Our Love Story: Part I - My Life Before Reid

As I sit down to write out my personal love story, in its entirety, I am immediately taken aback by the amount of joy my heart feels. I am joyful because of Reid and for the person he is, I am joyful because of who we are together- a couple that is young and madly in love with one another, as well as our Savior, but mostly, I am joyful because of God's Hand in it all.  He has provided for me, so sweetly, throughout my twenty-one years. So it came as no surprise when He decided to provide me with such a strong, compassionate, humble, hard-working, kind, handsome, caring, intelligent, hilarious, Jesus-loving, tender-hearted man.

Before I begin telling the Story of Us, I want to go way back… back to me as an individual, single girl… because I know that my journey to becoming Mrs. Simpson started many many years before Reid was actually a part of my life. God started preparing my heart to become the wife of Reid Jeffrey Simpson when I was very young. I just didn't know it yet.

I think it all began when I was a little girl, watching my parents and paternal grandparents, both in loving, committed, faithful, and lasting marriages. My dad's parents, 'Nana and Papa' as they were affectionately called by all eight of their grandchildren, were married at twenty years old. They shared an incredible, unexplainable kind of love that I was blessed to witness throughout my childhood and adolescence. For 58 years they were inseparable, best friends, and so deeply in love. It wasn't until Nana's passing in November of 2006, that I had ever really seen them apart. I don't think it was a coincidence that Papa joined her in Heaven not even eight months after her death. They belonged side-by-side… it was clear to all who were fortunate enough to know them.

My wonderful parents, Jason and Penny, have also set an amazing example of all that a selfless, God-honoring marriage should be. Their love for one another is so evident in even the most mundane, day-to-day tasks. When asked for their advice in creating a marriage full of happiness and longevity, their response was simple: "Always put your spouse before yourself, and never make demands of the other person." They were also married at just twenty years old, and will be celebrating their 38 Year Anniversary on October 30th, 2014.

The presence of such healthy and genuinely joyous marriages in my life, began shaping my hopes, expectations, and standards for my future marriage, at a very young age. Every single day, I have seen that my parents not only love each other, but they also  really like  each other. They find happiness in spending time together and enjoy making memories as a couple- something that I feel has become a rarity over the years for many people, resulting in the comfort of being away from one's spouse for prolonged periods of time, ultimately ending in divorce. Divorce. That terrible "d" word. A thing now common to so many, is something I have been blessed enough never to fear, when it came to the relationships between my parents and grandparents. All along, God has been preparing me to want and to strive for that very same stability and consistency in my future marriage.

Now, to keep it very real, throughout my life I have also been surrounded by many separations and divorces. I am not naive to the fact that they can and do happen. A lot. I have felt the sting of witnessing dwindling love, and have seen both very harmful and very amicable separations. In no way have I ever been sheltered from the potential of divorce, and the wreckage it can leave in its wake. I have just been very blessed that most of the marriages I got to see on a frequent and very personal basis, were not only intact, but thriving.

When I was 13 years old and in the 8th grade, I really began thinking about the important, non-negotiable characteristics of my future husband- number one being his faith. I remember talking with my mom about how clear it was to both her and my dad that they were meant to be, right from the very start of their relationship. She told me that when she entered high school, she began praying that God would someday bring her the one,  in His perfect timing. Sure enough, he answered her prayers by bringing my dad into her life just a couple years later. From seventeen on, they were inseparable. When I started high school, I decided to do the same. I began praying every night that God would bring the future love of my life, into my life, completely on His time and agenda. I casually dated a couple people before Reid came along, none of which I was supposed to be with forever. From the moment God opened my eyes and my heart to a future with Reid, everything was completely different than it had ever been with anyone else. The night we first met, my life was beautifully changed… although I didn't get to actually see that until a bit later.

Stay tuned for Part II of Our Love Story: The Night We First Met.

Paul and MaryAnn Moore - my beloved

Nana & Papa

My beautiful cousin, Lindsay, posted this picture on Facebook last night in honor of what would have been Nana's 86th Birthday.

My incredible parents,

Jason and Penny Moore

New Beginnings.

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After an incredibly long, unexpected hiatus from blogging,  I am back,  and ready to relaunch this exciting adventure. My last post was way back in August of 2012 (oops), and so much life has happened since then, so I'm ready for a new beginning. It is going to take me multiple pages to bring you up-to-date, so I'll take it piece by piece, incorporating new, joyful experiences in my life all the while. Many major milestones have occurred over the past year and nine months that I will begin by highlighting in a huge way.

