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

:Promises Fulfilled-Part 10:

 

"..THIS IS THE LORD’S DOING; IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES" PSALM 118:23

Many of you have been "following" our love story... so you know that when Brandon & I met, it wasn't by chance. There was no bumping into each other at the store or saying "Hey you're cute, let's go out." ..but instead it was the divine handiwork of God.

Brandon & I have had a wonderful, whirlwind relationship! Just two weeks after officially becoming "a couple" (as most of you know), I headed off to Romania for a month of ministry & mission work. During that time, our hearts became so entwined through the daily, personal devotions Brandon developed for us. I was amazed to watch our love grow so fiercely though we were so far apart

After 5 months & 1 day (ha!) of courting, Brandon surprised me (VERY MUCH SO!) by getting on one knee & uttering, for the first time, the words "I love you, Taylor Nicole Huse. Will you marry me?"

Here's how it went down:

Tradition in the Blackburn household is that they go to San Antonio every year to relax, stay on the Air Force Base, do all of their Christmas shopping, etc. They so lovingly invited us to join in on the fun & we happily agreed. We all made our way there & I was excited about the week (little did I know the excitement was small in comparison to what was soon going to happen!).

We did things here & there... but on December 15th, 2011 we went to eat dinner at the Saltgrass Steak house on the riverwalk. (Note: Saltgrass is where we went the night we first met.) Brandon kept saying things like "This is where it all began..." & "..there are such good memories at this place..". I agreed but suspected nothing, I thought he was just being his usual, sweet, romantic self. When we went to be seated, I didn't notice the table... looking back on things I should have realized how "convenient" it was that they just so happened to have a table set up with the PERFECT number of seats, in the prettiest spot (right in front of a beautiful Christmas tree). Once again though, I was oblivious.

Brandon & I decided to share a steak & I, not being able to eat much, thought it was a great idea since Brandon was bound to still have plenty of food. I was very confused though when Brandon ate hardly anything... & was very quiet/nervous. I kept telling him to eat more & finally I said "Why are you eating like a chipmunk?!" (I would soon find out..haha). By the time we were finished, there was more than half a steak left...which was crazy seeing as how two people shared & one of those two has the reputation of downing 50+ pieces of pizza! ;)

Finally, it was time for dessert. The waitress came over to our table with a tray overflowing with tasty treats. The woman hovered over me, explaining every tiny detail of every selection. (I didn't know at the time that all of that was the plan..."the distraction"). I was confused as to why she was being so thorough & finally reached to my right to consult Brandon, however my hand only made contact with air. I looked & Brandon was gone...not only that but his chair was gone too. Confused, I looked for him & found him standing. Not understanding what was going on, he pulled out..what I thought was... a rose. He stood there for another second & I remained lost. Finally, after taking a breath, he got down on one knee. I was overwhelmed with confusion &, with it still not sinking in, thought "Why is he being so dramatic with giving me a rose?". Finally he said "I love you. Taylor Nicole Huse, will you marry me?" at which point he opened the rose. You may be equally confused- it was actually a ring box!! Simply amazing! Now, you'd expect my immediate response to be "YES!" but I could hardly believe it. I just sat there, staring at the most handsome man ever, holding the most breathtaking ring ever & all I could manage to say was "Are you serious?"-"Are you kidding?" Over & over, I repeated myself & finally my mom brought me back to reality."Taylor, you can say yes!". Finally, I said yes & told him I loved him too...then, he placed the ring on my finger. Words will never be able to explain the feeling of that moment. What a blessing it was/is... to have waited for who God had for me & watch as the outcome far surpassed my wildest expectations. God is SO good!

   

 

Since, due to the courtship covenant we signed, we waited to hold hands/say "I love you" until engagement...I bet you can guess that we didn't let go of each other's hands the rest of the evening! & I'm sure we said "I love you" enough that night to last a lifetime!

Finally, Brandon was able to "Shout it out to the world" just how much he loved me...which he took full advantage of. He stopped me, having me stand on a bridge overlooking the river with tons of people nearby, & then he shouted with all of his might "I love this woman!". People clapped & laughed... but Brandon, & our siblings, weren't satisfied with only one loud declaration of love... so he did it a second time & that time around we heard someone yell from a passing tourist boat on the river " You said that last time!" then Brandon responded "Well, I love her even more NOW! We're getting married!".

