Oh what Joy!

Well, the count down is officially on (not that it wasn't before). I am finished with school and work. Now, I have settled down to writing some good ol' thank you notes. You know, I love writing thank you notes. I just find such joy in being able to encourage others through writing. I mean, I love to write, and with a note, I can write and hopefully make someone smile a little! So here is a glimpse into my night....

(excuse the poor picture quality; this is an Iphone picture)

Ekklesia Coffee, a green Le pen, and my oh so cute thank you notes from Embossed Graphcics :)

One Month

One Month from today I will be married to the wonderful, handsome, God-fearing Jared Fincher. One month from today my life will change entirely. One month from today my name will change. One month from today the Lord will allow me to be a part of the most beautiful picture of his unfailing love for us found in the picture of marriage. One month from today I will be the happiest girl ever.....but fortunately my joy is found in Christ so that day will only be a glimpse of what's to come. Think about that for a minute...I will.

Engagement Pictures

Brittany Grater (who happens to also be in my wedding!! Yes, she's the best) did our engagement pictures.

I LOVE THEM!

This will just be a brief preview of them.

I love them all, but I'll just put a few of my favorites here.

Enjoy!

6 weeks.

Well, we have 6 weeks until the wedding! Hard to believe it's so close.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day! Four of my good friends got engaged! It makes me so happy to see the Lord uniting his followers in marriage. THey have a long road ahead until the wedding, but it is a fun, exciting road. They will learn a lot about themselves in the next few months, and about others. They will also learn a lot about the Lord's will for their lives.
This time of engagement has been good; I've learned so much. So many people have been a part of it to better prepare me and Jared for marriage. I believe the Lord is preparing us too. Satan has tried hard to deter me from the Lord during this, but you know, that's almost encouraging. It goes to show that we are in the Lord's will because Satan is trying so hard to sway us, to make things more difficult, to take the glory from God, and to make us forget why we are doing all this anyway. The Lord is so good. He is faithful always; even when we are not. So to my newly engaged friends (who may or may not read this), " press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phillipians 3:14).

Satan has worked hard to secularize weddings, and he has done a darn good job at it. Let us praise the Lord, and plead for the Lord to maintain the sacredness of marriage within his people that we may be a picture of the gospel to the lost around us.

Wedding, Wedding, Wedding

"It is most important habitually to contemplate our work in its proper character as a “work of faith.” As such, it can only be sustained by the active and persevering exercise of this principle. This is what makes it a means of grace to our own souls, as well as a grand medium of exalting our Divine Master. It is faith that enlivens our work with perpetual cheerfulness. It commits every part of it to God, in the hope, that even mistakes shall be overruled for his glory; and thus relieves us from an oppressive anxiety, often attendant upon a deep sense of our responsibility. The shortest way to peace will be found in casting ourselves upon God for daily pardon of deficiencies and supplies of grace, without looking too eagerly for present fruit." -Charles Bridges

That is a daily struggle, to do everything for the glory of God. It's so humbling to remember that I accomplish nothing on my own; everything is accomplished by and through the grace found in Christ. I pray that I will live in remembrance of that truth. Especially in these next few months with so much on my plate.

Well, the wedding is coming along quite nicely. I will fill in the gaps:

1. I ordered invitations from Paper Affair. They are beautiful! I absolutely love them. They are sitting in a box in the dining room right now. They will be mailed by the end of this month(promise).
2. I had my first shower!! It was so much fun. It was a Pampered Chef shower. A friend of my mom did a cooking show for us. I enjoyed it dearly. I got lots of new things and I cannot wait til they start arriving!
3. I ordered my dishes. My grandparents wanted to buy my dishes for me, so they sent money with my mom. We went to Bed Bath & Beyond and I found the ones I love!. They were not what I had originally thought I would like, but I fell in love when I saw them.
4. I randomly found the ties for the groomsmen at JCPennys the other day. THey are green and were only $15! Yay for sales.
5. I got my dressed altered last week. It went well. I am on the hunt for a slip right now though. The one at David's Bridal did not quite work. I'm probably going to have to order it online.
6. I ordered my Thank You notes from work a couple days ago. They should be in shortly. I think they are super cute.
7. I am on the desperate hunt for shoes right now. It's deeming much harder than I had anticipated. But shoes will be found! And they will not cost me a fortune either.
8. We have a DJ.
9. I am working on flowers as we speak.
10. I got my cake ideas together last night and will give them to the friend who is making it.
11. We got our playlist for the wedding finished.
12. We, as in my mother, Anna (sister-in-law), and myself, are going to the venue in a couple weeks to finalize all the tables and the setup.
13. I'm waiting on my Bridesmaids to let me know what they are wearing so I can get them some cute things:)

And I think that is it.....or at least all I can think of a the moment.

