Please join our lovely hostess, Amy, for Then Sings My Soul Saturday…TSMSS for short. Just click on the musical note to the right to visit Amy’s wonderful blog and to be blessed by the others that have something to share with you today.
And please visit Charlotte and Ginger, our lovely hostesses for Spiritual Sundays by clicking on the blue sky to the right. May your week-end be blessed by these two wonderful blogs.
Since my husband and I just celebrated 39 years of marriage last Friday, I wanted to show you some pictures.
One of the ladies that attended our church had a beautiful voice, and sang this song that Perry Como is going to sing for you now.
Please watch/listen to the video as you scroll through this post.
We were blessed when our son and daughter-in-love chose this song for their own wedding. I remembered what it meant to me, and I prayed as I heard it again, that the Lord would keep their love as strong as He had kept ours.
We had a very tiny budget for our wedding. I made my wedding dress and veil two weeks prior, and on the morning of the wedding, my maid of honor, Dori, and I were at the grocery store buying several gallons of Hawaiian Punch and ordering a cake that the bakery promised to have ready in an hour. I had my hair in those rollers you’ll see in the picture, and I was wearing a homemade granny dress. I can’t believe I did that!
My husband in 1969, just before we got engaged. Isn’t he handsome? Sigh…
This is me, rolling my hair on those big orange magnetic rollers on my wedding day…remember those?
Yes, my hair was dark…very dark! That’s my Irish heritage.
We didn’t have enough money to hire a professional photographer, so my hubby’s best friend took our wedding pictures with his 35mm camera. I could barely get a decent copy to post here today. The photos of me walking down the aisle, and the wedding party, the outside of the church, my parents, were so blurry, I couldn’t show them to you. I’m hoping there is a way to have them restored.
My husband’s oldest brother was, and still is, ornery. He took a lemon drop, put it in his mouth to make it sticky, and stuck it inside my wedding band before he handed it to the pastor. I was livid! This was the most important day of my life, and I wanted it to be spiritual and serious. I didn’t laugh. It took me years to get over it.
First kiss as Mr. and Mrs.
33 years later..while were on a cruise in the Caribbean.
And now 39 years and one week later, today…literally today, Saturday, my granddaughter took this picture of us.
My husband and I said the traditional wedding vows, but I also wrote this for him, as my personal commitment based on this beautiful passage of scripture.
MARRIAGE ACCORDING TO 1 CORINTHIANS 13
"...and now I will show you the most excellent way." (1 Cor. 12:31)
If I speak eloquently, with many words, to my mate, and I speak in my heavenly language continually to God, but have not love, I am only a repetitive nag and a harsh sound to his/her ears.
If God gifts to me vision and understanding, and reveals to me the mysteries of Heaven and earth, and if I believe in His word so strongly that I can move any obstacle from my life, but I do not love my mate as God does, I have lost my effect, my influence will be as nothing.
If I unselfishly give away my possessions to the needy, and sacrifice myself to Christian service, but love not my mate, I gain no reward.
Love means I am patient, waiting for God to change my mate's heart. Love means being thoughtful, tender and considerate of my mate's needs. It means I won't be envious of my mate's accomplishments and popularity; it means I won't gloat and exult myself when I am successful.
Love means I won't be impolite or curt with my mate, and I will not seek to make my life easier, but rather seek to lighten burdens for my mate. When I am angry, I will not allow Satan a foothold, but will take my tears and pain to God and petition for help in times of conflict, recognizing that troubled times are temporary and that God is the healer of our emotions; and I will quickly forgive my mates's shortcoming, holding no grudge in my heart.
Love means I will not gloat when my mate is wrong and I am right, or when my mate falls to temptation, pumping up my own righteousness, but I will rejoice when my mate finds strength in the Lord, when he/she lives according to the true Word of God.
Love means I will always defend my mate, never disclosing his/her fears to anyone, criticizing or belittling him/her, but will build up my mate's reputation to others and safeguard the private things of his/her heart. Love means I will have confidence in my mate and always presume the best from him/her. I will always hope for and anticipate God's blessings for our marriage, for our future, never holding onto past failures. I will continue to work at my marriage, laboring to fulfill the committment I made to my mate on our wedding day.