What a fun, joyous night. I never knew love & happiness could feel like it did then, but everyday I grow in my love, respect & thankfulness for giving me the man whom Cinderella would be envious of! I will not have a "Happily Ever After" but a "Happily Forever After" & I look forward to spending the rest of my life with the one God designed, special for me.

All glory be to HIM- the giver of all good things!

-Taylor

:Promises Fulfilled - Part 9:

Good morning to all of you beautiful people!
We last spoke of my trip to Romania and the difficulties of being away from the one God had just brought into my life. During this post, I'd like to cover some of the "downs" we've faced during our courtship/relationship.

Let me first start off by saying that God has truly blessed us. Brandon & I have stood in awe of God daily as we see Him open up doors for ministry; with others- at churches- at conferences- with each other... The Lord seems to ALWAYS be at work! I was just talking to Brandon yesterday about this very thing. Brandon came home & said to me, "Taylor! You have NO idea how many times I'll be somewhere when I hear my name being called. I'll turn around & someone will be standing there... someone I don't know. They'll start talking to me about how they know me from Facebook & have been so blessed by the relationship God's given to you & me!". How neat is that?! So needless to say, we are grateful to God for our relationship & the way He is using it to glorify Himself.

Like any good thing that God's given... the enemy wants to destroy it. Satan works hard to destroy the things of the Lord, but when you can identify his schemes, you're better able to respond properly & overcome his pathetic attempts at destruction! It's easy to talk about the good... it's much harder to acknowledge the difficult. However, that's precisely what I want to do- I want to highlight the low times & pray that it encourages you in your life as you face difficulties.

Brandon & I get along splendidly, we do not fight, we don't really get angry... however one thing we've noticed is that the enemy has tried quite ardently to confuse us in the area of communication. I'm not sure if any of you have ever talked to someone when they've said something that offended you. Your defenses are thrust into overdrive & you start to go off when they say "wait- you didn't understand what I said... that's not what I meant...". To me, that's been the biggest problem. There were times in the past when I'd sit down with Brandon to talk about something & our understanding of what the other was saying seemed to fly straight out the window! This is a scheme of the enemy. God is not a God of confusion... He is a God of understanding & love. Brandon & I WORKED through those times by asking God to come more into the situation. Is that an easy thing to do? To place your fired up flesh on the sidelines when it's fighting to play front & center? No, it's not... but it is the right thing to do. Relationships take work, sacrifice, acknowledgement of self-wrong, trust, openness, honesty. These are all VERY difficult things because they're the complete opposite of our fleshly impulses. A relationship takes work.



I recently saw this picture & was extremely moved by its depth. Why has this mentality changed? Now relationships are viewed as something cheap, disposable & unimportant... instead of valuable, lasting & of the UTMOST importance. Everyone has an ideal when it comes to relationships- sometimes people are hesitant to invest in another person due to past hurts, regrets & pain... but the only way you're ever going to have something worth having is to know that it's something you can't afford to lose. My life without Brandon would be miserable..he really does complete something within me- we teased that we wanted to take the "till death do us part" out of our vows because we only want each other forever! Haha.
How you view your relationship & your "ideals" will mold the outcome of what you have. Does the relationship you strive after benefit only yourself or the other one involved? This should be the motivation- to please your spouse (or future spouse). I've watched time & time again where when things didn't go the way someone wanted they'd get mad, throw a fit & make the other person's life quite unpleasant. How truly selfish. My parents constantly told me that if I'd always put my spouses needs first, & he did the same, then both parties needs would be met & we'd both have better learned how to sacrifice & serve. Those are each Christlike attributes.

