Justin and Abby's Wedding

I ended the first decade of the millennium by witnessing and celebrating the marriage of Abby Engelman and Justin Veach in Bellevue, IA.

I have known Abby since she was a Marquette High School student. During her high school years, Abby and I formed a special bond. Now, to think she is a married woman and mother of a 6 month daughter, Cadence, blows my mind! I think it is amazing how Abby and Justin's relationship grew over an eight year period! God knew they were meant for each other at the tender age of 16 or 17!

The entire evening was filled with many epiphany moments for me!

To begin, I had not planned to attend as I was not invited. A dear Bellevue friend, Mary, contacted me yesterday morning and invited me to go as the reception was an open house. Usually, I don't feel comfortable attending an event where I am not invited -- regardless if it's an open house or not. However, in this little Iowa town, it is very, very family oriented! Bellevue prides itself on this fact! They truly believe and act upon the concept of community!

Ironically, I immediately accepted my friend's invitation and I am so grateful I did. Mentally, I went into the evening with very low expectations. Thus, I was blessed with an abundance of epiphany moments last night! The spiritual gifts I received through numerous hugs and compliments from folks I have not seen since I moved to Ames 3 1/2 years ago amazed me to no end! It was a humbling evening to discover what an impact my life has contributed toward the livelihood of the Marquette and Bellevue communities! I definitely received "roses in December" throughout the evening!

While I worked at Marquette, I had dual roles -- Development Officer and Campus Minister. Amazingly, I was complimented several times for my role in developing the school's fund raising dinner/auction, "Celebrate the Magic of Children and Family!" I was humbled by the several compliments people paid me for my work and how grateful the Marquette community is for my efforts. Never in a million years did I think I would hear these sincere and grateful compliments -- especially since I haven't been an active member of the Marquette community for almost four years now! Since my departure, the event continues to grow and be financially successful. This makes me very happy!

Through our baptism, all of us are commissioned to scatter spiritual seeds when and where ever possible. It is rare to see if and where they bear fruit. One of these moments came from a classmate of Abby's. His name is Brent. I haven't seen him since he graduated in 2003. Through our conversation, I learned how influential his Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) experience meant to him as a high school senior. This touched me very profoundly as I remember how reluctant he was to attend it. Now, seven years later, Brent's spiritual hunger and thirst continues to grow. I encouraged him to consider attending a Christian Experience Weekend this winter to continue his spiritual growth. This conversation served as one of those rare moments where I had the opportunity to taste the spiritual fruit!

In some aspects, this wedding reception paralleled the Gospel story of the Prodigal Son for me. It was a spiritual homecoming for me! The entire evening felt so natural and comfortable for me because I truly was home in my "second home," of Bellevue! This event gave me a glimpse of Heaven when I will be reunited with my loved ones and friends in Eternal Life. This wedding reception was filled with so much love and laughter that fed and quenched my spiritual and emotional facets of my life. It was about acceptance, belonging and community for me.

I am so glad the Holy Spirit utilized my friend, Mary, to invite me to this reception. It sure did beat my intention of having a low-keyed New Year's Eve! What a gift! This is the beauty of having low or no expectations and living in the moment. Whenever I set my expectations too high, it is when I set myself up for disappointment.

Throughout my Christmas season, in very profound ways, have encountered Christ's message about family. Through personal experience and viewing this in several movies this past week (ie Blind Side, The Secret Life of Bees and Mamma Mia!) there has been one major thread for me. Family is all about connection regardless of race or biology. "Home is where the heart is," means so much more to me than just a bunch of words! Each of us has an opportunity to build a spiritual home within our hearts through the connections we make with others. At the same time, each of our hearts is fertile ground to build such a spiritual home. How many people -- family, friends, co-workers, even strangers -- do I allow into the spiritual home of my heart when they knock on it? How do I feel when I am allowed into someone's heart when they either invite me or answer my knock on their heart's door?

May the unexpected graces and epiphany moments continue to manifest in 2010. May Christ continue to till my heart to continue to be receptive to these opportunities. May He give me the strength and courage to pull the weeds of resentment so love and joy can continue to freely grow and be shared with others in this new year and decade.