The Day I Walk Down The Aisle

 

My last post was about the one word I am going to focus on this year. I chose the word "commitment" and was going to go from there. I have tossed several ideas around, but in the past few days, I have come across something that has helped me make a commitment. 

I haven't been watching much actual television. Yes, Netflix and movies are still happening, but real-time television with commercials aren't occurring often. 

Despite this, I have caught glimpses of a commercial that just infuriates me.

David's Bridal has a couple of new commercials. I'll admit- I haven't seen any of them in their entirety. I don't know how many actually exist. I have seen the end of one of the commercials several times and this has been enough to aggravate me. The end of this commercial shows a bride on her wedding day and you hear a statement about how the day is for the bride and how the most important thing for the bride is her dress. REALLY?!?

I know I'm single, haven't walked down the aisle, and am nowhere near that all-important wedding day, but I'm pretty sure I know enough to know that the most important thing on that day is not, in fact, the dress. Don't get me wrong, I want to look stunning the day I walk down the aisle, but the wedding is NOT about the dress. 

I can't wrap my head around the idea that people spend all of this money on a ceremony and reception "for the bride". If it's all for the bride, what's the point of the groom? Just throw yourself a big party if you want all of the focus on you. A wedding day is not "your day"- it's "our day", as in the bride AND groom. GASP! I said it. Get over it. 

More importantly than the focus being on the bride and groom, the wedding day is a day to honor God.  A day to stand in front of all of your family, friends, and loved ones in a ceremony where "two shall become one". Where a man and woman commit to showing each other love- love that is patient, love that is kind, love that is not self-seeking, etc (1 Corinthians 13)- until death do us part. 

My friend's wedding this summer where God was truly
the center of the day. Thanks for being a great
example! P.S. The dress was gorgeous.

Not once, in all of the weddings I have attended, have a heard mention during the ceremony of the beauty of the dress. That clearly shows, despite the commercials, that the most important thing is not the dress. If the dress were the most important, surely it would be brought up in the ceremony where you have the whole congregations' undying attention. Instead, you hear talk about what has brought the man and woman together, commitment to one other, Bible passages about love, and vows to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, through sickness and health, until death do us part. You are making a commitment before God, family, and friends to each other. 

As part of my practice of commitment for the year, I am committing today to the fact that, when that day finally does arrive, it will not be about the dress. Nor will it be about the decorations, the cake, or any of the other wedding essentials. My wedding day will be about honoring God by standing in front of loved ones and sharing with them my joy, happiness, and gratitude towards God as I marry the man God has prepared for me. No amount of wedding planning and fussing can bring the man God has in mind for me so I will stand before everyone and thank my Heavenly Father for all he's done for me to get me to that day. And the first things I will thank Him for are loving me and bringing me the man he knew would make me a better person so I can more fully glorify Him.    

What false ideas have you received through social media about weddings?  

   

  

Just. One. Word.

As 2013 comes to a close, many people are spending the last hours with loved ones at parties, bars, etc. I have been at home since before 7 o'clock in my pajamas. Decked out in Steelers attire from head to toe. NO shame. 

As many people do, I have reflected upon the past year- the ups and downs, the triumphs and failures, and the changes. I could list everything off individually, but I'd rather highlight the four most important events rather than sharing every tidbit of information about my year. 

1) I graduated with my Master's in School Counseling. (For anyone who has been involved in my life the past year, you know this was a major milestone I wasn't sure was going to happen.) 

2) My summer was once again spent at Dayton Oaks Camp. Give me some Jesus! 

3) I was handed a full-time position (not in school counseling) without ever interviewing for the position.

4) I was reawakened to the importance of telling people how I feel about them. There is never a better time than the present. 

Enough about this past year though. I learned lessons this past year that will carry me into 2014 and that is all that matters. There is nothing I can change about the past so let's look forward to this coming year. 

Cue New Year's Resolutions...

It's truly 12:00 AM on 1/1/2014 as I start writing this portion.  Here's my confession for the beginning of the new year. I have made New Year's Resolutions for years in a row. I, unfortunately, can't tell you what any of the resolutions were though. I think my planner even allowed me to make new resolutions every month. I can't tell you where my planner is hiding. 

I'm pretty sure I have made New Year's Resolutions at about 11:00 PM on the 1st of January. The resolutions were last minute thoughts and more of an obligation that I needed to have resolutions rather than things I truly wanted to do. This year, instead of making resolutions and having a list that will be obsolete by the end of the month, I am taking a new approach. 

About five days ago, I came across a devotional called "One Word that will Change your Life". The premise of the devotional is using one word, just one word- no phrases or sayings- and focusing on that word for the year. On the very first night of reading the devotional, I felt like I knew what my word for the year was going to be. By night four, I was convinced. Convinced may be the wrong terminology, as I feel like it was more of a nudging from the Holy Spirit to use this word. It wasn't something I feel like I chose myself. 

My word will permeate throughout many aspects of my life. If it doesn't, I am not focusing on my word correctly. I have had thoughts running though my head for four days about how I can use my word. What I need to focus on is letting God decide how I am going to use my word. When I choose my actions, I fail because I have no backing because my decisions are just that- my decisions. God has to be in charge of this for it to be of any use to me. God has to show me what is going to be the most important things to focus on this year. Maybe at different times of the year, it will be different aspects, but that's all up to Him. 

I will be completely transparent here. I'm a little skeptical that focusing on one word this year will be any different than failed New Year's Resolutions. What will keep me from losing focus on the word within a week, month, etc? That's where you come in. I am sharing this as an accountability piece. I can't have this be between only God and me. I will need the friendly reminders.

As I said, my word should involve all areas of my life in one way or another. I'm not sure what this will look like yet, but check back for updates. Here is my word: 

"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." ~Philippians 3: 13-14