Joy

Things are going wonderfully! I was at Bible Conference last week and learned alot. I miss hearing that kind of preaching every day! It was also so very wonderful getting to see Drew again! It had been more than 2 months since we had seen each other. I stayed with Renee in her room. It was fun! I got to see all my friends again. I miss it there so much! I just don't miss the school work!
Well, there are only 2 more months till the wedding! Things are getting exciting! I love watching how everything just happens to work out just right! I have my next fitting on the 6th of April, and then my next shower on the 14th of April! Lots going on!!
The only point of sadness is that I am really missing mom this month. I have been thinking of her constantly and so many memories have been coming back to me. I wish she were here so badly! There are times I absolutely just ache for her to be able to pull me into her arms again and hug me close and stroke my hair like she would when I was younger. She always knew how to make everything better.
I sat in dad's room watching family videos all evening. Mom was such a beautiful woman both inwardly and outwardly! The way I like to think of it is that God knew how special mom was and couldn't stand to be apart from her so he took her home earlier than normal. I guess that the hardest part is not knowing why.
Anyway....this post is titled "Joy." Right now dad is in Michigan visiting his girlfriend, Kathy. She is such a wonderful woman. Very sweet and caring and she loves the Lord. I am so glad that dad has found his smile again!
The biggest lesson that I have learned in the last year is that God may bring very hard times into our lives, but he promises to never leave us nor forsake us and he will bring us joy in the midst of sorrow. This last year was a roller coaster ride of emotions. But without the joy that God brought into our lives we wouldn have never gotten past the sorrow. No matter how hard things might get in life, God is always there always willing to help us and give us the strength to get through the roughest storms and show us the joy that he has waiting for us on the other side. I have found Joy.

I Get To See My Almost Hubby!!!!

I am so excited!!! On Tuesday night at 8pm I will hop on the train and head to Greenville to see my wonderful almost husband!! I can't wait!! Less than 48 hours to go till I am on the train!!! It will be so wonderful to see him again! I haven't seen him since January 10th!!! That was way too long ago!!! It is Bible Conference week this week! I am so excited! I love Bible Conference week!! You learn so much and it is so neat hearing from such a neat variety of speakers!!!
Please be praying for Drew, he is currently in Barge....(the campus "hospital") and he is very sick!! Fever, coughing up stuff, miserable.....pray that he gets better before I get there on Wednesday!

Wedding Bells...

Wow! I can't believe that in less than 3 short months I am going to be married to the most wonderful man in all the world!!! This Saturday begins the craziness of the last days until the wedding. I have my first shower on Saturday. I am so excited!!! I am also sending out my invitations next week! Then 2 weeks from this Wednesday I am going down to visit my almost hubby!!! Bible Conference is in 2 weeks and I am going to be down there for the last half of Bible Conference week!!! I just can't wait to see Drew again! I haven't seen him since January! When I fianlly do see him it'll have been over 2 months!!! When I get back from BJU dad is going to Michigan to visit his girlfriend, Kathy for a week. On April 6th I have my second dress fitting. On April 14th I have my second wedding shower that my church is throwing me. The week of April 22nd through the 29th, Kathy is coming to visit for the week! I can't wait to finally meet her!!! Then The first weekend in May is Drews graduation!!! After graduation he is coming up here and we are packing up all my stuff and loading it into his truck and also taking care of the marriage license and then he is taking my stuff to his house in Alabama!!! Then 3 weeks later......We get married!!!!!! I can't wait!!! I am really hoping that the next 2 1/2 months flies by really quickly! There is so much to do and so many things to look forward to during those months.....I just can't wait to finally be Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Michael Matthews!!!