Parenting: A Preparing & Purity Parallel

It has been nearly a year since we threw a huge party in our yard. Preparing for Kayla and Andrew's wedding consumed my time and attention for eight months prior to the party, and the joys of the party have lingered over the course of this year as we (my husband and I) have watched their union grow and develop, and as we have seen the Lord working in their lives.

The fact that the Lord designed marriage to be a physical picture of a spiritual reality brings a sense of wonder, and an invitation to meditate on the message(s) that He desires for us to have...

I mentioned eight months of preparation, but actually we had been "grooming" Kayla as her parents since her birth for this next phase of life that she entered on Sept 4, 2009. Our desire has been for her life to express and represent Jesus by loving, honoring and obeying Him. One of my deep desires for both of my children is that when they go to the altar to give themselves to their spouse, that they be pure. I have specifically prayed for that from the beginning of their lives.

There were times when we had to intensely battle in prayer for Kayla's purity. The enemy had designs to ensnare her. But we were watchful. We were prayerful, and the Lord alerted us to things as they needed to be addressed. I marvel at hindsight. Seeing the times that God brought things to our attention, going to prayer, and then seeing Him bring about good. He kept her safe, He kept her pure.

So...look at the spiritual picture, and the message in it from God for His Bride...

"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Matthew 25:10

Scripture tells us Jesus is the Bridegroom, and His Church is His Bride. His Bride should spend her time getting ready for when he comes for us.

Before I tell you what we did right (by God's grace) to prepare her, I will tell you that we made many mistakes. But the Lord is merciful and gave us grace and second chances in our messes as we kept turning to Him. He honored and blessed our desire for His will to be carried out, and His vision for Kayla's life that He planted in our hearts. Remember too, that He promises to hear the prayers of His people that are according to His will.

Getting ready for the wedding day wasn't only about landscaping, decorations, dress-shopping, and picking out music...it was attending to the Word of God, teaching Kayla, taking her to the places where she would be given the light of the knowledge of truth. Keeping her from traps and snares of the enemy who wanted to steal, kill and destroy her, her purity, and her faith. We were continually watchful for things in her life that would take her away from Jesus. That would impose on her purity...All of that was bathed in prayer and implimented by time spent with Jesus; listening to His words and obeying Him. Realizing that we would be held accountable for how we invested our time and energy with what He had entrusted to us.

There were times when I unintentionally offended people with my choices and beliefs. I turned off movies five minutes in, when they had friends over, if they had contents that were offensive to God. I kept them out of field trips, movies, and certain classes that would be offensive to God. I wrote letters to teachers about things I felt strongly about... It was uncomfortable for us often times, but knowing it was out of obedience to what God had planted in my heart gave us the motivation to obey and endure any consequences of our obedience.

We made a priority of establishing boundaries between the world and our home. We were careful with our choices regarding what they took into their eyes and ears, what they wore, who they hung out with, what they read and looked at, what they said, where they went, etc.

As I look at some of the things we have done with our kids, I see the same needs for our lives, those of us who await our Bridegroom... as we prepare for The Eternal Wedding Banquet...

• Attend to the Word of God.
• Watch and Pray.
• Establish boundaries between what is worldly and your heart.
• Keep your God-given "gates", your eyes and your ears, pure.
• Go where you can grow.
• Don't go where you wont grow.
• Be willing to be thought crazy. (Dare to be different)
• Keep your eyes on eternal things.
• Trust
• Obey

...and leave the rest to Him who is faithful, will establish you, and is able to keep you and your children blameless until the day of Christ Jesus! Glory to God!

Pause my music on the sidebar, and take a listen to this lovely song by Leeland:

Are We Ready?

...the virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Matt 25:10b

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! "For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Revelation 19:7

The photo above is of Kayla on her way out to meet Andrew before the wedding for photos.


It was about a year ago that we started planning for their wedding. Every time I browse the photos, I marvel at all that we accomplished in those 8 months and what life was like as we got ready. It was full, and busy, sometimes a little crazy, and now I can tell you...especially rewarding!


