All Saints Christmas Ball

Today was just beautiful outside, warm and crisp-clear, blue skies. Tobiah and I met up to go to an 12-step meeting geared for people who have dysfunctional families, then had lunch with his mom and another member of the fellowship. The meetings are really cleansing and supportive, I think it's the 12-step program that I identify with the most, it's very healing and I've only been to a handful of meetings.

Later, I got my makeup on and did my hair while he lounged in my room showing my roommates' kids how to play Chess, and beat them at Wii table tennis, etc. We went on to the All Saints Christmas Ball, a party for the Episcopal Christmas-which is the same celebration & holiday, but about 10 days after the regular Gregorian-Calendar Christmas. Father Rich, of All Saints hadn't seen us since we began talking about our marriage ideas, so Tobiah mentioned them to him - and he was really happy for us! The funny thing though, is we get "congratulations" lately but Tobiah's waiting to do the ASKING in Israel, too. There's not really anywhere in the USA he wants to do such a memorable thing, apparently.I'm fine with that, but it has made it a bit funny seeming, getting congratulated on our engagement then being asked "So where's the ring?" and so on. Yet, we have a general time and place! But we're thinking we'll get enough money together to go there, find clothes, find our locations (we're thinking of making some important sites from Jesus' lifetime part of our procession and walking through the city before saying "I do.") Only us, seriously. Only we would have our wedding plans before the proposal, have everything up in the air and not even be inviting anyone to be there!

Tonight, after hearing about what is basically our engagement, Father Rich began making a special announcement (unplanned), to bless us in our engagement- Tobiah had just stepped out to check messages he'd recieved from people he ministers to. Fittingly enough, I ran outside to get his attention and bring him back in. We were blessed by Father Rich and had two rounds of applause altogether, since T missed the first one outside on the telephone. It was really sweet and special and unexpected but totally right. I loved it. We danced a few times, too - which was fun and very sweet. Tobiah and I staring into one anothers eyes or dancing cheek-to-cheek, very classic-movie-style (well as best as we could do, anyway).

While we were dancing to a slow one, Tobiah looked at me and said "You're the Belle of the Ball, all eyes are on you." I could feel I had that can't-help-how-wide-I'm-smiling grin growing and growing. I just began feeling the exitement of this life growing and forming between us. Surely it won't be easy, but worthwhile? Blessed? Adventurous? Yes.

I think as of the last few days, it's really sinking in that we're moving forward into marriage- and it's also like, we're finally just beginning to enjoy the fact that basically, we're engaged to one another - formalities (like asking), aside, since he wants to pop THE QUESTION somewhere in the Holy Land, but here we are... we're getting excited, we're feeling the joy, we're beginning to enjoy this VERY brief time we have as an engaged couple. We're both feeling that way- like it's so very right, but it's something we're just beginning to "savor." Two people tonight pointed that out too- "Enjoy this time, it will go by SO quickly," they said in an offer of advice.

Now, tonight there was a raffle for different prizes and our table made out big time. Stevie really wanted an icon print of Mary and Jesus that Father Rich donated. Tobiah was the second person who won the raffle and he chose it for her. Tobiah won AGAIN and gave me the Ethiopian cross Father Rich also contributed- on top of it he won a set of Dead Sea lotions (like a manisure kit), and I won him a box of potpourri (which he actually wanted! lol). Along the way, though, we had a new idea about rings.

Before, we thought we'd even buy our rings in Israel, do it ALL when we got there- but when I won the cross (a metal, rustic-looking Coptic cross...) Tobiah's stepdad Rich pointed out that Father Rich is a metalsmith, he makes jewelry, rings, crosses and so forth. We should ask him to make us wedding rings. So, we ran it by him and he said he could. We've asked him to design rings for us, he suggested rings with symbols of our faith, perhaps with Hebrew and Greek incorporated. I love the idea that someone so special and dear to both of us, and whose known Tobiah for so long, could be part of creating the symbols of our comittment to one another, our wedding bands.

The only weird thing for me is just how excited I'm growing, and how out of touch I am with my family about this whole new part of my life. I wish they could experience what things were like for me. I wish they could sense the confirmation and affirming presence God has been, guiding and inspiring us as we walk forward with one another in relationship, in worship, in ministry. I'm sure somehow we'll be able to share some sense of that, eventually, I just wish I could catch them up somehow!

God is doing something new among us both, that is bringing us together into one life. How awesome.