Wedding Bells

Well... for those of you who don't know, pretty soon Miss Sylvie finally gets to wear her white wedding dress! I'm so excited.....

Jeff's and my first anniversary is this Thursday, June 24, and because we eloped last year, we thought (well, I thought) how lovely it would be to have a wedding at our first anniversary! Jeff doesn't feel the need for it, of course, since he's a guy and was married before and all that. But knowing that it's important to me, he is very supportive. I actually acutely feel the need for this. In some ways and from time to time over this past year, it has seemed like we aren't really married. We eloped at a courthouse with no family or friends present, and without that support around us it didn't feel real. At least, to me it didn't. And this first year we've had our unique set of challenges. We're hoping and praying that this wedding will be a point of newness, and the beginning of "times of refreshing" for us.

So I've got my white dress from last year... Dad is officiating and making the bouquets.... Mary is my maid of honor and Nancy and Kiff are my other bridesmaids... Phil will stand up for Jeff.... We've got the church reserved.... Several of my new friends here are helping assemble all the food...... Another friend has volunteered to take the photographs....My iPod is ready to go with almost all the music for both the ceremony and the reception.... And I am planning to have a beautiful day filled with my family and friends around me to celebrate what God has done in bringing this amazing man into my life!!

Jeff is an incredible blessing to me. He has what it takes to handle me (and believe me, it takes a lot!), he's kind, generous, a hard-working and faithful provider, he makes me laugh, we balance each other out perfectly in many areas, he's a spiritual rock, he tells me I'm beautiful all the time, he supports me in my gifts, he talks sense into me when I need it (which is often) while at the same time understanding my womanly needs with gentleness and patience, he buys me pretty things, he seldom gets angry, he is gracious and forgiving, he is Kingdom-oriented and utterly devoted to Christ, he makes goofy faces, he's wise, he loves to cuddle... and we're just having fun becoming deeper and deeper soul mates. :)

One major difference between this year and last year, when I freaked out and couldn't go forward, is the level of support that's behind us. Last year we weren't part of a local church together - we were actually in the process of looking for one - and so we didn't have a group of mutual Christian friends who we were in fellowship with on a weekly basis. Complicating that is my recent diagnosis of OCD. One of the symptoms I experience is excessive need for approval from people in my life. I'm very easily influenced and I feel like everyone is watching me and I want to prove myself to them and have their approval - and I experience all these things to such an extent that it's unhealthy. I'm in the process of working through all that with my awesome Christian counselor... and maybe that's another story for another post. She is a wonderful answer to prayer. But anyway, looking back, I can see that the lack of nearby support around me (except for Mary and Rob, who were amazingly supportive, and I am extremely thankful for them) led to unfounded doubt and fear in the extreme ways that people with OCD tend to experience.

This year, Jeff and I are knit in with a truly beautiful and loving and supportive and fun body of believers at Blue Ridge Bible Church, and they are so excited that we are having a wedding celebration at our first anniversary! Everyone thinks it's the neatest thing that we're doing this. I have so much support around me, it's just fantastic. I feel like a bride! Of course, my counselor says that my goal is to get to the place one day when I don't have the need to be surrounded by an army of a church supporting me in order to be free of anxiety and fear. :) But for now, it's a sweet blessing to me. And knowing that people are coming in from out of town - people from my past who I have loved and been close to for years and years - brings such joy to the occasion and healing to my soul. Old friends being more special than new friends, I am truly, truly grateful for the support of these dear friends of mine who are coming in from Pennsylvania and southern Virginia. I am so thankful for the body of Christ!!

So..... it's all set for Saturday, June 26, and afterward you may be sure that I will post a few pics here!