The Browning Life

Photo by Shanoah Bri Photography

I never knew marriage would be this sweet!

Hey friends, 

It has been over a year since I have blogged. I was afraid of being the girl who blogged about her boyfriend so I held back.  A lot has changed since I last wrote a blog and I thought it was time to write about something that has been on my heart for a while. Before I dive in, I will give you a little life update. I now live in Colorado, I work full time at a middle school while finishing my BA online. I lead high school Young Life and WyldLife now. The best news is that I got MARRIED! This blog is coming to you from Jourdyn BROWNING and I am married ANDY BROWNING on December 28, 2019!

I always wanted to get married, but sometimes the thought of being a wife overwhelmed me and did not seem exciting. I also did not expect to get married at twenty-two, but as Thomas Rhett says "when we make plans we hear God laughing." I thought being a good wife meant cooking meals with an apron on, always doing the dishes, and all the laundry had to be done all the time. Maybe for some people, this is what it looks like to be a wife. Instead I married a man who is willing to help me in the kitchen, do the dishes, and does not expect things to be perfect.

If you have been keeping up with me for a while, you may remember the blog I released January of 2018, about loving my independence. You may remember me writing myself a letter about when I met the man I would marry. I told myself to soak up my time as a single girl, because when it is gone, I wont get it back. I told myself to make lasting friendships. I wrote about never letting a guy define my worth because that comes from Jesus. I also never want to forget that I am strong, independent, smart, adventurous, and beautiful. I met a man who has not let me forget these truths.

Here are our sweet, intentional loving friends that we met
 during our summer in Branson, MO.
 We Love them so much!
Photo credit to Shanoah Bri Photography

Right before I met Andy, I took the semester off school to teach ski lessons and explore the Montana mountains. Then I drove to Missouri, for Young Life's Discipleship Focus (DFO), all by myself. I stayed in a hotel by myself for the first time. On the drive to Missouri, I told myself that I was going to meet my future bridesmaids and I was not on the husband hunt. Well as you can see God had a different plan for that. We made so many life long friends and I did in fact meet one of the beautiful ladies, who would stand by my side on that special day. I met my sweet friend, Mer, who I love so much. Andy also met two of his groomsmen during that summer. We are so thankful for TJ and Brando. I met so many other friends who taught me how to be more intentional, to love more, and to draw near to God. We learned so much about the Lord's truths together and it was so beautiful. So many of those sweet friends made the long journey to be at our wedding. It is so sweet to think that these friends watched us go from strangers to best friends. They were even there when we became official, and eventually, to celebrate us as we became husband and wife. We never know when we are going to meet that special person. I am so glad I met Andy on God's time and in such a special place.

At first, I was not sure about Andy. We were not allowed to go on dates, so we went on friend dates called, "etads". The funky word is "date" spelled backwards. On our first etad, I told Andy how I loved my independence and how I did not think I was ready for a relationship. This declaration did not stop him. He kept pursuing me and it gave me a beautiful picture of the way the Lord pursues us. Andy appreciated my independence, is excited about the way I loved adventure. He reminds me that I am beautiful all the time. He is attracted to the way I love Jesus. When I realized that Andy was willing to let me be who the Lord created me to be and he was not going to try to tame me, I was open to giving him a chance.

These photos show Andy's beautiful genuine
reaction to the first look. It was better than I
imagined.
Photo credit to Shanoah Bri Photography

My small group leader, Sarah, saw how I was changing my circumstance because I was afraid of what could come from letting Andy in. I started navigating what this could bring. One night at DFO, our leaders talked to us about relationships. One thing I remember hearing from our panel of leaders is that when we get into a relationship, we need to be at a point where we do not need that person, because we know we desperately need God. This biblical truth really hit me, and I really thought about this, and prayed about it as the summer came to an end. During my special time when it was just Jesus and I on an adventure, I learned to rest in the fact that my worth comes from HIM! Andy and I know that our worth is not found in each other,  but each of us find our worth in the Lord. Another thing that stuck out from this night at DFO was that when you do get married, you can not have a best friend of the opposite gender. I really thought about this because Andy was my best friend and I could not imagine him not being in my life. Thats when I knew I needed to go for it if Andy asked me to date him. I also was pretty sure I was going to marry this man and I was going to marry and I did!

Andy has loved me SO well, even from the 'etad' stage. He was the guy who made me so thankful that no other relationship never worked out. Andy values me for me. Over time, Andy showed me it was a good thing that I was giving up my season of singleness. I think dating long distance helped me be okay slowly letting go of that season of my life. I love life with my best friend! Married life has not at all taken away my freedom. I have not at all lost who I am. Andy encourages me to be a better human and I think he would say the same about me. Being a wife is such a happy thing! We get to do this life together!

Friends, I do not know where you are with your relationship status. So I want to encourage you that when it is from the Lord, there is nothing to be afraid of. One verse that I have prayed through is 1 John 4:18 which states, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear..."(NIV). I prayed that when I would find the one, I would not have fear. The Lord answered this because even when we first started dating, I had no fear. I also have prayed that I would grow into the perfect love of God.  I think it is for sure wise to guard your heart. You might grieve the single time for a bit, but you are also gaining something so special. I love my husband, neither of us are perfect, but we love each other so well!

P.S  No Matter what, I want to encourage, be an accountability partner to you, pray, and befriend you. I am on social media as @mrs.jbrownie on Instagram and @jourdynMack101 on Twitter, give me a follow and feel free to DM me anytime. If you ever need prayer or someone to talk

to email me, jourdynpuppies@gmail.com, don't laugh it is from fourth grade and I stuck with it. 

P.P.S Want to see more encouraging posts? I used to write for Odyssey Online, so if you want to see more check out the link below.