June Celebrations

This week, we celebrate two birthdays and an anniversary (our 10th!) within a three-day period.

We got married 10 years ago on the Summer Solstice - the longest and most romantic day of the year.

A few snapshots of our Wedding Day:
It was a sweltering summer day; we were the calmest bride and groom in history; I drove myself to my wedding (though not in my wedding gown); Ron thought I looked like a “Celtic princess” in my headpiece walking down the aisle; I tried my best to be inconspicuous during the wedding (Ron still cracks up at that); trumpet music serenaded our march in and out of the service; we both loved how the presence of God filled the little sanctuary during the praise and worship; and did I mention, it was a SWELTERING SUMMER DAY?

We probably would have been the happiest afterwards jumping into a pool of water somewhere,

like this

but instead, we drove the rest of the day, stopping only for dinner, to our reserved destination halfway to Disney World, where we then proceeded to have the best vacation of our lifetime. It seems like it all happened just yesterday.

We are happier today than we were on that day, and that’s the way it should be. We’ve lived and laughed and cried and prayed and became parents together in the past decade. Yes, in 10 years, much to the gratitude of all four grandparents, we’ve produced 1 grandchild/heir. (And we almost didn’t make it.) At this rate, we’ll need 20 more years to complete our family! Seriously, we do hope to do better in the next 10. (grandparents cheering)

A song that had a lot of meaning to us and that we played at our wedding was Carman’s “Serve the Lord.” It is a creed, a declaration. It goes from a single believer to the joint declaration of plural believers. Being able to say these words together with one heart as husband and wife is truly the foundation of our marriage. Both individually and together, it defines us and what we believe, and sums up what we live for, even more so today than on that special Midsummer’s Day, the day of our wedding. We know that as we’ve grown closer to God, we’ve grown closer to each other, and this will only continue. Our faith in Christ is a solid foundation that cannot be destroyed by the winds of time, or the storms of life. Our marriage and our very life stand upon it.

"Serve the Lord" by Carman

I believe in God the Father
Jesus Christ, His only Son
And the blessed Holy Spirit
Distinct, yet Three in One

I believe there is forgiveness
For everything we've done
That is why all the more
I will serve Him

I believe the Son of God
Was crucified upon the tree
And laid within a borrowed tomb
Not far from Calvary
I believe He rose up from the dead
Alive for all to see
That is why all the more
I will serve Him

I have made my decision
I have staked my claim
I have drawn a line in the sand
And I'll not be ashamed
With the world behind me
And the cross before
By the grace of God
I will serve the Lord

I believe you must be born again
John 3:16 is true
The old life can be washed away
Everything made new
I believe the love of God
Can somehow find its way to you
That is why all the more
I will serve Him

And I know when Satan and his minions
Come to torment me
When I invoke the name of Jesus
Every demon has to flee
I know the time will come
When Christ returns again someday
Till then there's just one name on Earth
Whereby men can be saved

I believe there is a right and wrong
A time to live and die
And the Bible is the blueprint
That all men should live by
I believe I'm not alone
With my faith in Jesus Christ
That is why all the more we will serve Him

We have made our decision
We have staked our claim
We have drawn a line in the sand
And we'll not be ashamed
With the world behind us
And the cross before
By the grace of God
We will serve the Lord

By the grace of God
WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.