you're any good at it?".. Ummm, even if I wasn't any good... that's something I wouldn't want to be practicing with a million other boys in an attempt to perfect. NOW, I can practice all I want and my husband will be the only one to know my faults and/or perfection ;) I delight in knowing that my husband loved ME so much (before he even knew me!) that he forsook everyone else to preserve himself for me and I know he delights that I showed the same amount of self-control... He knows my heart is 100% his- always has been, always will be. (Proverbs 31:12) 

   

FINALLY- We were man and wife! After waiting so long, we were now embarking on the greatest adventure man has ever known... the beautiful journey of marriage. Before excitedly making our way down the aisle (and onto a few more smooches :P) we presented roses to our Mom's as a sign of honor and respect. We wanted to make sure they knew how much we loved and valued them! 

                                                                                                

  

I bet you're probably growing a bit tired of this post so I will bring it to a close for now, but I will have a few more things to share soon, pertaining to our reception, marriage, etc...

I hope you tune in as I wrap up this chapter of our love story... the conclusion is upon us, my friends. :)

-Taylor