Pinterest Pining: Discovering Discontentment

Pinterest is a wonderful tool.

It was irreplaceable in coming up with my wedding theme, décor ideas, chalkboard inspiration, and for finding wedding planning tips and checklists (you can see the results of some of my Pinterest inspired pretties here– and check out my wedding board here!). I added my mom and sister to a board so we could all share ideas, then pinned the best ideas to a final board. I really can’t imagine planning my wedding without Pinterest. It also is so helpful in coming up with gluten-free dinners and keeping my favorite tried & true recipes easy to access (most of the meals I make for me and my love come from Pinterest- check out my board here). With my blogs, Pinterest has been the best source to find tips, tricks, formats, and themes from people I am more inclined to trust than simply the results of a Google search.

I really love Pinterest. It has become an integral part in different areas of my life. But sometimes, it does more harm than good. Other than the high possibility of becoming a time-waster, I’ve come to realize that…

Sometimes Pinterest leads to pining over what I don’t have and discontentment about what I do.

I get frustrated that my attempt at something does not look as perfect as the picture in the tutorial- especially true when I worked at making my own wedding décor.
I feel inadequate when I read articles about life topics- why does everyone have it all together except for me?
I grow discontent with my closet and feel frumpy in my style after seeing so many pictures of gorgeous outfits on beautiful models.
I feel incompetent when I read blog-advice with intelligent authors and their attractive images and immense knowledge. Why can’t I figure out this little part of my blog when others can do sooooo much more?

The negative feelings stemming from an array of subjects goes on. Maybe you have felt the same way. Sometimes I catch myself and dispel the lies I find myself believing. Other times I fail to realize my deception and it negatively affects my mood.

When I was planning out wedding, I knew that it would never look like the pictures I was pinning. My location and budget just didn’t allow for all of that. But I still hoped it would. I would be disappointed and dissatisfied with the fact that my wedding would never be on that level of Pinterest-worthiness. Every time a craft I tried didn’t go exactly as I had planned or was far harder than the pin made it seem, I would get frustrated. Discontent. Angry. I would have a little temper tantrum of “why can’t I do anything right? Why does it have to be like this? Why is it so hard? Why am I failing?”. My mom was sweet enough to frequently remind me of reality and of what really mattered. I was making these things for my wedding! The things I crafted were special because I put the work into it myself. And the most important parts of the day weren’t the decorations, the displays, the tablescapes; I was marrying my best friend, committing our life together to Christ, and celebrating it with our friends and family.

Ultimately, when I looked over the reception hall that Friday evening before the wedding, I was so thankful and elated with the results! My family, fiancé, and best friend helped me pull it all together and I had the satisfaction of knowing I had dreamed/designed/crafted/completed my vision on a low budget. I forgot about the Pinterest standard, the perfect pictures, all the pining I did for perfectionistic expectations.

I was content- because I realized and decided that sometimes,

Pinterest breeds unrealistic standards and discontentment.
The purpose and process mattered more than the product.

I still find myself battling the discontentment war with my reality and the Perfect land of Pinterest. But I have learned firsthand that perfection isn’t always best. Personalization is best 🙂 . I am still going to use the amazing tool of Pinterest. But sometimes, I have to shut down my computer, put down my phone, and clear my head of the expectations I have- and remember to have fun!

Have you pined over Pinterest and discovered discontentment? I would love to hear how you battle it!

Vows – Crafted with Love

According to Oxford Dictionaries, the word vow means “a solemn promise (n)”, “to solemnly promise to do a specified thing (v)”, and “to dedicate to someone or something (archaic)”. It makes sense then, as to why we make vows to our spouse in the wedding ceremony; we are pledging, promising, and dedicating ourselves to the other.

My Love and I wanted to make our vows special. We wanted to emphasize to those present at the wedding that 1) we were earnest and serious about our love for the other, and 2) we were committing the rest of our lives to the other, forever, with no exceptions. It seemed to both of us that society takes marriage and the wedding vows far too lightly; people give up on the other too easily, cast blame, and forsake their vows. We wanted to make a statement that this was real, this was lasting, and this was for the rest of our lives- while still staying close to the tradition wedding vow. After an afternoon of sitting in his car while waiting for my rings to be sized and engaging in the writing and word-crafting process, we reached our final result. Our vow was one that conveyed our message of love, commitment, and eternity (and was the most emotional part of our ceremony).

“I ___ take you ___ before God and our families to be my wedded {wife/husband}.

I promise to love and cherish you always, from this day forward, for better and for worse, till death do us part.

 All that I am, I give to you, in a bond that is everlasting. With this vow, I dedicate myself to our marriage, our friendship, and our life together. I love you.”

I nearly cried when my groom spoke these words of love to me. And as we made eye contact, we got lost in the moment; the realness of the ceremony and its implications started to settle in our minds. When it came to be my turn at committing to my Love, I had to go slowly, breath deeply, and whisper the last lines for fear of my voice cracking in happy tears. Exchanging our vows was one of my favorite moments of our wedding day- and one of the most emotional- for it summed up the reason we were celebrating before God, family, and friends.

 

Did you do something special or unique with your wedding vows? How did you decide on what to say? I’d love to hear about it!

Boy Meets Girl; God Works Out the Rest

This blog is the story of a boy and a girl. They both were uncertain of their future after college. They both wanted marriage. But neither had found “the one”. Well, not yet anyway.

That changed when he came to talk to a friend of his while doing some late Christmas shopping. That friend happened to be her coworker, who loved to play matchmaker. The two were introduced by the end of the evening and were facebook friends that night. He thought she was pretty; she thought he had his life together more than the usual guy (okay, and he was really cute). They agreed to meet in a coffee shop the following Saturday. She was nervous; he, excited. As soon as the coffee and hot chocolate were ordered the butterflies settled and the fun began.

It ended up being a four hour adventure that included walking and exploring extensively all downtown and near the college campus nearby. The December chill didn’t bother them as they walked, never stopping the conversation. Over the next few months, the adventure continued and bloomed into a wonderful friendship with many dates and day-trips. By summer, the two had fallen in love and deepened their friendship into something more. Though the boy and girl encountered many challenges in their relationship- including an out-of-state move for him- their commitment to each other only grew stronger and their love more sweet.

December 28, 2014; exactly one year and 99 dates after the first, the two love birds recreated their first date with another visit to the coffee shop and walk around downtown, this time hand-in-hand and head-over-heels in love. After watching the sun set, they headed back across a bridge where he surprised her with a gorgeous ring, a question about the future, and the presence of their families. She cried and smiled and whispered her answer. Tears fell and hugs abounded. Congratulations and much love was spread between families and the couple.

Within the next week the wedding date was set, her wedding dress bought, bridal party picked and asked, and the guest list finalized (they were determined minds and the kind to get things done). Five months later with only a few visits with each other in between, the boy and girl became husband and wife. Mr. & Mrs. So-in-Love-Wurl.

There are ten thousand details left out of the story, but you get the idea. God was at work in both their lives, though neither one could see. And now they seek to worship Him and bring Him glory in their marriage and life together. They are so thankful for their Wonderful Wurl(d) and are going to have a happily ever after. Just wait and see.