T'is The Season

My best friend is engaged! I'll let you hear about it in her own words:

"As many of you might already know, I am engaged to marry Allan Luciano! He proposed to me on Friday, December 9, 2005, at Disneyland at approximately 2:30pm in the afternoon – and I accepted! I was at Disneyland with my friend, Janea Brown. Her work had their Christmas party at Disneyland and each employee got to invite a guest, I was her guest. I spent the first part of the day with her and another friend until mid-day when we went to meet up with some friends. We met up with some friends and were waiting for the others to arrive so we could all have lunch together. We were in the middle of the park by Main Street and the Walt and Mickey statue.

Allan was suppose to be at work that day, and thus didn’t join us at Disneyland. But he had secretly arrived around 12:30pm or so and was waiting and planning on how to surprise me. Unknown to me, Allan and Janea were text messaging back and forth and setting up a time and place to meet. Finally they decided on the Walt and Mickey statue in the middle of the park.

I was taking pictures with my friends, waiting for the “others” to arrive. My friend Jon was taking our picture when all of a sudden Allan walked up to us. I was shocked and surprised to see him there, but still didn’t think or expect anything more. No one else seemed to be shocked to see him, only me. Then, Allan took my hand and said that he had a question to ask me. He then told me that he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Then he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring box and asked me to marry him! I was shocked, flustered, surprised, happy, and smiling. I don’t remember too much, but I did manage to say 'yes!'

Allan and I then parted ways with our friends and went to Downtown Disney to have lunch and call our families with the news. Later we met back up with the rest of our friends and spent the rest of the day and evening at Disneyland. My friend Lola bought me a bridal Mickey-ears with a veil, that I wore for the rest of the day.

Allan and I are planning, Lord willing, to get married on June 24, 2006. We are excited, thankful and joyful over the blessing God has given us in each other’s friendship – and we look forward with eagerness and expectation at our upcoming marriage – when we make a covenant of lifelong companionship and friendship of serving the Lord together. It is such a joy to have our friends and family share our excitement and joy with us!

I will end with a verse that Allan wrote to me in a letter that he gave to me a year ago – when he expressed his desire to develop a relationship with me. This verse was true then and it remains true now.

“20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Our lives are a sacrifice to our Lord Jesus Christ – and we give thanks and praise to Him who not only gives us what we don’t deserve but gives us more than we can ask or think! May we strive to glorify Him with our lives."