The End Of The World!!

So, I've been thinking... oh yes, I can hear some of you beginning your jokes, "well, this could be dangerous..". Ha, I assure you it's not...or at least I hope. ;)

With all of this talk about "The End of the World", I just couldn't help but go off on one of my many analytical outings... it is such an interesting topic so it allowed me quite the field day! I've heard joking remarks about no need to study for finals, pay the bills or go Christmas shopping because "the world is about to end and, really...what's the point?" I observed many comical statements using the whole end of the world theory as an easy way out, a way to slack and lessen our responsibility and load. I'm not sure about you, but if I really did know when the world was going to end, I wouldn't want to waste my time pursuing superficial, selfish things but instead I'd rather work tirelessly on bettering myself for Christ!

IF tomorrow were really the end of the world, would I be ready to face the judgement room? IF tomorrow were really the end of the world, would I be prepared to stand before my creator...would I be the pure vessel He created me to be or instead would I stand before Him blemished and ashamed of the selfish state I willingly succumbed to? These are the questions we need to be asking and seeking the answers to.

Matthew 24:36 states, "but concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."

We don't know when the Lord is coming...Could He come tomorrow? Yes. Could He come at this very moment? Yes. Could He come a year from now?Yes. You get the picture, I'm sure. Bottom line, we don't know! Matthew 24:42 goes on to say, "Therefore, stay awake for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." When I read this scripture I was overwhelmed by the call to ACTIVELY remain on guard and awake, always remaining alert. What exactly are we called to do? To keep our spiritual selves "up to par" and ready for His coming!! I don't want to be one of the women left grinding at the mill like verse 41 talks about. "..two women were grinding at the mill, one will be taken and the one left.".

I'm sure many of you have heard the saying " live everyday as if it's your last"...This should not be selfishly applied to pursue our own wants and desires, but instead be applied to force our flesh aside and pursue righteousness!

IF today were your last day, would YOU be ready to stand before the throne? IF today were your last day, would YOU be satisfied with what you had to offer the Lord? Would you hear the words, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant..."? That statement alone is the one my heart longs to hear, it is the finish line I long to reach and the reward wrapped up all in one. My life will have been lived to it's fullest if those words escape the lips of my beloved savior on the day I stand before Him. I fall so short on a daily basis that I end up doing the opposite of what James 1:19 says, "...Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.".

Today, I urge you to examine your heart and see if there is any room for improvement... to do as John 3:30 says "He must INCREASE, I must DECREASE"

Live every day as if it were your last and the world were to end tomorrow, putting as much passion and zeal into the things of the Lord as possible and loving to your maximum capacity. Strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus, a pure vessel He can use to accomplish His will! When you allow John 3:30 to become your resounding steps and Matthew 25:21 the track on which you run, you will be amazed when you reach the end and find yourself standing before your Heavenly Father having lived a life that's been pleasing unto Him.

So, let's wake up, prepare our hearts for His coming and live up to our created purpose! Who knows... it just might come in handy tomorrow. ;)

Taylor

What-If

Galatians 1:10 "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ..".

Recently, I was reading the book of Galatians and was drawn to chapter 1: verse 10 where Paul talks about people who seek to please and gain the approval of mankind. This got me thinking.... If we are servants of God, shouldn't pleasing HIM and gaining approval in HIS eyes be our greatest desire?

Matthew 6:24 says "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other..".

We CANNOT serve two masters, the previous scripture clearly paints that picture, but what does that mean? It means that a choice must be made. GOD or MAN.

When evaluating my life I've come to realize that at times, I choose God with my words but not with my actions. How many times do we say "God, I love you and want to do your work.." but stop dead in our tracks when the "What-if" wave hits us like a train. "What if people think I'm crazy?..", "What if someone gets upset?..","What if I lose their friendship?..", "What if?...What if?...What if?".

Well, I'm here to offer a different "what if" scenario.

