Roses From Justin

Justin had to work on our anniversary this year since it was a weekday and all. 

When he returned home he rang the doorbell and I opened the door and he had roses and a card for me! 

He used to bring me flowers when we were dating, and still brings me home some every so often. 

I LOVED the card too. 

It says on the cover "Who needs a fairytale romance..." and inside it says "When you've got the real thing?"

So cute! 

A big thankyou to my husband for making me feel like a princess! 

We took some formal-ish portraits yesterday, I will be posting them soon! 

In the mean time check out my new post on my wedding blog!! 

God bless, 

~Rebecca

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Before The Veil Update!

As most of you know, I write a blog on dating, weddings and marriage called "Before The Veil", 

This blog updates every Monday. I write these posts based on my own experiences, and listening to others. I often spend weeks preparing and rewriting posts, and have spent several sleepless notes typing up new post ideas or simply editing my drafts. 

Here are some highlights from recent posts:

A True Love Story: Danny and Annie Perasa

Listen to the personal account of a couple that truly understood "Till Death Do Us Part,"

How to Find a Modest Wedding Gown

I spent 7 months of fruitless searching for a modest wedding during my year long engagement, I will share some things I know now that would have saved me time and frustration!

How To Know If You Are Meant To Be Together

A young lady recently asked us if it was indeed possible to know if you have found the right man. This post was in response to her question.

Love So Amazing: Rachel's Story

Rachel shares her story of  how she found love, regardless of a serious and sudden downfall of her health during college.

If you ever have ideas for a post on singleness, love and marriage, some wedding planning tips for brides, advice for a new wife or would like to write a guest post email me at jubsjuream2011@gmail.com! 

God bless, 

~Rebecca

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I Want Your Thoughts!

Calling all single girls!

 I have a question for you! Do you watch married couples interact? What are some positive things, and negative things you have seen that you have learned from them? Should married couples pay attention to the fact that singles are watching their behavior and making mental notes?

Want to contribute to this upcoming post on my Before the Veil blog??

You can leave a comment here or email me at jubsjuream2011@gmail.com

Thanks!

~Rebecca

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Special Post!

Hey there everybody!

I am REALLY excited about today's guest post on my Before the Veil blog, 

I highly encourage you all to read it and please do leave a comment! This particular young woman's story is absolutely amazing. She is incredibly sweet and has been through quite a lot in her young life. 

Please click here to read Love So Amazing 

You might want to grab some tissues!! 

If you have a love story to share, whether you are single, dating, engaged or married- please email me at jubsjuream2011@gmail.com. Personal accounts are very powerful and mean the world to many young girls. 

God bless, 

~Rebecca

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Hi There Everyone!

My birthday is this week! 

Kind of exciting, kind of scary- I can't believe I am turning 24! 

I have known Justin since I was 18.... that was 6 years ago! 

Still no specific birthday plans yet. I have been so indecisive. I think I am afraid something will go wrong if I make plans. Plus who knows how I will be feeling that day? I might be very sick. 

Speaking of sicknesses- I had to up the dose on one of my medications like the doctor told me to. 

I tried to but- oh my- I was miserable. So back to the small dose. 

I just want to get better. 

  

We started thinking about where we want to go this summer- we probably will end up going out to Pennsylvania as my husband has family out there and we have a gift certificate to Sight and Sound Theater. 

We are also going to try to visit Katy and Jason  again this year. 

Might be traveling out-of-state a few times for weddings.   

We shall see. 

My in-laws did invite us down to Myrtle Beach with them again this year. However I don't think I can handle that 14 hour car ride ever again. I get car sick and let me tell you after the first 8 hours I was DONE. 

So that's a general update... 

Oh! And my other blog updated today too! 

Click here to read more! 

God bless, 

~Rebecca

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Before the Veil- Blog Update!

Just a reminder that my other blog "Before the Veil" updates every Monday!

Check out some of the latest posts! 

Are You Good Enough? 

Manners Matter! 

What Love Means To Me

How to Find the Right Guy

How Do You Know if You Are In Love?

And don't forget to check back every Monday for a new post!

You won't want to miss the upcoming posts on "The Chronic Dater", "Is Fighting Ok?" and "It's Complicated"

God bless, 

~Rebecca

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My New Project!!

I am pleased to announce that my new project has officially launched! 

