The Wedding Party: Abigail Bentley

I am so excited to tell y'all about my sweet friend, Abigail Bentley. Abigail and I met at Jennies Branch Baptist Church in youth group. I started attending Jennies Branch in June of 2010, and Abigail was basically born on one of the pews there. I knew of Abigail before we were in youth group together, but it wasn't until the summer before my sophomore year of high school that I truly got to know her heart. I was a little afraid of her at first because I felt like an outsider coming into this super close and tight-knit youth group. It didn't take long for us to forge a friendship though. We were usually the last two to leave from church on Sunday and Wednesday nights, and it was through many long talks on the swings and boisterous laughs on the Whirly Bird that I found one of the truest friends I've ever known. I was so sad to graduate high school because I thought my time with her was coming to a close - we didn't usually hang out outside of church and we wouldn't really have a "youth group" anymore as we were all going our separate ways in college. However, God saw fit to make Abigail and I even closer in these years after high school was finished, and I thank Him every day for her sweet spirit in my life.

Abigail and I have become each others' partners-in-crime over the last few years (and by "crime" I mean, we plan events together 😂). Our first summer after high school, Abigail and I got paired to help lead the youth during Vacation Bible School. We call the last week of July our "best friend week" because we are literally attached at the hip for a solid week straight. This was the start of the greatest dynamic duo of all time. Since that summer, we have helped lead three more youth VBS's and organized several holiday church functions together. Each time, our friendship grows more and more, and I honestly believe there is no better friend that you can have than Abigail Bentley.

One of my favorite memories with Abigail happened during one of these Vacation Bible School weeks. We had been going nonstop for a week straight, and commencement was the following night. We had so much to do to prepare for that, so we planned to stay for a little while after everyone had gone home to work out any of the kinks that might come up in the skit we were doing. We figured out how to work the sound system by ourselves (still proud of that), and we ran through the skit several times working out blocking and light cues. After all the work was done, we decided to just lay on the floor of the sanctuary and listen to the song that would be playing during the skit. We just laid there, side-by-side, listening to the music and taking in the beauty of this church we both love so much. I think it was in that moment that I knew Abigail and I would be friends forever because God had always been the very center of our friendship. Moments like these and so many more are what make Abigail so special to me.

Abigail is the strongest person I have ever met. She has taken on a life that she didn't plan for, but she has handled it with so much grace and love. She is equally beautiful on the outside and inside, and she always chooses to see the good in everyone. Her view of the world is one that is unlike anyone I have ever met. God has given her such a fresh perspective of the people and world around her, and it is so refreshing to me to listen to her take on life. She is one of my greatest encouragers, and I know whatever plans God has for Abigail Bentley, she will face them with courage, kindness, and humility. I can only imagine how proud her grandma is of her, and so am I! I am just honored to be a small part of her journey.

Abigail has seen almost every aspect of mine and Al's relationship. She has been there since the very beginning and has watched us grow together as a couple. I laughed out loud when Abigail told me she had known Al was going to propose to me since March (he proposed in October). Best secret keeper goes to her! The three of us have grown into young adults together, and it makes me so happy to know that Abigail loves Al just as much as she loves me. She is so supportive and is going to make the most beautiful and perfect bridesmaid.

 

Abba, in case you didn't know, you are one-of-a-kind to me. You will never know the impact you have on my life. Just yesterday, you called to check on me and asked how my heart and soul are doing, and all I could think was, "What did I do to deserve a friend like her?" You reflect Jesus in all you do, even when you don't realize it. I am so excited to have you stand by my side as I start this new journey in life. I will always love you more than you know!

