Forty Years Together

    We met on a beach in Northwest Florida. I had not planned on coming to the picnic to hang with a group of boys from MBA and Vanderbilt, but my mother insisted since the host family were long-standing friends of ours and I had grown up with their sons whom I counted among my close friends. So I went reluctantly and with some fairly obvious defiance. Even though I would be an incoming freshman at Vanderbilt, I was all too determined not to fit within the boundaries of what was considered the norm for the TVC (Typical Vanderbilt Coed). Hence I wore no make-up, my hair was long and flowing free and I was clad the way all Florida girls were in my day, especially girls who were lifeguards, hippies, and wanna-be-surfers. I felt totally cool and totally justified. I was only going because my mother insisted. And when she INSISTED in her strongest Momma voice, I usually complied, albeit grudgingly. I wasn't interested in the boys from Vanderbilt or the boys from MBA. Truth be told, I was already convinced I had the world by the tail. Ahhh, the naivete and brazen foolishness of youth.

     I had no idea that this was a day that would totally change my life.

     A mere three weeks later the phone in my dormitory rang. It was one of the boys from the picnic asking me out for my first real college date. That phone call took place forty-two years ago and the guy on the other end was the man I would marry. It was love at first sight. As strange as it may sound, I even told my roommate and the other girls that I had found the man that I would marry. That pronouncement (after my first college date and first date with him) was greeted with gales of laughter.

     We celebrate forty years of marriage tomorrow. It's been the journey of a lifetime and one I would not and could not have made it through with anyone else. It has not always been a bed of roses, but there was and is a core of faith-based commitment that binds us to one another in ways that defy description. He is the love of my life and the father of our four children. Believe it or not, he is getting better with age! I both like and love him more now than I ever have before, and am so very thankful that we persevered through the years with three children under the age of four along with the surprise "gift" of a fourth. He teases me mercilessly, loves to plan surprises and is the more romantic of the two of us. He is also fun, adventurous and concert-crazy. There have been good times and bad times, times when I was so mad I could have called it quits (but never allowed myself to really entertain that thought, even though I was furious or wounded) lots of laughter and lots of tears (on my part, anyway). There have been times when I felt lonely and alone and times when I felt as if my heart would burst with joy and that there was no one else on earth who understood me as he did (and does). There have been arguments galore and lots of "kiss and make-up." There have been sicknesses, illnesses, and scary times when I feared I would lose him. He has nursed me through three joint replacements and migraines too many to count. He has been both the rock on which I lean and the splinter that rubs in my foot. He's been my sorrow and my joy as have I to him. We have made lots of mistakes. Mistakes with each other and mistakes with our kids. What has bound us together has not only been the love, for if we are honest, that has failed us at times....but it has been the faith. Both of us believe that our marriage is sacred to God, even if we have not always lived each day as if it were sacred to us. Forty years ago, we made vows to one another, and most importantly, we made a vow to God. When we have been fickle, frail, and fragile, God has always, always, always been faithful. He is literally our saving grace. I count God as the force that has bound and kept us together through the ups and the downs that comprise a marriage.

    In addition to our vows, here are the words Ed and I chose to say to one another forty years ago. By God's grace, I would say them again and I am confident so would he.

    On August 4, 1974, my husband spoke these words from Hosea, "I will betroth you to me forever; yes, I will betroth you to me in justice, in lovingkindness, in kindness and compassion. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord." And these words from the Song of Songs, "I will set you as a seal over my heart and upon my arm, for love is as strong as death."

   And I chose Ruth's timeless words to Naomi, "Entreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God. Where thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."

   I told him then and I will tell him today: "You are the only one for me..." Thankful for forty years with a man of honor, strength and faithfulness. I love you!

 

Beauty Everywhere

   It was a day like no other. The weather was nothing short of perfect. Brilliant sunshine. A cool but gentle tree-ruffling breeze. Temperatures in the sixties. The hint of fall in the air. Lots of golden afternoon light bathing everything in its warm glow. I know that I was not alone in thinking that heaven itself had bent low to create a magnificent day for this special Bride and Groom. There was beauty everywhere you turned. And none more lovely than the radiance of the Bride and Groom.

 
    It is obvious from these photographs that I am not a professional photographer. Below you can see the real photographer at work doing what she does best...capturing those special moments. I stayed out of the way but managed to get some sweet moments between the Bride and Groom.

Who doesn't love the way that a Bride and Groom look at each other?

The Mother of the Groom, my Baby Sister. Isn't she lovely?

The two Mommas...

 The wedding was held at the lovely Windermere Golf Club outside of Atlanta, GA

 No Auburn wedding would be complete without a Toomer's Corner Groom's Cake. 

Wouldn't you agree?!

More to follow!

Sanctuary

    I'm not exactly one hundred percent sure that I know where this place is. That's the downside of using a navigation system to get from Point A to Point B. You don't have to map out a course, read a map, or figure out the most economical or most advantageous route to your intended destination. You just turn your brain off and listen to the computer-generated voice as she gets you from here to there. And that's exactly what I did. With my eyes open, of course.
   But oh my. When I traveled the backroads of Georgia, I had no idea that I was on my way to another version of heaven. But I was.
   Lake Lanier. A house (thank you Polly and John) for a week with my sisters. Time to pull things together for an upcoming wedding. Time to unwind. Time to relax. Time to laugh. Time to cry. Time to pray. A few of my favorite things in the whole wide world.
   I've always thought I was a beach person. Now I'm not so sure.

