Wow... I'm engaged. I keep looking at this lovely ring and marveling at what it all means; I can't say I comprehend it yet. The ring Rod chose for me is a round cut ruby on a silver band, and this morning I was fingering it as I read Scripture and prayed for us and our future identity as a couple.

One prayer that's been significant for me for years is Psalm 131, a prayer of humility and trust:
"My heart is not lifted up (or proud) ; my eyes are not raised too high for me.
I do not think on things too great or marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul.
Like a weaned child with its mother is my soul within me.
Like a weaned child I am content.
Oh Israel, trust in the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore."

As I feel so full of joy and peace I look around and see that marriage is so fragile, that we are so vulnerable stepping into the unknown together. As I pray for who we're going to be together I realize we don't have that much wisdom; we don't know what we're doing really (like my parents said, "Getting married is like jumping off a cliff... but it's a gamble you've got to take!") So this morning I was asking that God would bless us with wisdom from him, make our paths straight, estabilish us, all of that. This is what I read, from the third chapter of Proverbs, which I always thought went nicely with the psalm above:

"Do not be wise in your own eyes.
Fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
... Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,
For she is more profitable than silver...
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her."

So when I look at this ring and think about love and life together, I want to be thinking and praying about this too... If you think of us, please pray that God would bless us with a gift of wisdom.