Luke & Melissa | Wedding

This post is one of a young bride, the vow she wrote and the people that were there to hear it - a post that should have been posted a long, long ways back closer to the time...

"Life is a journey toward love...

 growing in love, 

expanding in our ability to love, 

surrendering our hearts to love...

....increasingly becoming a person who is MOTIVATED by love."

(Gary Thomas)

This post is one of a young bride, the vow she wrote and the people that were there to hear it - a post that should have been posted a long, long ways back closer to the time it actually happened. ;-)  Once again, second shot for Olivia!

The view of love in "our today" is such a mashed up picture of what God's true and jealous love for our hearts really looks like... it's a love that's hard to understand, because it's just so GOOD!  I've never known one as patient and gentle as the Lover of my soul, who allows me to work through and connect the feelings of my heart with the facts in my head.  He doesn't turn His listening ear, helping hand, or loving heart from me - even during the times I do. Yes, He knows every weak and ugly part of my heart, yet is patient with me.  

In fact, He knew all this long before now... and He still died for me. 

Why??  

His LOVE for us motivates Him.  And that love is good.

God brought together in California two people who chose to commit to love as the Creator Himself shares His love with us.  To use just a liiiittle bit of kid talk:

"for forever"

Melissa and Luke, congratulations on soon becoming a threesome!

  "I enter into this marriage covenant with you, Luke, loving you now and 

as you grow and develop into all that God intends...

...In doing so, I vow to God and also to you before these witnesses, that by God’s 

all sufficient grace and in the strength which He provides…

...I will strive first and foremost to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind 

and seek His kingdom first...

I will strive to respect and honor you, to be gentle in speech and in conduct, to be committed to God’s Word and His desires, and do you good all the days of my life.

 

 

...I am committed to caring, encouraging you with all that is honorable, manly and Christ-like; showing unwavering faithfulness towards you, 

Desiring to bring out in you whatever is noblest and richest in your being.

...I will seek... 

to cultivate in our home an atmosphere of love, peace and joy... I will pursue and dwell upon that which is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely...

 ...Desiring that our marriage would put God and Christ’s covenant-keeping love 

on display, realizing it is from Him and through Him and most importantly for Him and His glory 

that He created marriage.

God has blessed me with you 

and so I will ever seek to strengthen, comfort, help and pray for you. 

 Therefore, throughout life, no matter what may be ahead of us, I pledge to you my life 

as an obedient and faithful wife...

Luke, I give you this ring as a token of my unending love."

Their first kiss, y'all.