The Impossible

This one's gonna be a real tear jerker. I can't wait.

Quoted

I got this excerpt from a complete stranger this morning - an Instagram gal I follow - @kristinrogers. This is worth repeating...

"Accept His worthiness for my unworthiness, His sinlessness for my transgressions, His purity for my uncleanness, His sincerity for my guile, His truth for my deceits, His meekness for my pride, His constancy for my backslidings, His love for my enmity, His fullness for my emptiness, His faithfulness for my treachery, His obedience for my lawlessness, His glory for my shame, His devotedness for my waywardness, His holy life for my unchaste ways, His righteousness for my dead works, His death for my life." [The Valley of Vision]

Today in particular I'm accepting His fullness.

Ring Story

So, remember how God put Jeff and I together the summer of 2011? Then we fell in love? Then he proposed? Well that proposal happened a year ago today. We got married about 7 months ago and I'm more confidant now than ever that Jeff is the man for me. God's faithfulness astounds me when I think about it.

But I never told you the story about the ring he proposed with. The one I'm wearing right now. 

When we were on the first leg of our trip in Sept 2011, visiting my Granddad in Georgia, he told me he wanted to marry me. (!!!!) But that in order to save for the kind of ring he wanted to get me, it would take awhile. A long while. Unless, of course, a miracle happened. I was all over that miracle idea. We prayed right then and there, not knowing what would happen. I would've been happy wearing a ring pop, but Jeff had (and usually does have) bigger and better things in mind.

A day or two later, we were in Michigan with his parents, for the final part of our vacation. I hadn't met his mom Lynne until then. On one of the first mornings there, Jeff was up early with her, drinking coffee at the kitchen table, while I was still asleep. She asked him if he was going to marry me. He told her when he gets a ring, he will.

So Lynne, who had probably thought about this moment for years, took her wedding ring off of her finger and set it on the table for Jeff to give to me.

And there we had it. The ring. He had known it was on his mom's finger for years, but he never really noticed it or thought about it. He didn't know she would do that. But she had probably planned for this moment for a long time. And then generously gave something that meant to much to her, to someone she knew so little.

Then she told Jeff the back story: this was a family heirloom, and I would be the fifth woman in her family to wear this ring. The diamond was cut about 200 years ago in Paris (before the Eiffel Tower was even built). And the setting was from 1915ish, art deco and all. She felt so bad that she didn't have a black, satin ring box to put it in, because isn't that what all engagement rings are given in? But what she did have was even better. The beautiful, old, green, snagged, silk, original box that the setting came in.

She went and got the box to give to Jeff. They opened it up to put the ring in, and saw that on the inside of the box was the word ROSE. She hadn't remembered that!

Yep. ROSE. Me. The ring. Wow. I think my brain exploded when Jeff told me about it. And when I finally saw it a year ago today, there were definitely tears and gratefulness. As if we needed one more reason to believe that God set us apart for each other.

He completely answered our prayers by giving how only a Father can give. Personal, lavish, unexpected and completely wonderful. He's using all the little stories that tie Jeff and I together, and turning it into our defining story. That God is good. His ways are perfect, even when we don't see past our own two feet. He's weaving us into the tapestry of a Godly heritage that began way before us. I couldn't be more grateful or in awe of how He does things.

Adventure isn't missing,

Rose

Follow me: @rose_kline

Seattle's Indian Summer has finally made its dramatic exit this week. We welcomed a solid sheet of gray sky this morning, the kind that makes evenings dark and surreal. Weather changes like this aren't kind to me...I woke up with a full-blown migraine. But on the up-side, we turned on the heat for the first time in 5 months! I like being warm.

But days like this also make me grateful for the summer we've had. I wanted to post some of my favorite instagram memories that just captured our summer so beautifully.

This was one of those 95 degree days that kept me inside, drink in hand.

Kayaking on Hood Canal - thank you to the Cline's!

We got on the Harley and took a ferry to Whidbey Island one day. It was perfect.

This is Pastor Eric, during our rehearsal to record an album of worship songs.

I got my bangs cut.

Jeff and I led worship at Family Camp...sort of the kick off of lots of more worship sets to come.

My baby sister is totally pregnant! 13 weeks and counting...

I realized I need to start decorating our walls. This is all we've got so far. A fedora hung on our smoke alarm.

We took another ferry to Friday Harbor...

...then we went camping right on the west side. We saw lots of killer whales. Definitely my highlight.

These were our neighbors at our campsite. We weren't lacking for a soundtrack.

Bouquet from Jeff....the day of the CCK live recording... 

And this is the recording at Butterfield Chapel. Great group of people & great music.

View from our apartment. These sailboats would race every night.

7 Salon fashion show with Jen. I always leave these things so inspired.

"Galaxies revolve and dinosaurs breed and rain falls and people fall in love and uncles smoke cheap cigars and people lose their jobs and we all die - all for our good, the finished product, God's work of art, the Kingdom of Heaven. There's nothing outside heaven except hell. Earth is not outside heaven; it is heaven's workshop, heaven's womb." - Kreeft