The Wedding Party: Brittany Colagerakis

The next bridesmaid I will be telling y'all about is my dear friend and forever roomie, Brittany Rue! Britt and I met through my sister Kayla before we came to college. They worked together at Beck's, and I woke up one summer morning to find a stranger sitting at my kitchen table - so of course her first impression of me was that I am flawless first thing in the morning 😉. Right off the bat, she was one of the nicest people I had ever met. We talked about moving to Wilmington and starting school, and we knew we'd probably be seeing each other around. What we didn't know is that God had much bigger plans for us than just occasional visits. One of my first weeks of college, Brittany, Kayla, and I went to a college ministry in town called Overflow. The night we went just so happened to be the night students were signing up for small groups. Brittany convinced me to join one with her, and that became the foundation of one of the most beautiful friendships of my life. Brittany moved in with Kayla and me second semester freshman year, and to say it was life-changing for me would be an understatement. Here we are, three and a half years later, and all I can think is, "If these walls could talk, oh what stories they would tell..."

My first year of college I really struggled to adjust to the huge transition that just took place. I had lost friends and all sense of the normalcy I was so used to for my whole life. Just when I thought I would never find my place again or find a best friend who could love me for me, Brittany came into my life. She filled so many empty spaces in my heart that I didn't even know existed. I think about our friendship and just cry tears of happiness because I know God gave her to me when I needed her most, and for that I will be forever thankful. 

Brittany and I have shared a room for the past two years, and what I thought was going to be a disaster turned into one of the best experiences of my life. How many people can say they have had a sleepover with their best friend every night for two years and still love them by the end of it? The correct answer? Not many. While she isn't always the cleanest person on the planet (amiright?), she is the easiest person to get along with. We have shared secrets, food, beds, late-night talks, and so much more inside the four walls of our little corner of the world, and that is something I am going to miss more than anything when our journey in the beloved Clear Run is over. 

Brittany is the most peace-filled person I know. She is full of grace and kindness and confidence in who God made her to be. As I have told her many times, she is the biggest example of God's grace in my life. There are very few people on the planet who can meet a stranger for the first time and make them feel like a friend, but Britt is one of those people. I genuinely admire her goodness and patience, and I am the luckiest girl alive to call her my friend.

Brittany has been so encouraging during our engagement season and is always the first to let me know she is here if I need any help. She is basically a pro at being a bridesmaid, so I am very excited to have her opinions and suggestions during this process. She is also one of the most easy-going people in the world, which makes her an awesome bridesmaid in itself. She constantly reminds me that this time is about me and Al and to do what makes us happy, and that is the kind of friend and bridesmaid everyone needs!

Britt, I love you more than any blog post could ever say. If I sat down and wrote every single reason why I am thankful for you, it would go on forever. You rescued me when I didn't even realize I needed to be rescued. You were a missing piece in my life that now fits so perfectly, and I am honored to have you as one of my bridesmaids. I hope you will always know how valuable and precious your friendship is to me and how much Al and I adore you. Thank you for everything, moo. I love you past the stars!

P.S. I'm not getting this sappy again until graduation because I cried TOO much writing this... 😢

The Wedding Party: Sydney Langley

Over the holidays, Al and I had the sweet honor of asking our closest friends and family to be members of our wedding party. We are so thankful for the 17 people who said yes to standing by our sides as we make the biggest commitment of our lives! For the next several blog posts, I will be telling y'all about each one of my dear bridesmaids and what they mean to my life. I hope y'all enjoy getting to know the blessings that are these sweet girls. They truly are treasure to me!



Sydney Langley is my "newest" friend of all my bridesmaids. We met freshman year of college when we joined the same small group. While we didn't click right away, it was always nice to hear about her life from a distance each week at small group. Toward the end of sophomore year, Syd and I starting talking more and spending more time together. She quickly became a person I knew I wanted to be around. Luckily for us both, she needed somewhere to live junior year and we were looking for another roommate. I really believe God ordained that circumstance because my life has changed so much by having Sydney in it.

In our two years of living together, Sydney has rubbed off a lot of her quirks and knowledge on me. She is one of the smartest people I have ever met. As a nursing student, she is so dedicated to learning as much about the human body as she can. Fortunately for her, I am her number one hypochondriac... err, I  mean patient 😉. She constantly reminds me that I am, in fact, not dying despite what WebMD says. She is the next best thing to having your mama around when you're sick because she genuinely cares about you feeling better. 

