Marriage Vows

Today was the first day of the marriage class with Roc and Bev Bottomly. One of our assignments was to write a wedding vow that we would say to our future husband or wife. Although I think the original marriage vows are just fine, this is the addendum I would add.

Dear __________. Today is the day you become my husband, and I, your wife. Today we make a lifelong covenant in front of God, our family, and our friends. I choose to honor you through serving you because I know you are obedient to serving God. Because of this, I choose to trust you because you have my best interest at heart in accordance with God's will. I accept your love, devotion, and protection. I know that there will be difficult times ahead. There may be times, although it is hard to imagine now, where I may not feel love toward you. Yet, I must meditate on 1 Corinthians 13 and remind myself that I made a public oath in my heart to bind myself to you. Through these struggles may we learn to grow even closer to one another. "Love does not consist in always gazing at each other, but outward, in the same direction" (Antoine deSaint Exupery). For if we remember that God is our foundation and our stronghold, together we can triumph over anything that comes our way. I thank God for the man of character he has created you to be. I cherish you and know that I am truly blessed to be your wife.

Even though I don't know if I or when I will get married, I think it is really important to understand that the wedding is only ONE day of the whole marriage and that tough times will occur. I'm not writing this to be a downer, but because I know that it is unreasonable to believe that marriage makes your life suddenly perfect. Besides, it is not that that other person completes us, he or she adds to us.

I don't really consider myself a romantic or mushy person (I get bored with chick flicks) and the only wedding details I have planned are that there is going to be chips and guacamole and that I am going to carry a bouquet made out of a hydrangea.

Although for right now I know I am not ready to be a mother, I have picked out some items I would like if I ever do become a mother:

• Baby Bjorn
• Baby Boppy (it looks like half of a donut)
• One of those cushy cover things you put in the front of the shopping cart
• Diaper Genie
• White Hot Munchkins spoons: they are cushy and change colors when the food is too hot (I consider getting some of these for myself now).

So, you can file this information away and pull it out later when the time becomes appropriate.