Absolutely amazingly beautiful.

Yesterday Mike took me to Hocking Hills to see the most Scottish-looking place I've seen outside of Scotland.  It made me miss it so much, I definitely teared up.  But it was an awesome day.  The leaves were perfect, the hills looked so much like "home"..it just amazed me once again to be hit by God's creativity and love.  To see the gnarled trees, and the cliffs, and the caves...and to experience it all with Mike- was just the perfect gift from God.

But even more perfect than that was Ash Cave.  We walked along a path- surrounded by trees hundreds of feet tall- and rocky cliffs and moss all around us.  The yellow leaves shone brightly in the waning sun.  It was almost like a crescendo of beauty when we got to the cave.  It was 700 feet long and 90 feet tall, nestled into a cliff with a waterfall gracefully flowing from the middle into a small sandy perfect pool.  It took my breath away.  Mike lead me to the pool and we held hands in perfect silence and awe.  He said it was even better than he remembered it to be.

But what was even better was him kneeling down and asking me to be his wife, there in that perfect spot.  It just amazes me to think of how much God loves me and has done in both of our lives.  To be in that Scottish-feeling wild place with the man I love, declaring his love for me....

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.  And even though there were times I was impatient with God's plan...I am so glad it is unfolding in His perfect timing instead of my own.

God has taken me from the bitterness of sorrow to an amazing and better place.  He has brought so much healing in my life and my heart.  He has turned my weeping into dancing and my despair into so much joy.  Blessed be the name of the Lord, may my amazement at his grace never cease....

"In his heart a man plans his course,
       but the LORD determines his steps." ~Proverbs 16:9

"No longer will they call you Deserted,
       or name your land Desolate.
       But you will be called Hephzibah, 
       and your land Beulah ;
       for the LORD will take delight in you,
       and your land will be married."  ~Isaiah 62:4

This last verse was a promise given to me by God 3 years ago, when I despaired of the past and of my lost life beyond ever hoping to see something else...it's amazing to see it coming to fruition....