Here we are at Dad's on Christmas.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Hometown Wedding Reception
The reception in Browns Valley on December 23 was a lot of fun. Nigel was very surprised to see this sign as we rolled into town the day before. It was still up when we left on the 26th (it's not like there was anything else going on in town). It was great to be able to celebrate with so many more family and friends.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Honeymoon pic 2
The last day of our honeymoon, at Poipu beach. We found another couple, also on their honeymoon, and took turns taking pictures of each other.
Honeymoon pic 1
This is a picture on the tour of the Smith Family Tropical Paradise on Kauai, the luau we went to on our honeymoon. It was SOOOO fun!!
Friday, October 27, 2006
A better pic of the cake
This is a great shot of the cake, as well as the awesome bridesmaids' bouquets my talented friends made the day before the wedding. We spent a good chunk of the afternoon at Krista's house assembling flowers. My grandma actually did all the corsages and boutonnieres, and Deana, Amanda, Krista, Kerri, Jill, Misty, Claudia, and others put together the rest. I have to say, they did a fabulously beautiful job. And we saved a TON of money! All the flowers came from Costco. They were beautiful.
Our first kiss ever
The photographer was in on my little plan to kiss Nigel in the vineyard (instead of our first kiss being at the altar). He was ready with the camera and got some pics of it. I will love this picture forever - it's so special to have a picture of our first kiss.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Married life...
I LOVE being married. It helps when you have an absolutely wonderful husband, but marriage really does suit me. It's been two and a half weeks, and we're working on setting the house and getting into a routine. Our schedules are really nice right now - I start work later than Nigel and get home before him, so that's nice because I love making him breakfast in the morning (I'm a morning person) and I can get a start on dinner before he gets home to help. Usually anyway.
I really love the fact that I don't have to drive home late at night anymore. And waking up next to him is so sweet. I also love sharing a home with him, knowing we probably won't be moving anytime soon. Imagine that: me, living in the same place for longer than a few months!
Anyway, more on all that later. I wanted to post the link to our professional photos from the wedding. It's: http://www.joelflory.com/nigelandjackie. As he gets the rest of them edited, he will be posting them (it will be around 2000 total). But for now there's a good sample out there. There are also many pics from friends who were at the wedding on our website: http://www.nigelandjackie.com .
I can't believe how fast the wedding went. I loved it, every minute of it, and it still feels like a dream!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
My Amazing Fiance (almost husband!)
Ok, so I need to say this for everyone to hear, because Nigel really is amazing. After a rough week last week for me with some wedding stress and fires to put out, Nigel has been so supportive. He cooks every night while I work away on the last-minute details, and has even helped assemble programs, clean hard wax out of all the votives I'm borrowing, and run errands. I love this man. I am so blessed. God's love really is that amazing, that He would bring me someone like Nigel.
Yeah, yeah, of course I'm biased, because I AM marrying him after all. This Sunday even (weird, in less than 6 days I will be Mrs. Nigel Clemonds!!!). But Nigel really is a gift from God to me. I love him. And Him.
I am so excited to get married! Check out our website in a couple weeks for posting of pics from the wedding. It's http://www.nigelandjackie.com.
Yeah, yeah, of course I'm biased, because I AM marrying him after all. This Sunday even (weird, in less than 6 days I will be Mrs. Nigel Clemonds!!!). But Nigel really is a gift from God to me. I love him. And Him.
I am so excited to get married! Check out our website in a couple weeks for posting of pics from the wedding. It's http://www.nigelandjackie.com.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Only 8 days to go!
I am so excited! Only 8 days until my wedding! I have to admit, the whole process has gone REALLY smoothly. Only yesterday did I start to really feel stress at all. And God has provided in BIG ways to help with this wedding, and surporised us around every corner, too. Here are a few:
1. We found someone to make the cake I designed myself for only $300! (Here's a pic I added from the wedding day) For those of you who know wedding cakes, you know that's a great deal. Especially in California. And Fatema, the woman making the cake, is from Pakistan! Nigel was super excited to find that out.
2. We found a great Christian couple to do our photography. And they have common friends with Nigel from a church they attend that Nigel used to. Check out his website at http://www.joelflory.com . It will be fun to work with them! And they were about half the price of some others that do the photojournalistic style in this area.
3. The site we are getting married at, Garre Winery. It is beautiful, in the country, and used to be a horse ranch so it has a rustic feel about it. Being from South Dakota, that's awesome. And Nigel and I fell in love with the place from the moment we saw it.
