What's Next?

         1 month, 3 weeks, 3 days. 7 1/2 weeks. 54 days.
         However you slice it, we're getting close. Really close. In 54 days, I'll be Mrs. Joshua Grimm. Wow. I can't wait!!!
         So, I was thinking that I really haven't written a post on where we're going. Yes, we're getting married, but so much is changing along with that. We're beginning a new adventure together, and we're incredibly excited, but also a little bit scared.
         So let's start at the beginning. Nope, we're not starting at June 2nd, we're going to go much farther back than that. Back when a little boy with blonde hair and brown eyes was listening to a Steve Green CD when the thought first popped into his head- "maybe I want to be a preacher."
         It was a fleeting thought, but that little boy, just 7 or 8 at the time, began to think about it more as he moved into middle school and began to read theology books. He continued to read them into high school and at the age of 15 was poring over Calvin's Institutes (I may or may not make fun of him for that :P).
         Are you getting the picture? At a young age, God began to call Josh to the ministry. He struggled with it, wrestled with it, and tried to talk God out of it. But in the end, Josh found that he could do nothing else than submit to God's will in his life. After graduating from Erskine College in 2009 with a double major in Bible and Philosophy, Joshua decided to take some time off to think things through and work off some of his college loans. He began working at a bank in south eastern North Carolina and shortly after was promoted to team leader of collections. Josh got plugged in at a local church and began leading young adult ministries there. This opportunity, along with some opportunities to preach to this congregation, added more confirmation to his calling.
        During this time, Josh and I met and fell in love. When we started our courtship, I was at the end of my first of two years of my nursing major at Kent State University. Josh saw me (for some mysterious reason) as a woman who he wanted to be his wife, but also who he saw as having the qualities of a pastor's wife, someone to partner with and encourage him in his ministry.
         In the fall of 2011, Josh applied to and was accepted to two seminaries and the more we talked and prayed about it, the more we felt that God was calling us to Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was confirmed further when Nathan Frazier, the pastor of Craig Avenue Tabernacle ARP church (no, they do not meet in a tent :P), offered Josh a paid internship at his church. God's blessings continued to be poured out upon us as we found out that at least Josh's first full year of seminary would be paid for, with a guaranteed 50% of the next two years also being covered financially.
          And that pretty much brings us up to date. The timing has worked out wonderfully, because I will be graduating in May with my associate's degree in nursing! We went to Charlotte a few weeks ago and picked out our apartment- a cute, 2 bedroom, brick townhouse situated on a shady street in south Charlotte. In the middle of May, my dad will be helping us move our furniture and wedding gifts to our apartment, and then Josh will be coming home to spend the 2 weeks before the wedding with my family here in Ohio.

So our future in a nutshell:
-On June 2nd, we will be getting married.
-Sometime this summer I will be taking my state boards and will become a registered nurse, and then   Lord willing shortly thereafter will be able to find a job at a (hopefully pediatric) hospital in Charlotte.
-At some point this summer, my husband (YES!) will start his internship with Nathan at Craig Avenue
-At the end of July, Josh will start seminary classes
-We will be spending at least the next three years in Charlotte as Josh masters divinity (haha!) :P
-O! and last but not least, since I will be relocating, I will be taking my camera but unfortunately not my clients with me :( If you're in the Charlotte area and are interested in having me do a shoot for you, your kiddos, your family, your wedding, etc, let me know! I'd love to talk with you!

          That was a much longer post than I'd planned :P We are so excited and very much covet your prayers for us. There are a lot of changes coming in the next few months- difficult goodbyes, financial uncertainties, adjustments to being married, etc. We're so thankful for the support of our friends and families!