Before the Veil is a blog for any young lady who has started looking for the right guy up to the newlywed years. There are resources and sections for those who are single, currently in a relationship, engaged, soon to be married and newlywed. There are also weekly blog updates and resources for wedding planning. 

Before the Veil is a project I have been working on for almost a year now, a project I have lost sleep over, cried over, and spent countless days researching and writing for. 

I have drawn from my own experiences and from the testimonies of others. I even have a section on modest wedding gowns! (I spent 7 MONTHS looking for one simply because I didn't know where to look)

The blog will be updated once a week, and the resources will be expanded and revised as time goes on. 

Before the Veil also features a Pinterest button, so if you like an article you can save it to your boards! There are also Facebook, Twitter and G-Mail buttons if you wish to share a post.

So here it is! Click this link to visit Before the Veil

Enjoy! 

God bless, 

~Rebecca

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Manda-Lynn

If you remember the couple from the Maternity shoot back in October, you will be very excited to know that this is their little one! She arrived (FINALLY!) this past week. 

Melissa with her precious little Manda-Lynn!

such tiny little fingers...

and tiny little lips!

and tiny little yawns!

Both mom and baby are doing well although pretty tired from the whole ordeal! 

Family photo! 

Momma feeding the baby :) 

It was dark in that room... but there was such a sense of excitement and joy!

I love this one!

So... a big congrats to Mark and Melissa on the birth of their adorable little daughter! 

The plan is to do more formal portraits before Christmas. 

God bless, 

~Rebecca

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Tale of the Four Brides gets a blog

Tale of the Four Brides has it's own blog! This is for ease of sharing these stories with your friends, family and any other young ladies that these tales would be a blessing to! 

Be sure to check out the site at 

Tale of the Four Brides

The blog will basically be all about being single, relationships, dating, courting, engagements, wedding planning, newlywed tips and so on. 

I need your input!! What kind of things do you want to read about? Do you have any thoughts or questions? Any ideas that would make great posts?? Tell me/ask me!!

God bless, 

~Rebecca

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Why I Created "Tale of the Four Brides"

Well, the Tale of the Four Brides series has finally ended! 

I hope to has been a blessing to many young ladies! 

Some of you may be wondering, "Why four brides? How are you all connected?" 

Well, apart from the fact that we all went to the same college and all the guys were friends since their freshmen year, there is a photo.


This photo was taken during the college Valentine Banquet during our senior year in 2011. Justin and I were engaged, and the other three couples were courting.  We didn't think anything was special about this photo until after the other three couples were engaged. Our weddings were all within a year of this photo.

I found the photo and sent it to the other brides-to-be laughing about how neat it was that we were all engaged and soon-to-be-married, and how we all happened to decide to sit at the same table.

One by one we got married, and by the time of the last wedding the story of this photo had gotten around. The wedding photographer for the last wedding was the same photographer of the banquet photo. When he heard the story he was very excited...and so we got more photos!!







These photos are very special to all of us!
A little while after this wedding, I started to get the idea of sharing our stories with my readers! I am working on a "Tale of the Four Brides" blog, that I plan to update weekly regarding courting, dating, relationships, singleness, friendship, and newly wed advice and ideas. I hope to also include a "Wedding Helps" section.

Now that this series is over I can hardly wait to get back to my regular blogging!! I have so much to blog about!

God bless,
~Rebecca

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My Story part 3

TALE OF THE FOUR BRIDES

My Story part 3

I went alone to that Christmas Banquet on December 12th 2008. 
I walked in alone and some girls came over to ask me to sit with them, I was relieved until I realized the only available table had me sitting apart from them.
I had to sit alone. 
I remember thinking..."oh well guess I'll just enjoy the food..." 
And then I heard "Mind if I sit with you?" 


It was Justin. And I said yes. 




We talked during the entire banquet. We talked about God's leading in our lives, our interests, even our hopes for the future. It was a wonderful night. I remember after leaving the banquet and going home I kept wondering what was going to happen next....


The following week Justin left for Christmas break. I didn't see him or talk to him for a whole month. 
It was the LONGEST month of my life! 
"What if he comes back....and he never talks to me again?"
"What if he comes back...and we do talk again?" 
"What if he doesn't come back at all??"


I prayed and prayed that whole month. I was so scared! I liked him. I wanted him to like me too!! 







The Sunday of the end of Christmas break had arrived, and the college students were returning that morning. 
My mind was busy with wondering what would happen when and if I saw Justin.... what should I do? What should I say? I finally decided that if Justin was interested in me I would let him make the first move. 


