With This Ring....The Power of Two

 

A Happy Saturday to YOU, fair reader!  What is happening in YOUR neighborhood today?  We got another soft, soaking shower again today in Montgomery County; and the plants are smiling!  

Yesterday was my 16th wedding anniversary!   Just a glance over at Wikipedia to quench my undying curiosity to see if perhaps there was an algorythmic or cataclysmic or revelatory siginificance to the number 16.  Wiki revealed two things that stuck out to me:  #1 16 is the Coming of Age, for quite obvious reasons in our culture.  Sweet Sixteen and all the pop culture songs celebrating that magical coming of age.    Digging a little deeper....

"Sixteen is the fourth (#2) power of two. For this reason, 16 was used in weighing light objects in several cultures. The British used to have 16 ounces in one pound; the Chinese used to have 16liangs in one jin. In old days, weighing was done with a beam balance to make equal splits. It would be easier to split a heap of grains into sixteen equal parts through successive divisions than to split into ten parts. Chinese Taoists did finger computation on the trigrams and hexagrams by counting the finger tips and joints of the fingers with the tip of the thumb. Each hand can count up to 16 in such manner. The Chinese abacus uses two upper beads to represent the 5's and 5 lower beads to represent the 1's, the 7 beads can represent from a hexadecimal digit from 0 to 15 in each column."

The power of two!   Yep, this has significance to me.  The Bible says that if one can put 1,000 to flight, then two can put 10,000!   Also, Ecclesiastes, that sage book written by Solomon states, "A strand of 3 cords is not easily broken".


For me and my husband, our marriage was witnessed by many, but most of, by God Himself.  I like that

in this photo, loud and clear, and with bold, red italic font, we see here our Solemn Witness, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.   As Christians, we make a covenant with God to love unconditionally, and to the end:  One Man, one Woman, and One God.   The very first institution God established was the institution of marriage, in the Garden.  When He instituted that, He also gave Man + Woman dominion over all of His Creation; to rule and to reign.   We see this shattered today in our society as marriage is continually assaulted by those who want to erode our society from the inside out, but nevertheless the testimony of God stands sure; for Scripture says, "The LORD knows them who belong to Him..."   He gives us the power to both will and do His good pleasure.  


I guess I am kind of whimsically enthralled with these photos today, being delighted that though they are film pictures, that I could successfully scan them on my Epson Workforce printer and upload them, thus preserving them digitally!  That's pretty exciting to me, since I am a digital girl...heehee....  A big plus, of course, is getting to photoshop these images and have fun with them, and to glory in the fact that the "younger me" was really quite beautiful, if I do say so myself.  ;)   And to vow, however I can, to try to revive that beauty again.....somehow.   


Joe Taylor and I met 4 years before our marriage.   He was fresh froma travelling workman lifestyle, a lifestyle of bravery, hard work, a rock and roll lifestyle, hard living and hard knocks.   Married at an early age but not willing to really settle down (18 is YOUNG, y'all!) he lost his first wife to divorce and estranged from his little girl.   He has hung iron on scyscrapers, hung over ships welding, hung over mountains, bridges, and trains to leap off, and then hung his heart on me!     I felt honored when he wrote me my first song, gave me his first kiss, and "went steady" on Valentine's Day, 1995.


I was the Rambling Girl; travelling 6 states by the age of 6, and then 32 nations by the time I was 30!   Learning how to read and write the Thai Language, braving the Amazon Jungle and River, climbing mountains in Golden Triangle, smuggling Bibles into China,  and living on a ship carrying relief supplies to war torn areas.  I had been lost at sea, lost in sin (before that), lost in Los Angeles, and lost in love.    But when I met Joe, I saw a man who was ready to settle down, and a man who would be true.   We married in July of 1995.

Here are my lovely bridesmaids.   My sister Erin was my Matron of Honor, and she was pregnant with my nephew at the time.   My best friend Sharon, my daughter in law, my  wonderful friend and Pastor's Wife and her daughter and another close friend to "got us together" so to speak attended me.   My best friend's daughter, and another close friend's daughter were flower girls.   I had a processional of dancing girls who led the celebration with a worship song, and a worship service preceded our event.   It was also a reunion;  I saw some smiling faces out in the audience who I did not know, and later found out that our Worship Leader was 2nd cousins with Joe's brother!  Small Small world!

How embarrassing....we sort of did a "budget" wedding.....since we both didn't have any money; he had just started  his construction business that year (poor thing-what a stressful year for him!), and I of course had been a missionary for 13 years before that....so I think our whole wedding was done on less than $500!  Now, that's a deal!   Our reception was done in the children's Sunday School building and they were remodeling....lol!   Haha.  Oh well!   Maybe I can photoshop the sheetrock mud and tape and float off the picture!

My Daddy walked me down the aisle, and poor thing, he was SO sick that we thought he would not even be able to make it to the wedding.   He didn't even let my little brother buy a ticket he was so sure that he would not live to survive the trip.   So in the end Todd did not come as it would have been exhorbitantly expensive for him to fly last minute.  That was a sad occasion for me.  I loved my DAD so much and was so happy that he was able to !

