What a joy!

Once again, my apologies for the length of time that passes between posts!  First a little update and then a little encouragement :).

Dylan and I are doing very well.  My husband has a lawn business with his dad and brother so things have been staying very busy!  They recently took over another lawn business so we've been adjusting to all the new customers and all the book work :).  I'm so grateful for the training I had doing the billing for my dad's business because now I get to assist with my husbands!  I never would've dreamed that I would marry a lawn care worker but its neat to see how the Lord prepares you for the future...without you even realizing it!
Anyway, other than the craziness that always tends to come with summers things have been pretty peaceful.  I'm still enjoying my quiet time when I'm at home but really looking forward to having a baby in the house in just 25ish weeks!  The pregnancy is going very well and I've been blessed with little to no morning sickness.  We recently met with our midwife for the first time and we really liked her!  Our preference is to have the birth as natural as possible.  After watching my mom have 3 homebirths, I would've loved to have had one but unfortunately in NE its illegal to have a midwife at your home birth (you can have a homebirth, just no knowledgeable person is allowed to be present....).  Being this is our first baby we decided to go with a midwife in KS who not only does homebirths for those in the state but also allows couples to come and birth in her office.  I wasn't really certain I would like that idea but after seeing the place and meeting the people both Dylan and I were pretty excited!  They have a great set up and a relationship with some people at the hospital nearby if we needed to transfer.  Plus, our midwife is a Christian and I'm really looking forward to getting to know her and her family better! 
Some of my family recently came out for a week long visit which was wonderful (you can check out my family's blog for pictures and more info)!  I've really missed them but I'm so glad to have most of Dylan's family nearby.  The Lord has truly blessed me with a great extended family...I feel right at home!
We're still enjoying our little country church and a couple weekends ago enjoyed an ice-cream social with most of the members.  Ice-cream in summer time is amazing (well, ice cream anytime is :D)...and so is chicken nuggets and fries, and burgers, and pizza, and salad, and chocolate chip cookies, and...sorry, pregnancy stomach talking here...where was I? :)  We're very thankful to have a godly, Bible-based church to attend and be encouraged in!
Well, I think that pretty much sums up where things are at currently.  The Lord is constantly changing and molding us and we're so grateful that we get to go through the rest of this life together! 

I just want to say to all you young ladies waiting and dreaming of your future homes, its as great as it sounds!  I LOVE being a wife and while yes, at times it is difficult to put my husband first (after the Lord, of course) it is better than I dreamed.  And knowing that you are being used to hold and nurture a precious new life is so exciting and amazing!!  The number one thing to remember is to keep the Lord first and central in your life (which becomes a little more difficult once you have a family to attend to but the Lord is teaching me).  If you do that and you have a realistic view of marriage and what He says about it, you won't be disappointed!  Read up on marriage now.  Prepare for being a wife and mother NOW.  Anticipate the ups and downs of marriage.  It isn't always like a fairy tale but it can be if you are especially willing to put these verses into practice:
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."
Philippians 2:3-4
Its hard, yes but "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" and it is so worth it!  Pray for your husbands now.  Learn from godly couples now.  Don't wait...prepare in Christ's strength and your marriage can indeed be wonderful, dreamy, amazing, outstanding, and beyond your wildest dreams!

I pray the Lord will continue to teach and grow me in this season of my life (as He's so good at doing, if we just allow Him :D)!
Hopefully the baby won't be born by the next time I post :)!
Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah
"Oh, how great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!"
Psalm 31:19

1 Month

On Monday, Dylan and I celebrated our one month anniversary...crazy!  It seems like forever long ago that we got married and honestly that day is a little blurry in my memory.  Hard to believe it actually happened but so glad it did!

We didn't do anything really special due to the fact that I had a fresh cold so we just enjoyed the day off and did some shopping a little later in the day.  We do have a very special one month anniversary gift from God though :).....we're gonna have a baby!!!  Yep!  I'm currently a little over four weeks pregnant with this little one due in late January!  We're so excited and so thankful for this blessing!  God has been so good to us!!

