God was so good to blow the rain away as we drove to the venue about noon. I pointed to the ceiling of my car as I drove ahead of Merle, as we brought supplies to set up the venue decorations, and he thought something was wrong with the top of his car, when he realized I was pointing to the clouds barreling away and clear sky coming behind! The sky grew bright and crystal clear, which was lovely for this very special day. The gusty bursts of air blew Lydia's veil off a couple times as she walked down the aisle, which brought smiles to some faces as her Dad rescued it flying through the air. As Luke was unable to attend while he is serving in Colorado Springs, her memorable wedding day was slightly less than perfection! Thank you, Lord, for such a wonderful day to celebrate marriage and our expanding family!
After a beautiful ceremony with Larry Lawrence officiating, Bosnian and Japanese snacks as an appetizer (representing their respective MK backgrounds), a lovely alfredo dinner with ice cream for dessert, dancing, speeches, and all the fun, Lydia and Joshua Turner skipped through the sparklers as they took off for their honeymoon, and we packed up the wonderful wood cuts Merle made for table decoration centers. I recommend Mystic Acres as a beautiful venue, inside and out, and relatively affordable, especially compared to other venues. It is a God-story on finding and booking this venue, as well as Larry being able to officiate on this date in April. Thank you, Lord, for hearing and answering our prayers!
Enjoy a few more photos: A blustery day with Uncle Bill holding down the table from blowing over while Merle and Hannah catch the veil, Lydia and Jo pouring dirt from Japan and Bosnia together to represent their lives being joined, a kiss, my siblings, Merle and I dance a country swing, Hannah's lovely speech, the beautiful venue, and the sparkler exit!
The Glass house is almost ready to be on the Airbnb/VRBO-type rental market! Merle is finishing the last details of furnishings for the bedroom, and other details. I am still amazed at how he was able to build ALL of this single bedroom rental, designed for two to relax and retreat into the woods. The birds and owls are very active, and we've seen fox, deer, flying squirrels, and other wildlife. If you are interested in seeing or staying in Merle's wonderful construction creation, more information is coming soon!
The pandemic has finally cleared and we are able to go to Sarajevo again! We are excited to spend several months catching up with friends and the the church to see how they are moving on with the Lord in several places in Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, and possibly Albania, after getting the Glass House up and operational. Luke is also due back to Jonesboro, so we are hoping he returns soon enough to see him before we depart.
I have continued serving at the Think LifeChange Biblical Counseling Center associated with First Baptist Jonesboro. It is a privilege to hear from women who are struggling in various areas. God's word gives us direction, if we are willing to listen and do what he says. Jesus promises abundant life, so if we are not experiencing love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit, there is probably something blocking our relationship with God. If it is sin, there is no human remedy, but praise God! There is a cure! Self awareness, humility, forgiveness, and transformation are provided through a relationship with the Lord. Dying to self is not necessarily fun, but Jesus calls us to this, as we follow the two greatest commandments. Are we willing to listen and follow Him? The eternal results bring freedom, peace, and joy!
"The thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that you may have life and have it in abundance!" -Jesus, in John 10:10