4. My hair appointment. My goodness, after the first two people fell through, I panicked last week. Then I called a cute little day spa in Danville called Chateau de Sable, decorated like a French chateau, and their prices were $30-40 below all the other salons. So I met with Chris, and she's doing my makeup, too, and giving me a deal!
5. Friends, and their able hands and eagerness to help. I've only lived here for a year and a half, but I have AMAZING friends. They have jumped in to help with everything from coordinating the ceremony, making programs and favors, gluing paper cones, and stamping a TON of stuff, to helping me design the reception and shop for and assemble all the flowers. And giving me a place to call "home" until the wedding.
6. Our rings. Nigel and I wanted to get our wedding bands at Simayof in San Francisco, where he bought my engagement ring. I of course was really hoping to get the matching diamond band for my ring, but knew it was out of the budget. The day we chose to go they happened to be having a big sale. Not only was his ring 30% off, mine was 50% off and put the diamond band under the budget Nigel had set for a plain one! So that was an easy choice!
I have a million more stories I could tell, and maybe I will at some point. For now, I am looking forward to becoming Mrs. Nigel Clemonds on October 8th, and then relaxing in Hawaii for a week. Yippee!
1. We found someone to make the cake I designed myself for only $300! (Here's a pic I added from the wedding day) For those of you who know wedding cakes, you know that's a great deal. Especially in California. And Fatema, the woman making the cake, is from Pakistan! Nigel was super excited to find that out.
2. We found a great Christian couple to do our photography. And they have common friends with Nigel from a church they attend that Nigel used to. Check out his website at http://www.joelflory.com . It will be fun to work with them! And they were about half the price of some others that do the photojournalistic style in this area.
3. The site we are getting married at, Garre Winery. It is beautiful, in the country, and used to be a horse ranch so it has a rustic feel about it. Being from South Dakota, that's awesome. And Nigel and I fell in love with the place from the moment we saw it.
4. My hair appointment. My goodness, after the first two people fell through, I panicked last week. Then I called a cute little day spa in Danville called Chateau de Sable, decorated like a French chateau, and their prices were $30-40 below all the other salons. So I met with Chris, and she's doing my makeup, too, and giving me a deal!
5. Friends, and their able hands and eagerness to help. I've only lived here for a year and a half, but I have AMAZING friends. They have jumped in to help with everything from coordinating the ceremony, making programs and favors, gluing paper cones, and stamping a TON of stuff, to helping me design the reception and shop for and assemble all the flowers. And giving me a place to call "home" until the wedding.
6. Our rings. Nigel and I wanted to get our wedding bands at Simayof in San Francisco, where he bought my engagement ring. I of course was really hoping to get the matching diamond band for my ring, but knew it was out of the budget. The day we chose to go they happened to be having a big sale. Not only was his ring 30% off, mine was 50% off and put the diamond band under the budget Nigel had set for a plain one! So that was an easy choice!
I have a million more stories I could tell, and maybe I will at some point. For now, I am looking forward to becoming Mrs. Nigel Clemonds on October 8th, and then relaxing in Hawaii for a week. Yippee!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Long Time No Blog
Well, it's been a VERY long time indeed. So, head on over to http://www.nigelandjackie.com to see what I've been up to. And while you're there, leave us a note in the guestbook!
Friday, April 21, 2006
God's Amazing Love, part 2
Back in September I wrote about God's amazing love. He had shown it to me tangibly many times at the National Youth Workers' convention in Sacramento. Well, He's been showing it to me lately in similar and even bigger ways.
Last night, I went to a Shane & Shane concert in San Jose with Nigel and about ten friends. It was an awesome time, as their performances/worship times always are. And at the very end of the night (get ready for the deja-vu) they started singing "How Great is Our God." And yup, right after it, they sang "It Is Well With My Soul." I thanked God for thinking of me in that way, once again, and reminding me of all He's done in my life (see God's Amazing Love, the original post in September).
But even bigger than that, God has brought me Nigel. He's already heard most of this from me, but I wanted to put it here for you all, my friends, to read as well. I ahve prayed for years for God to bring me a special man, one who I would spend my life with. One who would love me as I am, the good and bad, and care about/for me by living God's love. I had no idea God would bring me more than I asked for.
I'm a pretty simple woman, from a simple upbringing, with simple yet strong and unwavering faith and an "old-fashioned" kind of love to give. But I am also messy, stubborn, picky about certain things, and love a good intellectual debate (though debates aren't necessarily bad).