Another difficulty I've faced since entering into a relationship with Brandon has been my health. Up until about a year ago I've been very healthy. I couldn't tell you the last time I'd been "sick"... Then I met Brandon & we'd begun our glorious courtship. Once I returned from Romania my health seemed to spiral out of control. Many of you reading are aware of this & kept me in your prayers- thank you for that. For those of you who don't know, I began having stomach issues. I couldn't keep food down, even ended up getting to the point where I couldn't keep water down which landed me in the hospital with a gashed open head as a result of passing out. For months I struggled, I lost weight, I prayed... I tried to understand what was happening. The easy thing to do in my situation would have been to blame God. I could have given Him a piece of my mind, grown bitter, driven a wedge between our relationship...the outcome of that would have been destruction in every other area of my life because when we choose to separate ourselves from God, we remove ourselves from the blessings that come with the outpouring of His love! So, instead I grew closer to Him & placed blame where blame was due- upon satan. After several months I got better.. with no answer from the many, many tests I just accepted the blessing of my healing & moved on. While on my honeymoon I got sick & had to go to an Urgent Care office because I felt as if I'd come down with the flu... Several weeks ago I ended up getting sick again with similar symptoms, this time though I had to have an IV inserted because I'd grown dehydrated. After the numerous tests they performed (both times), things came back negative & I still had no answers. Each time I was told " you look to be the epitome of health!" yet I would feel horribly sick. What could cause that?? The tactics of the enemy. To look at the timeline of my life, my health went downhill ever since entering into a relationship with Brandon. Satan has been working double time trying to get me down so I'll be unable to perform the mighty plan God has for me & Brandon.

I say all of that to say this: Satan doesn't have to turn you into an alcoholic, prostitute or drug dealer to keep you from God, he simply has to distract you or beat you down so badly in mind, body, health, etc... & get you to a point where you feel you can't go on any longer. He simply has to keep you from taking the next step down the narrow path. This is the encouraging part- The LORD is our strength!!!

"Hear my cry, O God,
     listen to my prayer;
² from the end of the earth I call to you
    when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
    that is higher than I,
³ for you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the enemy." -Psalm 61:1-3 (esv)

Satan attacks when God is up to something BIG- when he feels he's being threatened... I view the trials as a blessing because my relationship with Brandon obviously causes the enemy to tremble! What a joy to know that being joined to Brandon not only makes me happy, makes God happy & is fulfilling the calling on my life... but it's causing the enemy to fear & grow nervous! We should all live our lives in such a way that satan knows you're a force to be reckoned with... you're someone who ISN'T going to back down when the going gets tough, but you will fight to the end & be the mighty vessel God has called you to be!

In my relationship I have been blessed far beyond what I've been burdened. Don't view your relationship as something to simply make YOU happy... but as a beautiful tool to be used in making GOD happy. When people look at you, what do they see? When they see your relationship with a spouse, or someone else... are they motivated to better themselves? I urge you to seek your heart & discover the mindset you possess... because the things you choose to cultivate within yourself impact more than just you.
Lean on God through hard times, trust Him always, count it ALL joy (something God's been teaching me...) & humble yourself. I promise you- you will never regret being more like Christ. :)

-Taylor

Promises Fulfilled :Part 8:

We last spoke of the night I officially entered into a relationship with Brandon. That was such an exciting time! Due to the nature of what God was doing, I didn't really speak about things because I wanted God to have complete control over the situation and I didn't want to be swayed by anyone, one way or another, but ONLY lead by God. With the exception of a few people, my unfolding love story was kept under wraps. I will never forget going home the night I entered into my relationship. With sheer elation pumping through my veins, I sat down on my bed with my Mom. We pulled out my laptop, got on Facebook and went to truly make things official... I was going to change my relationship status on Facebook! Haha, I know that may seem silly... but when you've waited so long for God to bring the one He has for you into your life, that public acknowledgment of what had just happened felt so incredible! My Mom and I laughed as I hit "enter" and the relationship status changed. Everyone was floored. I think people thought it was a joke in the beginning because they knew my stance on relationships, and to many I'm sure they thought I'd be single all my life because of that stance!... but people finally saw it was the real deal when I posted a picture of myself with the most handsome of men. ;)

   

(A picture from one of our first outings together, Brandon went with me [and my Mom] to run all of my many errands in preparation for my departure to Romania)

While that portion of the story may seem a little pointless, I want to invite each of you into my story as if you were there the moment things were happening. It's my desire for  you to
feel as if you were "a fly on the wall"... so that means, at times, you must endure the "little things".  That part of the story is an unforgettable moment for me...To me it was defining because it, in a way, seemed like proof that waiting does work and God WILL bring you His best when you choose to abide by His timeline.

