We started looking at homes in late July. After 25 houses and a month of looking, we found our house and made an offer! If you had told me even a year ago that the wife and I would be homeowners by 23, I would have laughed in your face. But, The Lord is so good! After some negotiation, our offer was accepted. There was lots of red tape (and packing tape), but on September 21st, we closed on our first home. We're still settling in and on most days, it's still surreal that we own a home. There's no feeling like coming home after a long day of work and settling into the couch inside your living room. That actually belongs to you. You're not renting it. You own it. WHAT?!?! Didn't I live in a dorm four years ago? Man, how time flies. On Friday, we had some friends over and a priest friend of ours blessed our home. It was a beautiful night and one I won't soon forget. I am very grateful for the blessings in my life including all of our friends and our new home.
The second big thing that has happened since August 26th is that the wife and I agreed to become a presenting team for our local Catholic Engaged Encounter Community. Catholic Engaged Encounter is a Catholic (obviously) ministry that provides weekends retreats for couples preparing for marriage. During the weekend, two presenting teams who are married couples share witnesses about specific topics which are relevant to an engaged couple. Some of the talks focus on understanding ourselves and what we bring to a marriage, decision making in a marriage, and the idea of marriage as a sacrament, among others. Throughout the weekend, the engaged coupled have a really good chunk of time to reflect and talk to each other about what is shared. When the wife and I attended our weekend in February, we really received a lot from it. It was very blessed because it gave a us a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of life to step back and focus on our relationship. It was very affirming for us, because we had actually already talked about most everything that was brought up. At the end of the weekend, we indicated that we would be interested in helping with future weekends-greeting couples, setting up the facilities, handing out papers-and that after we were married for a year we might be interested in becoming a presenting team. Well, about a month ago, the only presenting team in Tallahassee invited us over for dinner and asked if we'd like to be a presenting team on an upcoming weekend in April (one week before our first Anniversary). The couple who usually presents with them is trying to lessen their load and another couple who was working on their talks had to step back due to some family issues that came up. Which left us. The newlyweds. The only couple from the last year or so who indicated they were interested in becoming a presenting team and have kept in contact. Since the wife and I had spoken at length about feeling called to this ministry and helping in this way specifically, we agreed to begin workshopping talks to present in 6 months. Ahhhhhh! The Lord really likes to keep us busy.
We are very excited for this opportunity to serve and witness to God's awesome gift of love in and through the sacrament of marriage. But boy do I feel unworthy. For one, a lot of the couples who attend these weekends are older than we are. Also, we've only been married about six months. Will we even have enough to talk about? But as we have begun work on our first talk, I am assured that The Lord truly is calling us to this and desires to work through us to show His desires and His love to others. And we are both very convicted that marriage is a supremely important sacrament and that there is a lack of understanding of it both within and outside of the Church. If we can help to reach even one person and help that person to better understand God's desire for their marriage, then it will be worth it. I'm also certain it will greatly enrich our marriage as well.
In the midst of all that, life is great! The Lord has abundantly blessed our growing family and I can be nothing but grateful. If you hear me gripe or complain about anything in the next few months, just tell me to come reread this post. I am thankful to have this peace filled and joyful time to fill me for the trials which I am sure will come. Please keep myself and my family in your prayers as we continue on this adventure and know that I am praying for you.
Lord, thank you for your abundant blessings. You are so generous and loving. Thank you for the gift of live, our new home, and the opportunity to serve you. May I never forget that these and all the good things in life are gifts from You. Please continue to bless our family, our home, and Catholic Engaged Encounter. May we be witnesses to Your love and mercy, always keeping you at the center of our lives. When people see us, may they see You.
Amen
