:Promises Fulfilled- Part 5:

Hello again!

Before we get going, let me start out by saying sorry.
I'm sorry I left you all sitting on the edge of your seats for so long! In all of the madness that is wedding planning plus adding life in general into the mix, you might understand my lack of time for posting...but I'm here now & I hope you took my warning to heart. Ladies, & possibly guys, some tissues may be required for what you're about to behold. I know I sure would have liked to have been warned! ;)

Mkay, shall we begin? :)

I sat in front of Brandon, excitement & nerves pulsing through my veins. Little did I know I was sitting before the man I would soon marry (MUCH sooner than I thought! Ha!). He was strong, confident.. everything a man should be.. yet there was something so special about him. Brandon possessed such tenderness & care. As we sat there, contemplating our dinner selections, I heard my name called from across the room. I curiously turned my head, only to see the waitress carrying 18 white roses over to me. Shocked & confused, I accepted the roses & then watched as 18 pink roses were brought & placed before my Mom. She & I looked at each other... then to Brandon, at which point he leaned over & handed each of us a card. Mine read (Yes, I memorized the card!) "Taylor, the count of each rose represents each year of your life & the color represents the purity & beauty I praise & thank God for. I not only believe that you are my hearts dream & desire, but the answer to a lifetime of prayer. Brandon." I began to cry, of course, at the beautiful gesture, words & fact that Brandon had written the card BEFORE ever even meeting me. How moving that was! I leaned over & then asked my Mom to read her card. "Mrs. Angie, Thank you for the part you played in assisting God in the miracle He performed in preserving Taylor to be that beautiful Proverbs 31 woman. Brandon". Yupp, you guessed it. My Mom & I then sat there, crying together! I jokingly said "I'm at least glad these roses are in front of me because I don't want you to see me cry!" to which Brandon's Dad responded "Yes, well that may be so, but Brandon has requested the roses do not remain in front of you for the entire evening." We all had a pretty good laugh & went on about the evening.

The purpose of the evening was to give Brandon & I time to meet, talk & "share our hearts". In courtship especially, but hopefully in every relationship, the man initiates & the woman responds. Brandon was to initiate sharing his heart, desires, intentions, etc... to which I would then have the opportunity to respond & share my heart. Once that was finished, each parent was given the chance to share their thoughts/feelings on the entire thing. The duration of our time at Saltgrass was 4 hours, but the time passed so quickly.... it felt as if the night had only just began.

(I will now state some highlighted moments from the proceeding conversations)
When Brandon began he stated his number one desire was to glorify God, his second to honor our parents & their sacrifices/willingness to bring us to where we were that night & his third being to honor me in everything he said & did.
He asked for grace & understanding as this was all new to him (as it was to me) & while he wanted everything to be perfect for me, he knew full well he would most likely fumble & stumble, so he asked for me to show mercy-of course, I agreed.
He said "I want you to know that you are the most beautiful young lady I have ever met, both outwardly & inwardly... it's your inward beauty that makes your beauty so beautiful."
He went on with saying "I believe you're a Proverbs 31 woman" & he touched on how the Bible says that such a woman's price is worth far more than rubies. I was touched & brought to tears when he said "If that was true in the days of the Bible, image how much more true it is in our modern day America. Taylor, you are a pearl of great price & I know that you are worthy of my losing all & leaving all in order to properly pursue you."
He then talked about how thankful he was & how his prayer was that he'd be proven worthy of me.

I sat there dumbfounded.
I thought "I'm supposed to follow THAT?!" Oy.
I fought through the tears & managed to say a few things.
"Brandon, I'm the one who's in prayer to be found worthy of you. I feel like for the first time I'm seeing what a man claiming purity truly looks like. This is a road I've also never been down before, & while that is a bit scary, I know I wouldn't want to walk down it with anyone else. I know we only just met, but I feel I've known you my whole life.. I feel I have finally found the one I've been waiting for. When your Mom came over not long ago, we spent time in prayer & I found myself having to literally hold onto the couch to make sure I was still sitting. I seriously felt as though I was floating."
I explained that while praying, I saw a lock & key.. I said that I realized God showed me that He'd equipped Brandon with the key to my heart.
(I'm not sure if all of you know, but at the age of 14 I wrote a song, titled Key, for my future husband...)
I also asked him for grace & mercy.. that I'm nowhere near perfect & that I have a tendency to embarrass myself-I told him that I was extremely excited to see what all God had in store for the two of us.

