An Engagement (The Aaron and Donna Story)

It all started on a cold rainy night in England, where I asked Donna Blaisdell to be my girlfriend. From that point on the Lord began to knit our hearts more and more together. (We'll one day tell the entire story, but as for now we are just going to tell the engagement portion of this grand tale.) About a month and a half later I told her that it was my intention to eventually marry her.
Flashing forward to the end of that semester, I gave her my ring as a "statement of intention" and it was at that point that we both knew that we were going to one day marry each other, and that is where this story picks up. Starting with the amazing Aaron's portion, followed by the mega beauty/super foxy Donna's.

Aaron's Portion

On December 15th, my love left England, taking with her both my ring and my heart. Thoughts were flowing through my mind, about how excited I was, but at that point I was also nervous. My parents had spent the evening talking with her, and I was afraid that they would for whatever reason not like her. But on the train to the airport, we talked about how she was the one I was planning to marry, and they surprisingly responded with joy. They said that they liked her, and that they could see how much I loved her and so since they trusted my judgment they said that they supported me in this.
I was in Germany through Christmas, and I tried to figure out how and when to find the time to talk to her (there's about a 9 hour difference between California and Germany) but somehow we were able to talk every day, and soon after I moved in with my sister and her husband in Georgia.
It was there that I was faced with the fear that because we could only communicate via skype, we would slowly grow apart. But instead the exact opposite happened. We fell more in love with each other, and I wanted more and more to marry her. So around Valentine's day, I began to search for the perfect ring. The one that I could afford and at the same time would be beautiful, and I found it at Friedman's Jeweler's. So after much prayer, and searching, I bought the ring. But I was now faced with the task of figuring out how I was going to propose to her, and also what it is I would say when it came to asking her Father for her hand.
Now Donna knew that I was planning to propose, but I wanted the when and where to be a surprise, so I told her that I wanted to wait to propose until she came to visit in June, and I also got her mom to help me in this facade. Meanwhile she helped me figure out places to propose.
Finally after being apart for 3 months I finally arrived in Santee, to see my beautiful babe. And with that came the stress that came in the form of her dad. I knew that he knew that I wanted to ask him, but at the same time, I was unsure how it was that he was going to respond, so in my mind I was trying to answer all the questions that he may even possibly ask me, because Donna's hand/his blessing was something that was important to me.
So that Sunday I took him out for coffee, and on the way there we talked small talk, but I was FREAKING OUT on the inside. So we went to starbucks, and he asked me why I had taken him out. So I told him that I was in love with Donna, and that I wanted her hand in marriage. His response surprised me, because instead of an interrogation he just said "Yes. I have spent the last 20 years trying to figure out what I was going to say to the man who asked me this, but I don't feel that I need to to threaten or interrogate you. It's obvious that you love my daughter, and you make her happy, and so I give you my blessing." It was at that point that it felt like a weight was lifted off me, I was at this point free to propose to Donna and I knew when and where I was going to do it.
On Wednesday March 19th 2008, I took Donna out for a "dress date" we dressed up nice and I took her out to Olive Garden. After that we went to Balboa park to walk around. It was Donna's favorite park, filled with nice gardens and various other paths and stuff. When we got there Donna began to explain to me all the amazing things about the area, and why it is that she loved the place, and what everything is. But, to be honest, at this time I didn't really pay attention to anything that she was saying. All I was thinking was, where can I propose to Donna? Where would it be nice? Finally we went to the Organ Pavillion, and it was there that we went on the stage and I decided that that would be the place. So as Donna was about to walk away, I grabbed her hand and said "Wait a second." I then took her other hand and said "Ever since that day in Rome... I mean in the laundry room where we were talking about Rome, I knew that I wanted you to be my bride, and ever since that day I have been trying to think of what I would say when this moment came. But to be honest at this point my mind is going blank. I love you Donna, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I then got on one knee and then said "So I guess what I am trying to say is, Donna Mae Blaisdell will you marry me?" Donna at this point was smiling from ear to ear and she said "Yes!" So I put the ring on her finger, and we kissed for the first time as fiances. We then walked hand and hand together around in the area, smiling and talking about how we are now officially engaged. Donna called her mom and told her, and then after Donna went to the bathroom, we went back to her house and her mom took pictures.