First of all, Reid and I got  engaged!!! I get to  marry the love of my life! He popped the question in an amazingly romantic way on Tuesday, September 10th, 2013. Even though we have known marriage was in our future from our very first (incredibly beautiful) date, I was totally taken by surprise and rendered speechless, when he got down on bended knee and asked me to be his wife. I will share every last detail of our engagement story in a future post, along with some of our stunning engagement photos taken by the brilliantly talented Trevor Dayley Photography. (They truly deserve an entire post of their own). Reid and I will be tying the knot in front of our closest friends and family on Thursday, November 20th, 2014. It will be our Five Year Anniversary of dating, on the day we commit the rest of our lives to one another. We couldn't possibly be more excited! All of the glory goes to God.

There are oodles of other updates to share: Reid becoming an Ironman, his University Graduation, and my University Graduation, are just to name a few. For now, I am going to leave you with a teaser of engagement photos that are so dear to me and my love. We hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

Check back soon for all sorts of other lovey dovey photos of me and my soon-to-be hubby!

Rest.

I have always been the type of girl to stop and smell the roses.

Don't get me wrong, I am also the highly ambitious, go-getter type.  But I do have a tendency to stop and breathe in my surroundings once in a while.  Sadly, I feel that our world is becoming so overly focused on being fast and effective all the time.  If you snooze, you lose.  If you take time to relax, you're lazy.  Time is money.  Everything is so hurry  hurry hurry!!!

Although there is definitely a time and a place for being completely time efficient, such as during the work day, I don't feel that being "fast" at other aspects of everyday life is necessarily a gift or a skill.  In fact, I'm quite convinced of the opposite.  It takes more obedience and discipline to rest in God's presence on a frequent basis than it does to spend extra time working around the house, completing tedious chores.  I think back to the story of Mary and Martha.  All our Lord wanted was for them both to have special time with Him. 

My  Jesus Calling  passage (by Sarah Young), from a couple days ago provided the  perfect  encouragement in this area for me.

the passage :

Sit quietly in My Presence while I bless you.  Make your mind like a still pool of water, ready to receive whatever thoughts I drop into it.  Rest in My sufficiency, as you consider the challenges this day presents.  Do not wear yourself out by worrying about whether you can cope with the pressures.  Keep looking to Me and communicating with Me, as we walk through this day together.

Take time to rest by the wayside, for I am not in a hurry.  A leisurely pace accomplishes more than hurried striving.  When you rush, you forget who you are and Whose you are.  Remember that you are royalty in My kingdom.

the verses :

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;  do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." - Psalm 37:7

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." - Romans 8:16-17

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." 

- 1 Peter 2:9

Recently, I have been so focused on trying to accomplish things as rapidly as possible that I have forgotten the importance of taking time to enjoy the beauty of God's creation.  I haven't allowed nearly enough time for devotionals, Bible studies, and giving the Lord glory for all of His blessings in my life.  When my work is completed for the day, I intend to go back to just being and resting in my God.

The images below represent my idea of resting quietly in His presence:

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What are your thoughts, friends? Happy Monday to you!!

A Lesson on Trust.

Over the past few weeks, I have been reading and reflecting on my Bible and devotionals as often as possible.  It's a passion that I'm making a habit of, in hopes that daily meditations on God's Word will soon become second nature to me.  I am fully committed to placing more emphasis on the importance of scripture in my everyday life, so I will be posting my thoughts and studies here on a fairly frequent basis, in order to discuss and share what I'm learning with you!

That being said, I recently read a passage on trusting our Lord, that immediately brought me an overwhelming sense of peace.  It is a short, yet powerful message from my favorite devotional, Jesus Calling, written by Sarah Young.  (A book that can be bought as a hard copy or an app that I highly recommend!)  Spending time with God fills my heart with so much joy.  Leading a life of purpose and discernment is a constant goal of mine, and the closer I draw to my Savior, the smoother He paves my path.

the passage :

"Do not worry about tomorrow! "  This is not a suggestion, but a command.  I divided time into days and nights, so that you would have manageable portions of life to handle.  My grace is sufficient for you, but its sufficiency is for only one day at a time.  When you worry about the future, you heap day upon day of troubles onto your flimsy frame.  You stagger under this heavy load, which I never intended you to carry.

Throw off this oppressive burden with one quick thrust of trust.  Anxious thoughts meander about and crisscross in your brain, but trusting Me brings you directly into My Presence.  As you thus affirm your faith, shackles of worry fall off instantly.  Enjoy My Presence continually by trusting Me at all times. 

the verses :

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

"Trust in Him at all times, you people;  pour out your heart before Him;  God is a refuge for us."

- Psalm 62:28

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Please reflect along with me. I would love to hear your thoughts!