Wedded Bliss

I’m not good at this blog thing, just as I suspected. I’ll update as much as possible now.

I got married. Most of you know that, but here are a few pictures.

Wedding Ceremony Decor

Here comes the BRIDE....

Brother Don did a FABULOUS job!



Sarah Teepell and Drew Kearney sang I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders.
They blew our minds. It was AMAZING! Incredible musicians, they are. 



Now, I am Mrs. Michael Matthew Watson.

The day was absolutely perfect. From the weather to the decorations to the crowd….and especially my GROOM!

I have to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who made it wonderful. Our families and friends really took the small vision we had and turned them into a beautiful reality. We had a great wedding party, and we were surrounded by such loving, supportive family and friends.

They made it all happen just the way we wanted it. We love you!

Here is a prayer our mothers read to bless our marriage, in case you would like to recycle it:

"Gracious God, bless our children as they stand before us today ready to take a step that will change their lives forever. May the individual strengths of each one join so that they may grow together in a strong marriage. Endow them with courage to meet the challenges that will inevitably be theirs in the coming years. Bless them with wisdom that sees beyond individual desires to the good of their relationship. Provide for their material needs that they may always have something to share with others. Grant them patience, compassion and understanding to deal with the disagreements that come along the way. May they find contentment at any given time in their marriage by accepting themselves and each other just as they are. Give them health and strength to fulfill their hopes and dreams for the future. May the joy and love they feel today ripen and mature as they walk together down this new road they have chosen. Amen"

By the way, it snowed on our wedding day. Luckily, we got married in Louisiana. While we were tying the knot, our little Pennsylvania home was getting blasted by an oddly early winter storm. I am SO glad we missed it. I don’t know if God has prepared me for those yet!

Most recently, Mike and I started a detox plan recommended to us by our FABULOUS mentor couple. There will definitely be more updates to come, but here’s a sneak peak. We have been on the diet for 4 days: I lost 4 pounds; Mike lost 8 pounds. We feel great. Look out, Cotton States Triathlon! Here we come!

These wreaths, made by my aunts, were our favorite decorations.



Change

It has been quite a long time since I have updated. I have thought about it a ton of times, but I can never pinpoint one joyful thing to blog about. There has been a lot of change in my life, and it has all brought a lot of joy and a lot of sadness. Luckily, God’s plan for my life is sovereign, so the joy reigns through in each situation.

Life after graduation meant King’s Camp for me. If you know me, then you know King’s Camp holds a very special place in my heart. It’s a home away from home. Going into camp this year, I knew it would be a refuge for me; it would be a rock in the ocean of change. I had no idea what God had in store for me.

Over the last year, King’s Camp lost two very important people: Molly Hartrick and Jeannie Harkleroad. I feared walking into a position of leadership in their absence, but I also believe so much in the mission they have for King’s Camp, and I love being a part of its implementation. By the grace of God, King’s Camp was just as wonderful this year as every other year. It was wonderful. That is especially important to me, because this was likely my last year to serve on staff at camp. I will always be involved as a supporter through prayer, as well as any other way that I am able. As I left, one thought of camp stuck with me. One of our speakers, Leslie Carraway, created a visual image that will stay with me forever. If you have been to camp, you know that the recreational grounds are about a half mile from the barn (where we hold church each night). Campers and counselors walk to church at night, as the sun is setting. You can often hear the worship band finishing up practice as you get closer. The sun is usually sinking into one of the most breathtaking sunsets you can imagine. Leslie offers that we are like a parade of praise for the Lord, with those who have gone before us leading the way. It is a picture of Heavenly chorus, and I can only imagine that is a lot like what Heaven will be like one day.

As a director of camp, I saw many new aspects of camp, along with seeing many old aspects from a new perspective. I learned a lot about being a real servant. Servant is more of a condition of the heart than an act of kindness. God calls us to love Him and love others as He has loved us. When the condition of our heart matches that commandment, the result is serving. We will serve Him as believers in the gospel. We will serve others out of love. I have never thought of the two words in the same sense, but “LOVE” and “SERVE” are really synonymous. If you love someone, you serve them. If you are serving someone, you probably love them (or you’re at least trying to learn to love them).

After camp I was able to spend some quality time with my family. Relationships are difficult, because we are all individual products of God’s love. We are all different. Family, though, is one of those relationships that stands through the trials. Even though they all knew that I would be moving, each person was very deliberate in love and kindness throughout that time. Of course, there were a ton of side comments that related to my staying in Louisiana, but overwhelmingly more often I was surrounded by love and support. Blessed.

I was also honored at a bridal shower before I left. Incredible. Being surrounded by so many people who support my future marriage (and receiving abounding gifts from them) was such a beautiful, humbling experience. I realize now, how much the relationships I have made with family and friends in Louisiana mean to me. They have made me who I am, and I am very blessed to have them all.

The move…there will be more on this later…with pictures of the new condo!