Wedding Pictures

So I'm an Evans now!! I'll post more later. Hi Crossroaders ;)

So I was making center pieces for my up-coming wedding, and I thought I'd post the quotes my honey and I decided to use for them:

"Success in marriage is much more than finding the right person; it is a matter of being the right person" ~Anonymous

"In the words of the nuptial liturgy, "Love is our origin, love is our constant calling, love is our fulfillment in heaven. The love of man and woman is made holy in the sacrament of matrimony and becomes the mirror of your everlasting love." ~ Andrew M. Greeley in The Catholic Imagination

You come to love not by finding the perfect person, 
but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly. 
~ Sam Keen

The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together. ~Robert C. Dodds

I got gaps; you got gaps; we fill each other's gaps.
~Rocky

The most important marriage skill is listening to your partner in a way that
they can't possibly doubt that you love them.
~Diane Sollee

Any fool can have a trophy wife.
It takes a real man to have a trophy marriage.
~Diane Sollee

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always
with the same person.
~Mignon McLaughlin

There is nothing more admirable than two people who see eye-to-eye
keeping house as man and wife, confounding their enemies, and delighting
their friends.
  ~Homer, 9th century BC

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny
threads, which sew people together through the years.
 ~Simone Signoret

For wherever you go, I will go:
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge,
Your people will be my people,
And, your God, my God.
 ~Ruth 1:16

Marriage is not just spiritual communion, it is also remembering to take out the trash.
   ~Joyce Brothers

We loved with a love that was more than love.
 

~Edgar Allan Poe

Be presidents of each other's fan clubs.
 

~Tony Heath

Do not pray to marry the one that you love,
but to love the one that you marry.


~Spencer Kimball

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through
every circumstance.
 ~I Corinthians 13:7

There is no greater happiness for a man than approaching a
door at the end of a day knowing someone on the other side
of that door is waiting for the sound of his footsteps.
 

~Ronald Reagan

Love is seeking to act for the other person's highest good.
~Jerry Cook

Marriage provides the solace of worked-on friendship and the joy of being known profoundly.
~Imogene Stubbs

"A true man respects and defends the honor and dignity of a lady, in all that he says, all that he thinks, all that he does...in all ways!" ~Anonymous

"A great lover is not one who romances a different woman every night, A GREAT lover is one who romances the SAME woman EVERY night."
~Ancient Chinese Proverb as told by Wilson Wilson on Tool Time.

Crossroads as Marriage Prep

So Sorry I haven't posted in Forever, I've been meaning to but I was walking with my Crossroaders for 2 weeks and its taken me until now to be able to put my journey into words.

So I personally believe now it is a VERY good idea to get away from planning your wedding, your fiance, and well intentioned but tiresome people who are waay to into the details of the wedding/reception before you actually get to the front of the church and enter into a lifetime/life-changing covenant.

For me that took the form of walking for two weeks with virtual strangers, praying, and witnessing to everyone that this can and should be a culture of Life. It was nice to have space and time to think and pray. The actual physical walking part was a bit rough sometimes, and night shift is always mentally rough, but those challenges actually better allowed me to focus on my relationship with God. Crossroads kind of forces a person to remember who comes first, and reminded me to trust totally in him.

I was again reminded that I am weak, I am a sinner, and I am not nearly as talented as I think I am sometimes. But God does not call the righteous, or the strong he calls sinners and gives them strength. "Who can we always trust? God!" He'll give us words when we need them, when we are weak then he can be strong in us, and when it feels like God has abandoned us we have to remember that sometimes he gives us the space so we can remember how much we need him, but he Never really leaves.

So after walking for two weeks I caught a ride home from Chicago with the priest who is going to be marrying my fiance and me.  He's like a big brother to me and he has ALWAYS been there when I needed him, it was so awesome seeing him ordained right before I started walking, and equally as cool when I saw him celebrate mass for the first time. I've officially been to confession with him now and *sigh* best confession I've made in a long time, its kind of easier to see Christ in the sacrament when you already see Christ in the person. God is Love, and I know I am loved by the man who is in Persona Christe.