Now, that was just wedding. School is really kicking in and we gotta find a place to live! I know the Lord will provide. He is always good to give us what we need. Praise Him for that.

For Zion's sake

"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,

and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,

unti her righteousness goes forth as brightness

and her salvation as a burning torch.

The nations shall see yoru righteousness,

and all the kings your glory,

and you shall be called by a new name

that the mouth of the Lord will give.

You shall no more be termed Forsaken,

and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,

But you shall be called My Delight is in Her,

And your land Married;

for the Lord delights in you,

and your land shall be married.

For as a young man marries a young woman,

so shall your sons mary you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you."

Isaiah 162:1-5

I came to this chapter in my reading plan recently. It's so beautiful. After chapters and chapters of foretelling of the destruction of Israel, he says this. The Lord delights in us and rejoices over us like a bridegroom to his bride. After the idolatry we commit and the prostitution of ourselves to those other than our Husband, the Lord, he still rejoices in us. Why? That is the question. How can anybody, let alone God, love us that much? It's just something I've been contemplating lately: the enormous and unfailing love of God.

A NOT so simple Goal

Ok so I thought I picked simple goals....that's a lie. I tried really really hard but I just can't think simply. I always think big and accomplishing (if that makes sense). So needless to say I haven't accomplished much. I DID buy some cute little doodads to start making jewelry though!! That's a start right? I'd say so.

I also started school today. booooo. It actually wasn't terrible. I was reminded that I really do deep down inside have a fondness of school. I like learning new things. It's just the whole thousands of dollars is weighing on my shoulders as I strive to do well in a class. I have to do well; I paid for it. Anyway, I had my Romanticism class today. Kinda boring but I think it will be interesting. I get to read some classics, i.e. Pride & Prejudice and Frankenstein! I won't be that exclamatory when I'm actually reading them though.

I will be at school at EIGHT IN THE MORNING!!!! I know I"m insane. I will take on 280 8 o'clock traffic head on! I will conquer it too. Hopefully. Then I will work and take on TWO english classes back to back until 8pm tomorrow night. Pray for me. Pray for Jared (Joke).

Anyway, Save the Dates are out. Everyone didn't get one because we only got 100. Everyone will get invitations though ( well everyone who is invited, that is). I will be ordering those within the next week or so. That will be another adventure. I work on everyone else's invitations day in and day out, but now I get to work on my own!! It will be fun, but a little intimidating too. I mean they have to look good; it's my job. It'll be interesting!

Well, we're off to Macon this weekend. It shall be the beginning of many Adrienne-Jared-Macon Adventures over the next 4 months. I think it will be fun. This post was supposed to just be about my inability of accomplishing 4 goals...not so much.

4 Simple Goals

I ran across this post in my reader from A Beautiful Mess and thought it was a cute idea. I think I will do it. It will be a fun thing to do that is not wholly wedding-oriented. And hopefully I'll get some things done that I want to do.

So here are my goals:
1. exercise at least 3 days a week This is not meant to be hard on me; just something to motivate me a little more because I do want to be healthy 2. make handmade jewelry for each of my bridesmaids I know this is wedding but it's something I really would like to do and I would also like to get into jewelry making since I love jewelry so much:) 3. write a letter of some sorts each week This one is my favorite because I LOVE STATIONERY! 4. be able to fit into a pair of wide-leg jeans I have I have had these jeans for quite a while and have been able to wear them on and off. They kind of fit weird but they are absolutely adorable, so I'd love for this to happen:)

Well, there they are. I suppose I'll be posting on how it is going over the next few months!

The days are flying by...

Well, it''s official. I'm terrible at blogging. I'm good at reading blogs but terrible at writing them. Maybe now that I'm out of school for a while I'll actually keep up with this. It's been a month since my previous blog so now I am 5 months to a new life.

Wedding plans are moving swiftly. Everything hasn't snowballed yet, but I can feel things starting to pile up. I got the majority of the Save the Dates out a couple days ago. We still have a few more to do; we're just waiting on addresses. I will be ordering the invitations in the next week or so (this is going to be my favorite part). Then, I think it will be mostly details from there. We have decided on dessert for the reception. I think it will be fabulous! And.... the best part of the ENTIRE thing---I will be with my sweet man. finally.

