Celebrating 12 Years

This Sunday, September 27th - Russ and I will celebrate our 12th Anniversary. How time has flown! I was reflecting over our years together and have been amazed at all that God has brought us through.

Two weeks after Jarod was born, we celebrated our 2nd anniversary. On our 5th anniversary, we were living with my mom, while I cared for her during her battle with Lou Gherrig's Disease (ALS). Russell had stepped away from full time church ministry and we were learning how to trust God as we raised support with Campus Crusade. By the time we had been married 7 years, God had led us away from Campus and back to church ministry. I was pregnant with our Anne girl and Russ was working for Brandon Pest Control just trying to make ends meet while we waited for God to place us in our next ministry opportunity. When we celebrated our 9th anniversary, Russ was teaching Jr. High and we were finally in our first home. God had moved mountains that year to give us our own place and Russ was pastoring our tiny church family at Pathway. For our 10th anniversary, we splurged and took a cruise to the Bahamas! We decided then that we would get away by ourselves every year. Here we sit at 12 years. Russ is the Pastor at Ocean Park, I am his secretary and both Anne and Jarod are now in school. We've seen a lot of ups and downs. We've experienced great pain and even greater joy. We have agreed and we have disagreed. We have laughed and we have cried. We may not have always been loving towards each other - but we have always loved. Deeply.

The day this photo was taken was one of the happiest of my life. I didn't think I could love Russell any more than I did that day. Boy was I wrong! As we have walked through the last 12 years of our lives together, the Lord has continued to be faithful in growing us and making us into the people we are meant to be. It hasn't always been easy and we don't always grow at the same time, but somehow we always wind up on the same page.

When I was single, I asked the Lord to show me clearly who my husband was going to be so that when tough times came along, I could rest in the fact that God had put us together. That everything in our lives was planned and allowed by Him and I could rely on Him to get us through it. He answered that prayer and more. He always does, "Exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine." (Eph. 3:20)

I wanted to share our Wedding Song. It's been going through my head today. We chose this song for the last verse (in bold).

Til the End of Time
Steve Green
The day we've waited for
a time when dreams stand still.
We make a solemn vow,
I hear you say you will.
You'll leave all others for the one you choose to take,
as you unveil your heart,
the promise that I make.

I will have you and I will hold you until the end of time.
And through the changes, life rearranges I will have you and
I will hold you until the end of time.

And as the day unfolds into a memory, I'll
cherish you alone, your love has captured me.
The One who joined our hearts will hold us through the
years, and in our darkest night, His promise calms our fears.

I will have you and I will hold you until the end of time.
And through the changes, life rearranges I will have you and
I will hold you until the end of time.

As I have watched Russell become who the Lord has created him to be, I am thankful and I am humbled to be his wife. He is a wonderful father, a faithful husband, and a strong spiritual leader for our family. He loves God more than anything and strives to serve Him with all his heart, soul and mind. Even with all of that, He is my best friend. He is the one who's opinion matters most apart from the Lord. I am thankful for the past 12 years and I look forward, "Til the End of Time"