I arrived at the Sunday school class and scanned the room after I sat down. Justin was there. My heart was pounding. After we were dismissed I left the classroom. A few minutes later he was right beside me talking away about his Christmas. 


We kept talking....and in a few months we had officially started courting. It was so amazing! 



I could hardly believe that I had found a godly man, one who loved me so deeply, and thought I was gorgeous.  I was so thankful and surprised!! I had honestly thought that no one would fall in love with me!! I was so happy to be wrong! As our relationship grew I would often pray and ask God to bless us, and to show us what His will was for our courtship. 



I still struggled from time to time about my weight, and how Justin could love me when I "looked like this" and he would assure me over and over again the he LOVED me the way I was and that I was beautiful to him. 
My feelings of inadequacy began to slowly lessen. 






I know appearance and being beautiful  isn't the most important thing in the whole world. 
But God made us to desire and enjoy beauty. Every girl wants to be beautiful for her special man. And the right man will think her so, and tell her so!! 
But being beautiful or handsome isn't everything. I sought for a man who was godly, and wanted to live his life serving the Lord, and I found that man!!





A year and a half later, my wonderful boyfriend proposed! 


And a year and a half later from the proposal I married Justin, God's perfect will for my life! Our wedding day was perfect, and so amazing! I am so thankful I waited for God's best for a man, and that He gave me a man who truly loved me!!












Once in a great while I will still feel "not pretty" but Justin always fixes that attitude!! :) 
I am so thankful for my husband's love and for his sweetness to me! 


I am also thankful that I waited for Justin, and that I chose to trust the Lord for the perfect husband for me! 





When I started writing out my story for "The Tale of the Four Brides" series, I thought of so many different parts of my courtship and what my theme should be, I realized that my struggles with my appearance might be a blessing to other girls who struggle with those same feelings! I hope I was a blessing to you!! 



   


God bless, 
~Rebecca

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My Story part 2

TALE OF THE FOUR BRIDES

My Story part 2

When I was younger I had read an article on plump/overweight children, and one phrase I read has never left my mind. "People who are overweight have difficulty gaining respect from others, even if they are overweight themselves" 

The thought that because I was not as thin as others would make it harder for me to gain respect bothered me alot. Add to it that I couldn't get that boy's attention and I was devastated. I was scared. 

Regardless of fears life goes on, and God guides our steps even when we live shrouded in our fears. 

It was the day before the start of the fall semester of 2007 and I was signed up as a freshmen in the Night College (NESB). My best friend, Galina, was starting her freshmen year at the Day College (NEBC).

Now that I was a "college student"- I was able to attend the college Sunday school class.

As a nervous 18 year old, I walked into a classroom filled with new young faces, only a few students I knew from previous years, since I attend the church that runs both the evening and day colleges.

I scanned the room for Galina, but she wasn't there yet, and only a few chairs were available in the crowded class room. I walked in and quickly sat down at a front row desk. A new freshmen college student was sitting to my left.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi, I'm Justin," he answered.

"I'm Rebecca, nice to meet you," I replied.

At that moment Galina walked in and I began chatting with her.... without ever realizing that I had just said hello to the guy I would someday wed. 

In the meantime however I was starting college, trying to make friends and trying to get over the pain I felt from that crush. I was tortured by thoughts that I could never talk to anyone, let alone a guy, and that they would not like me or respect me because of my weight. 

The College valentine banquet was coming. 
My brother's friend Mark L, someone I have known since we were toddlers, asked me to go with him to the banquet. He was not too enthusiastic asking a girl he didn't know and so... I went with him since he had known me since I was 4 years old. 

The table we ended up being assigned to sit at had an engaged couple, a girl and guess who? That college guy Justin. Well, truth be told only Justin and I talked that entire evening at our table!

We talked about our favorite board games as I can recall. I thought he was a pretty nice guy, and I wondered if he would become one of my friends after that banquet. I felt relaxed and comfortable around him. 

I began to get a little hopeful, but we never spoke to each other again the rest of that semester!

So, I shrugged my shoulders, "oh well,"

He did strike me as a rather peculiar sort of guy....

Summer break begins....

I kept myself pretty busy that summer, I attended a music camp, helped run a class in VBS, spending time with my friends and having a good time when the bad news arrived. 
My two best friends were moving away, out of state, far away. I was devastated. They were my best friends, and at that time my only friends.... and they were leaving???