If we love each other as God loves us, we can be sure that His love will sustain us. All the gifts of God that are given us on this earth will one day be gone, and all of our days, with their trials and triumphs, will be gone; the only thing that will remain when perfection in Christ comes will be our love.
When I was single, I behaved in many childish ways, not having the responsibility upon me that comes with marriage. But when I became one with my mate in the sight of God, I became accountable to Him and to others to put away the thoughts and actions of my single days, to mature and behave as a capable and trustworthy adult, willingly taking on the care and concern for my mate.
I don't understand everything about my mate now, just as I don't have complete understanding of God; the mysteries cloud my ability to know it all; God designed it that way to test my faith, to depend on Him. But when I see the Lord face to face, He will open my eyes and I will see my mate and my own heart then as He does now.
All that will endure is my faith, my hope, and my love - and the greatest, most important gift I can give my mate and God is my devotion, my adoration...my love.
Our wedding took place in our little church, with our friends and family there to give us their blessings. We were married by our wonderful pastor, who had counseled us prior to the wedding, and believed in us. We believed in the words of that song then, and we believe in them now…”Because God made thee mine”. He has always been in the center of our marriage.
What is truly amazing to me is that Jesus is our Heavenly Bridegroom.
Revelation 19:7-9a [The Marriage Supper of the Lamb is the great Heavenly celebration of our marriage to Jesus.] Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9a And he [the angel] saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.
I’m sorry this post is so long…I usually try to keep them short, as I know there are many beautiful blogs to visit. Thanks so much for visiting me today!
God bless you, everyone!
Mary
Happy Anniversary, Mary! Oh, I just loved your post about your wedding day. You were gorgeou then and you're gorgeous now! What a beautiful not for your hubby!
ReplyDeleteBe a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
Mary, what a great post!! I love your story and your great pictures. You two are looking great! I have to confess. If I consider a post too long. I just skip it. Not this one! Thanks for sharing this with us. It's long--but not too long!! ....Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment on my post. I first heard of Charles Swindoll when I visited a little church down the street from where I lived in Stockton, CA. I went there to borrow some sermon tapes from their library. I asked the secretary what tapes she considered the best. She told me about Charles Swindoll. I borrowed a couple of his sermon tapes and kept going back for more. When I went to Fullerton--which wasn't often I went to hear him. And then once I got to hear him in Los Angels at a preacher's convention. He was fantastic!! The best! A precious memory!
ReplyDeleteMary:
ReplyDeleteThat was such a beautiful post! I love the vows and how personally you made the scripture for your wedding and your life together. I recently put my father's words to us at our wedding on my blog. We've been married for 45 years. How those years have slipped by, and how much you and I both have to thank God for! Thank you for sharing.
Sonja
Beautiful post, Mary!
ReplyDeleteI didn't think it was long at all, I love hearing real-life stories, especially love stories, and yours is such a beautiful story of sustaining love and Faith.
I enjoyed this so much and I'm going to bring my husband here later to read.
Both you and your husband look wonderful!
That old saying "You're not getting older, you're getting better" is true for you two!
Many more Blessings be upon your enduring, loving, marriage!
And that of your son and his wife!
With Love and Prayers,
Eileen
Mary...This the sweet thing I've ever read. What a blessing for you and your handsome hubby.
ReplyDeleteI think you are gorgeous. Then and now. I'm always so grateful and thankful to read about other men and women who have had long marriages that have been happy. My Mr.AGPMan celebrated 31 years last September and we are only a handful of our friends whose marriages have survived the trials the years often bring.
I'm sooo happy for you...and inspired.
Love, Rebecca
I enjoyed every word of this! Mary, you are such a pretty lady! Beautiful inside and out!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! Are you going to have a Hawaiian punch toast, for old times sake! That was so cute!
Katherine
Your wedding story reminded me of my parents' wedding story. They were married in 1972 and also had Hawaiian punch. When they went to the bakery to pick up their wedding cake, the bakery had gone out of business! They quickly had to go somewhere else to get a cake. My mother also made her wedding dress and from what I could tell from your pictures, her dress looked very similar, especially the sleeves. You looked beautiful then, and you still look stunning today! I loved this post.
