Joy+Freedom+Restoration=Our Engagement!!

This is the incredible story of our engagement on March 19th 2011!! Wow where do I begin, well I first start with the incredible last couple of weeks that I (Marlena) have had.....many of you know that I have been the one that Christian has been waiting on, really all of your relationship has been me coming through a bit later, since Christmas Christian had the ring and was thinking about it then, but my response to his desire was fear and unready feelings, so that leads me really until this past two weeks of feeling abundant peace and freedom with our relationship. Some of that may come from the fact the my parents told me in January that the were getting divorced which was crushing news, considering they had so much restoration from years before but they were done this time they could keep pressing through what wasn't going to work but (!!!) a week ago my daddy called me to share with me his thankfulness of my mom and that he asked if they could just have a separation and that they were going to do counseling and try once again. This of course brought me so much JOY! So with that preface it has been a journey to get to were I was the day before he proposed I let him know that I was finally at peace and felt that I wanted to be with him...For the rest of me life!!! Little did I know that he wanted that also and he was ready to go:) The following morning he had already been planning it all out, months before. He told me his parents would be in town early and that we were going to have a full day with them so I woke up and just did the normal, went for a run and spent some quiet time with my Father, but the Shannon who I was staying with here was very persistent that I get ready and I was a bit confused but once I was ready I thought his parents would be coming but she then gave me a red envelope with the first letter, this letter explained that the day was changed and he had a scavenger hunt for me. To begin it he made a video of himself of the last 10 days or so of leading up to me being here. In the videos were songs, scripture and recalled memories. As I was weeping, sweating and laughing I was still thinking that maybe it was just a sweet date he was planning, but I had a feeling it was a bit more than just a sweet thought. He wrote another letter then explaining his love for Jesus and how he really wanted me to focus and pray a bit before I left. Then his friend Julian came to get me and brought me to a bridge and gave me a map to get to Christian, he told me to walk and focus on those scripture and pray but I had a hard time doing that so once a saw him I threw me purse and started running across the bridge that lead to the pavilion he was in and I ran into his arms. As we were both so nervous, we had Communion together and then he brought out his guitar and began to sing a song he wrote for me!!! The name of the song is 10,000 and at the end he put his guitar down and pulled out the box and asked "Will you marry me?"!!!! Ahhhhhh I jumped into him and he put the ring on my finger...And the rest was history. =) Thanks for all your support and love to us. Please be praying for this time we have together and also when we have to part, hopefully the last time to do so, but that we would ultimately Praise our Father for His incredible love for us and for the healing and restoration he has brought and that we would enjoy all the following process!! Much love to you all!!