After 2 months...

Has it been this long?? Wow! We have officially been married 2 months :) We have cooked, napped, hiked, watched movies, walked to the grocery store, hung out at the laundry mat, prayed, danced, enjoyed Monrovia's street fair, bought our very own christmas tree... what a joy it is to build a life together with Erik.

I have been thinking about how to sum up the past 2 months... what sticks out in my mind the most? Then I read this for the first time since the wedding,

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

This is the verse Trav read at our wedding, our prayer for our marriage. We are literally watching these words come to life!! God's plan is ALWAYS sooo much better than ours. Together we continue to understand how deep HIS love is for us, and for you. Together we do more than we could ever imagine because He is at work within us. May He receive the glory.

What if...

I woke up each morning with the single goal of trusting God. What if I trusted that He knows what is best. What if I trusted that His work is all around me even if I am too busy/careless to see it. What if I made His will a reality by choosing to trust and follow Him, without doubt, without fear, without pride, without self-pity, without so much about me and everything about HIM.

Here's what I remember....

So, its been almost a year that Erik and I have been engaged. What a crazy, wonderful, whirlwind of a year it has been!! I can't really recall all that has occurred in the past year, but there are these moments.. Moments that I could never forget. I wanted to share a few as many of you have been a very special part of the past year.

Erik is the one. I have these moments of calm with him, my mind becomes still and my heart at peace. Minutes after he proposed as we drove in the car we shared one of these peaceful, quiet moments. Nothing else mattered, Erik is the one.

Seeing the look of relief, joy on my Dad's face. He now could pass along the duty of providing for me and protecting me. My dad's love for me is deep, I can tell by the way he looks at me. My dad's respect for Erik is immense, I can tell by the way he looks at him.

Hearing my brother say "I have a brother now!!"

The warm embraces from Erik's family. I have felt a part of their family for awhile, this made it official!!

The many talks, plans, daydream sessions with my mom, the laughter the joy, the giggling and screaming (out of excitement). From the serious talks about how to be a godly wife to the deep conversations of hair and makeup :)

Asking my girls if they would be in our bridal party. I made sure to ask each one individually, in person. With each one comes a different story.. most with tears and hugs and one with intense laughter.

With so many friends and family members investing so much love, time, and care into our big day, and even more than that so many have invested in Erik and I as a couple. I remember in detail all the time spent with loved ones preparing for the big day. I will not list them all here but I have felt so treasured and loved throughout the past year, what an incredible blessing!!

Its so easy to get caught up in the small details, to worry or stress. I am not going to remember every detail. I will forever remember time spent with the ones I love. Moments in time where nothing else matters, Erik is the one.

Opportunity

In one month I will start my first internship. I have one prayer, that others may see God through me. I pray for my future patients, it is my joy and honor to serve them.

2 Peter 4: 10-11

Each one of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Engagement Pictures--ALL of them :)

Hey Hey

How are you? Bored? Well, Do I have the answer for you!! Browse through our engagement pictures :) We got them awhile ago, but figured no one wanted to see this much of us...but just in case..Here they are :)

Full gallery of images: http://modphotography.com/kellyerik/

Gallery: Erik and Kelly Engagement
Password: October9 (case sensitive)

We LOVE the way they turned out!! Can't thank our photographers Craig and Beka enough!! YOU GUYS ROCK! Check out their website. http://www.modphotography.com/

With Love,

Kel

Are you living a good story??

Hi peeps!!

Currently at church, http://www.ethoscovina.org/, we are discussing story. God's story and our story. I was asked to share my story. It goes like this...

When I am weak, then I am strong. When I tried life my way, depending on my plan, trusting in my own strength. My life was completely hopeless. I was painfully alone and ultimately defeated. In this time of despair, God asked, “Will you trust in me?” “Will you forsake your old life and follow me?” My answer was yes. In my weakness, God’s strength is made perfect. When I surrendered and admitted that I need Him I was no longer alone. I have a newfound hope, not in myself, but in God. In His grace, I have discovered a life full of joy. A life that I am excited for. A life with purpose. A life in community with His people. I have Him to thank for this life. I continue to face challenges, trials, and temptation. However, circumstances no longer define me. I depend on Christ, I depend on His strength. I am defined by Him now. He will forever sustain me. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

No Favorites...

So, I am posting a lot.. Have you noticed?! In times of anxiousness and unrest I continue to seek truth, as I find some of my favorites I just can't help but share them with you :)

Today God is revealing to me that He does not play favorites, He loves unconditionally, He gives all of Himself, if we seek Him... this is the definition of who He is, the great I AM.

I have probably shared this with most of you, it is written on my heart. Hopefully this prayer blesses you the way it has me for many years...