She is also a great listener. One of my favorite things about our relationship is that I can plop down on her bed while she's in the middle of working on something, and she lets me spill my soul to her without getting mad that I interrupted her study time. She desires to get to know who people are on the inside, not just who they portray themselves to be on the surface. She is one of the easiest people to talk to, and I have been so blessed to have that kind of friend live 10 steps away from me for the past two years.

Sydney is passionate, caring, attentive, driven, and just an all-around brilliant human being. Anyone who spends any amount of time with her will leave a little smarter, kinder, and happier. I have shared some of the deepest parts of my heart with Sydney Langley, and she still loves me the same. That is a true keeper.

Sydney was very involved in the months leading up to mine and Al's engagement. She helped him decide on the ring and was very in the loop the entire time. She was there to celebrate with us after he proposed and has been so supportive in these first couple of months of us being engaged. I could not imagine my wedding day without her by my side. She is one of the most organized people in the world, so having her as a part of my bride tribe is the BEST! I am so thankful she said yes to being one of my bridesmaids, and I can't wait for this next year with her!

Sydney, I love you to pieces, and I am so excited to have you as one of my bridesmaids. The honor is truly all mine to have you by my side! Thank you for everything you continuously do for me. Your friendship is one-in-a-million to me! I'm sending you a hug from a distance (since those are the only kind of hugs you like 😘). Love you so much, friend!

Picking a Date

As I shared on Facebook last week, Al and I picked a wedding date!!! 😍

When we got engaged, we started thinking about what dates would work for us and be special to us. However, we didn't want to get our hearts set on a date until we were able to find a reception venue. From the time we realized we wanted to spend our lives together, we knew we would get married at our home church, Jennies Branch. That's where we officially met and where our relationship really blossomed. The trouble was finding a reception venue in the area that was close to the church and would hold the number of people we are planning to have. Our options were very few because we do have a lot of people we are inviting. So I started looking into the couple of places we had to choose from and wasn't super impressed with any of them. Then, I remembered a place that is still fairly new and would definitely accommodate our large guest list. I went through the process of contacting the right people and ended up talking to a family friend, who just so happens to be the event coordinator of this venue. It was truly a God send the way finding this place happened. After a good conversation and learning that it can meet all of our desires and needs, we booked this venue within less than an hour! The best part about this whole thing was that the whole month we were looking at to get married in was open for this venue, so we got the choose the date we had been eyeing since our engagement last month!

Al and I will officially become husband and wife on March 3, 2018, and we could not be more excited!!! We are so thankful for the hand of God orchestrating things the way He sees best in our lives! We can't wait to keep the planning rolling! Stay tuned for the next big thing on our to-do list: Asking our wedding party :)

P.S. Had to share our favorite thing about our wedding date - the double numbers:

Our anniversary date is 08.08.11
Our engagement date is 10.16.16
Our wedding date will be 03.03.18


Xoxo,
Morgan

The Beginning of Forever

For those of you who have been absent from social media for the past few days...

AL AND I GOT ENGAGED!!!

We were well-aware that this news would not come as a surprise to anyone, but we didn't realize how many people were anxiously awaiting our engagement and were thrilled to share in our excitement with us! I knew once we got engaged, I was going to start blogging again simply to document this special time in our lives. I want us to look back in 20+ years and still be able to relive these moments as if they just happened yesterday. I hope those of you reading this will enjoy following along on our journey to becoming husband and wife; we can't wait to share it with you!

To start, our proposal story:

On Saturday the 15th, Al told me that he was really craving Olive Garden salad (this is a frequent occurrence in our lives) and asked if I wanted to go on Sunday after church. I obviously said yes because who turns down the OG? So we made those plans, and Sunday was shaping up to be a normal day for the two of us. 

That morning neither of us got up for church (oops), but we still wanted to go to Olive Garden. So Al got in my car and started driving, and instead of turning left onto 17 to head towards North Myrtle, he turned right. I asked him where we were going, and he told me I had to get gas. That was the truth, so I didn't think much of it. He pumped my gas, got back in my car, and asked me if we could go to the park first because he hadn't seen it since the hurricane... 