What if we stopped living our lives based on the worlds reaction? What if we stopped weighing our "should I"'s on the thoughts and feelings of man rather than the thoughts and feelings of God? What if we were to actually read the word and LIVE IT OUT? What if we were to LOVE those who are cruel to us and pray for their prosperity? What if we were to say we believe something and STAND for it? I think the outcome would be a changed world and a changed people. I've heard many people say "I want to leave a legacy, I want to be remembered once I'm gone..", however I think that's the wrong statement we, as followers of Christ, should be making. Instead we should revise it to say "I want to leave a legacy, I want GOD to further be remembered because of the life I lived". If you REALLY want to change this world for the better, bring a little more God and love into it. If you REALLY want to be remembered, be remembered because of who you were in the Lord, not because of some movie you starred in or song that you sang. If you REALLY want to be remembered, be remembered as the pure vessel who sought righteousness and light in a world of evil and darkness. If you are not remembered by thousands but are remembered in the heart of ONE whom you helped guide and direct in the word, took to church or showed the love of Christ to, I believe with all my heart that that one outweighs the thousands. It's not about how many people remember you, but about how many people remember God.

What do you want to be remembered for? What if it costs you everything? Are you willing to follow God no matter what? I encourage you to do a heart check today and if the answer is no, seek the Lord fervently to help you because it's never too late to become sold out for Christ.

So I ask, Which "what if" scenario will you embrace?

-Taylor

"Friend" is too cheap a word...

The Urban Dictionary defines "friend" as this: A friend is someone you love and who loves you, someone you respect and who respects you, someone whom you trust and who trusts you. 

I've had friends come and go in my life... I've grown close to some and then slowly drifted... however, there are those rare few who seem to have always been around. Those rare few whom are always there for you... who you can go awhile without talking to but the minute you see each other again it's as if no time has passed at all. I have a friend like that. Shelby Hewitt has been in my life for quite some time... she is a constant that I've grown accustomed to having. I never doubt her loyalty, love or genuineness...she is who she is and I know she's always there for me. I was talking to someone the other day about how much I loved her. I made the statement "and best friend seems too cheap a word compared to how I feel..she's like a sister...". I realized in that moment that there's probably no term or phrase that can be coined to describe our friendship but as we recently surprised her for her 16th birthday I wanted to post a quick blog thanking her for who she is, in general and to me.

Shelby: I've never before met a more transparent and beautiful young lady. Externally you have looks beyond words but internally you far surpass even that. I've always been amazed by your love for people and the kindness you constantly show. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me even when I fall short and don't deserve it. You are the epitome of precious and I desire to be more like you when I grow up ;) I love you dearly! I hope you always know that. Happy (belated) Sweet Sixteen!! :)

-Chasing Rainbows-

"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and 
remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on earth." Genesis 9:16

Rainbows are mesmerizing, causing me to stop and simply stand in awe of their beauty. It doesn't matter if I've seen one hundred of them, at the sight of one I begin a mini-freak out and start yelling "look! look! a rainbow..." wanting as many people as possible to acknowledge and embrace its beauty with me. Naturally, when I think of a rainbow I ponder what it must have been like when they first appeared- to see vibrant color splashed across the sky as never before. More than anything though, I think back to the promise/covenant God made with US, His children. Every time I see one it's like God's saying "I love you..." while that rainbow wraps around my mind giving me a warm, colorful embrace. 

There's another point of view that's taken when viewing that precious bow... one that's fun to contemplate but very far fetched. It is said a pot of gold awaits at the end of a rainbow and that a little leprechaun is to be found as well. While this is just a story, I couldn't help but do what I do best... Analytically break down aspects of that story and have it serve as a spiritual parallel. As most of you know, God speaks to me through analogies constantly and this was one of those moments. I hope you enjoy as I try to explain the revelation I got from something so simple. :)

GOD vs Leprechaun (Aka; Man)

If you were falling, who would you want to catch you? A tiny leprechaun or the Almighty God? If you were stuck in a pit, who would you want to pull you out? A tiny leprechaun or the Almighty God? In both cases a tiny leprechaun wouldn't be of much use because we'd crush them or pull them into the pit with us... But God is capable of our rescue no matter what. So many times we get into trouble and foolishly place our trust in man rather that the Creator of all. Why do we do this? Is it because we've been told that man can supply our immediate needs and help make us happy? Which, after all, is what life's all about. Ha. We've been fed so many lies and sadly I think we've started believing them. The little leprechaun at the end of the rainbow we're chasing after is supposed to give us gold- precious gold of much worth, right? We do anything and everything in our power to chase after that rainbow (job, relationship, money...) because we've been told that there's a great reward awaiting us at the end (CEO, Marriage, Millionaire...). We sacrifice so much to obtain those things but truth is, without Christ it all amounts to NOTHING.