This summer has been wonderful. It has had its ups and downs, but as a whole it has been a great summer. I've never been happier than when I am with Jared and just spending time with him. Even if we aren't even close to one another, just knowing he is close is enough after almost 2 years of him being really far away. I wouldn't change the long distance, but it has definitely made being with him so much sweeter. The Lord is good. He knows what He is doing. It's such a peace to know He has it all under control.

I can't promise more soon because I don't have a very good track record for that, but I'm going to try real hard!

July

It is July. We have six months til we're married! Yesterday was the 4th of July. We celebrated my nephews' birthdays. It's hard to believe they are already a year old. It seems like just yesterday that we were all at the hospital. Time has begun to move faster; that is for sure. Anyway, the trip to Macon went really well. We will find out something in about a week or so!

As for the wedding planning...I have been working hard.

First, I finished my bridesmaids' cards:

















Second, I ordered my Save the Dates and they are in!! I love them! Sorry these aren't very good pictures.







Third, Jared and I have started registering places! It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I am not advertising my registries though because they are not nearly ready.

Fourth, I went thrift store shopping and got some really cool stuff for my reception tables!! I'm excited!! I'll put pictures when I get around to playing with them a little bit.

Well, I have to say it's been a good weekend though. I got to spend time with family and my wonderful fiance!!

Our New Life in the working...

Well, This coming weekend J and I are making a trip to Macon, Ga for a prospective church. J made it into the top 3 of the music pastors they are looking for. It is completely a God-thing because he apparently wasn't even supposed to be looked at seeing that he has no experience and has not been to seminary. Either way, we're going to visit and just spend time with the people and staff at the church. He will lead worship Sunday so I know he is nervous about that. We are both just praying a lot about this because we will really need the Lord's guidance and direction during and after this weekend. We have to be so sensitive to the Spirit and not get Him confused with our own wants and desires. It's exciting but kind of scary at the same time. I trust the Lord will guide us where he wants us to be. I know Jared is seeking God through this whole job-search process. I am so blessed to have such a God-fearing husband-to-be. He means the world to me!

I'm really bad at this whole blogging thing. I love reading blogs, but I just don't take the time to sit down and write my own blog. Anyway, we are about 6 months from the WEDDING DAY! It's so crazy how fast everything goes by. I am a junior in college and about to become a wife to a wonderful man. There are so many changes coming up here within the year. I will turn the big 2-1! I will get married. I will move out of my house and then to a brand new place that I don't know yet. Then I will be living with a boy ;) And I will have to make all new friends on top of that. I know the Lord is so sovereign and will give me everything I need to keep going with a servant's heart and a joyful heart. It's just definitely a daily struggle to continue trusting in His good will for everything. I have an awesome fiance who helps me with that all the time. He is so trusting of the Lord in all this; it's such an encouragement to walk alongside him and know that he is not making all these decisions on his own-he is consulting the God of the Universe! Well, now I guess I'll update some wedding plans (yes I am doing things despite what many people seem to thing).

Well, as said in the last post we are getting married in good 'ol Sylacauga:) It's a beautiful place. I can't wait til we can play with it and decorate it. We also found a caterer I think-us...I know. Well, all our quotes from outside caterer's were WAY out of our budget and then I got this grand idea of having a...drum roll...Nacho Bar! I know it's brilliant. Hah, no but for real I think it'll be fun to do. Just have chips, tortillas, meat, and all the fixins. Then instead of the groom's cake I think we're going to do a dessert table.

I also finished a special project for my bridesmaids. I'll put a picture on here as soon as they all get them. I also ordered my postcard Save the Dates. They are too cute. I will put a picture of those on here too. I hope they turn out as cute as they were on the computer. J and I had our friend, E, take some pictures for the Save the Dates and they turned out so cute. They aren't engagement pictures because I want those to be taken in the fall (I love fall clothes and just fall in general), but they are still really cute.
















well, those were some of my favorites. Hopefully I'll be putting more fun pictures up. I think our next big project is making a veil...should be interesting!

A daunting task accomplished!

Well, it has been far too long. A LOT has happened.