 

An Unexpected Gift

    On Friday evening, The Husband and I were blessed to witness a wedding between two people that we love. We have known and loved The Groom for a very long time. We count him as one of our closest friends and more like family in many regards. We have done life together with him and his family for most of our thirty-nine year marriage. Our lives are deeply interwoven.
     One evening our friend was invited to attend a book signing at a friend's home for a local author who had just published her first novel, Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter. The author had labored hard to bring this endearing Southern novel to print, and she was justifiably very excited, as were all of her friends. I didn't know her well, but we had lots of friends in common who raved about her, so I knew that she had to be pretty special. She also had an entire entourage of childhood friends who made the trek from Memphis to attend the book-signing. I spent the evening watching her joy unfold. And from time to time, I saw my friend's eyes begin to follow this lovely woman around the room. Usually among the first to leave, he stayed late at the party. And we began to wonder...
   I won't go so far as to say it was love at first sight because they had met before, but something special between these two began to unfold that evening and over the next several years. Things progressed slowly. It took a while. It was nice in that the Husband and I and many of The Groom's friends came to know this lovely Memphis belle who was becoming very dear to him. She is godly, sincere, funny, and delightful. She has two handsome grown sons, two sisters, and more friends than I can count, including her surrogate family of childhood friends from Memphis. She and The Groom spent a lot of time getting to know each other, and coming to appreciate all that the other considered most important in life, including faith, family and friends. Their lives began to overlap and intertwine.
   I could write a short novella about all that has transpired over the last few years, but let me just say that I feel that the Lord has given these two people a very precious treasure and an unexpected gift. It's a gift from God, this love that comes when you least expect it, this Christ-like love that allows one person to commit heart and soul to another living person. For these two, it is especially poignant and especially sweet. Without a doubt it is a God thing because He has His handprints all over it.
    The Bride and Groom's words in the wedding program say it best:
               Thank you all for joining us on this happy day. Every one of you hold a special 
               place in one or both of our hearts and we are honored that you are here. 
              We humbly ask for your prayers as we begin the second chapter of our life's journey.
              Out of His great love and through His perfect gift of redemption, God has brought us                           together. We know that most certainly.
Here are some pictures of their beautiful wedding:

Lovely Stanford Chapel of First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for the wedding.

These gorgeous flowers are hanging below the carriage lamps on either side of the entry

 Lovely wedding programs are tied with soft pink watered silk ribbon

     Music has always been important to The Bride, and it was with great care that she made the selections for the wedding. A string quartet led by Sam Levine was responsible for the Prelude. Pieces included the lovely Gabriel's Oboe by Morricone as well as Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring followed by a medley of timeless hymns. Prior to the ceremony, dear friend and recording artist Tammy Jensen sang the traditional Irish hymn, Be Thou My Vision. 

     Then it was time for the service to begin. The Bride's childhood friends entered the church in pairs, followed by The Groom's son-in-laws and daughter-in-law. Bach's traditional Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring played softly as the three daughters and son of The Groom came down the aisle to stand beside their father. Then as the strains of the all familiar Jesus Loves Me by Bradbury began to fill the church,the first of the nine grandchildren of the Groom, Rylan James Harris,entered the church carrying in his arms the youngest grandchild, tiny Wendy Anne Southard, just six weeks old. Rylan was followed by Levi Thomas Harris carrying baby, Arie Kenneth Wolf Sorensen, 3 months old. The remaining grandchildren quickly followed suit: Ty William Harris - 7 years; Anne Clare Cline - 6 years; Quinn Matthew Harris -4 years; Elisabeth Maddux Cline - 4 years, and last, but not least, Judah Andrew Cline - 2 years, who literally ran down the aisle!

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 The altar flowers and kneeling bench

The windows overlooking the gardens were filled with vases of lovely flowers in shades of
pink and peach accented with touches of blue and white.

The Bride's bouquet and the bouquets for The Groom's daughters

 My first glimpse of The Bride getting ready! She is flanked by her sisters and
The Groom's oldest granddaughter, Anne Clare, who can't take her eyes off of her soon-to-be new grandmother who will go by the name of Hunee.

 The youngest grandbaby, six-week-old baby girl Wendy Anne Southard, relaxes before the wedding.
She will still be sleeping when she is carried down the aisle by cousin Rylan James Harris.

 The oldest granddaughter, Anne Clare, now waits patiently for the wedding to begin. 

 Granddaughter Elizabeth (Ella) Maddux Cline is in awe of all that is happening.

Every crown needs adjusting...even those made out of flowers

 The Memphis girls arrive to take a peek at The Bride. How I love their faces!

 The Bride and her sisters.

 The youngest grandson, Arie Kenneth Wolfe Sorensen, 

is carried down the aisle by grandson Levi William Harris.

Family waits for the wedding to begin

I don't think there was a dry eye in the house as The Bride enters the church with her

sons, Michael Patton Brown and William Alexander Brown, by her side.

Her joyous smile meets its match with The Groom's beaming grin!

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"
 And the The Brides' sons say in perfect unison, "We do..."

 "You may now kiss your wife..." And he does!

 My favorite wedding picture. No words for this kind of happiness!

 More joy!

 Immediate family photo time!

More Memphis friends!

And now for the reception...
Time to celebrate!

 A pair of flower filled urns flank the fireplace

Wedding cake!

Close-up of the embroidered linen on the cake table which echoes the design on the cake

 A mixture of table sizes (a hightop here) with linens of different color, pattern, and texture

add a special touch.

Cocktail tables laden with flowers and food

Silver pitchers served as flower containers in one of the rooms

 Sam Levine and the City Lights keep the party going and the dance floor filled!

And off they go to the adventure of a lifetime!