(Here are the beautiful roses I was given!)

I think this post is long enough so the next blog will touch on what our parents said & what else happened that evening! You didn't think I'd actually stop leaving you hanging, did you?
;)

-Taylor

Promises Fulfilled: Part 4

"Taylor?"
"Yes."
"Hello, this is Brandon Blackburn..."

I do believe this is where I left you hanging, so I guess I shall be kind & pick up here. ;)

Moments before the phone conversation, my heart was racing & I was pretty much a nervous wreck. For some of you, you're daunted/slightly confused by simply the term "courtship"... but let me assure you, I was just as ignorant in regards to it too. While courtship had always been our plan, the entire happenings were uncharted territory for me. I didn't know what to think, how to feel, what to say or what to expect. I'd done that silly little thing where you rehearse in your head what you're going to say... I had come up with witty comebacks for a conversation which had yet to happen. I'd practice how I was going to sound the first time he heard my voice... but when push came to shove, all I managed to mutter was "yes." That's it. Just "yes." How incredibly boring is that? I could have said "Why yes it is." in a cute, dainty sounding voice... but I nervously said "yes" instead. My nerves were on the brink of fried. Little did I know though was that he was just as nervous as me.

While on the phone he asked me a little about how my day went & I did the same... but then he got straight to the point (after saying "Thank you for taking my call" at least three times). Brandon told me he'd spent time with my dad & had gotten permission to ask me to dinner that upcoming Friday. I, naturally, said I'd love to & we made plans for us & our parents to go to Saltgrass Steakhouse.

Our first phone conversation lasted all of about three minutes. Brandon probably set a record for saying "Thank you" in one conversation, seeing as how he thanked me for talking to him/taking his call about seven times-no joke! haha
(Note: Our first conversation was on speaker phone & in the presence of both sets of parents. While some may think that's strange, even then we were striving for accountability. There should be absolutely NO part of a relationship that needs to be kept hidden from the parents. If you have to be secretive, you need not be doing it! Simple as that. Besides, I was thankful I had my parents there to support me & help me remain breathing. haha)
Come to find out, after we'd gotten off the phone.. both of us said to our parents "Wow! I was so nervous but he (/she) made that so easy! I felt so comfortable talking to him (/her!)"
:)

I'm sure you're all ready to hear how that Friday night went- "The Meeting". I guess a good place to start would be this.
I was pacing my kitchen floor like you wouldn't believe. Back & forth & back & forth I went. I think I nearly made a path in our tile floor! I was "all dolled up" & ready to go...excited but EXTREMELY nervous!
*knock knock*
I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing. Once I gained control of myself again, I looked at my Mom & we had a mini freak out moment. haha
My Dad answered the door since I was still freaking out a bit... He respectfully shook my Dad's hand but then I saw him ducking his head around my Dad's trying so hard to see me. (I don't think he knows I caught him ;P)
When I finally made it to the door & was able to truly see him for the first time, five words popped into my head.
Tall. Dark. HANDSOME. & Blue Eyes!
*Swoon*
I know, I nearly did. I thought "Oh my word. Is this really someone here for ME?? Pinch me, I must be dreaming!" But it was for real you guys!- I'm sure you're laughing at me as you read this. That's okay, I don't mind... I'm sure I acted just like a little giddy girl. Haha.

