New Blog!

Hi friends, or whoever read this...

I have a new blog- it's www.LesMcCracken.blogspot.com

See, this one is using my old name and my old initials in the web address and everything, so I simply can not have that.  So, if you would like to follow my random musings still, please check out my new one :-)

Love,

Leslie McCracken

It's the Final Countdown!

4 days left until the wedding!! 4 days!! I am so stinkin' excited!

and you know what else is cool too? Other people are excited for us! The teens are absolutely geeked, everyone at Impact is 100% supportive, we have amazing friends and family who are sharing in this huge event and... yeah. It feels amazing.

Last week we went down and got our marriage license together. Even that was fun! We had to read over the Michigan Marriage Laws and they were quite amusing, actually. It said something along the lines of.. "To the best of your knowledge this person is not insane, an idiot, feeble-minded, or an imbecile". and I am not joking at all. Check it out, I'm sure you can find it somewhere on the internet. So it prompted us to ask.."What qualifies someone as an 'idiot'?" The woman who was helping us explained that they are really old terms and phrases that aren't ever going to be changed. So, if you are not yet married and are getting married in Michigan, when you go get your license be sure to read the laws carefully because they will most definitely make you and your beloved smile :-)

I'm not feeling stressed at this point. Last week there were a couple of instances that occured that would make any sane person freak out a little bit, but besides two days last week I have been feeling great. I'm just so excited for the day to finally get here!

Ahhh that's all :-) My life is so, so sweet

I'm a Stress Ninja

So the wedding is 9 days away!! I am so ridiculously, incredibly, and overwhelmingly excited! But let me tell you what, I am certainly feeling the pressure. It has been easy this entire time with planning and all of that to not be stressed. I have enjoyed every single moment of this getting married process but in the last few days.... it has been a real effort to not get incredibly stressed out.

It seems like little things keep popping up all over the place. and some of them aren't little things, some of them are actually quite large. And some of them don't have to do with stupid things like decorations and cakes, some of them have to do with my heart and the fact that it is hurt some times by people and situations.

and I am fighting it. and I've never fought stress before. But what I'm realizing is that it can be fought. and that I can win. and that I am winning. I have made conscious decisions to not worry about things, to trust them with other people, and to just "let it go". I keep reminding myself, "ok Leslie, why are you getting married? Is it so other people can have a great night at the expense of your relationship with Josh in the weeks leading up to it? No.... is it so that you can forget who you are and be selfish for a while and be the center of attention? No.... Is it just a big show that will entertain people? No! It is a declaration of our love to God and to each other. It is the biggest commitment of my life. It doesn't matter if anyone else is there but him. It doesn't matter if the world falls apart around me as I'm walking down the aisle- I'll crawl over the rubble to get to that altar. It's not about anyone or anything other than God and my groom."

and that little internal conversation is like taking a knife to the jugular of stress! ::hiiiya!::

It helps to have an amazing groom, I might add. He has been so wonderful. and patient. and kind. and understanding. He has spoken Truth into my heart when it is cloudy with doubt and lies. He loves me, and he loves me well.

I will win this fight! WE will win!

((But prayers are still appreciated!))

One Year

One year ago today I was living in Lowell, with my sister, working with my parents at Canfield Plumbing and Heating

One year ago I was getting more involved at Impact Church, a place that I can not imagine my life apart from now.

One year ago I was learning about youth ministry and figuring out that I have a special place in my heart for teen girls. I was starting to hang out with the teens at Impact.

One year ago was a Friday. I went over to Voyages Coffee shop to grab myself some caffeine nad say "Hi" to some people I might know.

One year ago I went in to get coffee and DID, in fact, run into someone that I know. Josh McCracken. My friend of a year and the leader of the youth group I'd been hanging out with.

One year ago we sat down and he said... "So, can I take you on a date tonight?" and I said Yes (!!)

One year ago I danced my way back to work.... anticipating the evening ahead.

One year ago today, I got dressed and redressed trying to find the perfect outfit. I decided on a purple shirt with a pink waist-belt and some cute jeans.

One year ago today I got picked up, taken out to dinner, driven out to Saugatuck, and swept off my feet.

One year ago today I went on my first date with my best friend, future husband, and the love of my life :-)

Nicknames

So, most of my posts are about wedding stuff.

Probably because I'm getting married in 25 days (!!!!)

Buttttt one thing I have noticed is that most people have a nickname for their beloved. For example, Josh calls me Daisy, or Daisy Duke, or Princess, or Love.... maybe a couple more but he usually just sticks to Daisy. I call him Hero, Babe, Love, my Knight in Shining Armor (well that's not much of a nickname but I think I've made my point).

But probably what I love the most is when he calls me "his bride". That just makes my heart flutter, swoon, and sway into the sweet fragrance of the air that is released upon the very breath that was used to utter the words!

and then... and then I hear other people call their brides, their beloveds:

The Wife

Oh how my heart longs to never be "the wife" to Josh. ("Oh I wanted to go climb that tree ya know, but the wife said no" or "I think I can go hang with you guys, but let me check with the wife...")

and I think that it's said some times as a joke. But I think sometimes, a lot of times, it's not. and I never ever want to get to a point in our relationship where he will ever have to call me.

"The Wife"





However, it probably is better than "the old bag!" but that's on a completely different playing field hahaha

Love Actually... is all around

I am consistently amazed at how many absolutely incredibly, wonderful people are in my life. God has been so good to me, and I think I forget it some times. But He has surrounded me with true, real friends. Friends who know me, who are getting to know me, who care about Josh and I as a couple and they pursue our hearts.

We are getting married and it feels so good to not be alone in this time. It feels so good to have people who are sharing in our excitement (Everyone, but esp. Braden and Stacy). To have people who want to help (everyone), people who have helped, from organizing (Jenn, Emily) to just talking and bouncing ideas off of each other (Braden Stacy). From 4 hour road trip visits and encouraging conversations (Rachel) to helping us to go on an amazing honeymoon for as little $$ as possible (Matt and Cassie, Bonnie Baird).

I feel more able to love today because I know that I AM loved. First and most importantly by God, and second by Joshua, and lastly by an entire group of people who happened to have fallen into my life.

I live the kind of life that people dream of. How is that possible?

((Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Jesus....))

Tick Tock... Tick Tock... Tick Tock...

So, time is doing the most incredible thing. Or atleast, my perception of time is.

There are 36 days until I marry the man of my dreams! Only 36! The days have flown by at a speed that I have not quite adjusted to. I can't really wrap my mind around the fact that I will be a happily married woman in a few short weeks, moving into our new home, vacationing in the Caribbean, doing things that married people do.....

But then at the same exact time I find my heart and my mind sighing in unison and then, in a whiny voice saying, "What?! We still have to wait 36 days?! But I want it to be here nowwww... I want it to come sooner! What's taking so long??"

It's quite the paradox, I tell you. and fascinating, really. I am going to give up trying to figure out if it's going by too quickly or agonizingly slow, and just enjoy every moment as it comes.

Another thing is kind of amusing is people's reaction when I say how many days are left until the wedding. "So when's the big dayyyy??" they coo. and then I reply excitedly, "October 10, only 36 days away!!" and then they laugh and say something like, "Not that you're counting or anything *wink wink*". and it's just funny to me how funny it is to everyone else that I'm counting down. Ok maybe I started the count kind of early at like 75 days, but how could I not count down to this, the most exciting day of my life thus far? It's just interesting.

Anyway, I love being engaged. I love planning our wedding. and I love being in love!