First Wedding Of 2016!

What is with this wedding streak?!  Before last year, the one and only wedding I've been to in the past 10 years was one youth group wedding for Braz and Heather - that was 2006?  And then dead calm, which I didn't horribly mind.  And then starting with Joe and Hannah's wedding last May - BAM!  I have a wedding almost every month!  Crazy!

Tonight was my first wedding of 2016.

 And I couldn't have been happier about this wedding!  My wonderful Kileean!  I had Kileean in youth group back in 2006/7 or so and until I ended my youth group service.  He was one of those amazing, kind, gentle, honest, godly kids that you just didn't see frequently.  I think the reason I liked him so much is because for some reason, he either thought I was a cool youth group leader... Or maybe just took pity on me?...:)  Either way, "Ally" felt like the most awesome youth group leader.  I had a few kids like that.  I went into youth group never really having been in actual youth group growing up and always having felt like the weird, uncool, not liked teenager... I was in my 30s and still feeling like the weird, uncool, not liked adult.  Thank God for a few really amazing teens who were just so kind to me and actually wanted to hang around me and talk to me and, funny thing is, I feel like I matured and become a more secure adult in my 30s because of a group of really mature and secure teenagers.  This was Kileean.  Not only secure in who he was as a person, but secure in who he was in God.  

And so I got to spend 4 years with a Kileean, a really beyond his years amazing teen who, with a few others same minded teens, for some reason, always wanted to be in my car when we did youth group trips.  And wanted me to play ping pong with them (even though I suck at it!:).  And wanted me to hang out in their small groups.  And asked me what I thought about life.  And told me about things that were going on in their lives.

And now, they've all grown into fabulous adults.  Some of them are still really faithful to God and others are trying to figure out where they are.  But Kileean is one who just had such fabulous parents and such a God-amazing attitude, that he's stuck with things and moved on in life but still stayed with where God wants him to be.  And I've seen him mature even more.

And now I've seen God bring an amazing woman into his life - I don't know her, but I know Kileean and I know his parents and I've seen and heard what he thinks of her... And I saw them standing up in front of everyone tonight and... he's not my kid, but I can't help but be SO proud of him because I had a teensy teensy tiny part in his life.  And I'm so happy and grateful for that!  And I'm so... PROUD!

Congratulations to Kileean and Meg!

Praying for so much for both of you!!!

And btw - totally cool venue!!!!! Never even know it was there!