Engagement Pictures and Bible Verse's

     Hello all! I'm not going to write a post this week, because I'm getting married on Saturday, and I'd like to spend as much time with family/friends as I can. So, I thought I'd just show some pictures of our engagement back in December, and how my hair will look for my wedding. I'll post some pictures of the wedding in a couple weeks. :)


     "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that  could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all

 things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..and now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." ~1st Corinthians 13:1-8,13~

   



    "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or winkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."
~ Ephesians 5:22-33~

~Love
Bears,    
Believes,
Hopes,
Endures~

~Faith, Hope, Love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.~

After this week, my name will change from Caitlin Baughman, to Caitlin Narwold. I love you Josh, and I'm so incredibly blessed to be able to call you mine! You make me so happy, and I can't imagine my life without you! I love you Joshua Narwold!

Everyone thinks this picture is funny because
this is the only picture where Josh and I are
separated... and we're NEVER separated. ;)

What Is Love?

1. LOVE IS... being willing to have your life complicated by the needs and struggles of others without impatience or anger.
2. LOVE IS... actively fighting the temptation to be critical and judgmental toward another while looking for ways to encourage and praise.
3. LOVE IS... making a daily commitment to resist the needless moments of conflict that come from pointing out and responding to minor offenses.
4. LOVE IS... being lovingly honest and humbly approachable in times of misunderstanding.
5. LOVE IS... being more committed to unity and understanding than you are to winning, accusing, or being right.
6. LOVE IS... a making a daily commitment to admit your sin, weakness, and failure and to resist the temptation to offer an excuse or shift the blame.
7. LOVE IS... being willing, when confronted by another, to examine your heart rather than rising to your defense or shifting the focus.
8. LOVE IS... making a daily commitment to grow in love so that the love you offer to another is increasingly selfless, mature, and patient.
9. LOVE IS... being unwilling to do what is wrong when you have been wronged, but looking for concrete and specific ways to overcome evil with good.
10. LOVE IS... being a good student of another, looking for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs so that in some way you can remove the burden, support them as they carry it, or encourage them along the way.
11. LOVE IS... being willing to invest the time necessary to discuss, examine, and understand the relational problems you face, staying on task until the problem is removed or you have agreed upon a strategy of response.
12. LOVE IS... being willing to always ask for forgiveness and always being committed to grant forgiveness when it is requested.
13. LOVE IS... recognizing the high value of trust in a relationship and being faithful to your promises and true to your word.
14. LOVE IS... speaking kindly and gently, even in moments of disagreement, refusing to attack the other person’s character or assault their intelligence.
15. LOVE IS... being unwilling to flatter, lie, manipulate, or deceive in any way in order to co-opt the other person into giving you what you want or doing something your way.
16. LOVE IS... being unwilling to ask another person to be the source of your identity, meaning, and purpose, or inner sense of well-being, while refusing to be the source of theirs.
17. LOVE IS... the willingness to have less free time, less sleep, and a busier schedule in order to be faithful to what God has called you to be and to do as a spouse, parent, neighbor, etc.
18. LOVE IS... a commitment to say no to selfish instincts and to do everything that is within your ability to promote real unity, functional understanding, and active love in your relationships.
19. LOVE IS... staying faithful to your commitment to treat another with appreciation, respect, and grace, even in moments when the other person doesn't seem deserving or is unwilling to reciprocate.
20. LOVE IS... the willingness to make regular and costly sacrifices for the sake of a relationship without asking for anything in return or using your sacrifices to place the other person in your debt.
21. LOVE IS... being unwilling to make any personal decision or choice that would harm a relationship, hurt the other person, or weaken the bond of trust between you.
22. LOVE IS... refusing to be self-focused or demanding, but instead looking for specific ways to serve, support, and encourage, even when you are busy or tired.
23. LOVE IS... daily admitting to yourself, the other person, and God that you are unable to be driven by a cruciform love without God’s protecting, providing, forgiving, rescuing, and delivering grace.

Moments Like These

     With my wedding being 11 days away, my time with my family is coming to an end. Sure, I'll still see them, and talk to them, but I'll be married, and living in a different state. My life will be completely different than what I'm used to. I'll take on a new last name, be in a new, loving church community whom have taken me in as one of their own, have more friends, cook smaller meals, have a husband to love, a house to clean and make my own, and possibly, more time on my hands. 

     It got me to thinking about the little things in life. As I write, my little 6 year old brother, is sitting on my lap, blowing bubbles. Enjoying this moment that I have with him. To Elijah, he doesn't understand what the meaning of getting married means... aside from his sister leaving. To him, he doesn't understand that I'll still see him, and be able to talk to him through Skype/FaceTime and such. 

     So often, I took the moments that I had with my family for granted. I didn't take each day as a gift from God. I'd go through life daily, as just that... a life. A life, that I felt like was my own at times. A life that didn't take those moments, and realize that they're really "moments". They don't last forever. Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary term defines a moment, as, "an instant, the twinkling of an eye". It's only there for a moment, and than, it's gone. While I think of every opportunity that I missed out on, I realize that I can't go through life looking back on all my regrets. I need to move forward. I need to enjoy my moments in life. Sure, some moments I want to forget about, but things like, when Josh proposed to me, when I first found out he loved me, when my little brother hugged me, when my sister asked me to pray for her to get a restful night sleep, when I got my license, those special days when our family was out and about, and decided to eat out to make it all the more special.
     Moments. All my life I wanted to get married. God has answered that prayer, and in just short of 2 weeks time, I'll be a wife to the man I love. I'm on a new journey. The book hasn't ended... there's more to it... I'm on part 2. ;) So, take in the moments you have on a daily basis... even the little ones... a child's laughter, eating chocolate with a friend, the smell of coffee brewing, cold water on a hot summer day at the park with some friends, the love a child/parent/sibling/friend shows you on a daily basis. God is continuing to bless me with sweet moments with my fiancé, the love of my family, and so much more every day! 
     In what ways do you take in those moments? May you all be blessed! :)

"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." ~ Psalms 118:24~

"Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." ~ James 4:14~

Valentine's Day and Hearts Desire's

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” ~Psalm 37:4

   
     Valentine’s Day.  You love it when you have someone to love, and you hate it when you don’t.  Valentine’s day means something different to everyone.  To some it is just a lame Hallmark holiday, to another it a great opportunity to shower the one you love with admiration. To many, Valentine’s Day is another reminder that you’re alone. And to others, it's a great reminder that Christ was the first one to love us... after all, we love because He first loved us. (1st John 4:19)       For this Valentines, I am blessed to spend it with my fiancé, but it wasn't long ago that I remember wishing, hoping, and praying that the Lord would send me the one HE created for me. 
     There were many days I was tired of waiting, sick of crying, and wishing I didn't feel so lonely.  I’m sure there are many that are alone and can’t relate, but others that may be saying, “YES! I know the feeling!” So to those people, this is for you.  This is my story.   
      Some days were amazing as I learned God’s fulfilling love, but there were many days that the enemy would lie to me that I would never find someone to love me, my standards were too high, etc...  Almost daily I had to renew my mind to the truth of God’s word and cast down lies that I would never get married, no one would love me, and so on. 
     When fear would take over, I had to imagine myself walking down the aisle. I would renew my mind to God’s word and speak these scriptures out daily:   
      “Lord, I thank you that your word says in
 Psalm 37:4 that, “You delight in giving us the desires of our hearts.” Your word promises us that, “You withhold no good thing to those that love you.” –Psalm 84:11. I thank you that marriage is a good thing and you will bless me with this gift of marriage. Psalm 18:22 says that, “A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.”   
      It’s been just 5 months since the day I met Josh and I now have a ring on my left hand to signify our soon-to-be life together.  I truly believe God created marriage as a good thing.  The Word says, “It is not good that Man should be alone; I will make him a helpmate.” –Genesis 2:18. “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.”-Ecclesiastes 4:9. 
       I pray that my story encouraged you today, wherever you are in your journey.  The Lord cares so much about every detail of your life.  He put the desires in your heart.  The more that you seek Him, the more You'll want Gods will, and desires. Don’t try to get ahead of God by trying to figure out how it is going to happen.  Trust that if He created this earth and everything in it in such intricate detail, that he has your life planned and figured out.  It will be beyond anything you can ever dream, ask, or imagine.  Our God is so faithful! :) 

 

Giveaway Winner!!!

     Thank you to all those that participated in the Starbucks Giveaway!!! The winner of this Giveaway is....

Teresa Marchand

Teresa, I've sent you an email so that you can give me an address to send the Gift Card to.
Thanks again to everyone that participated!

Blessings! 

The Superbowl and Katy Perry

     Many of you watched the super bowl on Sunday. Some people, like me, went for the fellowship, but don't care about football. I don't even understand how football works, so for me, I was at our friends house for the fellowship, food, fun, and dessert. :)
     During the half time, they had a couple singers who were performing. One of the singers, was Katy Perry. We couldn't understand what she was singing, so when we asked a friend, he told us, that she was singing, "I kissed a girl, and I liked it." I don't know why I was so disappointed, I should have known that this is what our cultural has become. We love the pop artist's who've chosen to live a path that's opposite from the word of God, and we cheer at it, as if, we don't care. It's their own life right? They can choose to live it the way they want? ... when did our lives become about living for ourselves, and doing what we want? Only God knows Katy Perry's heart... but, what I'm wondering, is why are their Christians out there, who cheer at the songs she writes, telling her, that we love it, and want more? You're probably thinking, "Whoa, Caitlin, slow down there! It's just a song! No big deal! You're being way too sensitive!" Maybe I am... but, why are we here on this earth?

To Glorify God, and enjoy Him forever!

     We're not to praise man and man's works! ... Especially when it goes against the word of God!
     In 1st John 2:15-17, it tells us, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."
     "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." ~ Romans 12:2~
     All I ask is this: Why are we okay with what Katy Perry sings? Does it bother you? It should. All I ask, is that we look and examine our own hearts. What do we praise? Man... or God?