Once we were officially in a relationship, we had a wonderful two weeks of spending time together, getting to better know one another, getting to laugh at/with each other... And then I had to do what I'd planned to do long before I ever met Brandon. I had to leave, for a MONTH.
*Cue the "awww"*. I know, it was definitely something quite difficult, an unexpected turn of events in a plan made a year ago. I was scheduled to leave for Romania August 1st to go on a month long mission trip. I was thrilled about the trip, it's all I could think about! Then, God brought my Prince Charming into my life and I thought "Really? You had to do this NOW? This is going to be tough". I didn't fully understand, but I knew that God had His reasons... so I kept moving forward. Before leaving, I made a photo box for Brandon filled with letters/pictures for each day that I was gone... Brandon surprised me by creating a "Tailor-Made Devotional" with a devotion for each day I was gone. I was moved by his thoughtfulness and ability to lead me in my spiritual walk with the Lord even though I was 6,176 miles away from him.

The trip to the airport proved to be quite difficult as we tried to cope with the length of our absence from one another... You'd think that since we'd only known each other for two weeks it'd make it easier, problem was that through walking down the path of purity we'd surrendered to Christ having control of our relationships, we viewed ourselves as "taken" without knowing who the person we were "taken by" was... now, we had faces/names to put with that "already taken" relationship. Yeah, it's much more challenging than you'd think. As we drove to the airport, I saw Brandon cry for the first time... later I found out that that was one of the few times he'd ever cried. As I went to board the plane I said goodbye to everyone... I looked into Brandon's eyes and already longed to be back gazing into them. We shook hands to say farewell since we also, with the exception of two permitted times, abstained from hugging... the intent of that was to remain free from any physical temptation that may arise. No, hugging is not a sin.. but by choice we chose to refrain from that form of physical contact as to not prematurely arouse anything in one another. *Song of Solomon 2:7* (My eyes, in regards to this topic, were greatly opened not long ago and I find the beauty of preserving myself down to hugs, kisses and hand holding so beautiful! To save even those "insignificant" parts of you for the one you love says to them that YOU are VERY significant to me. All of those insignificant things add up to something greatly significant and treasured... Remember that as you interact with the other sex. You have it within your power to not only value yourself in the big things, but also in the little things... I can assure you that a guy or girl worth having will appreciate that and also love and cherish you for the big and little things too!)

Once I was in Romania I was thrown into, what seemed to be, a whole new world (Now you're probably singing that song from Aladdin, I do apologize.. but I did the same thing haha). I loved being there, the people were wonderful... but the start of my trip proved to be quite challenging. I've touched on those difficulties in another post click here . While I was having a tough time understanding why some of the things were happening the way they were, my family and Brandon offered nothing but encouragement and support. Brandon's words  pushed me to carry on. He always says "Quit in not in my vocabulary, I don't even know what that means"... I guess he rubbed off on me some because he pushed me deeper into the word and helped establish a strong foundation for me to stand upon. My time there finally got better, praise God!, and I started to really make an impact...but I did miss everyone back home dearly. The devotional Brandon made me was amazing, inspiring and uplifting... during my time there we did the same devotional everyday. What an incredible thing it was to stay on the same page spiritually while being so far apart, in those moments I truly felt God bringing us closer together... but more than anything He was drawing us closer to Himself which overflowed onto our relationship producing nothing but the best of fruit.

If you will recall a previous statement about me not understanding why God would bring me the man of my dreams to only have me turn around and leave 2 weeks later... I came to better understand while I was gone. God equipped me with an amazing love story/testimony shortly before my departure and when I went to Romania I was asked to speak at many camps. I didn't really come prepared with much for I didn't know how often I would be speaking but God blessed and allowed me to witness and influence, roughly, over 500 people while I was there. And what tended to be the arising topic/discussion/teaching? Purity and the beauty of waiting on the Lord. God gave me Brandon "for such a time as this" so that I could go and reach a people who's understanding of purity and courtship was minimal, to many they'd never even heard of such things. What a glorious experience. If our purpose in life is to glorify Christ in all things (1st Corinthians 10:31) then we must be ready and willing to sacrifice ourselves, no matter what, to fulfill that glorification of the Lord. While I didn't understand the purpose, I surrendered to God and the outcome was overwhelming. Had I been selfish and chosen to stay and pursue my own love story on my own terms, many people may not have ever been given the chance to hear about purity and "true love"... Christ would not have been glorified as He is so deserving of. Surrender is the key to love- the selflessness and surrender of yourself for another is the greatest form of love. The only way to obtain JOY (Jesus, Others, THEN Yourself) is through that... I encourage each of you to cling to Christ as you embrace purity and love... whether it's in regards to a relationship with someone, a friendship with someone or even a stranger you're simply passing by... surrender yourself (John 3:30) so that Christ may be glorified through you! That's why we're here, right? :)