The Real Story from Donna
so starting from when i left england...
i was a mess that day what with dorm cleaning and meeting his family for the first time and the graduation there was a lot going on in my brain. but the thought that my mind was obsessing over was that "i am leaving aaron tonight and trusting that this is what god wants for us and that He will watch over this relationship while we are apart." you always hear about bible college romances and how they last for a season, then are over a few weeks after the semester ends. i didn't want that i loved him and i knew very early on that he was the man i wanted to marry. so before i left while we stood outside in the freezing cold he gave me his ring and told be that it stood for 3 things our purity in this relationship, a reminder of his love for me, and a "statement of intention". early the next morning we said goodbye and amidst tears and hugs and kisses. when we were waiting for the train i told my friend lauren about the ring and she told me she knew it was from god this relationship, because we fit together like puzzle pieces. when i got home i missed him so much and all i wanted to do was talk to him on skype but i had work and school to get back to so we struggled to find time to talk to each other. when he moved to georgia it was easier and we would talk for hours. learning everything about one another. we talked about marriage and what we wanted for our future and i knew when he was looking for rings. i thought i knew he was going to propose when he came out in the spring but between him and my mom they had me convinced that he would wait till that june. so when he came out i knew he was asking my dad for my hand in marriage and that he was incredibly nervous about it. we prayed about it before he went to talk to him and i knew it would go well. when we were at my college group that night he told me and my friends how it went and it was all good news! and as far as i knew that was the only progress in that area that would be going on while he was here. we wanted to go in a fancy date where we dressed up and went out to eat some where nice so we did that wednesday and it was fun. i thought at the beginning of the night that he might propose that evening so when i realized my purity ring was not on my hand i asked him if when we go back i should could pu tit on. he said sure and so in my mind if i would be wearing my ring, then that meant he didn't plan on putting another one on there and therefore no proposal that night. not that i was upset, because i just figured it would happen this summer. so we went home and i grabbed my jacket and ring before heading off to Balboa park my favorite place in all of san diego. it's filled with great museums and gardens and the buildings are so cool. so we were walking around and i was talking the whole time telling aaron about different times i had been to the park, and different places that had stories attached to them for me. when we got to the organ pavilion i was telling him how people get married here all the time and how beautiful it was so we walked down the aisle towards the stage and we got up there and i was still taking about who knows what now when he stopped me as i was about to go off to the next place. that's when i knew. i looked at his face and i saw what he was thinking before he said a word and i knew this was the moment i had been waiting for since i left england. he started talking and all i could think was " he's asking me to marry him. I'm gong to be his fiance after this moment." i only caught the first part of what he said about how when we were in the laundry room talking about rome and how we weren't going to go then he knew i was the one god had for him and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. then he got down on one knee and asked me. it was perfect perfect man perfect time perfect place all before God. we prayed afterwards that God would be the center of our relations ship, and dedicated it once again to Him. then we walked into the light so i could see the ring better; it was gorgeous. after that we walked around some more and i pointed out more buildings, and we talked a lot, not sure if aaron remembers any of what i told him about the park so we will have to go there again sometime but i'm ok with that.

This is our story so far, it's still being written, by God, and it will be the greatest adventure we could ever take part in. We can only imagine how great it will be to serve the Lord together and to carry out His work as a team. He made us for each other and we will complement one another in ways we never could have imagined. It's better to let God be our story teller and to enjoy the moment He has us in now. it is always changing and always something new but still feels like a favorite pair of jeans, comfortable and leaving you feeling confidant in each step you take.

6 Days!

I am really excited, in 6 days I am going to be going to SoCal to visit Donna. I miss her so much, and so being able to be at the same place that she is, is going to be nice. I am really excited, and I get to go to the Zoo. That is going to be awesome.

No good reason

Well most of the time I write posts because I have something to say, or because cool stuff is going on in my life. And while Jesus is continuing to work on my heart, and transforming me more and more into His image daily, there really is not too much to report. But I'll just keep writing and see what I'll come up with.

Well last Wednesday I went to a job interview at Geico, and I found out that I had both the aptitude and the personality for sales, and they were saying that I was essentially everything that they wanted in an employee. They were offering me a job that would pay 45-50 thousand a year plus bonuses which I would recieve with every sale. I also would have medical, dental, and car insurance paid for. So I was at first excited.
However then they said that I needed to make at least a 2 year commitment, and they would want me to start a career in it. It was at that time I saw myself working there, getting promotions, eventually making 70,000-90,000 a year and having an office job. It was there it was safe, and it made sense.
But that is not what the Lord would have for me, I know that He has a calling on my life. He has given me this passion for the word, and for full time ministry. This job would mean financial security, I wouldn't have to worry about my job, or money or any of that. In essence I wouldn't have to rely on the Lord, nor would I have to persue His calling for me life.
That all flashed before me, and while the idea sounded nice I turned it down.