1 Peter 1:7 tells us "so that the tested genuineness of your faith-more precious than gold that perishes, though it's tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

I find it interesting that the scripture actually references GOLD when referring to our genuine faith, don't you think? Given what we've been discussing. I can hope for whatever I want but unless it lines up with the word of God it will not prosper. Until I take action and walk the path God's called me to I will not be blessed or happy. The world is so desperate for happiness yet pursues things that only cause depression, destruction and/or demise. Instead of pursuing happiness which is circumstantial we should instead seek joy which is constant. Despite situations or feelings, joy remains in tact because it's not self-reliant but instead dependent upon the Lord who is faithful. 

Something More

When I was growing up I used to love watching "The Little Mermaid". When she'd begin singing.. " Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?.." I'd loudly accompany her while pretending I was swimming around the ocean myself. That little cave filled with many trinkets (most of which she didn't even know the names to) contained her pride and joy, it was her treasure... yet, she still longed for something more. I know, many of you are probably thinking "Sheesh, she's referencing Ariel?"... but just stick with me, please! The items in and of themselves weren't her treasure but instead the place from which they came... that was what her heart longed after.

Matthew 6:21 says "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

What you set your heart after is what you will pursue. Do you long for something more? For something far above? God gives us glimpses of heaven. He made us in His image and when He created the world He left His fingerprint on creation... Yet my heart isn't for the creation but instead the Creator. If you place so much worth in the things of this world that you stop longing for something more, you will always remain empty inside. The materialistic things you possess WILL perish someday, that's a given... just like that rainbow which is here and gone the next, so is our life. Beautiful as can be but still like a vapor, we are not promised tomorrow but with a relationship with Christ we are promised eternity. 

Light

Rainbows cannot appear in darkness, a source of light is always required (water too) when a rainbow makes an appearance. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says "For God, who said , 'Let light shine out of darkness' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.". If your life is filled with sin and overwhelming darkness how can you expect to be blessed? How can you expect a rainbow of blessing and promise to appear? In order for that to occur you must let God in and be the light shining out of the darkness! "You are the light of the world..." (Matthew 5:14) and  "...ambassadors for Christ.."(2 Corinth. 5:20) once you get a revelation of that you'll forsake the temporary pleasures of the world. No amount of gold will be able to entice you into forsaking the One who gave all so you may have all! I love what 1 Peter 2:9 says which is "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you OUT of the darkness and into his marvelous light!". YOU can be a living rainbow radiating beauty, joy and peace to all around you, drawing them in with your genuine faith that's far more precious that any amount of gold a leprechaun could give you. What you need to understand though is that the light which shines from within isn't you but Christ IN you, so remain humble when people are amazed by your life. They're not pleased with you but the Lord within... but that's far greater than people being pleased with you, I can assure you.

So here's my question. Are you going to answer God's calling out of darkness and into HIS marvelous light? Are you going to stop seeking temporary gain and instead seek eternal reward? Are you going to quit relying on fallen man and begin trusting in God and His promises instead? Don't bank on luck or chance but trust in faith and promise. He loves us more than we'll ever be able to comprehend and it's my prayer that when you next see a rainbow, you won't chase after the little green leprechaun with a pot of gold (things of this world) but chase after our Glorious God who has SO much more to offer. Also remember that a rainbow doesn't come without the rain, so when you're faced with trials of various kinds.. remain standing and let God's light in, a rainbow will be the result and you'll have something to encourage others as they face life themselves.

-Taylor

 

::Green-Thumb NOT Required::

Sitting in the back seat of a big van, bouncing up and down as we drove down tiny dirt roads, I remember looking out at the beauty of Romania. Lush green fields, breathtaking mountains, shepherds guiding their flock; it was a sight that will never be forgotten. During our long ride into (what felt like) the middle of nowhere, I sat quietly and gazed at the scenic view flashing by me. Once we slowed down a bit I was really able to observe and my eyes were continuously drawn to some beautiful flowers on the side of the road. I kept trying to figure out what they were but finally I gave up and asked...the answer, however, wasn't at all what I was expecting....