Nigel has been so constant since I met him. Even though I've had many fears, doubts, and lack of trust due to being hurt and deceived so many times in the past, he has always, from day one, said he will not give up on me and that he loves me, ALL of me, just as I am. He has shown me more grace and love in just over two months than anyone other than God ever has, and he just keeps on going. I keep thinking he's going to all of a sudden "wise up" and run, like men always have in my life. But he doesn't. He just loves me more.
I keep wondering how it is that God could love me enough to send me someone like Nigel. It doesn't make sense at all. I'm far from good, and made so many mistakes, how could I deserve this kind of blessing? Yet God assures me I do deserve it, and much more, because He loves me that much.
I know that we will face challenges, especially once we get married, and I know we will not always see eye to eye (and we don't, even know, all the time). Yet, with God as our focus and guide and the center of all we say and do, the rest of it will work out. I know it will.
My favorite tradition that we have started is going up San Damiano every Wednesday night after I'm done with Wildside to pray together and talk about our relationship. San Damiano is a Benedictine retreat center straight up the mountain from here. They allow people to come there to pray and have quiet time with God. There are no cars, no streets other than the one leading to it, and there is a view of the entire valley. I can see my church, my house, and a lot more from there. It's amazing, and since I moved here has been my favorite place.
I am very excited, and yes a little scared too, for this next season in my life. It's hard for me to entrust my heart to someone besides God. God will never, ever let me down, but people always will at times. Yet I am so very glad to have found someone to share my life with - to walk side by side through the hills valleys, and meadows, and to love. God is so good!
Last night, I went to a Shane & Shane concert in San Jose with Nigel and about ten friends. It was an awesome time, as their performances/worship times always are. And at the very end of the night (get ready for the deja-vu) they started singing "How Great is Our God." And yup, right after it, they sang "It Is Well With My Soul." I thanked God for thinking of me in that way, once again, and reminding me of all He's done in my life (see God's Amazing Love, the original post in September).
But even bigger than that, God has brought me Nigel. He's already heard most of this from me, but I wanted to put it here for you all, my friends, to read as well. I ahve prayed for years for God to bring me a special man, one who I would spend my life with. One who would love me as I am, the good and bad, and care about/for me by living God's love. I had no idea God would bring me more than I asked for.
I'm a pretty simple woman, from a simple upbringing, with simple yet strong and unwavering faith and an "old-fashioned" kind of love to give. But I am also messy, stubborn, picky about certain things, and love a good intellectual debate (though debates aren't necessarily bad).
Nigel has been so constant since I met him. Even though I've had many fears, doubts, and lack of trust due to being hurt and deceived so many times in the past, he has always, from day one, said he will not give up on me and that he loves me, ALL of me, just as I am. He has shown me more grace and love in just over two months than anyone other than God ever has, and he just keeps on going. I keep thinking he's going to all of a sudden "wise up" and run, like men always have in my life. But he doesn't. He just loves me more.
I keep wondering how it is that God could love me enough to send me someone like Nigel. It doesn't make sense at all. I'm far from good, and made so many mistakes, how could I deserve this kind of blessing? Yet God assures me I do deserve it, and much more, because He loves me that much.
I know that we will face challenges, especially once we get married, and I know we will not always see eye to eye (and we don't, even know, all the time). Yet, with God as our focus and guide and the center of all we say and do, the rest of it will work out. I know it will.
My favorite tradition that we have started is going up San Damiano every Wednesday night after I'm done with Wildside to pray together and talk about our relationship. San Damiano is a Benedictine retreat center straight up the mountain from here. They allow people to come there to pray and have quiet time with God. There are no cars, no streets other than the one leading to it, and there is a view of the entire valley. I can see my church, my house, and a lot more from there. It's amazing, and since I moved here has been my favorite place.
I am very excited, and yes a little scared too, for this next season in my life. It's hard for me to entrust my heart to someone besides God. God will never, ever let me down, but people always will at times. Yet I am so very glad to have found someone to share my life with - to walk side by side through the hills valleys, and meadows, and to love. God is so good!
Monday, February 27, 2006
Trust Him...with ALL your heart
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I am posting this because I have some friends who were touched by it and I wanted to share it with more of you. I sent this out as the devotional thought part of my e-mail yesterday to my prayer team.
The above verse is one of my life verses. It first came to mean a lot to me when I was laid off from Grace the first time in January of 2003 and God taught me how to truly trust Him - for everything. Through the years since then it has been a verse I treasure in my heart through all the things God asks of me and leads me through. Right now, with all I have on my plate and the upcoming transitions I face, it again is a promise from God that I claim daily.
