A Moment with M.O.M.

Jed and Miranda 2011

Thinking back I can still recall Jed’s voice in my mind when he came home after meeting Miranda. “Mom! I went to lunch and saw this girl. She doesn’t even know that I was there but I was watching her and how she was dealing with all the customers.” The conversation went on he mentioned the way she smiled, her patience and how she made every person feel special. I asked him if was going to introduce himself but he told me “nah”. I noticed that every day he would leave early for work, finally I asked him about it. He told me he was having lunch at a local pizza shop. “Hmm… you mean the same pizza shop that you noticed the girl at?” He replied with a smile.. “ya. that pizza shop”. I told his sisters we need to go do some investigative work so with the little details I had gleaned from his conversations we went to what we thought was THE pizza shop. We looked around for THE girl but I didnt’ see anyone that stood out ot me as being someone my Jed would find engaging. I asked if anyone knew of this girl and then gave a description. They told me that she use to work there but didn’t any longer. I was bummed… the girls were bummed. We just ate some less than desirable pizza in hopes of finding her. Little did we know that we were at the wrong pizza shop!

Well, time went on and we tossed our investigative hats off and decided to just wait to meet THE girl that had captured Jed’s attention. Now, there may be some young men that would have their attention captured by many girls but not Jed. While he’s a friend to many he’s never been one to entertain relationships with girls. He knows that God has that one special person for him and he’s been waiting for her.

Jed had not been in Kansas long when some young men asked him to church. He decided to go and what do you know, THE girl went to church there too! Jed introduced himself but she seemed to not be interested in getting to know him anymore than that. I remember a late night conversation with him when he told me, “She’s special mom. I don’t know what it is about her but I just feel like she’s THE girl!” I encouraged him to wait for the Lord to reveal the plan and he agreed. Over the next few months Jed would run across her in different settings and each time they would talk a little more. Finally a friendship blossomed and Jed began spending a great deal of time at her parents home playing games with her father and getting to know her four brothers. It was November of last year when Jed approached Miranda’s daddy and asked permission to court her with the intention of marriage. He agreed and both Jed and Miranda were delighted. Miranda started spending time with our family and soon took her rightful position in the home as another part of the family. I’ll never forget the night that the house was in an uproar. I called from another room, “boys quiet down” When the children replied, “it’s not us mom it’s Miranda!” She was running through the house playing cowboys and Indians with the little ones! It made my heart delighted that she was playful with Jed’s siblings.

Since that time the kids have continued to grow in their relationship. They’ve included their families in their get-togethers, spent time with us and allowed Joe and I to be part of the council they seek. It’s been a blessing.

When Jed made known to his daddy and I that he was going to ask Miranda’s parents for permission to marry her. We all began praying. Praying for God’s timing and for His perfect will. Even my parents played a vital role in the prayer and council this young couple has received.

I have enjoyed the countless conversations with Miranda. She has a very tender heart and is such an incredible blessing to our home. I will always hold the heart sharing with one another as precious. I’ll never forget that car ride when I told her how we live in our home. How she’s a princess of the Most High God and how in this family she will carry herself as a Princess. We talked about the true character of a Princess and looking back I can see it was God’s message not mine. With tears in her eyes and a smile she said, “I’ve wanted this all my life Momma!” I knew then… this was my daughter! She loves being part of our family and we love having her. She loves instruction and graciously allows me to invest in her life both spiritually and physically. I love having her around and can’t imagine the family without her. It’s not uncommon for the kids to take their siblings out on “dates” to find Miranda in the kitchen working with me, at the beehives with Timothy, or helping us in the family business.

Lord willing, they will be wed on August 20th, here on the farm and married by my dear Joe. The wedding will be simple and yet, beautiful with family and friends that are dear to us. I’m excited to see what God does in the lives of these two individuals that He is bringing together for His Glory! I am blessed!

Below: Timeline of Activity

May 31st purchased the wedding dress for Miranda!

June 5th enjoyed an afternoon of Cake Testing with the kids! Fun days!

June 8th Miranda and her momma came to the house to address Bridal Shower invitations.

June 10th Went shopping with Miranda and purchased all the decor for our Country/Vintage wedding. Praising God for 66% off sales!

On June 25th Jed and Miranda had photos taken. Here’s the first of many to come through.

(Meeting Jed from my perspective)

Meeting the Love of my life, and not even knowing it:

Working at a pizza place is certainly a character building job. One must learn to be gracious to all and show Christ’s love with a smile. It wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it, because it gave me the opportunity to meet my best friend and future husband. : ). Jed wasn’t the first guy to come into my work to eat pizza and talk to me, so I didn’t even think about it when he came in everyday just to order a pepperoni pizza.

He told me later that he didn’t even like that pizza very much at all, he just wanted to see me again even just for a few moments. Jed could recount to you all the random conversations we had as I was having a boring or crazy day at work and happened to blab on to some guy (Jed)  just sitting at the closest table to me. Jed tells me that from the moment he saw me he knew he was never going to look at any girl the same way, and it’s true because now wherever we go, he’s completely oblivious to everyone but me. I gotta tell ya, there is no better feeling and no better blessing in life than to have a physical representation of Christ’s love. It’s what I’ve wanted all my life! : ) I never expected in a million years that loving Jed would make my relationship with God better, but waking up every morning and praying for Jed has been the best 30 minutes of my day : D.