Here is Joe with his late brother, Jay.  I loved Jay SO much and miss him terribly.   Here they are cutting up.......as usual.  

I really like this picture; not sure when it was snapped, but I think it might have been during the vows?

Notice I am smiling and laughing.    I distinctly remember a little giggle during the "I promise to submit to you part".   Lol.....

Here's the exit photo.    

Did look ecstatic or what?!     Our wedding party:

So you see, a Wedding really is A Family Affair.  Two lives, completely separate, now joined by an Unseen God who chooses to show Himself strong to those who will take Him at His Word.   Bound together, in covenant, backed by the power of Heaven; the First Divine Institution, unshakeable, unmoveable, destined to bring glory to the One who gave Himself to establish Covenant, Redemption, Family, and Dominion.   

I really choose to believe what Wikipedia said about the number 16.   Coming of Age, and the Power of Two.  I believe that this coming year, our marriage, like a fine vintage wine will come of age, and be enjoyed, not only by ourselves and our daughter, but by those around us; bringing stability in these troubles times.   And I choose to believe; to grasp, apprehend, and take hold of the dominion covenant for our lives, marriage, business, ministry and families:  The Power of Two, a strand joined by a Third, though Unseen Party; a cord which cannot be unraveled by stress, worry, fear, issues past present and future.  He who is Faithful has chosen us, and He will do it!

I hope I have encouraged you, fair reader by my story!  Thanks for allowing me to share today!

P.S.   There is alot more to the idea of marriage than just wedded bliss.  For a complete commentary and a really thought provoking in depth read on marriage, here is a great book!

Comment, please!  What is your favorite wedding memory?  What have  you learned on your journey as a married couple?

The Forgery: When God wants to make a Man

This poem has been going through my heart over the past few days, and I felt compelled to look it up. I just felt I should share it with you, fellow pilgrim on this path we call life.  I've been "stuck in a rut" and "caught between two opinions" recently, and this brought me some needed encouragement, so maybe you could use some as well!

When God wants to drill a man,

And thrill a man,

And skill a man

When God wants to mold a man

To play the noblest part;

When He yearns with all His heart

To create so great and bold a man

That all the world shall be amazed,

Watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects

Whom He royally elects!

How He hammers him and hurts him,

And with mighty blows converts him

Into trial shapes of clay which

Only God understands;

While his tortured heart is crying

And he lifts beseeching hands!

How He bends but never breaks

When his good He undertakes;

How He uses whom He chooses,

And which every purpose fuses him;

By every act induces him

To try His splendor out-

God knows what He's about.

Authorship uncertain, possibly Henry Francis Lyte (with additional verse)

I want you to be encouraged tonight in the great great love that
God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ 
have for 
YOU!


Sometimes we go through hard things and sometimes the way
feel sooo narrow, and uncertain and unsure.
But God promises to never leave us or forsake us.


Therefore, let us cast off all weights, and the sin which does so easily beset us,
and fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and finisher of our Faith.
Who went before, and conquered, and descended, and prevailed and rose again.
He evermore sits enthroned in Heaven itself, and is dedicated to pray for us, the saints.


We have all things we need for life and godliness presented and available to us through
the atoning work of our Savior.   He has deigned that we oversome and conquer, and prevail, just as He Himself did.


Sometimes we feel weak and confused, and lonely, but He is near; 
as near as our very breath, the same breath that He formed the day 
we were conceived, and became alive.
He's as close as the faint prayer that we even do not or cannot even muster but cry
silently from the depths of our being.


He expects us to be 
Strong
and Courageous;
He invokes us to not tremble 
nor be afraid.


He will carry our ship to the other side, 
and bids us step out of our boats and meet
Him there on the stormy High Seas.


My friend, He is there
with you
right now.


Will you believe
and acknowledge
and request Him to
carry you through?


His power is made perfect in our weakness.


That's all I wanted to say
May you have joy and peace, 
in believing.
And may you have Hope
because of the LOVE He has
for you.


Sleep sweetly, my friend.


Peace be to you.

I like this poem... When God wants to drill a man, And thrill a man, and skill a man, When God wants to mold a man, To play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart To create so great and bold a man, That all the world might be amazed, Watch his methods; watch His ways. How He ruthlessly perfects Whom He royally elects! How He hammers him and hurts him And with mighty blows converts him That only God understands; While his tortured heart is crying, And He lifts beseeching hands! How He bends but never breaks When His good He undertakes. How He uses whom He chooses, And with every purpose fuses him; But every act induces him To try His splendor out -- God knows what He's about! (1)

I like this poem... When God wants to drill a man, And thrill a man, and skill a man, When God wants to mold a man, To play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart To create so great and bold a man, That all the world might be amazed, Watch his methods; watch His ways. How He ruthlessly perfects Whom He royally elects! How He hammers him and hurts him And with mighty blows converts him That only God understands; While his tortured heart is crying, And He lifts beseeching hands! How He bends but never breaks When His good He undertakes. How He uses whom He chooses, And with every purpose fuses him; But every act induces him To try His splendor out -- God knows what He's about! (1)