As my parents struggled to unpack and squeeze too much stuff into their new home, Nate and I eagerly got back to planning our wedding. By this time we had lists of our lists and were getting lost in the details.

Not wanting to burden Mom further, I wrote my mentor in California, Aunt Joyce, and asked for help organizing our thoughts. Since my 7 bridesmaids lived all over the country and couldn’t shop for gowns together, she helped with the decision to let each girl make her own dress (or have it made). I would provide the material, but they would be in charge of fitting their gowns to their figures.

Aunt Joyce made color suggestions for our late fall wedding, and we settled on deep burgundy with light pink accents, in velveteen. My good friend Lynn volunteered to help me find the best deal on 80 yards of fabric and was willing to sew three of the seven gowns. Aunt Joyce offered to make two, and we were on our way.

Most of all, though, I really appreciated Aunt Joyce’s encouragement and her promise to pray for us. She wrote, “I’m so excited for you both and am anxious to meet Nate. I hope you find a home or apartment, and a job. Count on my prayers!”

Those two items, an apartment and a teaching job (for me), were hanging heavy over our heads, though we couldn’t work on either project till we got back to Champaign. Since our stint as camp counselors would begin August 18, we had two weeks to get everything else done. Registry decisions had to be made, along with invitations, music, catering, a cake, rehearsal dinner venue, a honeymoon destination, and much more. I also had to move out of my Chicago apartment in time to let my three roommates find a new fourth.

Nate and I decided the best place to start was at our favorite Chinese restaurant… with pencil and paper to make a fresh list.

As we cracked open our fortune cookies at the end of that meal, my slip of paper was encouraging: “Past efforts will soon brings blossoms.” (Yes… brings.) When I got home, I glued it into my scrapbook.

The next morning we discovered that a second attempt had been made to steal my Corvette, and so we added one more item to our list: finding a less popular, more reasonably-priced car.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.” (James 1:5)