Dwell/Dwelt/Dwelling

It seems, in the blink of an eye, another weekend gone.

Manly sped up here Friday evening after his classes, since we hadn't seen each other in two weeks. I heartily embraced him when he walked in the door that evening. Saturday we spent the morning talking, catching up on each others' past weeks of opportunity and thought. Those morning hours on the weekends are so sweet for us. Quiet contentment in each others arms while chitchatting and then making a delightful little eggs and bacon breakfast together.

That same day Ian and I had our engagement photo shoot with our photographers. I won't give too many details away, so as not to spoil the antcipation of seeing the photos posted here in a couple weeks, but Ian and I asked them to capture the most special moments in our relationship up to this point that took place at specific locations. I wonder..... Can any of you guess what those locations or special moments were??? If you want to guess, post a reply to this post!

This morning Manly and I joined our congregation at City of Hope Church for Palm Sunday service to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. With full hearts we sang to the God, who sent His Son Jesus to earth to do a most glorious thing: lay His life down as a perfect sacrifice for the remission of sins, for the redemption of all people who believe in His power to set us free from our bondage of sin. The service was meant to remind us of Christ's entry into Jerusalem a week prior to His death and resurrection; the purpose of His trip was to announce that He was the Messiah, the One who had come to be the Savior. The opportunity for fellowship and worship is very important and meaningful to me and Ian. After the message, we shared lunch with the many families in our congregation and gathered in groups to pray for one another.

Later in the day, Manly and I took naps, worked on taxes, took a jont around the lake at dusk, and ate a couple grilled-cheese before he hit the road.

It's difficult to describe what it feels like for me when he packs up his stuff and leaves. It's never a quick goodbye, although he keeps saying he's in a hurry. Tonight he came back to the porch, where I was standing to wave goodbye, five times just for ONE more goodnight kiss ;)

Somehow, I have this mixture of emotions about him driving off for another week apart. It's like a sense of loneliness even though my best girl friend lives in the area and I see my family every day; it's a sense of relief because I'll be able to get back to my to-do list without as much distraction; it's a sense of sweetness and delight that I am so in love with this man that I deeply desire to keep spending the rest of my life journey with him; it's a sense of longing and anticipation to just be in his arms and in his presense and listening to his steady voice a little while longer, even before his car's pulled out of the driveway.

It's amazing to be in love like this. I have never experience any relationship quite like it. This knowing, belonging, home-coming that we have found in each other is from God. He intended for this kind of relationship to be a bonding, an intoxication. And I can't help but wonder if God also intends for our relationship with Him to be just as full of loveliness and delight, anticipation and adventure. After all, He does call Himself the bridegroom and He does speak to us as His bride. I believe He desires the same bond and intimacy with us in a spiritual sense. Wow, what a wonder there is in finding out more about this King of kings through earthly relationships that He has designed to mirror His own characteristics and ways of relating to us. Dwell on that for a little while, why don't you? :)