Looking back, I wonder how? How did we do that? When Kayla first told us she wanted to get married outside on our farm, we said, "No way!" I didn't think we could pull it off. It might be too stressful... But as we researched, and talked with others who had done it, we decided it was what we should do. Here are the things that come to mind:

• Plan: We started with a lunch date to cast vision and began making lists of what we wanted to accomplish.
• Focus: I had to focus on the big day. In doing so, I could prioritize what was on my "to do" list each day.
• Vision: We had a vision of what "the day" would look like.
• Prioritize: When there are so many things to do, knowing what to set aside in light of the goal is essential.
• Diligence with Rest: There were days when I just couldn't "go to it" as I should, but after taking a little break, I would determine to get back on task.
• Saying No: There were numerous things that beckoned us, expecially in the summer, but we had to say "no" to in order to stay on task.
• Prayer: Since our day was outside, we needed it to be a nice one. Daily prayer as I worked in the yard, and made lists helped me not to fear, and to be able to leave the day in God's hands. Anxiety would have bogged down my journey.
• Keeping Track: Continually reviewing how things were going helped us to know if we needed to change something, call someone, or cancel something.

How similar our journey is as we get ready for our future banquet as the Bride of Christ!


It brings me to ask the question,"How are our preparations going?"


Do we have a plan? A focus? A vision? How are our priorities? Are we diligent in our pursuit of purity?
Are we resting in the finished work of Christ as we walk toward our destination? Are we saying "no" to the sin that entangles and distracts? Denying ourself temporary pleasures? Are we meeting Jesus daily and keeping short accounts with Him?


Lord Jesus, your word says you are coming for a Pure Bride (click here for song) who has made herself ready. Help us to keep our focus on eternity and not on our comfort or pleasure in this life. Lord, you say if we love you we obey your commands...Help us love you with our obedience. Where we are wandering and straying from your path for us, bring us back. Help us to desire You above everything. Thank you that you are so Beautiful and Worthy of our devotion and praise. How we long to be in Your Presence!!

Are you ready? Are you filled with anitcipation?

I have to admit, sometimes I forget...that we are headed toward

A BIG PARTY!!!

Summer and Winter

Chilly doesn't come close to describing the weather here. It's down right bitter cold! I have the privelege of staying indoors, and enjoying the cozy delight of wood heat. The daytime high was below zero. Not sure how far, I didn't bother to pay attention, but instead browsed a few of my summer photos...like the one above. 
 FORGET ME NOTS...

How quickly I do...

Forget.

In the summer, at wind-down time, I find myself longing for the autumn chill to come, and the grass to slow down it's growing. Tired of taking the mower out every week, tired of intense labor in the garden. Of course if you have followed my 2009 journey, you know I put double effort in this summer for the September wedding in our yard.

Looking back...

I enjoyed the extra effort. It was rewarding to have a lofty goal, take the steps to reach it, and then see it come to fruition. Funny, I didn't have to deliberate very much over my to~do list (like I often do) since there were so many tasks, I had no time to mull it over. I just got up and got to work! I had to set some things aside in order to put more of myself into the task. Some things that were valuable. Like friend time. Like blogging.

But now that it has passed, I am working on restoring those things that I set aside.

And now I am reminded...

To enjoy the one I am in. I do get tired of the cold, and the sand from the icy sidewalk coming in the house on our shoes every day. Bundling up big every time I go out. Starting the car 15 minutes before leaving the driveway. Scraping ice and snow off the windshield...

But...

The snow is beautiful. I love sitting in my kitchen watching the birds on the deck fluttering from their "buffet" to the tree to eat their tiny morsel, and then back to the buffet again. I love seeing my men bundle up and do the tasks they have to do despite the weather. It is heroic to me...while I sit in the house, and have my coffee.

Ethan is running a chair lift tonight at Wild Mountain.

I always felt sorry for chair lift operators when I was skiing...as they blew on their hands to warm them, and rocked side to side to keep their blood moving...

God bless them!

I have so many rich reminders of God's goodness to me... 

I am so glad for changes of seasons!

I am so thankful for wood heat!

I am deeply grateful for my heroic men!
Supremely thankful for the beautiful day He gave us for the wedding!
Thankful.
In January.
In Wisconsin.
Only God.
*laughs*
How about you? What blessings come to your mind in January?


"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:9-11

A Wedding Story in Pictures

Kayla before...

Ethan and Stephanie...
Our Tent before the party...
Our friends did a wonderful job with a string line lining up chairs... View from our deck Cars in the hayfield...and our parking manager/golf cart driver

Corey looking like GQ man... ...guests arriving...

Handsome men...Pastor Eric...

My niece Vivian, and nephew John...The groom, Andrew awaiting his bride...Here comes the bride and her daddy...



