A Promise and A Ring ~ A Promise Ring

Just a few week ago this beautiful girl turned 14.  My goodness, my heart aches with how fast time is flying by!

She has known what she wanted for her birthday for over a  year.  This is a rare thing for her, she normally has no request and is happy with any and everything.  Yes, we know what a blessing that is.  This gift was different, from the time she heard of the idea of a promise ring she has wanted one.  We would be crazy not to want to give her one but we wanted to wait until the time was right for her, which means she did not (to her disappointment) get it for her birthday last year.  We needed her to be mature enough to understand the full meaning of this ring.  This ring was not a simply a gift but a symbol of a promise, first to God and herself and then to us.  This is a promise she has made and there did not have to be a ring to go with it but we are firm believers in visual aids and symbolic gifts so we wanted to give this gift.  Audrey and I have spent the past year studying the covenant promises of God and that when God makes a promise He never breaks a promise.  Going through this study has opened her eyes to the importance of God’s commandments for our lives and that they are for our protection and blessing.  We wanted her to understand that the God of this universe has a plan for her and the best way that she can fulfill it is to follow His commandments and live a life of faithfully following Him.  A valuable piece of that is to be a pure virgin on your wedding night.  It is our desire and expectation that she will not date for fun but date (when she is an at an age to consider marriage) prayerfully with a desire to meet the man God has planned for her.  Her dad wrote her a letter blessing her with beautiful words of how precious and valuable she is and encouraging her as she starts walking through this next phase of life and finally explaining what this covenant promise means between

her and God,

her and us,

and her and her future husband.

One day this ring will be replace by another, one purchased by a man who will make a promise to her for life.  My prayer for her and him is that she can take the ring we bought her off and with no shame give it to him on their wedding night.

Charity

PS.  The study we used was Covenant by Kay Arthur

July 10, 2013 2:30 am

This time 14 years ago I had no idea how

in a few hours my life was going to change.  How could I…this was all new to me.

  Motherhood

was something I had longed for and dreamed about but didn’t know.  I had spent the last few months nesting and fluffing every cute pink thing I could get my hands on but still didn’t know what motherhood was about to do to me!

I awoke at 7:30 to my water breaking.  It was so exciting to call your dad (he was working with Nana and Papa early that morning) and tell him

“it was time”. 

The time we had been anticipating for months was finally here.  Today was our day to become a family of three.  You were 3 1/2 weeks early at this point but I had no fear, only peace.  On the ride to the hospital we took our time, stopping to get me something to eat because after all you were our first and everyone tells you how long it takes.  About 10 minutes from the hospital I had my first contraction.  I may have asked your dad to speed up at that point!  When we got to the hospital we had to stand at the check in desk for what seemed like forever, giving them all he same information I had filled out and mailed to them a month earlier…go figure.  After that they bring a wheelchair and wheel me to a room.  By this point the contractions are regular and strong.  A nurse comes in and asks me a million and one questions, including how much I weigh.  Can I stop right here and just say that NO ONE should ever ask a woman how much she weighs much less when she has spent the last 9 months gaining weight, is swollen and in pain from contractions, there I feel better now!  We answered all her questions only breaking for contractions.  I asked her if she was going to check me and she politely smiles and says, NO dear, this is your first baby and you have a long time ahead of you, I will be back later to check you.  Well, that was not the answer I was looking for because I knew it was close to time!  I told her that she could laugh at me later but please check me now!  She did and to her great surprise I was dilated to a 7, in less than an hour (from when the first contraction came) I had dilated to a 7.  She quickly started making calls to the doctors and prepping the room.  I do not remember what time I it was when I started to push, which I had no idea how to do and spent most of the time doing it wrong, but I know you arrived perfect and healthy at 1:35 pm. 

From the first look at you, I knew my world had changed forever.  I now knew I would never do anything in life the same.  Suddenly I knew what it meant to love unconditionally.  You had not looked me  or touched me and had nothing to offer but needs but I was willing to die for you!  I did not know I was capable of that type of love!  Suddenly, you had welcomed me into

Motherhood

and changed me forever.

I am beyond thankful to have you and one day, in the not to distant future, I can’t wait for you to have your first and to finally fully understand what a treasured gift you are!

For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. 1Samuel 1:27

I love you Audrey,

Happy 14th Birthday!

Momma