Once we got into their van, I met his dad for the first time. He asked if he could begin the evening with prayer, so we prayed. I was so blessed by that because I was once again reminded of how much God was involved in the events taking place.
On the ride over, we talked & talked...even did a little "fly catching" (I like to joke about that.) due to the abundance in the van. What always cracks me up is how we were sitting. In a big van such as theirs, there are lots of rows. Brandon & I were sitting on the first row- I close to the window & he nearly falling off the edge of the side. I don't think we could have gotten any more away from each other if we wanted to! (I like to joke about that as well.) Later Brandon told me he was trying to be respectful & distance himself as to not make me uncomfortable... but it made me laugh because I felt like I smelled really bad or something!

We finally pulled up to the restaurant & were seated. Brandon told me to get anything I wanted- He was paying for everything. (I loved that because he didn't just pay for ours, but for our parents too. What a swell guy, eh? :D )

That night was overflowing with thoughtful surprises, heartfelt conversations & memories that will last a lifetime. Seeing as how SO much took place, I'm simply going to have to wait & post on that later... but I wanted to post this so you weren't bursting at the seams due to anticipation-however, I may have made it worse. Who knows. haha
Promises Fulfilled: Part 5 just might leave you in tears, so come prepared with a box of tissues (ladies & gents.)! You have been warned ;)

-Taylor

~Promises Fulfilled~ (Part 3)

Daddy: Strong, wise, protective, hard-working, honest, faithful.
Each of those words merely scratch the surface of who my Dad is & the kind of man I view him as, not to mention the kind of man he's proven himself to be.

My Dad has been my constant, my leader, my headache (due to his overly playful self at times!) & the man who held my fragile heart in his hands. He knew that the heart which he held would one day belong to another & he was simply keeping it safe in the mean time. He took his job seriously, treasuring the gift which he'd been given... & I've gotta say, my heart's extremely thankful & I think he did a wonderful job.

As a little girl, I can think back to many wonderful times where my Daddy would play "Sack-of-potatoes!" & throw me over his shoulder as if I were just that. I remember him tucking me in, reading me stories, blowing on my belly until I laughed so hard I could barely breathe & telling me the cut on his chest was really a worm under his skin (I can't believe I actually believed him!). Truth is, my Dad was the only man in my life.. God gave me to him before He gave me to anyone else... so the task of transferring that headship was not going to be easy. I mean, it's only natural that the dad loathes the young man desiring his daughter, right? It's only natural that the dad despises the young man "stealing" his daughter from him & taking her away... it's only natural, right? RIGHT.
Now, you may be thinking "Where is this going? I'm so lost..." but for suspense purposes, I had to add a little confusion, or a twist (so to speak).
It is only natural that the process just explained functions the way which was just laid out... but the neat thing is that, if done right, a true love story is not scripted in the "natural realm" but in the supernatural one! GOD works things out according to HIS will... not US doing what WE want to make US feel good!

So, this is where it gets exciting.

The dad, my Dad, who I had seen protect me from everything- big or small...the dad who'd saved me from "night monsters", spiders & bad dreams. The dad who'd come to my rescue once I'd fallen or even at times, intentionally done something ridiculous, was now about to meet a young man asking to possibly court HIS little girl. This would only naturally end up with heated words & sore fists, right? WRONG. Because this is one of those super-duper-exciting-supernatural love stories! :)

It was the fourth of July when my Dad stepped into Skinny's to meet Brandon for the first time. I'd equipped him with a list of questions I wanted asked, but little did we know that Brandon also came prepared with a list of questions, much longer than mine! Upon speaking, my Dad was amazed as he watched/heard nearly every single question written on my list being asked to him about me. My Dad later said that in that moment he could tell Brandon & I had the same heart. He told me that he simply looked at Pastor Blackburn as if to say "Did you tell him what all we said in our meeting???" & Pastor Blackburn immediately said "Brother, I promise I didn't tell him anything!". My Dad was impressed by how Brandon carried himself. He didn't cower or act intimidated by the situation, but instead acted like a mighty young man of God, stepping out to do what God had told him to. The meeting went amazingly well & I like to tease that it was pretty convenient that Brandon met my Dad on the fourth of July.... because the fireworks exploding in my heart matched what was going on up in the sky! ;)

