MARRIAGE

In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

These words have to be one of the most beautiful words any man and woman can say to one another. My dear husband reminded me of these words just this past week and it made not the greatest week, seem so much brighter. I think we should remind each other as husband and wife the vows we shared when we decided to spend the rest of our lives together.

It was in the presence of God meaning it was a vow we promised forever.

I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wife/husband,
And before God and these witnesses I promise to be
A faithful and true wife/husband."

In front our family and friends, we are telling the folks closest to us how much we mean to one another.

We solemnly swear to be faithful partners no matter what. In sickness in health, in good times and bad, in joy and in sorrow, if he picked his toenails or I snored...it meant "No Matter What!”

We promised in front of God and family and friends to love one another unconditionally, when we fail each other or disappoint one another, the love we share is a love that will forgive.

I Corinthians 13
Love is patient; love is kind.
Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way: it is not irritable or resentful;
It does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
And now faith, hope, and love abide,
And the greatest of these is love.

We promised to support each other's goals even if we don't always agree, we stand behind one another. We promise to honor and respect one another and this is so important. If others do not see the respect we have for one another what do they see? If we do not honor one another what must others think about our marriage? We should stand by one another and never let others see disrespect.

We should be able to laugh together and cry together. To me laughter is needed in a marriage. A marriage without laughter would not last. We should be able to cry in each others presences. When you love someone, you feel their pain.

Finally you should cherish one another. No one but God should be the one you cherish the most. When you were married, you were united as one and NO ONE, I mean NO ONE should be able to break the bond!!

Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Matthew 19:6).

I have been blessed with such a dear husband who loves me for being me. He has brought me such joy and laughter into my life. We have brought up three amazing children all with different personalities, all unique in their own ways and all loving and kind individuals whom we both adore. We have two beautiful grand children that we love dearly.

When I first met my husband Jim I was not saved, he was back slidden. When we were married and were expecting our son Matt, Jim realized he needed to be walking with Christ and he recommitted himself to the Lord. I was not saved, so the first part of our marriage was a struggle. I can really understand what the bible says about being unequally yoked with someone that is not a believer because it was a difficult time for us.

2 Corinthians 6:14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?" (KJV)

But by the grace of God I was saved....only by the grace of God did our marriage survive because before I was saved I thought I married a bible thumping nut. I could not grasp what Jim was trying to tell me when he would say "Jesus is God". How could how could God and Jesus be the same, and then adding to it the Holy Spirit and saying they were three in one, I really thought he was off the edge.

It was a struggle for the first few years and then New Years Day 1987 the Lord opened my eyes to the truth. At that moment I knew who Jesus was, I knew He was God! I knew the Holy Spirit entered my heart. I knew my life had changed for ever. I knew by the grace of God, I was His child, bought by His blood, that He shed on the cross for all my sins, past, present, and future. I was His forever and ever. Thank you Lord!

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father

When I look back now and think about what I thought about my husband being a nut, I realize now He was the tool that was used to introduce me to Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord for "Nuts" like him!!

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more then whole Mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

-Anne Bradstreet (1612-72)


I love you Jim with all my heart. You have been such a blessing in my life.

Cristina