ReplyDeleteDear Mary, so many people concentrate on their 'big, fat wedding' that they totally forget to take their wedding vows seriously. I wish you both a long, happy, and blessed life together :o)
ReplyDeleteHugs
Oh, Mary, I love this post. All your pictures are wonderful. How God has blessed you through the years. Love the song. It was one of the songs at our wedding too. I think every wedding in the 50s and probably the 60s too included this beautiful song. We had red punch with our wedding cake too. It was a much simpler time. Now receptions usually include a sit-down dinner at a resort. I could never have afforded that. Thank you for sharing your memories and advice today.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Charlotte
Mary what a lovely post today, you and your husband are such a fitting couple your great together you can see the sparks of love within your photographs. Your darling ;0)
ReplyDeleteGod bless you for stopping over to visit me and your wonderful comments. Thank you so much you are truly a kind hearted soul. Thank you.
Happy Holidays
Blessings,
Heidi
Your Perry Como song was beautiful. You and your husband were very good looking when young, but you are a truly beautiful couple now. The vows that you wrote are so wonderful and so full of meaning, I love them. Hugs, Cindy S.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post! I enjoyed reading all of it. Your vows were beautiful and the song. You both are aging gracefully.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless,
Ginger
oohh Mary...such wonderful memories and words of LOVE! Belated congratulations & best wishes on your almost 40 years of marriage! My...what a blessing! It must be the beautiful words of faith spoken from 1 Corinthians that kept you & him solid in Christ! I love Perry Como and this was a beautiful song! I only think I know Christmas ones by him not romantic ones! Such a joy to share in your fantastic memories & treasures in your photos! Thanks so much! What a beautiful personal commitment and marriage! May God bless you both richly in your faithfulness to your covenant! May He show you continual favor! Thanks & sweet blessings from me to you!
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary! So beautiful and touching. BTW: you guys look awesome! Those 39 years have done you well.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, andrea
Happy anniversary. This was a post full of love and it came out. My mom loved Perry Como and It makes me tear up to hear him sang. I think a simple wedding is so much better thank all that hustle and bustle.
ReplyDeleteQMM
Oh Mary I just LOVED this post. I honestly can't believe how many things we have shared in common. Our budget for our wedding was tiny. My dress was made by a good friend of my mothers and the fabric and pattern all together cost me 25 dollars. A friend of mine took our pictures for us and I "think" we may have one of us together that was pretty good, many were too blurry to tell. I remember the curlers well only I wore mine to bed and slept (kind of anyway) all night with those things on my head, haha. Your vows you wrote from scripture were just fantastic. And oh my goodness how beautiful you are!! You look fantastic. AND!! I too had dark brown hair when I married and I am quite blonde now with a VERY similiar hair style, and I have that very same top. Can you believe that?? We will be married 35 years in Feb. so we are right behind you on the road. I loved the music btw too. Oh Mary, I have a feeling the more and more we get to know each other, the more and more we will see that the Lord has brought together two very kindred spirits. Have a wonderful Sunday and again, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU BOTH!!
ReplyDeleteSuch a precious post, God bless you and your husband extra sweetly.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I loved the vows you wrote. We have been married for 41 yrs. and it has not always been fun. We had and are having many trials in our marriage, but there is something to be said about suffering. I believe it can be a source of incredible grace when you allow God to walk with the two of you during these stressful times.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
Mary, I just adore love stories!! This is a perfect post about you and Your hubby's love story.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful adaptation of 1 Corinthians 13 to your mate, I just love your heart writing.
Beautiful then and now, both of you.
Thank you so much for your inspiration, friendship and love.