For those of you wondering if we meant to have a baby so soon, I'm here to put you at ease :).  No, we weren't "planning" on having a baby but we were content with God's timing, whether that was now or years from now.  The Lord is the one who opens and closes the womb so who are we to try and control it?  Dylan and I believe children are a gift and an inheritance from the Lord (Psalm 127-128) and we're so honored to have been trusted to raise this precious life!  Please understand this is a personal conviction for our family and is not meant to judge any other family's decision regarding this area.

That being said, I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am!!  For as long as I can remember I've dreamed of being a wife and a mom and the Lord has so graciously given me the desires of my heart...wow!!  I shall try to keep you all posted on this pregnancy and whatever else our life may hold together!

Hopefully next time I'll have some pictures too :)!

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah

Update...finally :)

Wow!  Its hard to believe it'll be a month since we got married in five days!!  Time flies way too fast!

There have been a lot of changes in the last month; all good, some hard but good.  We had a very pleasant honeymoon and really just enjoyed being together and learning more about each other!  We came back to my parents home for a day and then flew back to our new home...1400 miles away. The goodbyes were tough as we knew it would be a while before we saw each other again but thankfully the Lord has truly blessed me with the man I can now call my husband.  He is so gentle and kind, such a strength to me in this transition.  I couldn't ask for a better  lifelong partner!  Every night he comes home from working very hard in the lawn business and wraps me in his strong arms and kisses me quite passionately...wow, am I blessed or what?! :)

Honestly, I've really fallen in love with my small town!  I'm only about half a mile from our bank, a grocery store (which has an excellent selection at pretty decent prices), a flower shop, city hall, the courthouse, auto mechanics, and thrift store.  I have had some adjusting to do with small town life (like going up to the courthouse where our local DMV was supposed to be and learning they're only there twice a month :D) but overall its been a very positive experience!  A big plus is that my brother and sister in love live only 2 miles away with two absolutely adorable kids who now call me Aunt Hannah.  Also Mom and Dad W live only 15-20 minutes away, which has been nice!

We've been settling in as the newest married couple at our church and I've really enjoyed the preaching!  Its a small country church where almost everybody except Dylan's family is related :).  They welcome you like family though and are all very kind!

As far as actual wifehood goes I'm loving it!!! Being a wife is one of those things I always dreamed about and now that its finally happened its better than I imagined!  I would say to all of you unmarried girls out there hoping/praying the Lord will bring the right one to you, have realistic expectations.  Remember you are just a sinner saved by grace marrying another sinner saved by grace.  But the awesome thing is that when Christ is in the center of both of your lives and your marriage He does some pretty amazing things!!  So don't stress, sit back and relax through the journey of life and let Christ be your Captain (preaching to myself here!)...He knows what He's doing!!

Hopefully it won't be too terribly long before I post again but I'm not making any promises :)!

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Mrs. W :)

3 days!!

Hello Everyone!

Just a really quick post as 3 days from now I will be a Mrs.!!  Crazy how time flies...and I'm not just saying that because I'm old ;)!  Life is busy around the Wassenberg house with wedding preparations.  Yesterday and Monday was busy making decorations for the reception area and getting ready for guests; today we shopped for all the fruits and veggies and began chopping some.  Later tonight our first wave of visitors arrive, then tomorrow comes the next wave, and finally Friday brings the next wave!  It's going to be like a huge sleepover!! :)

This is going to be one of the biggest transitions in my life but one I couldn't be more excited about!!  Ever since I was very young I dreamed of being a wife and Lord willing, a mother!  Not only do I get to become the wife of the most amazing man around but I get to truly fulfill the role God has given me as a woman...wow!  I'm so thankful for my parents preparing me and assisting me in guarding my heart until the time was right.  I have no regrets and I'm so thankful that when I walk down that aisle I will be doing so, by the grace of God, in purity!  Our God is amazing!!  He has heard and answered so many of my prayers in regards to my future husband that I'm truly in awe.  For those of you are unmarried yet, don't forget to pray for your future spouse!!  It is so amazing to see how Jesus answers and fulfills those prayers and dreams beyond your wildest imaginations!!!