After my Dad's meeting with Brandon on the fourth, there was a time of mentorship to take place. Brandon came to work with my Dad for two days... one of the days he nearly starved Brandon- the poor guy... my Dad gets busy & forgets to eat sometimes, the next day.. Brandon brought his lunch :P
I found the time of mentorship very neat because Brandon got to see my Dad in action, doing what he does best. There was a more casual setting to get to know one another & the thought that Brandon would go spend two full days working for "free" was crazy... but in the end, he was doing it all for me...so it was really the greatest paying job of his life. haha

(During the week of July 4th, I also met several times with Brandon's mom, Mrs.Susan. We got to spend time together talking, in prayer & reading through "A woman after God's own heart". She was finding out things about me to see if I was compatible for her son.. It was all so amazing because while some may call it a time of "interrogation"... I call it a time of seeking God & developing relationships. I wouldn't have done it any other way!!)

Brandon survived the two days with my Dad. He walked away without any injuries (hooray!) & got permission to call me that upcoming Wednesday.

Each second passed by so slowly, what felt like forever, but finally Wednesday night came around.
*Ring Ring*
My Dad's phone began to ring, my heart pounded faster & faster... I was about to speak with the young man going to such extreme measures just to simply TALK to me!...
Finally, I was handed the phone.

"Taylor?"
"Yes?"
"Hi, This is Brandon Blackburn..."

I know, I know. I'm totally going to leave you hanging... but hopefully you'll tune in next time for Promises Fulfilled: Part 4! You'll get to hear how our first conversation went... & find out what came of it. Once again, I've just gotta say- All glory be to God! I am beyond thankful for the Lord's gracious hand in my life. I pray you never hesitate to lift up praise & thanks to the One who blesses so abundantly, loves unceasingly & causes ALL things to work out how HE designs them to. Never think your life is by chance or a mess of meaninglessness, because I can assure you that YOU were indeed created for a purpose & if you choose to look to Him, He'll show you the way :)

-Taylor

Promises Fulfilled: Part 2

Time passes so quickly, as I'm sure most of you would agree. I plan on trying to write more frequently, but I do apologize for the delay in my posts! Now, where was I? Ahh yes... the beginning...That's always a wonderful place to start ;)

On June 14th (my wonderful Momma's birthday!) my sisters, Mom & the Sorah family went to a ceremony for the Civil Air Patrol to support some local Boy Scouts the Sorah's knew. My family (minus myself & my Dad) had no real reason to be there... but God sure did. Unknowingly, that night ended up being the night my Mom first saw Brandon. It is said that he stepped into the room in his uniform & demanded the utmost attention. The way he carried himself & received a prestigious award earned him nothing shy but the title of a man. Naturally his unbelievable looks caused whispers to stir, especially between that of my Mom & Mrs.Sorah. "Oh my! Isn't he handsome!"- "Ha! Don't think I'm opposed to arranged marriages!". Comments such as these were jokingly thrown around... but little did we know the joke was on US... because God had been mightily moving, starting back in April when my Mom had that funny conversation with our friend from co-op (see Promises Fulfilled: Part 1 if you've yet to read it!).

That evening, once my family got home, my Mom was mentioning the remarkable young man she'd seen that night (We didn't even know his name at this point..) to me & how impressed she was with him. She jokingly let me know that "you never know what God's doing...". Oh, how little I valued her words & how little she realized the weight of them.. I shrugged them off with a laugh & smile & went about my life.
When looking back on the events of the 14th, my Mom & I were shocked to replay something funny happening in the pool earlier that day. My Mom & I were out swimming & through casual talk, I mentioned the fact that I felt ready to meet who God had for me & I prayed that God would bring him into my life SOON. My oh my, God sure does answer prayer, doesn't He?! I am still amazed to see just how good & quick to answer He is :) The week of the 20th my family went to Missouri to visit my Grandparents, while on the trip it was brought to our attention that Brandon's dad, Pastor Jon, wanted to set up a meeting with my dad. Upon our arrival, they set a meeting time for July 1st. The purpose of the meeting was to see if Brandon & I were compatible. The dads, who know their children inside & out, would be able to figure out things such as religious beliefs, personal preferences, etc. If Brandon & I disagreed on everything, big or small, there would've been no point in our meeting one another.. so the dad's met to see if they could/would give their blessing for Brandon & I to meet. Also, one other neat thing worth mentioning: The week before the 1st, Brandon's mom & dad called my parents EVERY DAY to talk & pray together. I was amazed to watch the friendships form between all of them!