Love,
Lynn♥
~Let FREEDOM RIng!~
Good Morning Mary......Your post was wonderful today! How uplifting and inspiring and I have to tell you that it brought such a smile to my face! What a good looking couple, then and now. Happy Anniversary my friend, and to your wonderful husband....may you celebrate many more! ~Big Hugs, Patti
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such a personal, precious post and prayer of love. I enjoyed the pics. You are a good looking couple and I wish you many years of happiness and blessings.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post to share for your special time...I read every word and enjoyed it all...I hope you and your husband celebrate many many more grand anniversaries...I LOVED the Corinthians 13 commitment...I am saving this and would like to share it with my sons and daughter-in-laws, if that is alright with you....
ReplyDeleteI always love to hear a wedding story!! You are very beautiful outward as well as inward. I am glad you have been able to have all of these years together. We have been married 32 years and our wedding was a cheap one too! I also had a granny dress!! My granny dress looked like a wedding dress. My friend made my viel. We ordered a cake , but my hubby and friend carried it in the car and almost lost it! Anyways, it was fun reading your post. (I couldn't listen to the music because my hubby is reading a book beside me and it bothers him for me to play music right now!).
ReplyDeleteHello Mary,
ReplyDeleteA beautiful song & a beautiful post ! I always love to look at Wedding Pictures.I loved your wedding vows.Congratulations to you &your husband on 39 years of marriage !
Love in Christ,
Myrna
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteA belated Happy Anniversary to you and your hubby! What a beautiful post! It has been a real blessing to read this today. Your pictures are wonderful too! Thank you for sharing and have a beautiful Sunday.
Blessings,
Sandi
It was neat reading your post while that song was playing in the background. Both of you look great and Happy Anniversary to you! May the Lord bless you and give you many more years together. Everything you wrote here was so precious. It wasn't LONG...It was about LOVE worth telling about...God bless you sister Mary and your family!
ReplyDeleteSO LOVELY!!
ReplyDeleteA belated Happy Anniversary to you both!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pics too! Loved seeing those with your handsome hubby! You are a beautiful gal inside and out then and now!
Blessing to you both!
Hugs,
Lola
Happy Anniversary, Your pictures are beautiful. My Mother loved that song. I believe they played it at their wedding.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post. You and hubby are a great couple. My hubby and I just celebrated our 30th anniversary too. We had a low budget wedding too.
No photographer and we played records for music.
It was beautiful nonetheless. We are still happy after all these years, and I would marry him again! Hope you have many more happy yrs together.
Blessings,
Debbie
Sorry I am late. I wish you more Many Happy Years together. Your pictures are beautiful. I remember those curlers too. How about the coke can curlers. HA! HA!
ReplyDeleteWillow
What a great post, Mary! Loved seeing your wedding photos! Happy belated anniversary to you and your handsome hubby. These days, 39 years is nothing to sneeze at. My hubby and I will celebrate our ...hmmm...let me do the math...37th anniversary in about 3 weeks! And they said ours wouldn't last!! ;)
ReplyDeleteMy mother took a look at your wedding pictures, and she said she thought your dress looked a lot like hers too. She said the pattern she used was a Vogue pattern. Who made your pattern?
ReplyDeleteI wanted so badly to rework her wedding gown in some way and wear it when I got married, but she weighed less than 100 pounds when she got married and let's just say that I didn't! :) I was able however to use a part of the lace in her train in my veil. It was special to use that memory of Mother's to create my own memory.
What a wonderful story and beautiful pictures...God bless.
ReplyDeleteOh Mary, how touching that your son and his bride chose the same song as you and your husband did. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteMary, I'm so glad I decided to spend a little bit of time on your blog. I wanted to get to know you better. Happy Anniversary! In this day and age in which we live, 39 years of marriage is quite an accomplishment. But Christ has been at the center of your marriage and that makes the difference.
ReplyDeleteI so remember many of the styles of that day. In 1969, I was a sophomore in high school. The guys all had the long sideburns and I remember those rollers. It was a time of rebellion and the Vietnam War.
I remember my mom playing that song "Because" over and over on her record player. She loved that song. Such memories!
I love all of your photos and memories Mary. How fun to see the progression in styles and hair. You are just as pretty if not prettier today than you were on your wedding day. The blonde suits you well. And thank you for sharing your hubby with us too. I loved reading this one.
Bless you Mary and may you and your hubby have many more wonderful years.
love,
Debbie