Six years ago today I was running around a church as nervous as I could possibly be.  My family and friends had driven from all over the Southeast to visit with me that day.  I wish I could say that I remember all the people who were there, the truth is their names and faces were all blurred behind the radiant beauty of my soon-to-be wife.  It was a great day in the history of great days.

We stood in front of a crowd and took our vows.  The pastor pronounced us husband and wife and let me kiss my beautiful bride for the first time.  We ran out the front doors and then came back into the sanctuary for a few last-minute pictures.  At the reception I learned about just what all came with marrying such a wonderful woman.  Her relatives pinned money on us and her grandmother engaged me in an awkward dance of avoidance as she zeroed in for a kiss on my lips. unfortunately she won.

We headed out the door, where we were pelted with birdseed and were well on our way to our honeymoon.

As beautiful as that day was and as wonderful as it is to retell the story, it was just a day.  You see the second best thing that ever happened to me wasn’t a wedding, but our marriage. And marriage is one of those things that you don’t just look back on, you live it.  Everyday growing, learning, loving, giving, forgiving, holding, sharing, caring, hearing and walking together. Some days better than others, but always together.  And that’s the point.  Always together, through thick and thin, an ever-loving, never giving up, kind of bond that holds husband and wife together.  Its one of the most awesome things I have ever experienced on this earth.

Today we are celebrating 6 great years of marriage and looking forward with anticipation to God’s plan for our life together.

What’s the best thing that ever happened to me you ask? It’s the day that I learned that God really loved me like that.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
(Ephesians  5:25-27, ESV)

How I Courted My Wife

• Choosing to Date Differently
• It helps to be Mr. Right when looking for Miss Right: otherwise it’s all wrong
• What I saw at Picklefish changed my life
• 21 Days of Bond(ing)
• Grandpa’s Secret Strategy for Successful Dating: and Why it Worked
• Why Asking Her Dad Was Easy