Anyway on a lighter note, the countdown is on, it's less than a 3 weeks till I get to see my beautiful, amazing, lovely Donna. For those of you who read this blog who don't already know I am madly in love Donna Mae Blaisdell. She is a blessing.

College group

Today I decided to check out the college group at Southside Baptist church. It was pretty cool. The leaders there really made a concerted effort to make sure that I was getting plugged in and making sure that the people noticed me which was appreciated. I notice that when it's just me, I tend to be quiet, which isn't exactly the way one goes about making friends, I need a wingman, someone who I know as backup, and so it was interesting going today because I lacked that wingman.

Anyway the lesson today was about relationships (since tommorrow is Valentine's day). The lesson essentially was an acronym, TOADS and it represented what people need in order to have a healthy relationship
Trust
Openness
Affirmation
Dating
Seeking the Lord

It was pretty good I guess, but I really enjoyed being able to hang out with a bunch of believers specifically Christian guys. I've realized that I need bros, and it's good that there are a lot of cool guys there. Hopefully I can find a brother who I can really talk to.

so anyway it was pretty good and I think that I am going to go back, hopefully I can make some good friends there and get plugged into some bible studies.

Today

So this blog wont be too long, but there are 3 things that happened today.
1. I finally got a job, I'm not working at Logan's Steakhouse. The manager seems to be pretty nice, and I get to finally be making money so that's cool.
2. I did it as you can see in the picture I shaved my gotee, not necessarily because I wanted to, but it was one of those things that I kept saying that I would do but never wanted to, but because Donna wanted to see what I looked like without it, and because Adam shaved his off too, I deciede to. I hate it though so Donna had better not like it.
3. Um... I was going to send my valentine's package for Donna today but the post office was closed so that stinks.

Yeah I look fat I hate being clean shaven... so it wont happen again so enjoy it while it lasts.

Grace pt. 1

I've grown up in a christian home, and in fact I have known the definitions to such words as predestination, atonement, and even transsubstantiation, since I was a kid. I grew up living a life that said "I'm a Christian and here's why..." the problem is that while I knew a of a lot of things about the Word, there was a key principle, a key idea that I was never taught. That was the idea of grace. Sure I may have been able to define what grace was "God's unmerited favor" but the reality is the definition without a full understanding is lacking power.
I was talking with Donna last night about the whole job thing, and the thing is I kept coming back to the idea that I needed to do something, I needed to be better, I needed to search harder etc. But as we were talking it hit me, so much of how I see my life, and my relationship with Christ is based on how I live for Him. That's how I was trained all my life to view that relationship.
However something began to really strike me in bible college, and that was the idea that it's not about what I do for Him, it's about who I am in Him.
That more than anything has been something that I have been struggling with. It's grace, and the stuff I learned about it shows just my vast lack of understanding of what it truly means to live under grace. It's not the way that I have been taught to live, and it's not the way that I have necessarily been living, but it is the core to my relationship with God. Grace shouts "you do not deserve anything that I have been giving you, so stop trying."
Anyway so I have started to read the book "Why Grace Changes Everything" by Chuck Smith, and to be quite honest as I have just read the first two chapters so far I have felt so... freed. I don't know any other way to express it.
So far there has not really been anything that I have not intellectually known, but it is stuff that my heart has had trouble accepting and believing. But this time as I consider these things, I pray through them. I stop consider what I read and the type of ramifications this stuff will have on my life if I truly believe them, and I have been blown away. Here are the three main things that the Lord has spoken to me through this book so far:

1. Nothing I do, good or bad, can change my standing before God.
2.I am no more righteous than anyone else, nor is anyone more righteous than I am. It's not based on me at all, it's all based on Christ.
3. Anything and everything that is good in us, even things that we may not consider (such as a hard working spirit, a good memory, or the ability to overcome) are all gifts from God and not things we have to muster ourselves.

All of these things are all based on grace, and it when we are in Christ, that we can gain these.

Anyway I'll keep posting on the stuff I have been learning about grace. This has been such a blessing so far, and I am excited to hear what the Lord is going to show me as I continue studying.

So it's Monday

Well I determined today to write a blog about something. But I am trying to think of a good topic to talk about here on my blog, but as or right now I am not exactly sure what to put so I am just writing hoping that something comes to me.
So as of right now nothing is coming to me. I've noticed something though, just how much tv and stuff that the people watch, yet at the same time I've noticed how stupider and stupider television is becoming. So I don't think I am going to have cable or anything when I get my own place, if I really want to watch something I'll watch it on iTunes.