The A Team??

In the early 80's, one of my favorite TV shows was The A-Team. It was about a team of guys trained as US Army Special Forces, who used unconventional tactics to right wrongs and overturn evil, while overcoming incredible odds and keeping a good sense of humor. Whew! The show usually ended with Hannibal Smith sticking a stogie in his mouth, smiling a contented smile, and saying... "I love it when a plan comes together!" I felt that way this past Friday evening as I was sitting in our family room, (minus the stogie), observing and sharing in the joy of plans coming together.

Friday evening, after weeks of thoughtful and creative planning, Brad Leach proposed to our daughter, Leah. Because he knows she loves surprises, he arranged a delightful evening of one surprise after the other, beginning with... him! They hadn't 'planned' to see each other that weekend ;) Brad secretly enlisted the help of a few close friends and family to keep the secret and get her where she needed to be, and truly, it was PERFECT! In fact, it was 'over the top'!

As a mom, I can't express how special it was to me to watch Brad cook (really!) and create a romantic atmosphere for a moment in time which would set the course of a lifetime. His desire and his mission was to delight Leah, and watching him prepare and bring that to pass blessed me beyond words.

Brad secretly gathered Bruce and me, his parents, Samantha, Ashley and Nate to all be here as a surprise when he and Leah returned to our home Friday evening, and it was so much fun!! I honestly have never seen my daughter so happy.

But I think the best part is knowing beyond a shadow of doubt that this is all part of a bigger plan coming together. I know that God sovereignly aligned their paths to meet and fall in love, and the 'backstory' is full of heartfelt prayers, incredible odds, and uncoincidental coincidences. I've been so thrilled to watch it unfold, and I'm so in awe to witness God's handiwork and planning bear lovely and good fruit. The more I know Brad, the more I know that he is an incredible, talented, gifted, charming young man. He's the Ephesians 3:20* answer to 28 years of praying for my daughter's life partner. He's clever and funny, and you can see from this picture, he's a real 'looker', too!

When Bruce, Samantha and I met with Brad's parents for dinner Friday evening, his dad greeted us with a smile and said, "Will you marry us?" It was such a fun moment! God's plan includes a wonderful extended family for Leah and for all of us. Could be the beginning of a new A-Team. I love it when a plan comes together!!

*Ephesians 3:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Far Far Away

I was reading on CNN this morning about the discovery of a new planet. I am interested in things astronomical, and often visit the Hubble Telescope site to see what's cookin' in deep space. I love to look at the photos taken by the Hubble and other orbiting telescopes. Some of them look like something you might see under a microscope and I am humbled when I realize how huge they really are, and how far away they are. I really can't adequately wrap my little mind around it.

This CNN article is about a new planet, just 'discovered' in a solar system far, far away. It always makes me... chortle... when 'objective' articles make it sound like mankind should take some kind of credit for the discovery, and minimize the magnitude and plan of creation. It kind of has the sense that, if we don't know it's there, then it isn't. Here's a quote from one authority on the sighting: "It's just letting us know that nature has some surprises for us ... a much wider range of possibility than we could imagine." Astronomer, Alan Boss

While it's daunting to even try to imagine the realm of 'outer space', I take comfort that it's way beyond my ability to grasp. Because I know The Creator, and the heavens are just another bullet point on His résumé. It just reinforces to me the value of faith over sight.

Here's a quote from another authority: "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." Jeremiah (32:17)