I have officially been engaged for more than a month and am around 9 months away from being married to the most amazing blessing of a man!
In the past month I've managed to break down only about three times(haha) and have accomplished the daunting task of FINDING A VENUE FOR THE WEDDING AND RECEPTION. We found it!!!!!!!!! We are having it at Harvey's on Noble. It is in Sylacauga...I know it's kind of random but it was totally a God thing(but then again what isn't a God thing). A friend of ours grew up with the man who owns it and they told us about it. We went to look at it and it is PERFECT! It's an old warehouse that he redid for his daughter's wedding and now rents out for events. I LOVE it! I'm so excited about decorating and what not. We are doing the wedding and reception there so yay!
So, that is really the only thing I've totally accomplished since my last post. I did get a wedding planner.

My wonderful friends, Katie Emily and Kyle, went with me to look for planners. It was fun.

Kyle didn't have as much fun with the planners though.....so he read handgun magazines.

Yes, that is a calculator...

That was all from a couple weeks ago. I've been busy trying to come up with fun ideas for the wedding along with trying to do well in school. It's been interesting. We are working on the guest list. I have a fun idea for asking my bridesmaids but I just have to finish it! haha. A friend of ours is going to do our cake for us so that is a blessing. But other than all that, things are kind of slow right now-not. I'm ready to be finished with school so I can really think about all this wedding stuff without feeling bad about not doing my schoolwork-kind of like what I feel right now.

A quote we found in the "Christian Wedding Planner" at Books-A-Million. The book was a little dated but the quotes were really solid:

I regularly have the best view in the house at weddings as I stand only three feet from the joyous couple. In joyous luminosity from the candles behind me, I see everything in intrinsic detail-the bride’s blush, which often extends to her shoulders, the moist eyes, the trembling hands, the surreptitious wink, their mutual earnestness of word. Sometimes in my enjoyment I let it all blur for a moment as I imagine the ultimate wedding when Christ will officially take us to himself- and then I blink back to the living parable before me.

-R. Kent Hughes

Things are moving!

Well, the planning has begun. We're still looking for a location but the search is beginning to narrow down. I'm looking at invitations. I've found some that I love...the catch is that I have to make them! This is the link to them: Sewn Fabric Invitations. They are super cute. Of course I will use different fabric because I've decided on green and black for my colors. I finally found a piece of material yesterday that is the color green so I have an example when people ask. I know the invitations are going to be time consuming but they are really cute and I like them a lot! They will cost about as much as they would if I were to buy some at work so I figured I should get the ones I really want.

I also got my dress! I can't put pictures on here though because I don't want Jared to see it until the wedding day. I love it though! It is perfect!

My mom and I bought some of the stuff yesterday to start making my veil and to start working on the invitations. So that'll be fun! Making my veil is MUCH cheaper than buying one.

Things are starting to move and I'm having fun. I've decided there is no reason to worry or stress over this. I want to enjoy planning and making things. I want to be able to include people and make it a joint effort. I'm not too set on anything being a certain way so that keeps things flexible. I would just love to find a place!haha. It'll come I know: The Lord is faithful. (I'll start putting more picture on here when I start making stuff!)

Well, the stress has begun. I'm trying so hard not to but there's just so much stuff. I'm going to have to get a car soon which is just one more thing to pay for on top of school and now a wedding. I just don't know where the money is going to come from. I know the Lord will provide but it's just so hard to remember that in the midst of everything. I'm trying to find a reception and ceremony site still. Everything is just so expensive. I wish planning a wedding wasn't so difficult, but I want it to be special so I guess we'll figure it out. I just want to get the date set with all the places booked at least; it's easier said than done though. I know it's just going to be one thing after another from here on out so I guess I better just enjoy the ride. And it will be fun if I let it and I want it to be fun. I don't want it to be stressful; I always said I wouldn't have a stressful wedding so that's what will happen. I simply want the Lord to be glorified so if that happens then all else can just fall into place. Well, I just needed to vent a little bit here so I suppose I will go read Hamlet now.ugh.

And it starts...

Well, I got engaged last night!! CRAZY!! I've decided I'm going to try and blog this whole wedding process. It'll make it interesting. So I guess I'll start this blog off by saying I have the most incredible fiance ever! He pulled off TWO surprises last night and I had nooooo idea!!! He proposed to me and then he had a party waiting for me at his house. It was so wonderful. Thanks to everyone who came; it meant a lot.
I have a ring on my finger and now the thoughts are a little overwhelming. I have a wedding to plan, but more than anything I have to remember that this day is not about me- it is about the Lord. I think if I keep that one fact in mind, it will make this whole process a lot less stressful. It's going to be hard though because everyone is going to keep telling me it's about me. But anyway, I wish I could start right now!
Ok, well I'll end my first post of many by saying this is going to be some crazy fun months ahead!!!