Day 20: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.

With all of the 'things' to do with a wedding... having a plan B for 'what if' the church burns down isn't really something I had accounted for, 80 days prior to our wedding.

After several texts and calls from John and other concerned family, I discovered yesterday afternoon that our church had caught on fire, and it is bad.

I spoke with Father Hougan this morning to schedule a meeting to discuss next steps. He said he thought of us, and felt bad but we would have to plan our wedding elsewhere.

This church wasn't my childhood church, but ever since I moved back and started attending church again, Father Hougan has been instrumental in building and educating my faith. My faith has always been present, always close by - by religion has not. I am learning about practicing religion and my faith are much deeper then I ever realized. I have learned more in the past 2 years attending his masses then I have in the previous 28 years.

The church was beautiful. It was moved, picked up and carried to a new lot a few blocks away. Determined to keep the old beauty, the structure and original woodwork was kept but the church was updated, expanded, and more economically efficient.

I was looking forward to our wedding there. It feels like a home, comfortable and familiar - much like it does for the rest of the parish. I am disappointed that I won't be getting married in my church, which to me symbolizes the part of my prsoanl transformation, but our wedding is more then the church we get married in. I think I am more upset about the displacement we will all feel during Mass. I am sure after a few weeks it will become more routine and we will all adjust. I know there is a lot of work that will need to be done to put St. Paul's back to it beauty.

So for now, we will brainstorm options... add yet another revision to my already printed, addressed, stamped and ready to be mailed invitations...

Here are a few pictured I got of the Rockford Diocese website: