From This Day Forward

Love at its best

From this day forward, I make a promise whatever happens you shall not walk alone. I’ll stand by your side, and sleep in your arms. I’ll be the joy in your heart and the food for your soul. I will bring out the best in you always, to be the best I can be, just for you, to celebrate with you in the good times, to struggle with you in the bad. Always your love, always your best friend. 

The above paragraph is the beginning of the wedding vows that I sometime use when I'm officiating. In fact during the last wedding the couple chose this one. As I was saying it and having the couple repeat it I like to watch their faces. In nine times out of ten both begin to cry at this point. I have to fight back the tears so I can continue with the rest of the ceremony myself in most cases.

I have the couple repeat after me together as I'm saying this part of their vows. They are facing each other and speaking to one another as their love ones look on. It's a way for them to make their wedding vows more practical yet loving before they go into their individual ones. As I listened to the last couple I looked over at my own husband. He acts as my assistant during the many ceremonies. He smiled at me and we both knew that this opening had great memories for us as well.

Then their words resonated into my ears and heart and once the wedding was over my husband and I sat in the car and talked about the meaning of those words.We focused on the intimacy of the vows. As it opened with "from this day forward". Just the opening offered changed for any couple. It states that a promise will be made on the day of their wedding. One that you don't plan to break. It breaks down what the promise is...that they will never walk alone. They are promising each other to be there so that as a couple neither will have to worry about being left by themselves.

Each one has determined certain things such as:

Standing by each other's side

Sleeping in each other's arms

Being the joy in each other's hearts

The food for each other's soul

From there each couple vows and promise to bring out the best in each other always and to allow their partner to bring out the best in them. They promise each other and God before all who loves them that they would celebrate together in the good seasons and struggle together during the bad seasons always united in marital love. Then in the end just going back to the wonderful joy of real deep committed love. However not just intimate romantic love but love of two friends and lovers.

As we sat looking at the beautiful garden that the wedding took place and saw the joys as the couple celebrated their union, we smiled and recommitted our love for one another. Those words still meant a lot to each of us. That when we stood in front of our officiant and friends so many years ago that we wanted to always be each others lover and each others best friend. 

Sometimes just go back and revisit the vows that you made on your wedding day. Remember the love then and look at the love now. In our case while that day was so great and I know how much I loved him then.....now after over 30 years I know that I love him even more now. Because now we have seen the promises made come full circle. We have laid in each other's arms. We have not been alone since we became one. We have been the joy and food for each other during good times and bad. We have struggled together.

We have praised together and we have laughed together. Then in the end of it all we have been each others best friend. Seeing, that our love was protected and sheltered from harm. We have been intimate with each other on all levels of intimacy and no matter what we want the best for the other. 

So in the end we begin with open promises but we end up with those promises and vows coming to life. Marriage is more than a piece of paper. More than a cause. More than just material and lawful benefits. Marriage is a celebration of a lifetime relationship of unity between the couple and God. The one who formed the union in the first place. Take time to see your love at the beginning of your marriage and now just to see where you are in the whole scheme of marital love.

All we can say is that: From this day forward.....true love has no expiration date!!!   

The Next Generation Still Wants Marriage

Will you marry me?
Of course I will!


On our new social network Feeling God there is a wonderful young lady who has a diary ministry in support of marriage. Its called "marriage the next generation". She has allowed me to use her name in this blog. I thank you marriage the next generation for your support of this ministry and Feeling God. So with that said I would like to get on with this blog.

Marriage the next generation. 

Many are saying that marriage as God created it is dead. That we must embrace the new and throw out the old. That marriage is meant for all no matter what their sexual orientation is. I'm not going to focus on same sex marriage. As a minister of God I can not go against His Word and Will but what I want to focus on is that no matter how the world attempt to corrupt and destroy God's Way and His Will always come through.

I seen this when we attended our granddaughter's first birthday party recently. We sat back and watched our daughter and her husband interact with one another. You could see the pride they had in their child and the joy of celebrating her first birthday. Everyone commented on how they got along as a couple and how they appeared so happy being married.

We got together after the party and my husband and I talked to the couple and informed them of what was said. Our daughter spoke about being happy and that while everything was not perfect they were truly happy. Her husband spoke about having the love of a Godly woman and the responsibility that he felt taking care of his girls. He said that he took pride in knowing that God was the leader of their home and that he directed the family in the way of Jesus. 

He stated that no matter what others said he never felt negative about his wife and that he was the most blessed man alive. My daughter beamed and the little family was the cutest thing that I've seen in awhile. What I also notice was that their friends had their little families there and those who did not have kids yet were married and very happy with it. 

Most of the couples stated that they were a part of 2r1n Christ and was learning that just emotional love was not enough. That the union was daily work but nothing worthwhile having didn't take work keeping.

This party was an eye opener. Just like the young lady on Feeling God "Marriage the Next Generation" the young want the stability of a Godly marriage. No matter what the world is throwing at them they are proving that God created it right from the beginning and they want to go back to the ways of the garden.

Thanks to all those young wonderful Godly couples who made us feel that our work is not in vain. That marriage has a place in the lives of the young and they want it GOD'S WAY!