Devoted

Devoted.

That was the word that kept coming to my mind this New Year as I looked to what 2019 holds for me.

Devoted and Dedication.

The words are almost interchangeable. Almost being the keyword. Dedication tends to relate to a task or a job or a goal, which is something I also want to be this year.

But devoted...

Devoted means to walk forward no matter what in a relationship. Devotion takes dedication, but it takes more than that.

It takes faith.

And that's what I truly want this year, to be devoted. Devoted to Christ my Lord and building my ongoing, ever-lasting relationship with him, and devoted to my soon-to-be husband.

2019 holds a lot of change for me, readers, and I am so excited (and also pretty nervous) for all of it.

In 3 1/2 weeks my best friend and I are getting married. It's starting to sink in how close we are as I begin doing laundry this week so I can start moving my things into his tiny house. 

In less than a month, or to be exact, 25 days, I will no longer be Emily McConnell. I will no longer be just Emily, but Emily and Lucas, one in marriage and in the Lord. I will move into our small house with my husband, I will become a wife and a helpmeet, and Lucas and I will be our own family.

I will gain 7 new nieces and nephews, six new brothers and sisters, and another set of parents. My last name will change from a Scotts-Irish name to a pure Scottish name. Everything is going to be new, different, bizarre, wonderful, and sometimes a little hard to adjust to. I mean, going from a household that hosts between 7 and 16 people at a time to Lucas and myself is going to take some time to adjust to. 

Every time I stop to think about what we are working towards, I am bewildered, overwhelmed and blessed to think of the journey that lies ahead for myself and for Lucas. Two years ago I wouldn't have dreamed I would be getting married! I was still Emily who thought boys were kinda nice but horses were better, Emily who was much more interested in reading and writing stories than thinking about getting married. The Lord completely changed my heart after I met Lucas and opened me to the door of possibility--- the door of marriage. 

And here I am, about to walk through the door where Lucas is waiting for me, his hand outstretched, ready to lead me in a Godly marriage as we pursue Christ together. Because that's what marriage is, pursuing the Lord together and creating a family with the Lord's help that helps others find Him. It's incredible, really. There's so much about to happen!

Yet, even with all these changes, all these new adventures about to start, there is still Emily. The same Emily who started this blog some five years ago, the one that sits at the counter wondering if it's a good idea to give chickens diapers, if the Mornellys would come to our wedding if I invited them. That same Emily who used to pretend she was going to be the greatest horse trainer ever, the number one best selling author of the century, the world traveler. I am entering a new stage in my life, I am no longer a young girl but a young woman, and I am about to become a wife. Who knows, in the next year or two I may become a mother! Everything is changing, and yet, everything is the same. I am still Emily, I am still a writer, and I am still a daughter and sister and friend.

I am still a blogger too, readers, if not a consistent one at least an existing one. ;) 

This blog isn't going anywhere. After  consulting with Lucas and my mother and mother-in-law, I am going to keep this blog. I don't know exactly how I am going to change it yet, for starters the last name and blog address will have to change since it has McConnell on it, (see poll at end of post to have a guess at what my new last name will be! It's really  cool!) and perhaps the formatting and what I blog about, but I don't intend to abandon this blog. Lucas and I think we might open a second blog that he contributes to as well, but he highly encouraged me to keep this one and plug away at it. He's a pretty big fan of my stories, to which I am honored. He likes the Mornellys a lot, they remind him of his brothers. :)

Readers, this is a brand new year of exciting adventures, and sometimes they're scary, too. I get scared of marriage, I will never lie that sometimes I am really terrified that I won't be a good wife or that I will be super bossy or marriage is going to be hard, but I also know that no matter how much my life changes, one thing won't.

Christ, our Lord, who is the same yesterday and today, always and forever. Marriage is going to be wonderful and amazing and sometimes really tough, and it's going to be very different than living at home with my family, but the Lord will always be the same. That will never change. And as long as He's the same, and I can always depend on Him to stay the same and consistent and that He will always be there for me, what do I have to fear? What can change do against me? (Original Bible verse paraphrased, *cough cough*)

Yes readers, my blogging style might change, the blog colors and format and name and everything might change, and I will change in many ways, but I will still be Emily and the Lord is still Lord...

So lets have fun with these new adventures, right? Because that is, after all, what this blog is all about. The Real LIFE Adventures of Emily McConnell... and those imaginary ones will still count for something, too. ;)

Happy New Year, dear readers! What does 2019 hold for you? I want to hear from you!

Blessings in the Lord!

-Emily

POLL: 

What Do You Think My New Last Name Will Be?

Comment your answer below!

A) McDonald

B) McLaughlin

C) Sinclair

D) Duncan