Not Gander, NL.... but the beginning of a new & exciting adventure:)

I have been encouraged to continue blogging 'Joyce's Journey' even though the Gander leg of the journey is currently complete... Oh, twist my rubber arm why don't you!?!?! Especially since there is certainly much to tell following my departure mid/late August from the very unique culture and hospitable environment that is Newfoundland. Miss all you Ganderites BTW:(.

Most notable on the news front is my engagement to the 'other J' - the one, the only, Joshua C. Downer.

Sidebar 1: if his dreams come true - this is the same Josh who will one day be General Downer (a future world leader of The Salvation Army for all you non-Salvationists out there who are wondering what on earth I am rambling on about). And yes, for all of you 'I told you so's' out there, it *is* the very same Josh who I perhaps protested just a little too much was (and always would be) 'just a friend' and was - let me quote here - "like a little brother to me." Turns out God had other plans!

  Sidebar 2: I think it is important that I clear up any confusion here that it *is* a different kind of love that I have for Josh than I do for my lil' bros Paul and Mark.

For those of you who received the news by seeing it plastered all over facebook, let me tell you that... I blame Josh (lol). I blame Josh because of the 125 people he told in advance that he was going to propose to me on that specific day (turns out he tells people things when he is excited)!!! Josh had to quickly get the word out that night before we left and went camping with my family where we would be without access to the internet for days. Thus, everyone who he had told would be left hanging wondering if I had said yes!?!? Oh, so to not leave you hanging, I did say YES.

I've heard the comment that it came as a bit of a shock to some because it seemed to happen so fast, and I take a page out of Ma & Pa Wilson's book on that one: "When you know, you know." Life is too short - I am learning that we shouldn't waste a single, precious minute on this earth! Josh taught me that,... continues to teach me that.

But regardless of the details of how we got together, none of that stuff would've mattered if this wasn't what I believe to be "a match made in Heaven". Am I perfect? I think we all know the answer to that question.... Is he perfect? Please refer to previous statement. Are we perfect as a couple? Ummm! However, I do believe we *are* perfect for one another. We are like peanut butter and jam, like peas and carrots (?!?!), like ketchup and mustard (don't worry Josh, I will be the mustard)!!!

What's the story of the engagement? Well, you'll have to wait for a future blog post to hear that one, but the real story - the important story - is:

I LOVE HIM. Plain & simple. And I thank God for him every day.

Okay, enough mushiness from me - just wanted to put it out there that I am still alive and kickin', that I am excited about my final year of training, but more than that, I can't wait to see what God has in store for Josh and my life together in marriage and in ministry - M+M.