The Local Church

It seems like the last few months have been somewhat climactic ones. Big things happened. I fully expected to be an emotional wreck because of it all, but God really gave peace and an ability to see things rationally. A nice surprise. ;)

September found us on our yearly beach trip with friends. Since this was probably our last annual trip together, we tried to make it as memorable as possible. I love this week. Wearing ball caps and swimwear all week is entirely acceptable, which is pretty much the dream, ha. Throw in friends, pumpkin donuts, the ocean, and it's fantastic.

We had a picnic on the beach, which surprisingly went off without any incidents and was a beautiful time of laughter and sunset watching.

Looking at sunsets like these fills me with more love for the Lord. I will never get tired of staring at the sky.

September was bridal shower month for TA!

Bachelorette party. 3 days before the wedding. 10 months of waiting for this week. Lots of surreal moments.

Mom and C did a beautiful job with rehearsal dinner decor. It was such a special and emotional night (that I wish I had more pictures of).

Before the rehearsal, we had spent the day prepping the Happily Ever After barn for the reception. I don't have any pictures of the finished product, but it was really lovely.

WEDDING DAY. Daniel and Tricia Ann looked amazing. When I looked out the window and saw D in his suit, it was a "WHAT IS LIFE" moment and I kind of fell apart.

So happy Dee and Josh were the photographers! One of the best parts of the day was that all. my. people. were there. Amen. 

The day would have been great regardless, but hanging out with these beautiful, sweet friends made it even better.

We prayed for 10 months that the weather would be be nice, and it was even better than I could have imagined it to be. Thank you, Jesus!

The day after the wedding we headed to Nashville to hang out with family. Such a fun day!

Cool story: so D and J had said goodbye the night before at the reception, and we didn't have plans to see them again. While ordering coffee at Frothy Monkey, someone tapped me on the shoulder and there stood my Dee. :') Really great to have extra time with them exploring 12th South and hoping to see Reese Witherspoon. (We didn't. But next time!)

SUNSHINE.

Fast forward several weeks. Life had been a little rough what with being on my death bed for 4 days while the family was out of town, worrying about people, etc. I love how God works. Dee was able to make a sort of last minute decision to come visit us for several days, and it was just what we needed. Sometimes you really just need your best friend.

The 4 days she was here, Tennessee took our breath away. Definitely the most beautiful week of the season. It's so evident that God cares for His children, even in small ways like surrounding us with beauty when we needed it.

Oct. 31st found us celebrating C's graduation with friends and bowling!

Dad and I spent a Sunday afternoon in October exploring a state park, and it sufficiently blew my mind.

I am continually thankful for this place we live. We are deeply flawed and life is often a wreck, but the things that matter will always stay the same. God, His truths, and His promises are unchangeable. Observing what seems like the entire country's very poor reaction to the election has honestly just filled me with more joy and excitement for what's to come. I struggle to understand why friends and acquaintances are so distraught, because if anyone should have hope, it's those of us who belong to Jesus. America and its presidents are temporary, but God's goodness will never end. We have every reason to be hopeful, and being drama queens about the future says more about our lack of faith and perspective than it does the current state of things - however dire they may seem.

And that's all I have to say about that.

s/o to D, J, and Mom for a handful of these photos!