Saturday, August 15, 2009
Celebrating with Mr. & Mrs. Perry!
We were touched that my good friend Alicia and her new husband Joel invited us to come witness their intimate wedding in Norwood, Colorado on Friday, July 3.
God strategically placed Alicia in my life in Spring 1999, when we met at K-State and participated in K-State's Community Service Program. We were both assigned to a 4-student Community Service team that worked in Halstead, KS, that summer. Alicia first knew me when I was an overly-OCD-type architecture student, and somehow put up with me a whole summer!
Alicia's happy, encouraging attitude was one of the motivators for the most important decision I've made in life, which happened that fall. I asked Jesus to "take the wheel" in my life and realized (among other things) that nurturing relationships with my friends and family were more important than architecture projects! Her sincere heart for a friendship with me and ability to challenge me when I'm wrong spoke volumes to me that summer before. She never preached to me or made me feel silly when I acted silly. She was just a friend who was always there, who happened to already know Jesus. Actually, God planned it that way. God knew He would use her in His plan for my life. Neither of us knew of His plan then, but not even eternity will separate our friendship now!
Alicia and I remained friends through the end of college and through me starting a family and marriage with Travis, while she worked for the K-State recruiting team for a while and then spent several years in traveling ministry. Travis and my kids enjoy Alicia's humor, heart and sincerity just as much as I do, as she always made the effort to visit us when she was back in Kansas for visits when we lived there, too. She has been a part of all of our lives since college! Alicia is one of the few friends I have that I can always identify with, look to for advice, share a laugh, or share a cry...and now she has an awesome husband we will get to know, too!
Joel and Alicia met through mutual friends, and it didn't take them long to know God predestined the two of them for marriage. They had the wedding in Norwood, because that's where Joel grew up with his family. He's an architect in the Kansas City area, where they now live, and he is just as kind and sincere at heart as Alicia. They are totally in love with each other, and just witnessing their vows was such a blessing. God has some major plans for their lives!
I am not going to attempt to describe the beauty of Joel and Alicia's wedding in words. My pictures don't even begin to do that beauty justice, either. There was not a dry eye among Joel and Alicia's friends and family during the touching wedding, but there wasn't a smile missing from any one's face during the fun-filled reception!
We are looking forward to many years-an eternity really-getting to know Joel even more and enjoying he and Alicia's friendship. We love you guys!
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1 comment:
Oh my goodness, I just got on your blog and the video and story is beautiful! Thank you. I love you too! And although we spent the summer together in 1999, I did meet you our first day in 1997 at K-State on our rush floor. I'll never forget the room of "J and G" :) Love you and thank you for your love and encouragement over the years. I miss just getting to travel and visit your family in western Kansas. I'm so ready for you to move to Hutch. I'll have to bring Joel to the State Fair next year!!! :)
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