i love love...day 7

Alison & Taido, married 19 years

Dear Taido,

I remember when we moved back home to Arkansas after years of being away, I felt like we had done our time in the far away places. I both mourned and celebrated the end of that season of our lives. I was so grateful for the time away because it taught us to walk through life alone together. In moving away again I have been surprised by how I am relearning to walk together in a strange place all over again and I am struck anew by the gift that it is to our marriage. Watching you walk with confidence into the unknown has been so inspiring. You hopped in a car and drove it on the left side of the road like you have been doing it all your life and you have given yourself to a completely new world of people, learning and stretching and being open to whatever is next. I'm amazed at how your embracing of both theology and the local church have already opened doors for you that it seems you were created to walk through. And I'm so grateful that though you cannot see the end result of either of our current vocational pursuits that you encourage me to remember that this time and place is all that matters. Today is all we have, and I'm so thankful that we have it together. I would not have it any other way.

With all my love,

Alison

Dearest Alison,

As we have sought to re-establish our lives over the last five months in a new land, many of those qualities that first drew me to you all those years ago shine with a new brilliance against the dark Scottish sky. I’ve always been able to appreciate to your adventurous spirit, but your willingness to trust me and leave all else behind in order to begin again has been both encouraging and humbling. Not just a willingness either, but when the challenges of our new life here seem overwhelming your optimism have been the things that have kept me sane and us moving forward. I’ve loved watching you embrace your writing in a brand new way, the stories you’re living and telling, and the creativity with which you are approaching your new projects. When it is all said and done, I believe it will be your dogged determination that carries the day for all of us. My love and appreciation grows for you daily!

Always yours,

Taido

i love love...day 6

Stacey & Anthony, married 9 months

Anthony, the first time I saw you, you glowed to me. You were playing the piano at church, and I knew you were something special. I love that you courted me long distance for over three months. I think we bared our souls in those text messages. I remember showing them to my friends in disbelief that any man could be so endearing. Marrying you was so natural, so easy -- like two souls who have loved each other through eternity. And I look forward to spending the rest of eternity as your wife.

Love,
Stacey

Stacey,
Sometimes saying "I love you" seems too weak, too ordinary, too superficial for how deeply I care about you.  I am certain I saw you and perhaps spoken to you before, but it was around this time a couple of years ago that I really met you.  I was at a loss for words. I was awestruck. This chance meeting was a magical moment that floats between reality and dreams.  It took me another four months to decide to throw caution to the wind to chase this impossible dream.
And that I did... I courted you for 200 days, dated you for 100 days, and want to spend the rest of my days with you...
Now when "I love you" does not seem to say enough, this sums it up, "Stacey, you are amazing!"

Always,
ak 

i love love...day 5

Craig & Julie, high school sweethearts and married 43 years

In the spring of my senior year of high school, I found myself thinking about this cute redhead in math class.  She was cute, smart and laughed at my jokes, so we were off to a good start and ended up going to prom together before I left town for the summer.  Even though we had only had a few dates, we started writing and our affection grew.  That fall she headed for Santa Barbara and I headed for Austin, and we both expected that would be the end, especially since we were so different from each other, but we kept writing.  Over Christmas, her family arranged for me to go with her to a Young Life camp, where I first heard and understood the Gospel.  That began a new journey towards Love for me, and when I finally began to follow Christ, we finally had some common ground that we could build on.  We both loved Jesus and thought we loved each other, so we got married expecting a glorious happy ever after claiming Psalm 118:23 "The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes."

We had very unrealistic expectations and soon had some new verses.  Things about iron sharpening iron and such.  Really, the only thing that kept us together was a promise made.  Since we were not going to bail, we became committed to try and figure out how to make this marriage work.  As God blessed us with children, we had some new common ground and some new incentives.  We wanted to give our children the gift of parents who love each other and we were deeply committed to model for them the joy of the Lord. We are both so grateful for those years.

The departure of our children to their own lives and families has been a hard adjustment, but God has faithfully helped us each to understand each others story better and to accept the fact that we will always come at life differently.  And really, that has been good for both of us.  She has become more adventurous and I have become more organized.  And even more important, we are more and more not just accepting each other the way we are, but loving each other the way we are.  How cool is that?
-Craig