I didn't mean to go all "preachy" on you guys, but what I said is true.
I will finish things up by getting back to the original point of this post. My love, or "like" if you will (we didn't say "I love you" until we were engaged), grew drastically for Brandon even though we were miles apart. Our hearts were joined together in a way that most people will never understand, the reason for that? Because GOD was the one in control. My hands, my good intentions, my leadership will breed nothing but fleshly failure... But God's infinite knowledge, power and wisdom will breed nothing but glory and success. It's a joy to share these tid-bits with all of you and I pray that God speaks to your heart in the unique and special ways that you need.

-Taylor

Promises Fulfilled-Part 7

We've talked about a LOT... & I bet it's hard to believe there's even MORE to share... but that's the case! I pray that as we continue to walk down memory lane, you rejoice in this love story & delight in the goodness of our Heavenly Father! :)

The night after Brandon & I met, it didn't take him long to ask my Dad for permission to enter into a courtship relationship.... one day to be precise. I met Brandon on Friday, July 8th, & by Sunday, July 10th, he'd already spoken with my Dad & gotten permission to ask me to begin courting him. Naturally, as I sat on my couch looking at an overwhelmingly handsome man with such a precious heart, I was over joyed at the thought that HE wanted to be with ME! God sure had done something amazing by bringing us together, if only I'd known what all was yet in store! I began to cry after hearing Brandon say "I've never been on this path before, as you've already heard me mention... but I couldn't dream of sharing the journey with anyone else. I want to be your best friend and I want you to be mine. Taylor, would you do me the honor of giving me your hand and heart in courtship?".   If you will, imagine hearing someone say those words to you...would you not be drawn to an emotional state as well?! After crying for a bit, I finally managed to say "Yes" and was jolted into an array of feelings I'd never felt before! Many of you are probably thinking "They only knew each other (officially) for ONE DAY before courting???!" Well... since it was such an abrupt and sudden ordeal, we wanted to be sure that we took everything to the Lord in prayer and got to know each other a little more before entering into anything official. The four following days entailed Brandon and I talking on the phone more and spending LOTS of time in prayer... by the time July 14th rolled around, Brandon and I were still at complete peace with things and knew that God truly had brought us together.

July 14th was the day my life began to drastically change. Here I was, a young lady who had never been in a relationship before, a young lady who had (for so many years) waited on God to provide her "Prince Charming" in HIS due time. My family and I, in addition to Brandon's family and the Sorah's went to the Blackburn's home for a Courtship Covenant Ceremony. I didn't know what to expect, this was all new territory and while I was slightly nervous...I was blissfully happy! When I walked into their living room I was taken back by what I saw. The fireplace was beautifully decorated and overflowing with flowers, the courtship covenant was centered in the middle surrounded by candles and directly over the fireplace a sign hung which read "Tay-Tay said yes to Blackbird!".

<<<<Let me rewind for a moment>>>>

On June 14th my Mom, sisters and the Sorah family went to a flag flying ceremony for CAP...That was the night they first laid eyes on Brandon. Upon finding out his name, my Mom and Mrs. Sorah teased on the way home about the young man and how "you never know what God's doing!"... That upcoming Wednesday I walked into the children's room at RFF and said hello to my sweet Jane Sorah. The moment she saw me her eyes grew wide and she began jumping around yelling "Tay-Tay! You've gots to say yes to Blackbird! You've gots to say yes to Blackbird!" I was very confused and went to the nursery to ask my Mom and Mrs. Sorah what in the world she was talking about. That's when it dawned on us...Little Miss Jane (5 years old) had overheard my Mom and Mrs. Sorah talking about BlackBURN- she misunderstood and thought they were saying BlackBIRD... but she got one thing right...I needed to say YES if the young man came calling. Ha! From then on out, Blackbird became Brandon's nickname. Oh, from the mouth of Babes....Janie- what wisdom you possess.)