[Side Note: Sunset Beach Park has become a special place to us because it's where we go to Eno and talk about life. It's also my favorite place in all of Brunswick County because it is so beautiful. We spend a lot of time there, so him wanting to see it after the hurricane was not weird.]

...so I responded in typical, Morgan fashion, "I mean I am kind of hungry, but I guess so." So we drove to the park and were walking around looking at all the debris that had mostly been cleaned up. We were talking about the tree that fell on me (never gonna live that one down) and were picking out trees that would've been better to Eno on. We made our way down to the water and were just talking about nonsense, and then Al grabbed both my hands and turned me to face him. This is when I knew what was happening. The only thing I remember him saying was, "Babe..." and then I'm pretty sure I blacked out. At some point I asked him to hold my phone because I didn't want to be holding it in my hand, and then he continued with what he had prepared to say, and before I knew it, he was down on one knee asking me to marry him!!!

I said yes, and he put the most beautiful ring ever on my finger, and as soon as we started hugging, I heard cheers and whistles coming out of the woods. I looked up and his family, my family, and my best friend were all running down the hill to us! They were all so excited, and I was equally excited and in disbelief. My sister's boyfriend Khyne had been taking pictures the whole time and took some more of us with our families - pictures I will truly cherish forever.

We stayed and talked at the park for a bit, and then Al said that we were going to go to Olive Garden if anyone wanted to join us. Of course everyone wanted to join us, and we were thrilled to have them with us to celebrate. We drove down to the restaurant, and as soon as I walked in all my friends from home and Wilmington were standing in the doorway waiting to hug me! I was so surprised and honored that they wanted to drive down to celebrate that day with us. It meant the world to me and made me realize even more how much God has blessed me with wonderful family and friends.

Al put so much thought and preparation into that day for me, and it was everything I had been dreaming of for so many years. On October 16, 2016, I made the easiest decision I've ever made by saying yes to becoming his wife. I am still in shock, and I don't think it has sunk in for either of us yet, but we are so excited for what this journey holds for us. I can't wait to share more of it with you as the wedding plans start to unfold. In the meantime, be praying with us and for us that God will continue to prepare our hearts to be the spouses He created us to be. We are trusting in His plans for our lives together and following where He leads!

Photo credit for most pictures: Khyne Daniels at kdanielsphotography

What Are You Going to Do After Graduation?

This is a question that has been asked of me since my first semester of college. Why anyone would expect me to know what I'm doing after graduation when I just graduated high school is beyond me. However, the longer I have been a college student, the more frequently those eight words have been a topic of conversation. If you ask me, that is a HUGE question to answer. As a twenty-year old Junior, I have spent the majority of my college career thinking about after-graduation plans. Will I go to grad school? Will I get a job? Will I even make it to graduation at all?... (I kid, I kid). I have been constantly racking my brain to come up with the right answer to this daunting question. And when you're a COM major, the question is more like, "What can you even do with a degree in Communication Studies?" [Answer: Absolutely anything. Is that encouraging or overwhelming? I lean more toward the latter]. With all these questions about my future literally hanging over my head, the future can become less like a dream and more like a never-ending nightmare.

Recently, I was really thinking about the future and the path that my life is on, and, in one moment of clarity, I found the answer I had been looking for. All this time I was trying to come up with the answer that would be most pleasing to the ears of the asker. I didn't want anyone who was asking me about my future plans to hear the words "I have no clue" come out of my mouth. I didn't want to seem unprepared or unconcerned. I have always been the diligent worker and the careful planner (at least until college anyway), and I did not want to portray myself as anything less than what people knew to be true about me. What I didn't realize I was doing was that I was creating a version of myself that was not me at all. I was stuck between the fears of not knowing and not pleasing everyone. BUT, in my epiphanic moment, I broke free of those fears. And here is how:

I do not decide my future.

I have never been the one deciding my future.

I did not get where I am today out of my own merit and hard work.

