countdown // one hundred and three

ONE HUNDRED AND THREE! that's how many days stand between today and our wedding day, and i just can't wait. the double digits are almost upon us.

a little sneak peek of our engagement photos! you can see more on our wedding website, and i'll be blogging them soon!

last night, we tackled our pre-marital homework - the ever dreaded budget. but it was so good. like so, so good. thank you for making all of life's concerns a joy to tackle together. thank you for being patient when i am impatient, and understanding when i am not understanding. thank you for always listening with an open ear, resolving to make things better, and extending forgiveness to me. i certainly don't deserve any of it, and i am grateful, incredibly grateful for you. 

thank you for bringing home the best gifts from men's retreat. to say i missed you would be an understatement, but i am so glad you had a weekend away, building friendships with other Godly men, sharing your story, and letting God use you. i love how open you are with those around you. you are authentic and real, humble enough to let God use your story to encourage others. i am so glad others got to see the things in you that i am lucky to see every single day. you are an encouragement to everyone around you, especially to me. and thank you for our matching mugs - we seriously have a mug addiction! when we go apartment hunting this weekend, we'll have to have enough cabinet space just for all of our mugs. thank you for thinking of me and bringing home such a thoughtful surprise. 

those three weeks that you're away in China, i am going to miss you unbearably. but like i said yesterday, we need to go into that process completely assured of God's will in our life. if I believe with all my heart that He wants you to be ministering in China, that China needs you and you need it, then the missing will be much easier. and if i know that i can use those few weeks to spend intentional time with my family, serving them and loving them, then that's what i'm going to do. 

i am grateful for all of the obstacles that face us in this journey, grateful because they make us stronger, because we get to know each other better because of them. that negative sign at the bottom of the budget? it doesn't worry me. it's just another opportunity to release control to the Lord and let Him provide - and He will.

thank you for being my rock, especially in these last few months. i love you.