God is SO good! I pray this story proves His love & faithfulness to all of you as much as it's proven evident to me. Remember to stay tuned for the next post, Promises Fulfilled: Part 3, because we're about to find how my protective Daddy dealt with meeting my possible pursuer. *Dun-Dun-Duhh* ;)





~Promises Fulfilled~ (Part 1)

When I turned 14, my Daddy took me out to eat for my birthday & presented my purity ring to me. He told me that by accepting the ring I'd be making a commitment to my future husband but also be making a commitment before him (my dad) & God. After talking to him in more detail.. I decided the path of purity is what I wanted to pursue. Ever since that day I've tried to always live above reproach & glorify God in all things.
(Note: I am human, I mess up, make mistakes, fail & fall like everyone else... but my heart desires to always honor God.)
Once my declaration of purity had been established- I prayerfully, & with the assistance of my parents, developed a list of attributes & characteristics that I desired in my future spouse. My objective in doing that was to eliminate young men who were the furthest thing from what I knew I needed or what God wanted for me. By forming my "list", with the help of my parents, I knew what I wanted, needed & would be approved of by my parents without having to date around from guy to guy trying to "figure things out". I knew that God already had my future husband picked out for me & since HE knows all things I thought seeking Him made more sense than trying to date around until I thought I got it right.
So, I created the list & began the waiting game. There were young men who came in & out of my life who acted or said they were interested but would run away as soon as the words "I'm saving my first kiss for my wedding day..." escaped my lips. There were young men who came in & out of my life claiming to care but God's plan included a young man who not only claimed to care but backed up his claims with actions. While I wondered if God would ever bring the one He had for me into my life, while I tried to combat the comments of distant family members telling me I was missing out on the best time of my life & I needed to be prepared to be single forever because "if there were a god" he wouldn't bring me "someone like that"... I waited, knowing they were wrong & that God would be faithful like He always is. Little did I know, God was working in a wonderful young man's life... helping to preserve him & keep him... all for little ol' me. :)

I teach a class called Decidedly Different for young ladies ages 12-18 at a local homeschool co-op. A mom who attended that same co-op had seen me around, gotten to know me some over the years & was impressed by what she saw.. so she casually told my mom one day; "Oh, I know of a wonderful young man I would LOVE to introduce Taylor to! He's a pastor's son & has all of the same values as she does, especially when it comes to purity... but he's career military & I just couldn't do that to a momma." Now, if any of you know the relationship my Mom & I share, you know we're the best of friends... so naturally her response was "Thank you for not doing that to a mother!" & that was about it. The conversation & thought of something developing between the two of us died.. or so we thought. Several months later though, God began to mightily move resulting in 3 weeks later, me entering into a courtship relationship with a young man who I would have never dreamed I'd come to call "mine".

This is just the beginning of a several part post on the crazy journey of mine & Brandon's courtship story (So be sure to stay tuned for there is still much to come!!). It's rather long.. but to try & quickly tell the story just doesn't do God justice nor give Him enough credit. He's done so much in our lives so I want to clearly represent Him & His marvelous handy work in the lives of two people who chose to defy the worlds way of doing things & embrace His idea of purity instead.

{ Brandon & I enjoying a fine day of blue skies, set painting & laughter (: }

::Sleep-Deprived Ramblings::

A big, hearty "Howdy!" to all of you Facebook friends & blogworms! (if you can be a bookworm, surely you can be a blogworm- right? haha)

Since I'm pulling an all-nighter I'm desperate for things that will preoccupy me... so I figured, writing another blog would accomplish that AND help me accomplish another post, which I've been needing to do.
SO: here I sit.. restlessly on the couch..pecking at the keyboard & trying to riffle through my many thoughts!
If you know me very well, you know I'm passionate about my Jesus & I strive to glorify Him in the different aspects of my life.... You also know that I try to see Him in everything!
I'm constantly walking around, gaining revelation from things such as dried noodles & baby teeth. (yes, strange.. I know. I will try to blog about those at another time!)

