Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Love

This is going to be a weekend filled with love.

Tomorrow afternoon a young couple will get married in our church. I watched the rehearsal tonight and remembered our wedding so many, many years ago (Twenty-seven!). I listened to their vows and thought of the day we had made our vows to each other and I wondered how faithful I have been in living those out.

Gary would hopefully say I've done well, but I know I've gotten lazy and selfish and complacent at times. There's nothing like a wedding to help you prioritize your own marriage. 

I'll be praying for Daniel and Taylor as they begin their married life together, and I'll keep praying for our marriage as we learn to love each other even more than the day we got married.

On Sunday, the GEMS and Cadets have a special service. Gary realized midway through the week that the scripture passage was the same for both the wedding and the service the kids will help lead. 1 John 4:7-8 tells us that love is from God. If we know Him then we will love. For the service on Sunday I think Gary is focusing on how God's love fills us up and then overflows to other people. What a beautiful image...being so full of love that it can't help but flow to others.

http://www.yolandadeloach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/overflowing-cup.jpg

Let's focus on that this week. Loving our spouse, loving our families, loving others as God's love fills us up and overflows.

It's going to be a lovely weekend.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:7-8 NIV)

Sorry Saturday: Let's Focus on Growing Old Together

Yesterday was our anniversary. Twenty-seven years. How does the time go by so quickly?

It seems like such a short time ago when we looked like this:

I look at that picture and I recognize the two of us, but I realize that we are essentially different people now. We've known each other longer than we didn't know each other. We've grown in knowledge, maturity, and waist size.

We've laughed, cried, traveled, celebrated, fought, made up, prayed, worked, and played together.

We've also done this together:

Allison, Blake, Robyn, Dylan, Gary, Erin

                                       

I turned fifty last March. Gary will turn fifty on Valentines Day. We're getting old, but at least we're growing old together.

Some couples don't make it to twenty-seven years. Some don't make it to twenty or even seven years. They get frustrated by the changes in their spouse and they decide they've had enough.

I understand, but it makes me sad. They're missing out on so much joy they could have if they would wait out the hard times, work through the rough days, and walk alongside their spouse even when they would rather run the other way.

My friend Myrna and her husband also were married on February 10. She wrote a blog post a couple of years ago that captures beautifully some of the ideas I'd like you to focus on this week. One of the most important aspects of loving someone well is commitment. It's hard some days, but keeping God intertwined with the two of us will make our marriage strong enough to last as we grow old together.

Happy Anniversary, Gary! I love you and I'm glad God brought us together so many years ago. It's been a wild ride and I look forward to what He has in store for us in the years ahead.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-13 NIV)

How many years have you been married (if you are married)? How can focusing on God help you to stay together and keep loving each other even through the difficult times?

(A note to my divorced readers: I am not trying to make you feel guilty or ashamed if your marriage did not last. You did the best you could, I'm sure. Everyone's situation is different and we can't judge from the outside. I just want those who are currently married to do everything they can to stay married, and hopefully learn from God so that it is a happy marriage most of the time.)