Setting Esther Straight, Part II

Wahoo! My cord arrived today, so here are the pictures I promised. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to put them in order. (Gotta love being a novice blogger.)

The wedding party
(Notice my beautiful sister and handsome bro-in-law, front left.)

Being a flower girl really is hard work, and Princess Shaina felt the need to sit by herself and sulk for a few moments when no one saw her tears. (Or rather, when no one cared.) Auntie Dani did see though, and with Aunt-like sympathy I gleefully snapped photos of her as she brooded.
Esther and William getting ready, with fear and trepidation, to eat the first bite of cake. It doesn't much look like they trust each other! (wink) They smashed it, btw!

Esther chose this glorious church for their wedding. It was breathtaking... and maybe the only church in Pennsylvania worthy to house such an amazing wedding.

At the reception, Noah and Kate and I had fun blowing the "Kissing Whistles" :)
Noah said "Auntie Dani, I like it when they kiss!
(This picture was taken shortly before Kate's diaper leaked onto my lap.)

I was blessed to get to know Louise (left), who is Esther's friend from Ireland! I had heard about her and was so glad to finally meet her. She has such a beautiful spirit, and a beautiful singing voice to match. :) And with her Irish accent I think I could have listened to her talk for hours. :) It was SOOO good to see my friend Danelle (middle) again too! It's been way too long!

The Bridesmaids: Danelle, Tina, Julie, and Carlee

My dear Julie (who looked so lovely!) with Kate and Shaina. Due to a rare and sudden fit of carnality on Kate's part, auntie Dani was unable to take a second picture even though this one was blurry.

Part of my job was to get the nieces and nephews down the isle on time. I believe it took a good year or two off my life. ;-)

Car and I waiting with some of the kiddos during the picture taking

Fixing Esther's niece Emmalyn's dress before the wedding. Emmy is such a sweet girl! She was Carlee's little flower girl and now she is growing into such a precious young lady who loves the Lord.

All that fun stuff that happens behind the scenes moments before the wedding

Essie and I :) She has had such an impact on my life, and the the glory that her romance and marriage brought to Christ was amazing. Her relationship with William is truly a picture of Christ and His bride!!
I praise God for allowing me to be Esther's friend, fellow auntie to the Hobbs kids, and partner in crime at Lake Titus. :)

A parting shot: my nephew Wesley, the littlest member of the bridal party.

Dormant Seed

My dear friend and I have been walking similar roads of late. We both have almost identical dreams that seem to be dead. God delights in the faith that causes us to place our dream-seed in his hands. He buries it deep in the dirt and allows the harshest of elements to seal it in it's tomb... but is it a tomb? It's not that it's died; it's only begun to live.

It is Winter.
And outside the trees are skeletons and ice coats everything.
All is dormant,
And the world waits with eager hope to feel the breath of spring.
And the birdsong
That has filled the earth with wild joy, and hope and life
Is all quiet,
As they huddle in the branches to escape from winter's strife.
And my heart, too,
Feels the fridged cold and icy finger's grip,
While a dream seed
Lays a shivering beneath the soil in sleep.
And it may seem
Like the seed is dead and Spring will never grace the world above,
But in it's tomb,
God is working on the tiny seed in unforgotten love.
And when time's right,
I will see a sprout as birds begin to laugh and ice starts weeping,
And I'll know then,
That the seed I thought He'd killed was only sleeping.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
John 12:24

Setting Esther Straight

Well, I've got a disappointment for those of you who begged me to take pics at Esther's wedding. My camera's USB cord is lost, so (-though I took quite a few great pictures-) you'll have to wait until I buy a new cord to see them! Sorry.
But, in an attempt to appease the public, here instead is a picture of Esther and I on our great Alaskan Adventure almost a year ago to the day. (Please notice my cool hat, because I was terribly proud of it!) This is while she was still a Hobbs. She is now Mrs. William Straight. And it was the most beautiful, Christ-honoring, romantic wedding I've ever seen in my life. Esther is an amazing woman, and as I was praying on the scenic drive home from Pennsylvania, I asked God to make me more like her.

Wow! What a way to spend Valentine's Day! Pictures to follow. :)

Post Script: If you do not know this about me by now, it's about time you did. I have more camera issues than anyone else on the face of the earth. If I remember my camera, I forget my camera card. If I remember my camera card, my batteries won't work. If my camera works, my memory is full and I can't take pictures until I delete others. And, if all that goes alright... I lose my USB cord. Alas!

Giving it a go....

My first post, and I'm already feeling the urge. I suppose every one of us has an urge inside to be original, to be different than others and to make them sit up and say "Ah, now THERE is a thinking person. THERE is a person with an out-of-the-ordinary mind." As I've viewed the world of blogging with a distant, critical eye, I've gone from wanting a blog to rebelling against the concept and back to wanting one again.
So here I am.
In writing this blog, I am going to try my utmost to keep Prov. 18:2 in the forefront of my mind: "A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself." I don't want to post empty, meaningless words just so people will listen to me and I will have a sense of validation as I add my voice to the masses. I want to understand God better, and I hope that my posts will reveal His heart to others as well in a small way. Not as if I've got a better understanding of Him than you do... But I've been "sharpened" (Prov. 27:17) by other's blogs and I hope to do the same for you.
So... here goes!