The thing God spoke to me about today was another strange analogy.. but in all honesty, I don't care how strange of things He reveals to me.. as longs a He IS revealing things to me!

Today I was packing my plethora of clothing & such into my purple suitcase. The suitcase I used to consider big now looks overwhelmingly small due to the abundance trying to escape the confines of its walls. I came with a lot & am now leaving with even more... so, as you would rightfully assume, this serves as a problem.
As I stood there trying to develop a strategy.. I realized there were two things to do.

1) Shove more into my carry on
&
2) Leave some stuff behind.

Now, I'm not one who likes to give up my stuff. I can be a creature of habit...My "junk" makes me happy & I hate to get rid of my things. (I can picture my mommy reading this & saying "Amen!":P) I naturally didn't like having to leave some stuff behind.. but I knew that I had to... so I started trying to think about what I wanted to leave & take back with me. I had all of my original stuff... things I'd purchased for other people... a few new clothes I'd purchased for myself... & some (not all, but some) ugly souvenirs from different people.
I finally decided I'd leave those few souvenirs that I didn't really like. I mean, I don't have room.. I'll never use them... they'll just take up space at home, too.

-My mind is spinning with different analogies... so I'll do my best to explain what's taking place inside my brain. You may want to buckle up though, it'll probably be a bit bumpy!-

In regards to #1:
How many times do we not want to rid ourselves of things in our life, so we cram pack it into our "carry on"? We pack up all of our problems/pain & carry them around with us, wherever we go. It holds us back & weighs us down... but because we don't want to do without, we painfully do with.

In regards to #2:
How many times do we make room in our lives for the things WE enjoy, like, appreciate, find fun-beautiful-nice but refuse to make room for others? We look at our busy schedules & make room for an exciting event... but when asked to help or hang out with someone who isn't considered "The cream of the crop".. we're suddenly busy & unable to attend, help or serve. We push our "luggage"(lives) around to fit the things we like into our suitcase... but are willing to throw out the gifts (needs/wants) of a kind friend simply because it doesn't suit us. I'm not sure about you, but this spoke volumes to me.

I don't want to weigh my life down with things I could do without. I want to be free to go & do the Lord's work, without the baggage of my past pain, regrets or problems. They're not going to help me... they're going to hinder me. That's a guarantee.
I don't want to simply make time for ME, Myself & I... my wants, likes, interests & desires... I want to make time for those who are considered the "lesser" people. I want to make time to serve someone above going to a movie. I want to make time to lend a helping hand instead of going to a conference. It's a crazy thought, but what a powerful change we'd see in the world if Christians stopped simply attending conferences/events teaching on how to be the hands & feet of God but instead actually BEGAN being the hands & feet of Him! Wow!

I pray this was an encouragement & hopefully made some sense. It's about 2am here in Romania & I am sleepy... but I just love sharing the things God places on my heart. No matter how radical or silly! I'm thankful that He can & will use a sleepy & nonsensical,at times, person such as myself :)

-Taylor

 

(P.s. For your viewing pleasure: Since I mentioned the word clothes I'm going to act like this picture somehow ties in to what I was saying... but I wanted to post it mostly because I really like this picture & I wanted to share it with all of you. Aww, I know :P I've had to hang my clothes out to dry on clothes lines like this for a whole month. Dryers: I shall not take you for granted, ever!)

A random hodge-podge of ministry opportunities! :)

After my last blog you may have been left wondering if anything GOOD had been happening on my trip.
Why yes, of course!
So, I'm extremely excited about this post! God is SO good & does things on a much bigger scale than I ever could have dreamed. What I consider "amazing" is lame in comparison to what He has in mind. It's fabulous just how great He is!
Amen? Amen!

