Meditations of a Christian Hedonist Bride to be ~

Happy as a clam today, filled with joy in thinking on the goodness of God in the picture of Christ and His church in marriage. The parallels make my little heart feel the weight of what I'm heading into.
Driving down the road running work errands and attending closings, I was listening to one of my favorite bands Barlow Girl.........and my desire to be with Jesus, the Great Bridegroom, just flooded my heart. The song "I love you" by BG made me think of Brent and Jesus.....and how I get to rehearse Jesus' coming back for me - in my vows to Brent.

"I love you. My heart is yours, all yours.
I long to give you all of me, my everything."

We long to give and be given in marriage........it is a tremendous desire of the human soul....to be united to our beloved. (even single, wondering who that might be......the desire is there and it's God-given........"as the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for you oh God".....and if we could just direct our longings God-ward........oh, we'd be satisfied....why I didn't understand that a year and a half ago......no idea)

As I sent out the invitations, I was just thinking about how we are given the great commission to invite others to the "Wedding feast of the Lamb" and those who are invited are blessed.
Many will be busy and rsvp regrets.... saying the journey is too far, or they have work to tend to or this or that. (please don't think that I'm ripping on those who can't make it.....I'm not, and that's not what I'm getting at here)

Then thinking about why I am wearing a veil......(again) That now, we see in a mirror dimly, but then, face to face. We will know as we are fully known....and we shall see Jesus as He is.

Then in thinking about how we women long to be desired by our husbands.....we care that he finds us beautiful, ravishing even.....and so we workout and eat well and do all that we can so that he will be pleased to look at us.
Well, God says in 1 Peter 3:3-5
"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening."

My new thought on that is......do I LONG and work at being beautiful and ravishing to my eternally betrothed - my precious Jesus? OH for Him to find my heart absolutely beautiful - that He would wash my heart with His word to make me beautified by Grace!!!
I want Jesus to desire my heart...I want my bridegroom to rejoice over me......both of them.
And so, the temporary (physical) and the eternal (soul) need tending to.
Lord give me grace to workout and to hide His word in my heart that I might cease to sin more day by day.

Lord, prepare me, to be a sanctuary, pure and Holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living, sanctuary, for you.

In love with my Savior, my Lord and the husband he's given me,
Jen Daas

HILARIOUS story from the Wright / Berg Merger :)

A bit o'background:
Brent and Ted are going to be living as bachelors for a couple months as wedding preparations are still in progress. (Ted - Oct 14, Brent Nov 2)
Well, by God's kindness, Brent is living in our (to-be) first residence, just below, occupying the first to-be Wright residence is Ted.

The funny thing is......
Last night when Brent and I were filling out our wedding invites........we heard the sound of water running.......inside the apartment. I said "Brent, do you hear that?" he just shrugged and said "yeah, sounds like someone is taking a shower"
I replied "umm, yeah, but in YOUR apartment !!?" I walked down the hall, and there was water dripping off of all sides of the sink! Water was coming up from the drain....and it was pretty warm and smelled like soap.......we grabbed a bucket and kept 'bailing' the water from the sink dumping it out in the bathtub.
Brent called Ted, no answer.
Ben came to our door and asked if knew where Ted was, because he wasn't answering the door......putting 2 and 2 together, inspector Berg figured out that the hot soapy water that filled our bathroom had to be none other than Ted taking a nice hot shower. And though we're into conservation.....umm.....bathwater is not something we'd prefer to recycle. :)

Ted finally answered......... sheepishly, and came down stairs to see what had happened due to his insatiable need to be clean. :)
And his wonderful in-laws were there helping us dry up the floor........poor Ted - can a guy just take a shower without the neighborhood knowing about it? :)

I can't wait to tell our kids all of the funny tales that come from living in the same building as our Wright friends. What a trip ~
Outski,
Jen