Reflections

I suppose it's time to finally right something REAL on my blog. Since I've gotten married I've mainly posted pictures... which tells a story in and of themselves... but I guesss it's time I put some thoughts to it all.

Married life: Is wonderful! Claudio is a wonderful man who shows me Christ in so many ways every day. We live in such a negative and sinical society about marriage... which hasn't been hard to combat since the LORD, and I really do believe that it is the Lord who has made these past 3 months and 3 weeks so easy for us. Some of you may be reading into that, "oh they don't really communicate then!" or " they're still on their honeymoon" or "that's not realistic".... but REALLY... we really DO communicate... we're together almost 24/7 since Claudio and I work both from home (except when clau's playing at the bar at night) and I suppose we are still on our honeymoon, but that doesn't mean that we're not enfronting life, life decisions or making decisions that set the tone for the rest of our home life in the future or that we haven't had the "oppertunity" to fight big... but I just think that the Lord has made these past days a wonderful and sweet blessing of time together! We've had our discussions... but nothing "major" or "earth shakingly" shockingly terrible.... it has been wonderful!.... and that glory is really due to the Lord.anyways.... I love being married... and thankfully it has gone... (and don't be so sceptical! Isn't that what God intended it to be like?)... smooth.

Just yesterday, I was telling Claudio, that in this past year I really haven't felt the Lord's hand so acutely in my life before like I had in this past year. That's not to say I haven't know the presence of God in my life previously, it's just to say, that so many details, decisions, and a lot of dependance on God has been required of me this past year... and it's been a wonderfully sweet year!
And who knows all that will happen this coming year! But I'm more than willing to cling to God's hand for his providences that He will place before us this year. He's always been good to us, and I know He will only continue... so that "our joy maybe complete"... He really is acting for our greatest joy!

One of our favorite things that we are doing together is on Thursday nights we have a group of young people our age (that means between 23 and 33 years old) over to our house to play games and have a "Ask anything" night It's been a great evangelistic time.... with people that otherwise would never step foot in a church, but yet allowing for a relaxed conversation about spiritual things... allowing them to ask anything they want... it's been great! And a real pleasure for Clau and I to host. Pray for those evenings if you think of it. For Mariano, Miguel, and Carolina (Carito). THANKS!

so... there is a semi update... I'll to writting more later. I posted some more wedding pictures on my facebook. You can check it out here if you'd like! Enjoy! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=3737&id=676110166

Señora Amy de Molina

Preparation

Most of my friends have gotten married in the past couple of years and many others of you that read this blog have been married for many years.
As a young women... only 22 years of age... as Sandra McCracken says, "with the fears of a girl and the heart of a women and everything in between..." which I think describes many of us often.... what would be some of your counsel, admonishments to me... or to any other young woman of that matter preparing for marriage or even, already married? Things that have been helpful to you in your marriage? Promises you've held on to? Warnings to give? Things to avoid? Things to DO? Prayers to pray? Habit's to cultivate? Traditions to begin? Attacks on marriage to be aware of?

I've been reading Femenine Appeal... and I've just been thinking a lot about what it means to, "prepare for marriage". and please, anyone who reads this...feel free to correct me or to say, "Amy, you're just a naive young maiden" which is ENTIRELY possible!!!!!! but.... it seems like once you are engaged there comes a sudden emfasis on "preparing for marriage" while there is more attention at that point then ever before in your life given to marriage and the reality that YOU are about to become a WIFE! It seems as though people expect you all of a sudden start training yourself to be a wife. You all of a sudden start studying it to be it. Does that make sense? I guess what I'm saying is.... instead of all of a sudden preparing to be a wife.... should that process not have started long ago? So many things about this book Femenine Appeall adress character things: self-controle, diligence, purity, submission, trust, faith.... shouldn't this character already be a part of who we are by the time we are "preparing" to be wives? While yes, each of these character areas will begin to take on different appearances and applications.... the base is the same. So I guess what I'm saying is that the "hard work" of "preparation for marriage" should mostly already be done, Right? I mean the character issues, the roots.... the foundation of the Proverbs 31 woman.

I guess it's like being a missionary.... you don't all of a sudden BECOME a missionary because you live in a foreign land and you're supported by another church. No... the character of a missionary must have had begun long before they ever stepped foot on foreign soil. So it seems to be the same for marriage. You don't all of a sudden BECOME a P31 wife the day you're married, because you've prepared well for it. The foundation for being that KIND OF WOMAN... must have started long ago, before you had an engangement ring on your finger, before you took solmn vows before God and to your Husband.

these are just some things that I've been thinking about.... maybe erroneously ... please dialogue with me about it. I want to hear your thoughts.

Amy Elise soon to be Molina