Our Wedding Shower

We had our wedding shower this past Saturday and it was a BLAST!

We had our very own taco man!! OMYGOSHHH Jose does not like mexican food, but he graciously served my preference! I think he was a hit!!! food was bomb bomb diggity!

We played games and enjoyed one another's company. We laughed at the silliness and new memories.

To be frank, its hard to be host! Im an extrovert on a one-on-one setting, and an introvert in a large group setting. I get overwhelmed by so much love and doing my due diligence to make time for everyone. It is amazing that people would come together to celebrate us, and we are hoping that by people coming to celebrate us- they would clearly see us soon pointing to Jesus's love for His people.

We received an abundant amount of wrapped gifts and cards-all undeserved! But the gifts we really cherish are our friendships, relationships, and Jesus Christ.

Many Many many thanks to our sweet friends- Talladas, Ruby, Tibayans 1 & 4, Kat, Jessica, Hannah & Taco man for selflessly helping to put this together for us! No words could express my gratitude!

Pre-Marital Counseling - Sessions 2&3

Jose is finally on summer vacation which means I get my laptop back to blog a little more!

Weve had two marriage counseling sessions since I last blogged and its been AWESOME. Jose and I have also fought since that time so its been great to put things were learning into gospel centered reconciliation! Here are a couple of sweet truths I have been learning from reading this book and from PJ and Frances. Pray for us to grow in these areas!

Marriage is an illustration of the relationship of Christ to His people.
God invented marriage to show us how he loves us!"(pg 12)"A husband and wife are covenanted to one another. A lot of my encouragement came from (pg 14). A covenant is a contract with love. The covenant protects love. Lean on the covenant. It gives marriage its framework, context, and protection. It is an echo of God's faithfulness to us. There is a binding promise and loving relationship. We are called to not keep "feeling in love"but to keep "being in love." This was really really comforting for me! When I am unlovable, impossible, stubborn, and bratty- my husband is called to still love me through our covenant.

The purpose of marriage is companionship and partnership in mission
(pg 19) says our greatest need is to love God and to love others. Our task in (pg 20) is to reflect God's glory in the world as His image. There is a partnership of service where Christ is the focus. Knowing this I can grow in knowing how to serve God together at our local church, in our new home, and elsewhere! I also have opportunities to support Jose's service of God whether he is in school, at his job, church, bearing his burdens, praying for him and engaging him in conversation to encourage him.

Find your identity and joy in God rather than in marriage.
Knowing that there will be good and bad times, I have to remember that tough times will bind Jose and me closer together. But our marriage is a display of what is to come. It points to the the marriage of Jesus to His bride in the new Heavens and new earth. What a beautiful illustration. What a love. (pg 100) really hits home in many areas. I am reminded on that I will need to keep working at our marriage, protect it and stick with it! But by all means, it is not ultimate- neither is our spouse or the intimacy. God truly completes, satisfies, and completes us. We were made to know God and enjoy him. To put such high expectations on a person is unrealistic and unfair. Once there is contentment and identity in God, then I will be able to freely enjoy my spouse. :) Please please please friends and family, constantly remind me of this!

Marriage demonstrates that it is good to live under God's reign
We have been deceived by Satn that God's rule is oppressive and manipulative, but REALLY it is a rule of blessing, freedom, love, life, justie and peace. I pray that others will see our marriage and see IT IS GOOD TO LIVE UNDER GOD'S RULE AND REIGN!!!! Reading (pg 25) was a boom moment in my head. His rule was demonstrated oh so perfectly when His Son Jesus died on the cross in my place to bring me freedom from my slavery to sin, self and death! The most perfect example of submission and authority is looking at the Trinity. Jose and I must always remember the Trinity, It must come out of love and sacrifice rather than tyrannical, passive, rejection, and self willed. In practice on (pg 26) he writes "the wife puts her husband's will before her own and the husband puts his wife's interests before his own." Jose will try his best to seek my interests before his own, but I will follow his will and decisions! Please pray for me that I am able to submit to Jose like I ought to Jesus with joy and freedom and not with whining, complaining, nagging, or begrudgingly.

Wives put their husband's will before their own, like the church submits to Christ
Submission does not mean silence nor slavery. It is having a gentle and quiet spirit with a respectful and pure conduct. I enjoyed reading the reminders of what submission was NOT. It is NOT agreeing with everything my husband says, or trying to change him, getting my spiritual strength from him, or acting out of fear. No no no, submission is (pg 32) reinforced with gospel conviction, challenging one another, and speaking truth in love for the sake of Christ and His glory AND for the sake of our spouses and their holiness. He is definitely imperfect and will make mistakes but I am to submit with joy! My allegiance is to Jesus always!!! Pray for me to grow in godly and biblical submission.

As Christ loves the church, husbands put their wife's interests before their own
I LOVED THIS. This spoke right into what I desire in a husband! (pg 37-38) specifically just got me. Having a proactive plan would bless me. Take time to study your wife, to understand her interests. Actively pursue the things that will help your wife blossom and grow. Put her holiness before her happiness. Help her become more like Jesus. To become holy and blameless. Work to become sacrificial, serving, and selfless. Take responsibility to resolve conflict, make decisions in a godly manner, disciple and teach the children. MAN, seriously all beautiful good things. I must PRAY PRAY PRAY this for my husband.

Pre-Marital Counseling- Session 1

Jose and I had our first marriage counseling sesh yesterday! Our pastor PJ and his wife- a great sister to me- Frances will be counseling us through 6 sessions. They both are truly a gift from the Lord. We are VERY thankful for these two and we hope and pray our relationship with them will last throughout our marriage! PJ has been my pastor for around 2 years and has been Jose's pastor a little longer than that. We have built a community of trust, transparency, love, and most of all GRACE with one another so we are absolutely comfortable and willing to share :D

This first conversation was an introduction- a little background for each of us. We covered a multitude of things. The ones that stuck out to me included...

1. Family history, relationship with our moms and dads and also with each other's parents. Expectations of one another because of our parents. 

2. Strenths and weakness of our relationship- we were edified when we heard the strengths and laughed when we heard the weaknesses. We dont laugh so much when we fight but we want to grow!!! We love practicing gospel centered reconciliation.

3. Sexual relationships- this one is hard. This included pornography, sex before marriage, etc...

4. Finances. This one can be tricky and were taking the time to see our hearts that we do not hold on too tightly to the ""American dream"" or both of us working to be comfortable. We want Jose to be able to provide. I, although willing to work, want to be a stay at home mama! 

5. Defining love. Putting the other's preferences above your own IN CHRIST! 

 I knew we would tackle more into these topics in our meetings to come. A really encouraging part of the night was picking out possible scriptures that would be preached at our ceremony. We are so excited for our family and friends to hear the gospel. We are more excited about this than anything else at the wedding! What was really humbling was being reminded that this wedding isnt about being unique or better, or about it being "our day" or "all about jose and myself". It really is about Jesus and also about us becoming one and us joining many many others who are married. It is about celebrating what is common. This good gift of marriage is a wonderful gift from God and we ought to rejoice that we like many others are in a convenant. If Lord willing we get there, we ought to help one another press on in the marriage through joys and trials.