When Craig and I got married in 1970 we really knew very little about love. We knew we were attracted to each other, and I guess we thought that was love. It was not long before disappointment and anger began to take over in that first year. We were just so different from each other. But when we got married both Craig and I had been very serious about our vows and we had said that no matter what, divorce was not an option for us. So even though we were having difficulty getting along, we knew we had to figure it out. We read books, we read the Bible, we went to seminars, and we were learning a lot about what it really meant to love each other. It just wasn't as easy to put it into practice. As I look back over 43 years together, I realize how much God has knitted us together. We both adored and were so committed to our children. We both worked together to parent them. We both were committed to serving God and did that together in lots of ways. And I learned that the ways Craig was different from me were really good things for me, even those things that drove me crazy. Craig taught me to love the outdoors, and to be willing to take risks in order to have some great adventures. He helped me see how legalism and perfectionism were destroying me and our relationship. He made life fun, and I knew wherever we were he would figure out a way to take care of us. I definitely have grown to love him deeply and could hardly wait to get home to see him after being gone a week recently. He is truly a gift from God to me.
-Julie

i love love...day 4

Heidi & John David, married 2 months

Dear Heidi,

From the day I first saw you I knew you were special.  I knew you were different.  And I knew you were the one.  Through the years, the good and the bad, I still knew you where the one.  Nothing has made me happier than to start a life with you as your husband!
I love you forever and always! 

John David 

To My Loving Husband,

I like reflecting on our sweet love story! One of my favorite memories is when we very first got back together.  That was such a happy time!  I remember the look on your face and the butterflies in my stomach when I opened the front door and you weren’t expecting it to be me.  You were thinking it be one of my brothers standing there!  I remember when you guys came back from the lake that weekend to a birthday party where the whole family was there.  Everyone was so excited and filled with anticipation of what was sure to come!  I also remember realizing how muscley you’d gotten when you hugged me before you left!  Papa was especially thrilled when he caught me staring as you walked to your truck.  He made me wave to you as you drove off.  I felt like a giddy little school-girl thinking up reasons to text you that week.  And then all was right in the world when we spent the weekend at the cabin with my family.  I love looking back on that weekend. It's just so sweet.  I could feel it. You could feel it. Everyone around us could feel it. We're definitely meant to be!

I love you so much! Forever and always!

Heidi

i love love...day 3

Chris & Melany, married 16 years

Chris,

Love at first sight. It's for real. From the moment I laid my eyes on you at the beach, I knew you were the one for me. Your heart, your genuine personality and your...well...hot body is what  caught my attention and I knew right then that I never wanted to be without you. I can't imagine raising daughters or even doing life without you. I love you a whole bunch!
Melany

Dear Melany,

It has been almost 19 years since I rode 10 1/2 hours to meet you for the first time in Destin, FL. I could not have planned a meeting like that on my own. God knew what he was doing. At first sight, I felt something different than I ever had before. And no, it wasn't the sand in my bathing suit. You were beautiful then and have grown more beautiful each day since that first day, both inside and out. 

I have had the privilege of watching you become a mother to two beautiful daughters. You have allowed me to screw up along the way and still love me more. You support me, laugh with me, laugh at me, and cry with me. You forgive me when I fail you and you love me when I don't deserve it. 

This Valentine's Day will be the 18th one we have had together. I am glad you are my Valentine not only on February 14th, but also the other 364 days of the year! You are my one true love and my lover!!

I Love You,

Chris

i love love...day 2

Julie & Travis, married 19 years

"There was no Match.com when Travis and I met; we were just a bunch of crazy friends who hung out together and happened to be dating other (crazy) people. Our friends saw something that told them that Travis and I should date each other….sooo we started as friends who rode to our college classes together. That friendship led to a movie at his moms that led to a first kiss. We dated and (kissed) our way through college with the usual movie, food, and skating date nights.
After three years we walked down the aisle and said “I do” in the traditional white gown and dark tux complete with wedding-album photographs to commemorate our special day. Our life has been blessed with ups and downs and two great kids. We crave simplicity in this busy world of work, kids, school, gymnastics and life. We love to go to the beach and just enjoy the beauty and tranquility of being there together. This April we will celebrate our twentieth anniversary, so it’s definitely time to have another picture of the way we began our relationship….just the two of us."

because i love love...day 1

I start with the confession that I am a girl who loves love. You can talk me into a romcom any day and I often times find myself lost in someone's love story. The details of how you met, what you were wearing, that feeling you had....I eat it all up. As I get older and see more love stories at every stage I have found that there is further joy and such a deeper love when looking beyond those first feelings. We have the chance to see a love story play out. There are bumps and bruises and millions of I'm sorries and please forgive mes, death and birth and so much grace. Love is so much more than a feeling, love is a story.
As we count down to Valentine's Day I am planning to share some love stories. I have asked some of my clients to share their love story and I will be sharing a photo of the couples. Excited to share the love.
Happy February!