Monday, November 30, 2009

Let the wedding (verb) begin!

Marriage is AMAZING! It is the primary relationship God has used in the lives of gagillions of people over time to reveal more about Him and make us more like Him. I used to not like marriage, but now that I've spent years looking at it through God's eyes, I LOVE marriage, and am thrilled/grateful/humbled beyond words to be journeying toward one.

The man who's made me The Luckiest is Brant Benninga. Brant and I met on Match.Com in July and knew from our second date that we wanted to marry one another. Of course, as 30 and 34 year olds, we knew doing so hastily was unwise and would be met with understandable opposition from our very sagacious family and close friends. So we've spent five months getting to know each other, letting our families and friends get to know us, and getting to know SO MUCH about how the Lord seems to want to bless us and use us.

And now we're engaged to be married. YAY MARRIAGE! But you know what that means...a W-E-D-D-I-N-G.

One way Brant and I knew we were right for each other was the fact that God has somehow managed to place us in each other's lives at a time when our hearts were in the EXACT same place about money, spending, saving, debt and the value of "stuff." We both hate debt (and not just cuz the Bible says so, though it helps) and love saving, and have a healthy aversion to spending on anything that's not practical, useful, has no long-term use, or has no tangible value attached. And we agree that we WILL spend on those things that DO fall into those categories.

We're very blessed to believe these same ways.

So when wedding subjects have come up, we just look at each other in amazement at how on-the-same-page we are about where to spend, where to save, and what to skip altogether because it's just not "us."

This blog will chronicle those decisions and will hopefully inspire others to see that two people CAN have a wedding (and all the stuff that surrounds the wedding) that honors God, honors the sanctity of the MARRIAGE above the "sanctity" of spending on a wedding, and that reflects values that are "other than" what the world tells us we're supposed to value.

We hope you enjoy our ideas and adventures!

2 comments:

  1. Yes! The first follower and the first comment. I can go home now. yay! I'm excited to tune into this process in this way as i'm also bummed that I'm going to miss the first-hand experience of seeing my bestest friend prepare for her wedding since I'm in another state. So thank you so much for utilizing modern technology to keep all of us that know and love you completely in the loop. We appreciate you both!

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  2. Wow Jenni!!! I am so excited about this blog (not as excited I am about your M A R R I A G E ! ! !) Looking forward to seeing what God does with your story and I'll do all I can to spread it if you don't mind.

    Y E A for Match.com!!!! ;) ;)

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