I am not my own and will never be my own.

Those four statements hit me like a ton of bricks in a single moment. I have been so busy trying to decide what I am going to do with my life and my future that I have forgotten that it isn't my future to decide. Jeremiah chapter 10 says, "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; It is not for man to direct his steps." And Galatians chapter 2 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." My future is not my future at all; It is God's future. My life is not my life at all; It is God's life. God, in all His power, wonder, and majesty, created me with a unique purpose for my life. And He alone knows the plans that He has for me in order for that purpose to prevail. His plans are great, and I want nothing more and nothing less than the plans God has for me. After realizing this, I finally had a solid and confident answer to the ever-looming question of "What are you doing to do after graduation?" Before I share my answer with you, I want to share with you a few verses of encouragement (and a little of my insight into them).

Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." How awesome and humbling that God set me and you apart before we were even born!

Proverbs 16:3 - "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."

I read: "Commit your [essays, math homework, group projects, final exams, free time, study habits, relationships, friendships, mind, heart, soul, life] to the Lord, and your plans will be established." What if we all went into our work with that mindset? Our productivity would be astounding.

Proverbs 16:9 - "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

I don't know about you, but that is so freeing to me. I can plan, plan, plan all day long, but the Lord still determines my steps. His sovereignty is so great.

James 4:14-15 - "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

We are but a MIST! Here today and gone tomorrow. How much more should that make us want to fulfill the purpose God has for us in the little time we have here? The Lord's will be done.

Jeremiah 29:11 - "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

This is probably the most well-known verse about the Lord's plans for our lives, but how encouraging and comforting it is to know that the Lord's plans are to give me hope and a future.

Proverbs 19:21 - "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

Again, we make so many plans in our hearts and minds that we stress and worry over, but the Lord's purpose for our lives will always prevail when we are seeking Him.

Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

First of all, God's masterpiece?! If all I am known as for the rest of my life is God's masterpiece, then I will be the most content person on the planet. Secondly, God has prepared our work for us in advance. Why not trust in the work He calls us to do?

Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men... It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

This really hit home for me. I don't serve men. I serve Jesus Christ, and that should always be the heart behind my work.

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

God is working all things together for my good. Constantly trusting in that.

Deuteronomy 14:2 - "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured people."
That last sentence brings me the most joy. The Lord has chosen US to be His treasured people. Why wouldn't we trust Him with our futures?

I know that is a lot of verses to take in, but if you really think about what the premise is behind all of them, you will find that they are all alluding to the same thing. God, our Father, the Creator of the universe, set us apart and made us His chosen ones before we were even born. He, in all His sovereignty, has a specific plan and purpose for each of our lives, and He will direct our steps along the way. If we trust in that plan, we will not fail because the victory has already been won for those who trust in the Lord.

So, when someone asks me the question, "What are you going to do after graduation?" my answer will be very simple: I am going to do whatever the Lord calls me to do. While I may not know exactly what that is yet, I can fully trust that He knows what it is and will bring me to it in His time and in His way. We think we have to have it all together all the time because of the way our society and culture has been set up. We think we have to graduate high school, go to college, get a good paying job, get married, have a family, work until we're 65, retire somewhere nice and tropical, and eventually die. But I am here to tell you, the Lord will direct your steps. His plan for you may not be to go to college. Or His plan may be for you to go to college but not necessarily find the best paying job. He might be planning for you to get married and have kids, or He might not be. However, I can assure you that whatever God has planned for you will be far greater than anything you could have planned for yourself. This is a lesson I have learned over the course of this year, and it is something that I am holding fast to in the coming years of transition in my life.

My future and my life are in the hands of the One who is working all things together for my good, so I have nothing to fear. The unknown can be a scary place, but nothing is unknown to God. And having confidence in God's abilities to make my life something beautiful for Him makes the future a not-so-scary place. My constant prayer is, "Your will be done, Lord." I am so thankful for God's sovereignty and grace. Truly, His will be done in my life because my life has never been my own. All I am for Your glory, Jesus.