Thank you, thank you for your congratulations…yes, that’s correct. Tyler & I met one year ago….And we’ve been married for a month.

That’s sweet, isn’t it? We met on August 29, 2006, and got married 11 months later.

Tyler and I were talking about it a few nights ago, and as he said, we wouldn’t really recommend what we did. Not to say that we dislike it, but actually the opposite. However, we felt moved and directed by God clearly, that He was moving us quickly to marriage. There were plenty of bumps and bruises along the way, and it was INTENSE for a while there…but, God continued to affirm our direction repeatedly. There were times we questioned it for sure, times I got almost too scared to go forward, times we got really upset at each other, times our community really questioned us, but God continued to work all things to His glory. And we LOVE being married.

But, again, we might not recommend it unless you continue to believe that God is pushing you, past emotion, past idealism, past romanticism, and toward a true and realistic love for this person that God continues to affirm. Tyler was not a romanticized reality in my life, but quite the opposite, and that’s one of the ways I felt that God was leading me toward him.

I remember even praying something like, “Umm…God, are you sure? I don’t really know about this. Tyler isn’t exactly the world traveler I always thought you wanted for me. I’m not sure about this and I’m really scared…” (Isn’t it funny the plans we make and how God gives us something different, and yet amazingly better!)

Anyway, I could go on and on, but I won’t. I hope that every man & woman’s story of how God leads them is just as precious to them and full of joy and peace and beauty and redemption.

Finally, I wanted to share some song lyrics that my good friend Anthony showed me. The artist is As Cities Burn, and their album is entitled, “Son, I loved you at your darkest.”

Let the dead bury their own dead

Will you still love me in famine, as when love began at the harvest? Or would you gain the whole world? Son, I love you at your darkest. But what good is the whole world when I promise no tomorrow? I only promise your tomorrow will never take you past my palm.

Love, what is love without trust? At my word, would you bring your Isaac?

Son, I loved you at your darkest.

How true that God loves us at our darkest.

“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:4-6

There are so many great things going on in life right now, I feel so loved by the Lord. Saturday night Tyler & I were hanging out at home (he had the flu) and I was working through some of the Sonship materials that our community goes through, and suddenly I was hit by this slap in the face from God.

I don’t love people.

I thought I did, but when you get down to it, I have no idea how to love people as Jesus loves us. No. Clue.

There is my confession for the week. I realized that I care about people, but I think I can honestly say that I love myself far and above anyone in the world.

This is why I need Jesus. Woo, do I. I am a sinner through and through and do believe that my heart is desperately sick and beyond cure, as the Bible speaks of in Jeremiah. This verse is quite eye-opening. I’d encourage you to spend some time thinking through this verse. Even our own hearts are deceitful, encouraging us to minimize our sin and self-manage instead of turning to Jesus in desperate hope for redemption in every way. And even though this sounds depressing and hopeless, it is the opposite! As my friend Brenda Whealy just emailed out this morning:

Let’s continue to help each other see the depth, ugliness, extent of our sin (our ruling idolatries) alongside the beauty, power, superiority, and glory of Christ! Remember that looking at idolatry without looking at the promises of the gospel produces hopelessness. But also, looking at the gospel without recognizing how easily we can become enslaved to sin/idols leads to pride and robs us of an awareness of our continuing need for the rescuing and restoring love of Christ!

Anyway, more on that later.

We saw Andrew Peterson in concert last night, along with my brother Jess & sis-in-law Jill. It was truly a moving and special night. I wish I could encapsulate it for you, but can only hope that you know what I mean when I say that it was truly beautiful. His song, “For the Love of God” pretty much made me realize that I was in love with Tyler :), and when I gave him the song to listen to…well, it was instrumental in our life and a lovely story that is precious to us. We had a chance to speak to Andrew and share this with him last night, and that we danced to it at our wedding. He is a gifted and humble man.

Another exciting piece of news is that our wedding pictures are online!!! Nathan & Barb Moseley are precious friends of ours, and they did an amazing job. Click here to see them! You may order them online or contact me with questions.

As you can see I am getting so much done at work these days…

(If you’re reading this Christian, I’m kidding!!!)

Here are some more great pictures that my cousin Denny took and put up on his website. Thanks, Denny!

I am slowly working to get my rehearsal, wedding day & honeymoon pics up.

(Clicking on some of the pictures below will give you a larger image)

Jenny giving the best speech I’ve EVER heard at our rehearsal. It was pretty embarassing one moment, and then hilarious the next. Wonderful!!

Tyler & I cutting the cake as our wedding party looks on. Look closely and you can see my husband trying to kill the cake, which is already non-living. I have to remind him of these things sometimes.

Please don’t.

Father-daughter dance. I really like this angle of the picture, Denny. Nice one!

Throwing the bouquet (I cheated a bit)

These make me happy.

I have some free time again, its an amazing feeling.

I have some great pix from the honeymoon that I hope to get up soon, but in the meantime, here are some pictures my brother Jess took to hold you over.

Three of my beautiful bridesmaids, Lea, Kate & Jenny!

Another beautiful bridesmaid, my sister-in-law Jill!

Cutting the cake! I couldn’t shove it in a face that cute, but I’m not opposed to kissing it off.

Dancing with my dad at the reception.

I just changed all my names to Jodi Cooper in my email and whatever else, including this site.

Today I get married!!

And why am I doing this at 2 in the morning? Because I can’t sleep because I am so excited!!!!!!!!!