Katie and I went to the TAL annual banquet where Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life gave the main talk: it was awesome!
 
The amazing thing about him is how he so clearly communicates the truths of the Faith with respect to life issues, especially abortion. The Holy Spirit is very clearly working through him and he is allowing Him to powerfully.
 
I was trying to figure out what makes him such a good speaker, and I discerned a few things:
1. He believes passionately in what he is speaking about (defending babies in their mothers’ wombs)
2. He speaks very clearly and has easy to understand reasoning and phrasing
3. He varies his speech with pauses, voice inflections, changes in volume, etc. that correspond with what he is saying
 
This was also the first time I got to go to the banquet as a married man! I’ve been about 5 times over the years, always as a single man, so it was really cool to get to introduce Katie as my wife and be introduced as her husband. All in all, it was a very fun event–Roxy and my mom got to go as well, as did the Gretencords, the Ceys, the Kresses, and many other friends of ours.

 
Katie and I went to two events of my 10-year high school reunion yesterday! Wow, how amazing to get to see my old friends with whom I grew up, some of whom I had not had contact with since high school.
 
Some of my friends looked exactly the same as in high school. Most are now married and some have one or two children. It is really cool and somewhat strange to see these friends as husbands and fathers and wives and mothers now.
 
Katie and I won the award (tied) for Most Recently Married for our 2-week old marriage. We spent most of the evening talking with just a few people, as it is hard to get to talk at length with all the people you would like to at such an event. I was deeply struck by the goodness of my old classmates, especially in seeing them with their children and spouses.
 
And how cool it was to introduce Katie as my wife–she was a dream through the night, talking with my old friends like they were her own, listening to them tell stories about me, being with me at this happy event.
 
At the end of it, we got in our car and I drove us home–together–and we remarked how different it would have been to have gone to the reunion alone, without each other, unmarried, and we agreed it would have been sad. But instead, we have each other in marriage, and we do everything as one. My friends met me and my wife, the couple that God has joined together in holiness.
 
God bless them all, and may He guide them to true happiness in life unto eternity!

 
Our friend and Gerardo’s fiancee, Roxy, started a blog recently! You can find it at the site, http://www.rezapornosotros.blogspot.com/. Roxy writes in Spanish, so if you know a little Spanish, it is good practice to read. If you know no Spanish, you can at least get the gist of what she is writing about by using the babelfish to translate her posts.
 
The babelfish translation is sometimes nonsensical, as you can see from this translation of her post on when she came to dinner with Richard at me and Katie’s home last night! more…

 
I was thinking this morning about the many blessings Devin and I received during our wedding weekend. So many people worked so hard to make it a beautiful, sacred celebration. I was quite the queen of delegation, you see! more…

 
Howdy,
 
I am now a married man, joined as one with Catherine!
 
Today was my third day back at work after our wedding and honeymoon and also the third day that I have brought my lunch to work instead of going down and ordering it from the cafeteria. This may not seem like a big deal, but to me it is, because for the past 6 years, I have eaten my lunch at the cafe, usually something unhealthy like a huge hamburger, onion rings, and a 20 oz coke.
 
But now, my beautiful wife, Catherine, makes me dinner each night and then packs me leftovers in tupperware to eat the next day! It is so awesome that I get excited before going to eat lunch each day, both because Katie’s meals taste much better than the cafeteria’s and also because we are saving lots of money by bringing leftovers. Also, Katie’s packs me a good breakfast each morning, so we save money there as well.
 
The wedding pictures are forthcoming, and also a video–we hope–of me and Katie’s dance. Jordan and Tammy shot the dance video very generously. For now, here is one photo that Bethany took of me and Katie at the reception:
 

 
Also, more details of the wedding will follow!

 
My husband is taking a nap on the couch this afternoon. My husband…I love to say that! He worked hard this morning with his father, repairing various valves and hoses in our home. Our home…I love saying that, too!
 
We have been married one week now and have rejoiced in every minute of it. Marriage is wonderful! The sacramental grace is new each day. Our Lord is gratuitously generous.
 
We look forward to sharing more about our wedding, as soon as we have photos to post. Thank you all for your prayers and congratulations. YKC!

 
…the first time was 9 months ago when I met Katie face-to-face for the first time, both of us unsure at first about each other. And now, by God’s grace, we are being joined as one flesh, one heart, one soul in marriage!
 
Who but God knows all things and wills all things for the ultimate good of His children? Truly, all His ways are perfect, and Katie and I humble ourselves before Him. The next time that I make a blog post, I will be married to Catherine Rose, please God.

 
Last week, a few friends offered me a lovely bachlorette luncheon. They, who just met me for the first time a few months past, have embraced me as a friend and offered their kindness to me. I feel surrounded, in this time of wedding preparation, by a “chorus of virgins”, as Psalm 45 so beautifully proclaims. Bless the Lord for such lovely women.
 

 

 
Well, this is it, the homestretch before I have the honor of becoming Devin’s wife. I’m home in Deming for this final week, tying up the various loose ends that come with wedding planning. Bless the Lord, things are very busy! And, inevitably, various loose ends are not allowing themselves to be tied up as planned, which is teaching me more deeply the virtue of surrender. While I’m tempted to anxiety and control, the Lord is so good to remind me that I can offer every snag this week as a sacrifice on behalf of Devin and me, our guests, the wedding, and our marriage. The Lord never allows any difficulty to be wasted, I’m learning.
 
In the midst of all the busy-ness and learning to be flexible, I’m deeply peaceful and so happy. In four short days, I will be Mrs. Catherine Rose. I have never known such happiness and peace. I have never imagined a more perfect wedding weekend. The weather here is beautiful! Fall wildflowers are blooming! I feel like Our Lord is making the land beautiful just for us and our guests.
 
Please pray for us in these final days, that Our Lord will open our hearts fully to each other and make Devin and me a bride and groom, one in Him. YKC!
 

 
If not, do it now!
 
I think it must be an especially pleasing act of faith to thank our angels for protecting us, since most of us have never seen our angels nor will this side of Heaven. Imagine, however, that this luminous, beautiful, and incredibly powerful being is standing guard over you right now, and doing so for the pure love of God and you as His child.
 
Holy angels, surround us and defend us from all evil!