Then there was the long drive home, and while this man is a priest he is still a man and we ran out of gas because Father decided to push the broken gas gauge a bit too far. Hehehe, so picture this:  a priest, and a girl in a big ole pro life shirt, a skirt, and tennies go walking down the highway with a gas can. . . sounds like the set up for a great joke, but I'm sure we were a sight to behold. It all turned out o.k., and actually it was kind of fun!!

It was an adventure to be sure but I got to spend ALL day with Fr. Jeremy and we talked A LOT, and I am so much more ready to be married. Between Crossroads and the conversation that lasted a lifetime I feel closer to God and my fiance (which I didn't think was possible). I am so looking forward to Friday when I can say:  " I Erin take you Jeremiah to be my husband, I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

What Happened to Free Speech?

The guy tearing down a Cemetery of the Innocents Display is Roderick King, and he he is part of the Student Government at the university of Wisconsin. The student pro-life group had permission to set up this display, and peacefully did so. Apparently Roderick King believes that people have NO RIGHT to protest what they believe is wrong. Oh and guess what so far he has not been punished and the student government is "waiting" until the fall. I hope nobody at the University forgets, because this is important.




Yes, abortion is legal Mr. King, at one time it was written into the law that one person could own another because of his skin color. At one one time in this country it was written into the law that women could neither vote or own property. At one time it was legal to beat your children. Legality does NOT equal morality. Our Forefathers gave us a RIGHT to protest for a reason.

But, I do understand the anger. I don't think he really gets it. He sees an affront to women, an attack on their rights and their dignity. He fears hurting woman who have had abortions. Now I have met some crazy anti-abortionists who don't care about women and misguidely believe that they can offend them back into their senses. But, PRO-LIFERS understand that the women entering abortion clinics are as important as the children they carry. We love women, we UPHOLD their dignity.

The Cemetery of the Innocents honors the lives of the children killed by abortion, but it also reminds us that everyone of those children had a mother who was also effected by abortion. Yes sometimes women who have had abortions see the Cemetery of the Innocents and feel pain. Those women need to heal, and more often than not they need help to do that. Organizations like Rachel's Vineyard are designed especially for that purpose and are supported by pro-life people.

If a women considering abortion were to see the display, and start to question her decision, I guarantee that any of the organizers would go the extra mile, to help and support her in having her child.

I write all this as I prepare to join crossroads for part of their walk. I am Pro-Life. I do love women, children, and people in general. I'm sorry if my love offends you, but I'll love you anyway. I even love Mr. Roderick King, misguided as he is.

Salvador Dali Painting

I recently discovered this imagine by Salvador Dali. We studied him in school and while some of his stuff was quite beautiful it all seemed a little strange. But, we NEVER studied his religious works which is sad really because they are his most beautiful. 

This one I like in particular because it uses the God perspective to paint Jesus. Yes I know God is Omnipresent, but thats a little hard to paint. This paint is comforting really, it invokes the image of the Father beholding his Son during his last hour.

Matthew:
10 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
11 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, 

12 Jesus said, "I thirst."  There was a vessel filled with common wine. 

13 So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth.

14 When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, "It is finished." And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

How blessed are we? We a father who sent his only begotten son to die on a cross so that we may have the rewards of heaven. We have the son who suffered greatly for us. We have the spirit to inspire us.  Finally, we have a mother who loves us so much she gave her only son to die for us, and she will constantly lead us back to him, for she knows his greatness in a personal and unique way. How wonderful that Jesus gave us his mother to be ours.

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

I needed to watch this again today. When things get rough, Randy reminds me to live my dreams. 

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

A Few Crossroads Pics

As I was strolling down memory Lane I decided to post some Pics. Here are a few memories. Roader 4 LIFE!!

Close to the Beginning of the walk our family and our "Home."

Doing what we do walking, praying, and being witnesses!!

Our small but mighty walk in SD.

Me and My Girls!!

Ending our walk at the Capital, we met two other crossroads walks and lots of our supporters there.