The week I got sick, I had been at a kids camp. The days before my attack of illness *dun dun duhh* (haha) I got to spend time with some of the most beautiful children.

(-See? I wasn't kiddin'!)

I had the wonderful opportunity to help lead & teach! I taught on something God's been speaking to me a lot about... & that's obedience. So, naturally, I talked about the story of Jonah. I created this huge cardboard fish, (which... most of you know my severe lack of artistic ability!) got some costumes together & did a play with them. They all loved it! So much so that they took & hid the fish & wouldn't tell me where it was. haha. I guess I didn't do too bad of a job on it ;)
Getting to spend time with the kids was a blast. We went to the river & swam... we played hours upon hours of badminton (that sure does have a way of makin' you sore!) & we had a jolly good time, despite the language barrier. That's one thing I love about kids... it doesn't matter if you can't talk to someone.... a game of charades will ensue if necessary! Children have such pure, innocent hearts & they truly are like sponges... soaking up everything you say. Having to leave early was sad... having them run & hold onto you, begging you not to leave, was tough... but I know that I at least went & got to share the truth with them! That alone is enough to put my heart at peace.

The day that I got sick for the second time, I had gone to spend the weekend at an orphanage...but was unable to go due to getting sick, again. I had been sad over the fact that I wasn't able to go & spend time with all of the orphans... but it hadn't even dawned on me until now.

I did get to spend time with the orphans. The people I rode with to the baptism had recently, temporarily, taken in 3 adult orphans & were helping them to become established with jobs & apartments It wasn't quite what I had in mind, going & spending time with young orphans..., but I was able to spend all day with 30+ year old orphans & was able to minister & pour into them! So many times when we think of orphans we think of little children... but we usually forget that those kids grow up & are still orphans... they're still trying to make something of themselves & have the heartache of being parent less & not having a family. Spending time with them made me view things in a new way. You have to be a strong person to have gone through what they had & still desire to do something meaningful. They were like children in adult bodies & they were precious... I'm beyond thankful that God allowed me to meet them.

We all went to a water baptism together & that was a beautiful thing! Even though it was a 4 hour long service & I didn't understand ANYTHING that was said... seeing 10 people dressed in all white, with tears running down their faces being baptised & dedicating their lives to the Lord was something powerful, moving & completely universal. It didn't matter that I didn't know what they were saying... in my heart, I did. I could hear & see, fully, the love they had for God & no language barrier could stop that from being evident. I was moved to tears as each person would be submersed by the water & come up "like new". I will never forget that day... it will forever say with me.

Once I had recovered & was feeling better, I went to a church where they asked me, on the spot, to come up & speak in front of the whole church. I wanted to say no, to stand with feet firmly planted, to remain where I was & just be an observer... but I said yes, I stepped out in faith & spoke. I talked about the race we all run, as believers & unbelievers alike. Everyone is running a race, but as followers of Christ... we run to gain an eternal reward. The LORD is our strength & He helps us to endure all things... by keeping our gaze fixed on Him we are able to run with a purpose & for a worthy cause.
(1st Corinthians 9:24-27)

After speaking, the Pastor told me that I could go outside to help with the children...
little did I know that "helping" would consist of me completely running the children's ministry! Since I had recently prepared the Jonah lesson, I went ahead & taught that. The kids, once again, loved it & had a great time acting & learning. It's a bit nerve-racking being thrown into something like that last minute... but when you trust in God, things have a way of falling into place like they need to!

I've been doing a lot of speaking, praise God... He's opened many doors! I've spoken at several women's camps on purity & through giving my testimony/telling the amazing work God's done through my recent relationship with Brandon. After speaking at one of the camps, a lady in attendance asked me if I'd be interested in coming & speaking to some young ladies. I, of course, said yes! We tried our best to communicate & sort through details... but I guess I didn't fully understand because when I went to her house (Where I thought I'd be speaking to about 7 girls) to speak, she loaded us up in her car & we drove to one of the churches her husband preaches at. I ended up speaking to about 40 teens/adults on purity! They also had me lead worship!! Talk about God having a bigger vision than myself! I was amazed that He would give me the chance to share with so many people! That's only one of the many thing's He's done.

