Sweet Summertime

Aw, sweet summertime! Warm Carolina days, long weekends (thanks to a four-day work week)and time to slow down just a bit, read a great book or two, swing on the porch swing and celebrate so much…birthdays, family, granddaughters, and our thirty-second anniversary! On July 6, 1991, Carl and I said, “I do,” in front of God, family and friends at the old First Baptist Church in Gastonia.

So, this year, to celebrate, we took a quick road trip to Blowing Rock, NC! The Alpine Village Inn is the perfect place to stay while visiting there! The old-fashioned motel is remodeled, the rooms are uniquely decorated and the owners make you feel at home! They even left a chilled bottle of Prosecco in our room in honor of our anniversary! We had a great dinner at The Speckled Trout and then drove to Boone to see Horn in the West! We highly recommend the show, but be forewarned, you may get called up to the front to sing, especially if you wear a bright colored shirt! (See picture below) One of my colleagues and his wife are principal actors in the show this summer, so check it out if you get the chance!

Our anniversary got me thinking about marriage in general. If you are married, I hope you are celebrating each other all year long, not just on your anniversary! A godly marriage is a commitment. It is intentional. It is work and in today’s “anything goes” culture, it is indeed something to celebrate.

“Nothing brings more joy than a good marriage, and nothing brings more misery than a bad marriage.”

Billy Graham

Through the highs and lows, laughter and tears, leaps of faith, buying the farm, children and grandchildren, God remains our guide. I am so thankful for the biblical foundation that our relationship is built upon. Our faith has grown over the years, just as we have. We aren’t the same young people we were when we met at age 18 and 25. We are far from perfect, but with God’s grace and his plan for marriage as our guide, each year we get to celebrate is truly a gift.

It’s funny how life unfolds, how we learn and grow, fuss and forgive and dream. On that Saturday in July in 1991, at 22 and 29, we certainly didn’t know what the future would hold, but we trusted that God did. As I type this, looking at my garden, full of zinnias, sunflowers, butterflies, squash bugs, beetles and so many weeds, I can’t help but smile. Our lives are like a garden, full of beauty and growth, coupled with the bugs and weeds of life that can be damaging. Yet, I am reminded of the master gardner, God himself, who has perfect timing and a divine plan. His mercies are new every morning.

This year has been filled with celebrations, new opportunities, loss and grief, new adventures at the farm, trips with loved ones, and all the mundane things of life that are easy to miss unless we are intentionally looking. Through it all, God is good. He is the master craftsman, working all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (from Romans 8:28)

Sometimes pictures tell the story better than words do. So, I added quite a few that capture some of our summer activities and memories with family, celebrating each day, cherishing the time we have together. If nothing else, 2023 has reminded us just how precious life is and that we aren’t promised tomorrow. So, go ahead and dance in the ocean, wear a dress that twirls (according to Ruby and Liza), climb to the top of a lighthouse, stand on a bale of hay for a picture just because it’s something you want to do, hug your loved ones, and above all, love well, stay rooted in God’s word, uphold his truths, be fearless, and #BeLight whatever you may be doing!