It's interesting - most translations of this verse, including the popular NIV, at the end read: "...and He will make your paths straight." But I stumbled on the New King James version above a couple years ago and realized that at the heart it is more true. So often I have heard people claim this verse to be saying that as long as they are following God and leaning on Him for direction, He will keep them on a straight path.
This is a great example of how when we read the Bible, we often take a verse to mean something that is just a bit of a stretch, if only because of a word choice by the translators. After now almost 2 quarters of Greek, I have a new appreciation for the Bible in its original form and how it came to be in the English form we read now. There is such a difference in meaning from the original text to our limited English language.
I know that God does not always take me on a "straight" path when I'm fully leaning on and trusting Him. My life is an ongoing testimony to that! There have been a lot of curves, blind intersections, hills, mountains, and dead ends that meant retracing some steps. Yet, I know that God alone is, and has been, in control. He knows where I'm headed and has a plan for my life. Even though it's not always easy, and the route doesn't always make sense to me, as long as I trust Him for direction He will guide me. Even if He only shows me the very next footstep and nothing further, I always know that I am taken care of, loved, and guided by Him. What a promise!
I am currently interviewing for full-time youth ministry positions. I know that God has called me to youth ministry for this next season of my life, however long it may be. Yet I'm not quite sure what the road looks like or where it's headed.
I also met this great person recently who has been blessing me in countless ways I cannot even express in words. He has been there for me to do things that I didn't know I needed or wanted. And it definitely is not what I would have expected this to look like. I'm not sure where that part of my journey is leading either, but I'm sure enjoying the travels.
I wouldn't want my path to be straight. Or smooth. There is so much I would have missed out on and so many experiences I wouldn't have had, all of which God is now using to reach and help others. What an amazing God I serve. I'm so glad He's at the helm - it's scary to think where I would be if He wasn't.
Father, I praise You for the bumps and curves. They are what have made me who I am and they are what have brought me to trust You this much. I love You.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I am posting this because I have some friends who were touched by it and I wanted to share it with more of you. I sent this out as the devotional thought part of my e-mail yesterday to my prayer team.
The above verse is one of my life verses. It first came to mean a lot to me when I was laid off from Grace the first time in January of 2003 and God taught me how to truly trust Him - for everything. Through the years since then it has been a verse I treasure in my heart through all the things God asks of me and leads me through. Right now, with all I have on my plate and the upcoming transitions I face, it again is a promise from God that I claim daily.
It's interesting - most translations of this verse, including the popular NIV, at the end read: "...and He will make your paths straight." But I stumbled on the New King James version above a couple years ago and realized that at the heart it is more true. So often I have heard people claim this verse to be saying that as long as they are following God and leaning on Him for direction, He will keep them on a straight path.
This is a great example of how when we read the Bible, we often take a verse to mean something that is just a bit of a stretch, if only because of a word choice by the translators. After now almost 2 quarters of Greek, I have a new appreciation for the Bible in its original form and how it came to be in the English form we read now. There is such a difference in meaning from the original text to our limited English language.
I know that God does not always take me on a "straight" path when I'm fully leaning on and trusting Him. My life is an ongoing testimony to that! There have been a lot of curves, blind intersections, hills, mountains, and dead ends that meant retracing some steps. Yet, I know that God alone is, and has been, in control. He knows where I'm headed and has a plan for my life. Even though it's not always easy, and the route doesn't always make sense to me, as long as I trust Him for direction He will guide me. Even if He only shows me the very next footstep and nothing further, I always know that I am taken care of, loved, and guided by Him. What a promise!
I am currently interviewing for full-time youth ministry positions. I know that God has called me to youth ministry for this next season of my life, however long it may be. Yet I'm not quite sure what the road looks like or where it's headed.
I also met this great person recently who has been blessing me in countless ways I cannot even express in words. He has been there for me to do things that I didn't know I needed or wanted. And it definitely is not what I would have expected this to look like. I'm not sure where that part of my journey is leading either, but I'm sure enjoying the travels.
I wouldn't want my path to be straight. Or smooth. There is so much I would have missed out on and so many experiences I wouldn't have had, all of which God is now using to reach and help others. What an amazing God I serve. I'm so glad He's at the helm - it's scary to think where I would be if He wasn't.
Father, I praise You for the bumps and curves. They are what have made me who I am and they are what have brought me to trust You this much. I love You.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