I hope to update you all soon!  Until then I leave you with a verse that has been very special to me since we've been engaged:

"That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the Lord has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it."
Isaiah 41:20

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah :)

How To Be a Good Wife Today

Hello Friends!
Wow- its been a while since I last posted on here but I have a good excuse :)!  Right after I got engaged Momma and Daddy started to read "Created to be His Helpmeet" by Debi Pearl with me.  I have LOVED what I've learned so far and definitely recommend it for every wife or wife-to-be!  Here is an excerpt from their book, which is an excerpt from a public high school home-ech textbook.  I was amazed when I read this!  Things have truly changed for the worse just in the past 60 years!  Please let me know your thoughts!
Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah  

How to Be a Good Wife Today

(taken word-for-word from a 1950s public high school home economics textbook)

*Have dinner ready.  Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time.  This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs.  Most men are hungry when they come home, and the prospect of  a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

*Prepare yourself.  Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives.  Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking.  He has just been witha lot of work-weary people.  Be a little gay and a little more interesting.  His boring day may need a lift.

*Clear away the clutter.  Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrivves, gathering up schoolbooks, toys, and papers.  Then, run a dust cloth over the tables.  Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

*Prepare the children.  Take a few minutes to wash the children's hadns and faces (if they are small). Comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes.  They are little treasures, and he would like to see them playing the part..

*Minimize all noise.  At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum.  Try to encourage the children to be quitet.  Be happy to see him.  Greet him with a warm smile.

Some Don'ts:

*Don't greet him with problems or complaints.

*Don't complain if he is late for dinner.  Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.  Make him comfortable.  Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom.  Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.  Arrange his pillow, and offer to take off his shoes.  Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice.  Allow him to relax and unwind.

*Listen to him.  You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time.  Let him talk first.

*Make the evening his.  Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment.  Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

"The goal: try to make your home a place of peace and order, where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit."

______________________________________________

Love

I'm sure you're all surprised about my post title, right? :)  Love has been on my mind a lot lately thanks to God's amazing purpose in bringing Dylan and I together.  We have been memorizing 1 Corinthians 13 and while memorizing I've been thinking a good deal about what true love is.  I would like to share with you some of the things the Lord has been showing me.

True love is...

...A Sacrifice.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  John 3:16
Love is a sacrifice as Christ demonstrated for us.  Love requires us to think higher of the other person and to humble ourselves.  This is not easy.  Jesus told us to "love our neighbor as ourselves" (Matthew 22:39).  Have you ever stopped to think how much we love ourselves?  We make sure we're comfortable, full, and at ease.  Do I treat others as good, if not better then I treat myself?  I don't think so...I need to work on that.

...A Decision.
"bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails."  1 Corinthians 13:7-8a
Love is not how you feel at that moment...it is a choice.  Guess what guys, I'm marrying a sinner and so is he!  :) There will be times when we don't feel like loving each other, but we will have to take that thought captive and choose to love because Jesus says to.

...A Joy!
"For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother."  Philemon 7
Have you ever noticed that right after love in the list of the fruits of the Spirit is joy?  Love is supposed to be joyous, not a drag or because I have to.  When we truly love like Jesus teaches we will be full of joy!

...A Perfect Picture of Christ.
"Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything."  Ephesians 5:24
The marriage relationship was designed for many reasons but one of the main ones is to portray Christ's love and affection for His Body, the church.  What a responsibility!  How I love my husband and the people around me is how people will see God's love...through me!  Wow!

...A Pursuit.
"Pursue love..."  1 Corinthians 14:1a
"But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness."  1 Timothy 6:11
Practice makes perfect :)!  I need to pursue love...it does not come naturally to the flesh.  The Lord has been teaching me yet again that my actions flow from my thoughts.  If I pursue love in my thought life then I will demonstrate it in my actions and words.  That's hard to remember all the time :)!

Finally, a verse from my section of Scripture for the year:
"But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."  Colossians 3:14
Perfect love and everything else will fall in place.

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah :)