Precious Promises

¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.

²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust —
there may yet be hope.
³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

³¹ For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
³² Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
³³ For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to the children of men.

Lamentations 3:19-33

This morning I'm so thankful for the Lord's mercies that are new to me.

If you know me, you know I love mornings, especially ones like we had today. Ryan and I had been waiting for a morning where we could enjoy one of our favorite things together.

Coffee on the porch, him in his sweat pants & me in a big hoodie.

For the first time in forever, we woke up to a very cool morning and got to enjoy each other's company on the front porch, coffee and cereal in hand.

Recently, a man I knew lost his wife of 64 years. As I watched the tears fall down his face, I could only wonder what was going through his mind. Maybe when they were young and in love sneaking out and doing crazy things, seeing her walk down the isle dressed in white, watching their first child be born, then grandchildren, and holding hands as an old couple...

It's like I could see the years playing through his mind.

And it broke my heart.

Was 64 years enough? Nope.

He wasn't ready to let her go.

The love her had for her was so evident.

The thought made me want to hold Ryan extra close. It made the little things that I so often get cranky over seem not so important. It made me want to capture that moment of us laughing and just being goofy together and never let it go...

In 5 (or less) short weeks Gage will be here and we will begin the next chapter of life together. We've shared lmost 3 years of being newlyweds and learning how to put someone else above yourself, how to be a wife/husband, how to love.

It's been nothing less of incredible. And it's almost bittersweet to see that stage come to an end. It hasn't been perfect to say the least, there have been many tears shed and pointless arguments- but it has taught us more about each other and ourselves and brought us even closer as a couple.

I am SO THANKFUL for mornings like today- and I'm going to hide this memory in my heart, because crazy times are ahead bringing a little guy into this world and learning how to be parents! From what I've heard, mornings like this may be few and far between for awhile!

This morning, I thank the Lord for His promises to me in Lamentations. I feel like the past 3 years has proven those verses SO TRUE in my life.

We have went through my dad's accident and him becoming paralyzed, losing my 3 year old little cousin, witnessing the loss of Ryan's best friend, and taking a very scary leap as Ryan opened his own business all while I was unemployed in nursing school.

"Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,so great is his unfailing love" vs. 32

And what else can I do but trust Him wholeheartedly as we begin this new chapter of our life?! He has been so good to us- no matter how many hard times we have seemed to go through- every morning we still wake up with NEW MERCIES and a FULL HEART knowing that great is His UNFAILING LOVE towards us!

Let the promises of the Lord encourage you today!

Happy Weekend, Friends!

(a few pics of our honeymoon- back where it all began!)