"Oh, those? They aren't flowers... those are just weeds"

"Weeds? They can't be. They're so pretty!..", I thought to myself.
How in the world could something so beautiful be a weed? It's uniqueness on display for all to see, captivating you with it's color and demanding your full attention. (I still don't know the name of the weed, but even if I did I probably wouldn't be able to pronounce it in Romanian! Ha!) They covered the roadside and grew in remarkable abundance. While still being surprised by the answer I'd received, God began speaking to me in regards to those weeds. I hope what I share makes as much sense to you as it does to me!

How many times do we see sinful things put on display by the world - enticing us to take part and inviting us to embrace? The world tells us "beauty/happiness is... [insert sinfulness here]" and we're to chase after it. We've been fed lie after lie to pursue sexual immorality, dishonesty, lust, jealously, vanity, greed, etc... and for what? To obtain a sense of self worth? You cannot find worth in worthlessness. To become more independent? To "find ourselves"? The season of sin (Hebrews 11:25) is short lived and produces nothing worth having, it's as simple as that. Like those weeds, which grow wherever it wants and destroys whatever gets in it's way... we, as people, do the very thing. Sometimes, we place our sin on display because the world tells us it's beautiful, we do what we want when we want to because it makes us happy and we feed our sinful passions without hesitation even though it often results in the destruction of those we love and the lives we live. The world promotes, endorses and glorifies sin at every level, attempting to make that the standard to which we hold ourselves to. How tragic it is to know that now sin is no longer frowned upon by the majority but condoned and commended! Once upon a time, there was a day when people sought to preserve their innocence. Once upon a time, there was a day when purity was praised. Now what do we find? Mocking, teasing and bullying if you haven't lost your "V-Card" by high school. Now, we find a man's sexuality being questioned if he hasn't slept with or kissed a girl by the age of 16 (probably even younger). Why is this the case? How can this be? I find myself asking this constantly but I feel it really boils down to this: We've lowered the bar of our standards and settled for average. Jesus wasn't average, He was perfect! And while we, in our flesh, will never obtain that same perfect status... we are to strive after perfection because THAT should be our standard - Christ should be our standard!

As I kept pondering, God continued to reveal things to me. I love it when He does that! :)

If you rid your garden (aka: life) of the weeds (aka: sin) when they first take root, it's much easier to maintain  than allowing them to dig deep, produce more and take over. Eventually though, that's what happens... We cultivate, feed, coddle and pamper our sin instead of ridding ourselves of it! It's hard to have a pure, radiant garden when horrid, ugly weeds have taken over...Actually... it's impossible! We must stop asking God "Why am I not producing a harvest?","Why is my garden not thriving?", "Why, why, why?", when the truth is... we've cultivated an atmosphere incapable of producing such marvelous things. The more light, water and nutrients you give your garden (aka: life) through a personal relationship with Christ, constant prayer and scripture reading the more pure and radiant a garden you'll have! When you allow weeds and darkness to overpower you, death and destruction are the only logical outcomes.. So don't act so surprised when that happens. Maybe you have embraced sin in the past and you're looking at your garden and you feel it's too late- I'm here to tell you IT'S NOT! God is willing and ready to rid you of that filth and restore you!.. if you call upon His name, turn from your sinful ways and enter into a personal relationship with Him.

I learned so much from those weeds that day, I've thought about it constantly since then. I refuse to embrace something sinful even if it's pretty, I refuse to embrace something sinful even if it's fun... Jesus gave far too much for me to waste His precious sacrifice on petty, worldly things. Instead, when the weeds try to plant themselves in my garden (which they will- and there's nothing wrong with that... Temptation/Sin is only wrong when you surrender and succumb to it) I will go through the painful process of defying my fleshly desires and rid myself of them! I will fight to preserve my garden, I will fight to maintain my garden and make it a safe place for others, I will fight to cultivate Godliness so that when others view my garden they don't see me but the handiwork of our most Beloved. Are you ready to fight? Are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of Christ? If so, let's put on our gloves and get to work- we've ALL got some gardening to do! ;)

-Taylor

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