The days before they moved and after they moved were tearful for all of us. 
We had grown up together. 


Then began the fall semester of 2008 had begun.

I had taken a break from college classes for this semester, because I wasn't sure what the Lord wanted me to do. I had started an application process to the day college for the secretarial course, but felt that this was not what God had for me.

My church began a kids' Bible program once a month, on a Friday night, called "Kingdom Kids". I was one of several teachers for this program and we were always looking for helpers!

I happened to ask Justin if he was available after many others said they were working that night.

"Sure, I can come, what time?" he said.

I taught the lesson that night, it was quite an exciting story and I was VERY animated. I remember asking Justin what he thought of the lesson when it was done, "Those kids didn't move! You really kept their attention!"

A few days later I thanked Justin for coming by to help out.

"Hey, by the way, how did you know I was off of work Friday?" he asked.

"I didn't know, must've been the Holy Spirit!" I smiled and walked away.

I was starting to like him...but I was scared.

I didn't want to have another crush! I wanted something that was real and not just because I felt insecure about myself. I wanted someone who liked me for me. 

I tried to not think about guys at all by that point. I didn't want to get hurt.  
A few days later I finally prayed, "Lord, you know the perfect plan for me, I am going to stop worrying about guys and start focusing on Bible College. I want to wait for Your Best for my life"

The Christmas banquet was coming....

I wondered if maybe this nice guy was going to ask me to go with him....

or if I was going to attend it alone.

I went alone.




TO BE CONTINUED....

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My Story part 1

TALE OF THE FOUR BRIDES

My Story 

PART 1 

As a young girl I often dreamed of the day I would meet that "special man", I would look at my mother's wedding photos for hours and admire her beautiful wedding ring. I loved reading books where the princess fell in love, and a cute romantic story always got an "awwwwwwwww" out of me! I loved doll houses, and loved having my little doll family. I wanted to someday meet a guy, fall in love, get married and have a family too. 

My world changed when I became 15 and suddenly realized that I wasn't as thin as most of my friends. I began to feel very uncomfortable about me and who I was. The slow weight gain had started when I was 13 but I never realized something was "wrong" with me until the age of 15. 

In my mind if I wasn't thin, I wasn't beautiful, and if I wasn't beautiful ....no guy would ever have any interest in me. With that idea in mind I panicked and tried to lose weight. With my mom's encouragement and help I did lose some weight, but I would hit a point where I wouldn't lose any more weight for weeks and weeks. I would get discouraged, frustrated and give up. It was a vicious cycle.

During my teen years I actually had very little interest in guys. Most of the boys my age were.... let's say very immature. Not what I was looking for at all. I had an idea of what I desired- I wanted a steady, godly man with a great sense of humor. Add a laid-back, down-to-earth mentality and that was "perfection"in my mind! 
I knew what I wanted, but I was scared to death that I wasn't pretty enough to catch a guy's eye. 


 

In the summer of 2007 things in my life started to change. I was fresh out of high school and had signed up for a Summer Missionary training program. I was so excited! A whole summer of learning how to teach the Bible to kids and time with other teens my age was awesome! What could possibly go wrong?? 

There are many things we never "prepare" or plan for as a teen..... Crushes being one of them. 

Yes, little old me who thought that all teen boys were immature experienced a crush. 
Unlike the other guys my age, this particular young man was more mature, he wanted to serve God with his life, he was funny and down to earth. It was the first time I had ever met a guy like that. I started trying to get to know him better and become his friend. 



. 
 And this was more then just a "crush" to me. There was more at stake. 
I was plagued with feelings that my looks would keep me from finding a guy. I was hoping beyond hope that this guy might like me back, even if I wasn't as pretty and thin as other girls. I was hoping that maybe he would like me regardless. 


As the summer months passed my crush turned into an obsession with this guy, even though I hadn't seen any definite return of my feelings. I wanted him to like me, I NEEDED him to like me. 

With the start of fall my parents told me that I was to cut off any communication with this boy and move on. He was not showing any return of feelings for me, along with other problems. I was devastated. 

He didn't like me, he had never liked me.... 

Was the fact that I wasn't as thin as other girls going to ruin any chances to get a guy? My heart ached from the desire to be loved someday... was it never going to happen?

TO BE CONTINUED...

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