Now, back to the story.
Mr. Blackburn sat us down before hand and shared the outline for the evening. I thought the night was going to be a simple ordeal but Brandon went ALL-OUT instead. At the beginning, Mr. Blackburn opened with a word of prayer, after that we went around the room and talked about what we were thankful for/what God was showing us through my and Brandon's relationship. It was such a special thing to hear all of our siblings talk about how they wanted to have what Brandon and I had, and that they were going to wait just like we did. There's nothing greater than hearing your loved ones say they're going to follow Christ in all things.
After we went around the room, Brandon and I knelt in front of each other and exchanged "vows". I'm sure many of you are confused and even wondering what the point of that was. As Mr. Blackburn (also known as Pastor Blackburn) recited vows which we repeated, we were making a public statement of the seriousness of our relationship. Brandon and I were not going to enter into a relationship lightly or with the mindset of "oh, well... if I don't like something about him/her then we'll just break up and move on...there are plenty of fish in the sea.." but instead with the mindset of knowing that Christ had called us together and it was our duty to fight for what we cared about, work through issues that arose and not allow the flesh to have any control over our lives.
After the "vows", Brandon was able to further step into his masculine role as leader and initiate/woo me. He shared his heart in even greater detail, brought me to tears once again, and after he finished talking about the joy of being at the place we were... he said he'd written me a poem. Ladies (& gents), I know... you can pick your jaws up off the floor. I was stunned too, especially once he read it to me.

I'm sure you're curious as to what it was so I thought I'd type it up for you to read.

::BRANDON'S COURTSHIP POEM TO TAYLOR::

Taylor's my white rose sent from heaven,
That only my eyes see,
No young man has ever known her,
Only mine she'll ever be.
She's the sweetest rose of color,
This young man ever knew,
Her heart is pure with virtue,
It sparkles like the dew.

I joyed so when I met her,
She quickly stole my heart,
And I know by God's good grace,
Our love shall never part.
She's the lily of my valley,
My bright and morning star,
She my God sent rose of Sharon,
My angel from afar.

She the one with whom I'm safe,
God's answer to my prayer,
And I know that while I'm living,
She always will be there.
She my gift, my joy, my glory,
Of virtue she's the best,
She the one in whom I sing,
And my love shall ever rest.


Once he was finished reading that breathtaking poem, he reached behind the displayed courtship covenant and pulled out....a Zales bag! I could hardly believe it! When I opened it up, inside sat a diamond key necklace! I've never quite felt so showered with love as I did that night... Words cannot do Brandon justice, to say the least.

I felt quite lacking in comparison to what all Brandon had done/said. I had no poem, I had no necklace (not that he'd want one haha)... all I really had were tears. I'm sure many of you have had those moments where you're filled with SO much joy that all you can do is cry? Well, I was at that point... times 10. I couldn't say much... I talked about how I was at such a loss for words. I thanked Brandon for giving me the "key to my heart". I expressed how grateful I was to Brandon, our families and most of all to God... I said "I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for the two of us... I know it's going to be something great!".

After we both shared our hearts, our Dad's came...laid hands on us and prayed over us. The best part about courtship, to me, is having my Dad fully approve of the one I'm with. That's always been so important to me... What an amazing thing it was to have our Dad's publicly give their blessing and set that example for our siblings. Once we finished with the "program", his parents signed the courtship covenant (written by our Father's), followed by my parents and ending with us. Many people have asked, and I'm sure wondered, if we feel that signing a courtship covenant is the only way to enter into a relationship. To answer that, I'd have to say no. To be honest, I'd never really heard of it until meeting their family. The intent of the covenant was to state the boundaries we set in place for ourselves and to Biblically show the importance of why we "refrain from this" or "wait for that". It was also a means of accountability, we both signed the covenant thus saying that we were committed to each other, God and our relationships to one another and Him, acknowledging our accountability to Christ- secondly, our parents signed the covenant stating that THEY were going to hold us accountable and do all that they could to help us succeed in our relationship and path of purity, thirdly... the public signing and declaration, if you will, in front of our families and the Sorah's invited everyone to hold us accountable and to show them the transparency of our relationship. While it's not mandatory... It has been a wonderful blessing and daily reminder of the two hearts God joined together for one purpose...to bring glory unto Himself.

This has been a rather lengthy post but I pray it's been encouraging, enlightening and inspiring. Be blessed and stay tuned for Promises Fulfilled Part 8! <sheesh, that's hard to believe! :)

-Taylor