this is not a rough draft.

We're back from beautiful Napa valley, where, among the clinking of wine glasses and the beautiful scenery, two people were wed! My brother married an amazing girl whom I'm not only blessed to know, but proud to welcome into the family.

I had been so nervous about going, mostly because I was afraid that this little blessing would turn into a little more than a disaster on the plane. She was an angel and brought us pride and joy when we received compliments on her behavior from both the row in front and in back of us on the plane ride. Here she is, sassying it up before takeoff. I tried my best to get her to look out the window, but she wasn't that interested. No worries, I wasn't, either.



I was born in Cali, and somehow it feels very comfortable there to me the two times I've been back. It's a lot like Texas in its casual, friendly attitude, but even more laid back. B fit in so well with his California coolness, and the coolness of the weather had me hooked.

No wonder, I thought.



No wonder people love it here.



No wonder people feel like they can be themselves.



No wonder people want to be the best versions of themselves with these things around.



My brother and his new wife asked me to write something for their ceremony. I was honored and terrified. I wanted to give them what they wanted, but at the same time, let them choose something better if I missed the mark. A month or so ago, I emailed Emily three options to choose, one of which was titled, "A Note from the Architect," and credited to "Author Unknown." She and Jeff picked that one, and glory be, but the author was indeed myself. Isn't it fun how these things work out?

California felt and looked a little like paradise, but so can other places....like, maybe, the here and now. It's so much easier to wish for more and better--I am so easily caught up in that muck of lies. Really, paradise is the one that you can find in your own life and not someone else's. It's home, and if people are loved without limits and things are labored for prayerfully, it may cross someone's mind to think...

No wonder.



No wonder people love it here.



No wonder people feel like they can be themselves.



No wonder people want to be the best versions of themselves with these things around.



A Note from the Architect (copyright Alison Frenzel)


Your marriage, a tower in the sky today, but perhaps a cozy cottage tomorrow, will be the only home you will ever know. The journey here may have taken years, but now, it's only a breath of "I do's" and a threshold away. The foundation is stronger than you expect, but that is because you cannot expect today what it can withstand tomorrow. Wipe the chaos of the world at the door, but feel free to bring your baggage inside. Kindle the hearth daily with gentle truth and frequent embraces. Open the windows of opportunity to bless others, whether in shelter, rest, or a new life entirely. Decorate, renovate, and restore its beauty after years have aged it beyond recognition. And lastly, never forget that although some homes fall down, are set afire, or are washed away, there are those that remain. The difference is that those homes--like yours--are not only built with love, but filled with it, too.

Welcome home.