Saint Theresa’s Prayer

May today there be peace within

May you trust God that you are exactly where you need to be

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born in faith

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you

May you be confident knowing you are a child of God

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love…

It is there for each and every one of us!

--Amen

Luke 23: 39-47

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

The centurion [the Roman soldier "in charge" of the execution], seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."

For you, for me

"He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less."
— C.S. Lewis

ASK!!!

God hears our prayers, He responds to them and He is deeply invested in the desire of our hearts.

When I truly grasp this, when I live from the reality of His promise and devotion to me it changes everything. I no longer feel alone.

Luke 11:9-11

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Sprit to those who ask him!”

Engagement Pictures!!

Hi

Sunday Erik and I had a blast taking our engagement photos in Long Beach! We happen to have found the BEST photographers EVER! So if you need any pictures of anything at all contact Craig and Beka from Mod Photography, http://www.modphotography.com/. They are sure to WOW you, as they did us!!

They put a preview of our shoot on their blog, you should go check it out :)

http://modphotography.com/blog/?p=553

Hope all is well

With Love

Kel

Universal Studios!!

A BIG thank you to David!! We had such an awesome day :)

Hi SHREK!

Caveman LOVE

Seeing David was sooo Fun, He is incredibly talented

WOW!

We are so tough

Thankfulness

I am so thankful to have completed another quarter, made it through a very rough finals week. God was my strength, without Him I would not have made it. I also have many others to thank. To all of you who were giving of your prayers and support during this time, words can not express how grateful I am for each kind word, each loving thought, each hug, each prayer... more profound than you will know.

As I faced fear, doubt, and stress I turned to the truth... one of my current favorites

2 Corinthians 12: 8-10
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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 weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for
Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

RANDOMNESS?

Hi Loved Ones

How are you? I have not Kicked with you in a while, and oh Man! Do I miss you more than ever :) So, where do I start?? Life has been good, challenging but good. So, you may or may not know I am in graduate school, hahha totally kidding! If you are reading this you are well aware I am in school, and you have probably heard me talk about school A LOT :) So lately I have been thinkin (Dangerous I KNOW!) I have been focusing on purpose, on God's purpose. What is God's purpose for me through school. I believe He wants me to earn my degree and use my career as a physical therapist to glorify Him. But what if it is more than that? In the midst of school, tests, stress, tears, success, sleepless nights, failure, practicals, exams, homework assignments, books, coffee, and lectures... Will I cling to Him? Will I let Him sustain me? Will I trust that He is deeply invested in EVERY part of the process? Will I choose Him? Or will I miss the point entirely, convincing myself that life is about getting my list checked off?

Another thing on my mind as of late...Marriage! I have been thinking about this... Stated by Rob Bell

" I have some friends who have been married over thirty years. I was in a meeting with them last week, and I noticed that when the meeting was over and everybody was leaving the room, they were still seated, deep in conversation about something. He was smiling. She was leaning close to him as she spoke. It reminded me of a conversation I'd had with him recently in which he was telling me about a vacation they'd just taken and how the highlight was the conversation he had with his wife. It struck me as I walked out of the room: they are still getting to know each other. Still talking, still telling stories, still exploring just who this person is. They understand that people are highly complex beings and that the soul is infinitely deep. If you mingle your soul with another soul, and there is no end to the depth of both of your souls, this could take a while."

NOW! THAT is what I am talkin ABOUT!!

Kind of related kind of not...

Tonight I was talking on the phone with Erik and somehow we got to telling our stories of how we got our drivers licenses, we really went into detail, what DMV we went to and why, what car we used, the events leading up to that day, Erik knew the exact amount of points that were deducted from his score and why (of coarse) and I just remember it being a straight miracle I got my license that day :) Now, maybe not quite the depths of our souls, but important. Important to remember to invest time in getting to know each other...There is no end..

As far as updating news, not much has changed! Erik is still the most wonderful man in the world (Is this considered bragging?) He is doing some awesome stuff lately with digital painting...Check out his blog!! He is working his butt off, getting closer each day to his dream job! I am approaching finals week. We would love prayer for endurance :)

If you made it to the end of this, I thank you. That is true love, cuz this was a looong one!!

Two Things....

1. I am alive and doing well :)

2. I have been wanting to share this drawing that Erik gave me for Halloween. So yes, it is way after the fact.. but it is sooo cute I just had to share!

Get it?! They are dressed like Captain Hook and Peter Pan?!

Erik spoils me with drawings.. my room is a freakin art gallery, its so AWESOME!

I hope 2010 is off to a wonderful start for all!! Very soon I will post an update on life and stuff!