After leaving the speaking even Sunday evening... Monica (The Pastor's wife) told me I was going to church with them. I didn't really know what was going on most times... I just did whatever was asked of me. On the way to the OTHER church she tells me that they want me to lead a praise & worship song.. thinking it's be about the same as what I'd just done, I said "okay!" & was thrilled.
Then. We pulled up to a huge church... walked inside... & instead of about 40 people, I found over 400 people! *GULP*
My throat went dry, I'm not gonna lie... I was very nervous... I felt much fear. However, I knew that this was a God thing & He wanted me to be obedient. So, I prayed & prayed & prayed... &&& prayed... stepped up on the stage & began singing "Open the eyes of my heart".
I'm sure it wasn't the most flawless performance... I'm sure I didn't sound perfect... but I was worshipping God. I was singing praise to Him. How can you ever mess up when worshipping the Lord? :)

I went to another children's camp to minister, but that didn't really turn out how I thought it would either. I got there & only 3 people KIND OF spoke English! I couldn't really talk to anyone. But one thing I love is that a smile is understood everywhere. A hug is universal. Love is something that doesn't have to always be spoken... but it can be shown. I was able to show them the love of Christ through playing with them & spending time with them.
One funny thing- They loved my name, for some strange reason!, & would randomly walk around saying "Ty-Lor, Ty-Lor!". Ha! It didn't matter how many times I told them the correct pronunciation... they just never said it right... but I didn't mind, it was cute. ;)

I had planned on staying all week at that camp, but God had a different plan... a much bigger plan!
I was taking a nap during some free time we had at the camp on Tuesday... when I got a call from Monica. I, being asleep & groggy, just woke up, clicked the end button on the phone & went back to sleep. Out of nowhere I randomly woke up & God told me "Call Monica back. You're going to speak." It was as if He literally spoke to me. So, I called her back & sure enough... she wanted me to come speak at a youth camp an hour away from the kids camp I was at. Needing to to talk Gail, I told Monica that I would get back with her but would probably be free on Thursday.... next thing I know, I'm getting a call from Gail saying she'd pick me up in 20 minutes & that I was going to speak... TONIGHT.
I threw my things in my bag, prayed & was on my way.
When I arrived... I was asked to speak & lead some worship. There were about 40 teens there & I was nervous & excited!
I got up & asked the youth to sing to God even though they didn't know the words... but to my surprise... they did know the words! & they sang the songs in English as well! It was amazing being all the way in Romania, singing praise to the Lord in unison!
I then spoke & God completely showed up! He dropped things into my spirit & truly lead the entire session. I didn't get a chance to talk to many people afterwards... but I feel that what needed to be heard, was... & HE was seen throughout everything.

I went Wednesday night to lead a session for several young ladies....& once again, the group was bigger than I thought it'd be! Expecting around 5 or 6 girls... you can imagine my excitement when 12 ladies showed up! I was able to share the story of how Brandon & I entered into a relationship, how God 100% brought me the man of my prayers...& dreams, what exactly "Courtship" is (They'd never even heard of it!) & the amazing blessing that comes with waiting on God to write your love story. The girls were all blessed & filled with many questions... several of the girls actually had their master degrees, so they had very amazing questions, but God fully gave me the right answers!

I've been blessed time & time again by how good God is! He never ceases to amaze me!
I've not had the chance to speak to over about 200 people about purity & Jesus. Wow.
I'm now about to leave for another camp where I will be speaking & leading. Please keep me in your prayers as I step out, again, to share the truth.
I pray this has been a blessing, though it's been relatively brief.
I know I'm blessed & encouraged!
:)

-Taylor

p.s. in an attempt to get this posted before I leave for my next camp... I haven't read through it all... I'm posting my rough draft. A writing "no no".... but I'm desperate! So please show grace while reading it in case I've messed up on spelling or have been redundant! Thank you for your kindness :)