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Marriage is even more wonderful than I thought, and I know that is because of who I am married to. :) I couldn't be more blessed!
I am overwhelmed with all the wonderfully giving people who have done so much to help us with our wedding, with cleaning up afterwards, with gifts and support for us, with unloading and unpacking our things here in Dallas. I am so grateful to all of you and so many more who aren't on here!
Until later when we're more settled in, I think I'll just refer everyone to my sister's blog for pictures of the wedding. One post down, she has lots of good shots.
Your love and support is such an encouragement to us. Thank you!
Sarah Knapp (I like using my new name :) |
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Wow! It's all so surreal that this wonderful, huge change is actually happening on Saturday! I'll be Geoff's wife!! Until he came into my life, the wait seemed like forever, and it's hard to comprehend God is blessing me with this desire of my heart. And he's blessing me so much more than I hoped for!
We're flurrying about trying to finish the new house where the reception will be and finishing last minute wedding details. It's all going really well, and we're not feeling too pressured, thankfully.
We're looking forward to many friends arriving in 2-3 days, and what a blessing to have all these dear people coming!
Blessings to you all!
Love, Sarah |
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To our dear brethren,
We're excited to tell you that Geoff and I are engaged! We're so thankful to God! Geoff asked if I would be his wife as we strolled along on our property. As a little girl, I had this picture in my mind of getting engaged as we walked on our property, and walking up to tell the rest of the family. How sweet that it happened that way! He knelt down to ask me, and I got a little teary eyed with joy and intense emotion. I extended my hand for him to put the ring on my finger as I said, "Yes... with all my heart." 'Twas very sweet and simple, and I think we're both still comprehending this amazing, wonderful change in our lives, as we plan for our marriage. We plan for our wedding to be on November 1st at my family's place.
I love the engagement ring Geoff chose! It's a silver band with "Love" and the Hebrew characters for "Hesed" engraved on the outside. Hesed is special to us, because we studied it pretty extensively a couple months ago, and it's one of the words in the Old Testament for "love", "loving kindness", "mercy." It's used often of a covenant love, an unconditional, faithful love, that shows mercy, and looks out for the best interests of the other, regardless of the circumstances.
Upon hearing of our engagment, we had many varied responses. These are a few. :)
"Have you told Dual?" (Dual is a cousin who, when he first met Geoff and I, he asked if he should run Geoff off.)
"God is good!" (I heartily agree!)
"Does she know? Is she sober?"
"We are a democratic family and a little clannish. The whole family is going to take a vote for whether or not they approve of you marrying. Everyone gets one vote, but Papa and Nony get veto power. So, Geoff better be on his best behavior." (In jest, of course.)
"Aren't you so glad you waited?!" (Her song for us has been "In His Time," and it's so fitting.)
"It's about time!"
"I'm so happy for you! You've waited a long time for this. Enjoy this time."
Geoff prays for us faithfully that we would glorify God with our lives together, and that He would prepare us to be husband and wife. He prays for strength to keep each other in purity as we wait for marriage. We both often praise God for this wonderful relationship and for allowing us to be together. God is SO good!
I've been visiting Dallas a lot recently, as you might have guessed, and it's been so sweet getting to know brethren there. We've had several opportunities to share some of our recent Bible studies with a few older couples there and have received some great wisdom and encouragement. Most of Geoff's family came up to Dallas last weekend, while I was there, and we got to spend time together cooking, shopping, and talking about wedding details. Geoff has also been visiting me here in Arkansas quite a lot in the last few months, and I'm enjoying him building relationships with people who are dear to me. We're planning to live in Dallas after we get married, and may be there for close to a year before moving somewhere else when Geoff plans to start Physician's Assistant school. He's applying to schools in several locations; so we're not sure where we may wind up. :)
Recently, we've had fun ordering our wedding rings, working on bridal registries, designing invitations, and planning out wedding garments for us and our bridal party. It's a fun flurry of activity as we plan our wedding in about 2 months!
May God richly bless each of you!
Love,
Geoff and Sarah
P.S. We have a new Pleogroup that we are going to use to help share some of our plans and updates. Just ask one of us and we will invite you to be a member. |
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Psa. 107:8-9 "Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."
God has richly blessed me and extended grace in a way that I never can come close to deserving. This blessing I'm thinking of is a young man who has come into my life in a very special way. Geoff is a strong, wise, humble man who helps me to be stronger in the Lord because of his deep love and whole-hearted service to God. He is from Texas, from the Dallas area, and I'm agreeing more and more that everything is better in Texas (even if that's not exactly how the saying goes), as some other dear friends, Crystal and Amber would agree (they married men from Texas).
Sometimes I thought this season would never come, and I felt like I was being left behind. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. " Proverbs 13:12 I'm so grateful God strengthened me to wait, for I believe we are so well suited to one another.
He is "courting" me. This probably sounds foreign and old-fashioned to many of you, but it's been beautiful for us. I'll share some of our story to give you a picture of our courtship.
We started out as aquaintances through a close mutual friend 3 - 4 years ago, and less than a year ago, our interest and respect for one another started intensifying as we got to know one another better and better through visits with friends and emails. 7 months ago or so, our visits, and especially his to see my family and I, started becoming more frequent. In February, He came with us to the Florida College Lectures in Florida, and just a week after getting back, he visited us again. This time it was for my birthday. :) That was really special for me, and even more so because Geoff had told Dad he wanted to court me. During his visit, he asked to escort me on a walk, and as he did, he asked to court me. I gave very serious thought, much prayer, and sought out counsel, as I made my decision. In a trip to the Dallas area, I told him in person, I'd be honored and delighted to be courted by him. Since then, we've been intentional in learning about one another's convictions and views about life, and have tried to be strong in purity. For a little while emails were flying back and forth, and now there are lots of text messages and time on the phone (how very convenient that we have the same cell phone company!)
Courtship for us is a joyful and sobering season where we are purposefully getting to know one another as we seriously consider marriage. It's a delicate balance of growing closer, while still guarding one another from hurt or temptation. Geoff is leading us so nobly and selflessly in this. He prays with me daily, leads us in study of the Bible, discusses insightful books to help us grow in the Lord, talks through all the daily things in our lives to help draw us closer, and much, much more.
We are so appreciative of all the prayers, and we are open to wisdom and counsel to seek to spur us on to follow God more faithfully and pursue the best for one another. Above all, we desire to honor God, and to do His will.
You are all precious to me, and we want you to be able to share in our joy. Can you tell I'm a little bit excited? :) As a dear friend said, "Someone I know is smiling all the time."
God be with you and bless you.
Sarah
Geoff and I |
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I have a Japanese friend who recently moved up to Washington Court House, Ohio, for work, and doesn't know anyone besides those she has recently met for work. I would love for some Christians in the area to befriend her because she is lonely. She and I have been discussing the Bible and Christianity quite a bit while she lived here, and I would be thrilled for someone to build on what I've tried to do in teaching her the gospel and befriending her.
If anyone knows of Christians in this area, and could help to put me in contact with them, I would really appreciate it. This girl is in her upper 20's and very pleasant to spend time with.
Thank you for your help!
Blessings, Sarah
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