Bring on the Rain

I flew to Long Island to see Mike recently. He planned a trip to New York City for us to go sight-seeing. I was thrilled since I always had wanted to see New York City! It's one of the places I have never been.

The city was unlike anything Ive ever seen, and it was an amazing day! Mike arranged for us to go to the Empire State Building together! I thought it was so romantic since I love watching "Sleepless in Seattle" and "An Affair to Remember." It was exciting to see the building, but there was a more exciting surprise waiting for me.

When we were at the top, Mike handed me a letter that he wrote February of this year. It was a beautiful letter that expressed his love and he held onto it the entire time for this moment. After I finished reading it, he knelt down on his knee and opened a ring box. He asked me if I would marry him!

I remember feeling flooded with such awe and joy, and I hugged him and said of course I will :)

I put on the beautiful ring and it fit perfectly on my finger (gee I wonder how he knew my size). It was the most perfect proposal and I couldn't ask for anything more special or memorable. I kept trying to remember every detail on the train ride home so I wouldn't forget.

This engagement will be very short considering we will be married in two days! Please pray for God to place our marriage upon his foundation and for it to be a successful and joyful marriage filled with love. Here are some pictures, and I will be posting wedding pictures soon!!!

I was having a discussion with my sister this morning over coffee. I brought up one thing has bothered me before and I've seen it happen in some places that I've been. I've sat in churches and watched people keep score on how many "souls they've won" that day, week or year. They also say that "I've led this person to the Lord," or "I got this person saved today." I started realizing more and more over time that we really have nothing to do with getting a person saved.

Note:I want to make it clear that I am not writing so that we may do nothing, but to fully grasp that it is all from God, his power and not of ourselves. We seek to earn points of righteousness, or take credit for a person's salvation. Is it really ours to begin with?

Here's a short passage from the Bible that reveals how it works.

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." 1 Corinthians 3:6,7

Who can really keep score or take credit for a person's salvation? Only God. We never actually lead anyone to the Lord. God has spent their entire lives leading them to this point. It's a humbling privilege when the Lord brings his lost and seeking sheep to speak to us about Him. But we are only a tool that God decides to use.



There are also programs in churches called "soulwinning." It reminds me of a contest or a game. There are also classes offered to help us become skilled soulwinners. Do we really need a class to teach us how to sell Christ to people? It seems manipulative. Isn't Christ and all he has to offer sufficient in itself alone? I took that class once and I thought it was no different than my public speaking and business classes at a public college.

Were the disciples bible college graduates? Were they skilled public speakers that went soulwinning in a suit with a Bible under their arm? None of them were. The Bible says they were uneducated, lowly fishermen who spoke with such power that those who heard knew they were with Jesus. That's the power of God and He will lead us to stand and speak for Him.

Let us rejoice with God as he rejoices in the presence of His angels!