Jed found me on facebook and I noticed he was a Christian and he liked C.S. Lewis, and some really great literature, so I added him as a friend, but I didn’t know that this was the same guy who came to see me all the time at work. My grandma had a shoulder operation the following week that went horribly wrong, so I stayed with her for the next 2 weeks and took care of her. We did physical therapy together and ate and slept and every moment I wasn’t working I was with her. I was working three jobs at this time as well to pay for a missions trip to Guatemala later that summer. I was never on facebook, so I gave Jed my number and said he could text me sometime because we always had great conversations and I began to look at him as kind of a friend. Well multiple times he invited me to hang out with his family or with him and his sisters and I was either too busy, or didn’t want to.

I remember one time having my brother answer one of him phonecalls and tell him that I was asleep. Jed knew I wasn’t asleep because he heard me talking in the background. When I look back now I feel so horrible about the way I blew him off time after time after time. This was at a time in my life when I had told God that I was tired of being in all the wrong places, and tired of not knowing who God wanted in my life and who He didn’t. I told God that I had given up and that I was going to work and spend time with family and Him, until he showed me who I should talk to and who I shouldn’t.

For three days I didn’t talk to anyone. Then God told me that I was supposed to build a relationship with Jed. The first day we hung out we went to MacDonalds and Walmart. He became my best friend and we shared many encouragin moments together. The first time I hugged him, I knew he was the one that I wanted to be best friends with, forever. I knew he was the man God sent for me to marry. It was crazy! I was only 17! I decided he had to meet my parents the next week. I was surprised at how loved he made them feel by listening and smiling and being very respectful. All of my friends loved him and told me they wished I would’ve met him even sooner.

A week later Jed told my dad that he loved me and he was going to marry me someday, so he wanted my dads blessing to court me. My parents didn’t know what to think. My dad just kinda raised his hands and half nodded and my mother’s jaw dropped. No one said anything. So, I ran into the kitchen ( I had been hiding around the corner) and I ran into the room to change the subject. Jed and I started dating because we figured my parents response was a yes… ha ha ha. It was, my parents have grown to love him so much and apreciate how well he takes care of me. He treats me like a Princess! : ) He teases me and tells me he shouldn’t have let his mom tell me that because now he has to hear all about it all the time from me, but I know deep down he loves to hear me talk about myself so cheerfully and grin so big. : )

I got to spend Christmas eve with Jed’s family and meet Grandma and Grandpa Renfro (Jeanette’s parents). Jed spent Christmas with my family and got to meet my brother and sister in law who live in Arkansas.

December 26th Jed left to drive with his dad for Azure Standard. They are home about three weekends a month, if they don’t have backhauls. It was really hard at first not getting to see him or talk to him as much. I cried frequently because I missed him so much. Yet, as our relationship grew I understood how Momma Wood survived all these years without getting to see her husband everyday. I am learning more and more everyday about what Love is really like. Jed traveling for work hasn’t been easy, but it has sure been a blessing. It has showed me that no matter how far away Jed is, or how busy he is, or how often I can’t talk to him, or whether or not I get to see him very much, he will ALWAYS love me and be thinking of me and God willing he will always come home. : ) After all, knowing that he works that job just for me is enough of a reason to smile : )

Mom and I encourage each other that this is only for a season, and God willing sometime soon we will have our men home with us so much more often. : )

God has taken care of me enough to bring me Jed, so He can definitely handle the rest! : )

…And that’s our story, from my point of view.

-Miranda Toburen 6-14-11

The Bridal Shower- 7-16-11

Many Friends and Family blessed me and showered me with gifts and congratulations this past Saturday. Thank You Wood Ladies for hosting such a great shower for me!: D

11-6-2011

Married life has been a blessing to us. Everyday we recognize how thankful we are to God for this gift of oneness he has privileged us with. Since Jed is often on the road, we decided it would be refreshing to stay home for the honeymoon and enjoyed having Two Whole Weeks together! The past month or so I have been traveling with him on the Azure delivery routes most of the time. We are home long enough to do laundry, go to church, and get some very welcome rest : ). I am happy to say however, that i get a whole week at home this week in order to get caught up on “Wifey” type of stuff, like this blog update lol. It has been an interesting opportunity that most wives don’t have to be able to travel with and work alongside my husband, and it is a great reminder to me that He works so diligently to provide for his family. I am glad that God has given me the availability at the moment to center my schedule around honoring and pleasing my husband because i know that later on in life it will not be as easy to do so. Please pray that we can rejoice in the opportunity to be together and to have employment even though it means we aren’t home often. Enough Rambling on Though… Here are some pictures of the wedding and reception:

If you’d like to see our wedding video, go to my facebook page: Miranda Elise Wood. : )

Almost a month ago Jed and I found out that we are expecting! Baby Wood will be born in September of 2012 Lord Willing, and we are simply overjoyed and excited to meet baby when he or she arrives. I had prayed for God to align my will with his plan, since we had wanted kids right away and for months it seemed like God wasn’t listening to my prayers for a little one. Jed told me to accept God’s plan for what he has us doing at the moment and God would bless us with children in His timing. I agreed that Jed was right and I received great joy in praising God for my husband and telling him i would be honored to live out His plan in my life instead of my own. Just a week later, we found out that we were expecting and I’ll be nine weeks this Saturday. God’s absolute perfection and faithfulness never ceases to make me full of His Joy. I can’t wait to raise this child to please him, within his will. : )

February 6,2012

-Miranda Elise Wood