Crossroads

Last Summer I walked with a group called Crossroads from Seattle to D.C. Crossroads is a pro-life organization, and one of the reasons I love them is they are TRULY pro-life NOT just anti-abortion. Crossroads cares as much about the woman who is going into a Planned Parenthood as we do the the child inside of her, and we don't just pray for people affected by abortion but all people. Really Building a culture of Life is about building a culture of Love, Crossroaders just happen to take that message to the streets in a unique way.

I miss Crossroads, the sense of purpose it gave me, meeting people, being challenged, building a prayer life. There is nothing like walking in the middle of the night talking to God. I miss the Challenges and the Joys. 

Anyway God has answered my prayers in a big way for the first time Crossroads is going to be spending a weekend in my city, I get to help host them and show them around, and I am going to walk with them for around 2 weeks. I am so excited and Happy I could burst. 

Super Wedding Hair

    I went with my future mother-in-law to figure out my wedding hair yesterday. I love having my hair done because it feels good having someone play with my it. I don't know what the stylist put in my hair but it really brought out the natural curl she didn't evan have to touch it with a curling iron. Which is great because I don't enjoy frying my hair. A hair tie, a tiara, and 36 bobby pins later I had the perfect up-do.

    It was such a relaxing experience. They brought us ice water, and I got to chat with my future mother-in-law (who is also becoming a great friend of mine), the stylist was super friendly, and the more I talked about the wedding the more excited I got.

    The funniest moment was the stylist telling me that she can tell I am an easy going bride. She seemed impressed that I was more focused and excited for my marriage than for my wedding. I guess she's seen a lot of girls (not women) who were Bridezillas and really focused on themselves and their moment in the spotlight.  Its  kind of sad that it is impressive that I am more focused on my marriage than on a moment, that should be the norm, and I hope it is one day.

 

    Its really not that I'm unexcited for the big day, because I am looking forward to getting dressed up and being my frog's princess. I can't wait to have all our family and friends in one place, and I dream of the moment I look into my fiances eyes and say, " I take you to be my husband. I promise to be true to you good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life." Sigh.  

    Good Wedding, Great Life.

Loneliness, Job Hunting, and Friends

    I decided to write in purple today, because its a purple kind of day.  I have been all by myself all day because my honey is at work, which on one hand is great because he loves his job and is providing for us but on the other hand sucks, because I'm not working so I just sit in the apartment for hours bored and lonely.

    

    I really want a job. I hope the baby-sitting job I applied for pans out soon because this bored and lonely stuff is for the birds. Truthfully I  would rather work at Wal-mart than do nothing anymore. I do wonder when I'll find out if I'm hired, but I guess the mom has to call my references first. Its so funny to think that I have references. I've always lived in such a small community that people who hired me just knew me or my family. Even here in the "city" I've always been recommended to my baby-sitting clients so no need for probing interview questions, or references, let alone a DMV driving record check.  I do understand though; this lady doesn't know me from a hill of beans and I'm asking her to trust me with her most precious possession. Ahh, well new experiences are the spice of life.

  

    But, on the bright side we have great friends. Two other couples came over last night and honey and I cooked for them. Sooo fun! We played Apples to Apples which if you haven't played you should go out and buy the game immediately. Its a great way to see how people's minds work. I totally kicked butt last night. I'm pretty good reading people (its the ex-sociologist in me). Anyway that made me pretty happy. Today I'll end with a cool quote I stumbled on.

"Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle. It's a strengthening of his powers of accomplishment." ~Eric Butterworth

First Post and Everyone's Engaged!!

    I've never really done this before but I have a creative streak a mile long and I figure this would be a good way to express myself.  If you read the description you know that I'm engaged, me and my honey are going to be wed in Late July. 

    Time seems to be flying by, and creeping all to slowly at the same time. There never seems to be enough time in the day to call and make appointments, but it also seems like the day when I am finally a wife will never be here.

    We were out with my fiance' best man last night and he told us he is now engaged to be married almost exactly a year after we are. Its funny how so many of our friends are engaged or newlyweds. Its nice being surrounded by so many people who understand what we're going through and being able to be there for others as well. 

    I think thats it for tonight, I hope to be able to post some of my stories, poetry and art here eventually.