The salt covenant...Parents praying...Andrew's cousin Jessie, singing a song she wrote...

performs @ coffee shops...You may kiss the bride...Mr and Mrs Andrew (and Kayla) Nelson... :)

WEDDING COMING SOON!!

I am still here, just really really busy! The wedding is only 11 days away now, so I have alot of details I am working on...the decorating has to wait for the tent, but I am trying to have everything ready to go. Kayla and Andrew just finished their last session of premarital counseling with Pastor Eric and Amy. Programs are being printed, music readied, rehersal reminder postcards were mailed today, I continue to weed and water. Today was absolutely beautiful, so I worked outside all afternoon. I changed one of my garden paths to pea rock because it kept producing thistles. I also planted some new flowers down by our milkhouse. I have been meaning to do it all summer, so I can cross another thing off of the list!!

Our caterer visited the farm on Sunday afternoon and we got all the details worked out with the food. Wow! Here we go!!!!!!!!!!!

Please pray with us for the weather to be beautiful and for all to go smoothly. We are up to 275 guests...That is a BIG party! What was I thinking? LOL!!

Wedding Prep in the Yard

Welcome to my world! I have been adding mulch to places all over the yard. Mulch is a worthwhile time investment for me. Keeping weeds down, moisture in, and roots cool. It reduces my work in the long run. Plus I love the look it creates. I only add cedar to the places nearest the doors for fragrance. It is wonderful...otherwise I use cypress (less expensive).

We are planning on filling the open places with white chairs, and an arbor for the couple to get married under. We are hoping mums will be open by then for color. The little building in the foreground is the chicken coop, which is being used for storage presently. I have always had a dream to fix up a chicken coop into a "play house", but don't know if I will have time for anything this year. I started a new garden on this side of the building. It needs more plants, but is mostly done. There are little chicken doors which I added paths to, I will post close-ups when I finish.

I like this photo. A little "wild" and alot of green before the color bursts forth. The little birdhouse is by us. We specialize in birdhouses, you could say.

A view of Kayla's chosen wedding location from the East. I suppose I still have the most work to do in the most important location. Having a vision is what motivates, and we have one!

My only successful rosebush, it produces beautiful roses every year w/ no effort on my part (that is why it succeeds!)

Scavolia, a favorite container planting. This little table was left in our first home, and serves us in our front porch. In the morning, if the sun is not too hot, we will come out with breakfast. In the evening, I will light candles to welcome guests, or just enjoy the sounds of evening.The background of this photo is the field where the guests will park. Entering through this opening in the fence prompted me to do a little landscaping. Something I have wanted to do for years, but never pushed myself to get it done until now. I wish I would have though, so there would be more growth. I am counting on much growth in the next couple of months.

Here is the view upon entering our yard from the field. I love this part of the yard, but we never spend any time here because we have so many other locations in the yard to "park". (As if we have alot of time to do that~!)

I got a really good deal on this plant @ the local flower shop.

And finally for today, I put this one together for my deck. My favorite color combo for flowers. I may have to pull the pink for the wedding and add orange (fall colors!)

Let's Roll

I have not kept my blog updated on the wedding planning since life has been full~speed ahead lately. So here is a snapshot of the latest:

Andrew finally proposed to Kayla! He took her down by the lake behind his house, got on his knee and asked her to be his bride. Since it was such a long time in coming, her mouth hung open in shock, and after some "bantering between them" such as, "For real?!?" (I wasn't there, so am unsure of what actually transpired~smile) and walking back up to the house, she was informed that she hadn't said "yes" yet...oh my!

Last night Kayla and I visited her photographer which we are very excited about. Our bloggy sister Heather had recommended this photographer but they were booked, Vicky really wanted to do it, but decided they had to stick to only one wedding per weekend.

Since my dental hygenist is the only one who can talk when we "visit", I remembered hearing about her daughter's photographer with whom they were very impressed with, and called for a recomendation. Yay! When I called Tammy @ Rae of Light, she was able to do it, and loved the idea of a Friday wedding. We are discovering that Friday weddings have alot more availability when you are this close to the date when planning. We are a little more than four months out...

While laying in bed thinking this morning (that's when I get the most done~lol) wondering "what if" the weather wouldn't cooperate that day...which we are having FAITH that it will... but thought that Kayla should start a blog so that she could put the url on the "save the date" mailings...so she did! This morning before work she got it started here. My sister took their header photo on the farm I grew up on, and Kayla edited it. Let the planning continue!

Please pray with me that September 4th will be "the perfect sunny day"!