We're Not Just Bobbin' For Poopies

I heard a really incredible sermon last weekend, which is now serving as the title of this post! Don't freak, my church isn't that cray-zay, but it does oftentimes present a message that sticks with me days later and sometimes just because our pastor uses the word "poopies". Anyway, the sermon went something like this:
My pastor knew a guy who was serving as a youth pastor at another church. He was leading about 12 teenagers in his church. One summer they went to China and "smuggled" Bibles to the people there (this was many years ago, mind you). Long story short, this youth pastor eventually went on to help start up another church in a different state and was replaced by a new youth pastor. On this youth pastor's first day, he poured gallons of Mountain Dew into huge buckets and dumped in some candy bars. He informed these teens that they'd be "bobbin' for poopies"...this was the same group of kids, who just months earlier, were smuggling Bibles into China. The point my pastor was making was that these kids didn't to just play games- they wanted to DO something that actually mattered- that would make a difference in the world.
I absolutely loved that story and it made me think a lot about how oftentimes in life we just go through the motions and we just play games. Well, I don't want that for my life. And apparently neither does my FIANCE!

This past Saturday, Charlie and I spent the evening walking hand in hand in a quaint little downtown of a neighboring town. It was a chilly night so we stopped for hot cider beforehand and bundled up to take a leisurely stroll through the gorgeous downtown. It's the kind of little town where you can walk on the brick sidewalks and pass windows of locally owned restaurants to see couples dining over delicious homemade food. It's the kind of town where it feels like people fall in love and stay in love. Oh it's just so cute! Our conversation was much like our conversations any other night...we were going on and on about how much we love each other and how insane it is that we "found" each other and how blessed we each felt. (In short, one of those conversations that if you heard anyone else having, you'd puke your guts out because it's so pathetically sappy...yeah, that's us!) But my point is, I had no clue that anything was about to happen because this was a conversation we'd had so many other times...but then there he was, down on one knee, in this gorgeous tree-lit courtyard, surrounded by a white picket fence (literally), asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. When I finally caught my breath I of course said yes and continued to try to wrap my mind around what this meant...I was going to get to spend the rest of my life with the man of my dreams. the man I had prayed to God about. the man who would lead our family and the man who would love me like Jesus loved the church. This was a man who wouldn't play games, but would actually DO life with me and DO what he knows to be right. Holy. Stinkin'. Cow. I was dyyyyying! Not only is Charlie the most handsome man I've ever laid eyes on, he's got the bigget heart. He loves like no one I've ever known before. He puts 10000% into everything, which I know will include me and the kids. He believes God's word faithfully and strives to follow His word at all costs. He challenges me in a way that I've never been challenged. He unknowingly calms my mind with his presence. For the first time in my adult life, I feel protected and I know that he will always have my back. I absolutely adore this man and I know that my kids and I are ridiculously blessed to have him. And, through everything, I know that he's not playing games- I know that we're not just bobbin' for poopies together. I know that this is the real deal and that I have found my very best friend! I cannot wait to do life with him every single day, from now until forever.