#thebrockedees

The past few weeks have been a blur. On June 28th, one of my dearest friends (Miriam Petrofksy) was married to her fiance Daniel Brocke! *yahoo!*

It was one of the sweetest weddings I have ever attended...and I've been to my share, mind you. ;) I arrived about 3 days before the wedding because I was part of the cake making crew. The week went by in a delightful blur--full of rejoicing, laughter, stressful moments, prayer, and the sweet presence of Jesus. I cannot express how full my heart was to be able to be back on PEI (Prince Edward Island, Canada) soil and to witness the opening of a new chapter in Miriam and Dan's lives. 

The morning of the wedding was beautiful. Sunshine streamed through the windows during our Family devotion time. Around 10:30, we gals made our way to the 2nd floor of the Inn (The Sky family has an Inn connected with their house. The girls made the 2nd floor their "prep" area) to begin all of our makeup/hair/etc. 

We were a bit late to start (the bride had a hard time getting her hair to stay curled! Yikes!), but however, when the piano music started, the door opened and it...made you want to cry.

All I could think about was how mighty and beautiful the heart of the Father is towards us--His own children. Years ago, I never knew Miriam existed. By complete "accident" we met the Petrofskys, and over the years, we because true friends. Miriam was one of the first girls I have had intense hours of prayer with (Newfoundland, Canada), one of the first people I learned to love to hug, one of the first people I learned to trust with my heart. Miriam and I have had hours of talking under starry skies, in a moonlit field of daisies, over the phone in our different time zones. Over the last 2 years, we have seen each other infrequently and cannot talk very often--yet we have never had that *awkward* toll distance often places on relationships. She is one of my dearest friends and I feel so honored to have a Miriam-sized piece in the puzzle of my heart. Above all, all I could think was "Blessed be the name of the Lord!" because He has written a glorious story for Miriam and Daniel--because He loves them. Jesus calls each of them "friend". Jesus has brought them together, all for His glory. Praise the name of the Lord.

Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Brocke!

The Bride & Bridesmaids

 The cake Tai Sophia & I made!

Father Daughter Dance

Overall, my heart is full. I cannot fully share how beautiful it is to see two people (both sold out for Jesus) step into a new journey--their gaze fixed completely on Jesus. I am beyond excited to see what the Lord has in store for the Brockes!

Praise the name of the Lord for He IS Faithful, He IS True, and He has GOOD plans for those that Love Him! <3

Love,

In His Hands

As I write this, I am actually out of the country. Prince Edward Island, Canada to be exact (think homeland of Anne of Green Gables).

I'm not going to lie-- It is probably one of my FAVORITE places. Ever.

 Combined with some of my FAVORITE people.

Although I would love to post photos, making you want to pack your bags immediately and join me, I just wanted to share something before I get too far ahead of myself. ;)

First off, I'd like to introduce you to Hope. 

She has an "AWWWW" Rating of a Billion.

We were hanging out today (voluntary babysitting) and...it's kind of crazy what you can learn from looking at a baby. But as we were sitting quietly in a big comfy chair, I started thinking about Jesus (Pretty random thought, huh? ;) ). I started thinking about being in the safety and security of His arms, and the comfort of His hands. I love thinking about the hands of Jesus. The skilled, strong hands of a carpenter--but gentle enough that  children would never hesitate to run to Him. While I was thinking, Little Hope started whimpering and her little teensy lip turned down in a determined frown. As I gently patted her chest and just started to whisper gently in her ear, her face turned completely peaceful and she settled down to continue snoozing. 

I feel like this picture is the exact same with Jesus. Even when I rest in His arms, I can forget He's holding me OR life circumstances may happen, which cause me to suddenly be overwhelmed with fear. Yet, Jesus has SUCH incredible compassion on us. He knows our frame and "as a father pities His children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:13). He loves to comfort us when we run to Him. As we run to Him, as we cast our cares upon Him, he takes them upon himself and begins to quiet us with his promises. I love to run to Jesus.

Yesterday, as I was sitting on a rock facing the ocean, Jesus came and sat down beside me. My heart was quickened to the nearness of Christ, and then stilled by the peace of His presence. When we run to Jesus, we are able to feel the sweetest, gentlest hand of Jesus, gently placing his hand on our hearts--filling our spirit with the quietness of God. Just like baby Hope knows true security, I know when my Prince of Peace is near. To me, He is Emmanuel--God with us.

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