Well, I thought that I would do a better job at maintaining our blog after the busyness of the wedding had ceased, but as you can tell, that’s not the case. I’m not even sure how many people are still reading this!
It’s now been a few days over 2 months and I can’t say that marriage has been significantly different than I had imagined (in a good way.) We have found ourselves to be really busy, so I’m looking forward to winter, when it gets darker earlier and I feel less guilty about pjs and the couch at 6 p.m.
we’re certainly learning a lot about god, even in this quick 2 months. i can’t think of anything that will make us more like christ than being married to ian, and that is the purpose of marriage. we had many many reasons that we waited this long to get married, but if anything, i would’ve done it sooner. i love being married to ian. it just feels natural. he’s my best friend. we both wish this were much different, wish for no brain injury, wish that he had his dad back- and there is real grief and real battles and real temptation tied into that- but we are both learning daily to value christ higher than perfect communication, life without a wheelchair and physical ease.
I need to give a shameless plug for this book by John Piper. It was the basis of our pastor’s message at our wedding and has been a constant encouragement before and after our wedding. We would recommend it to anyone- whether married or not. Here is just a taste of the goodness you’ll find inside:
“Marriage is not mainly about prospering economically; it is mainly about displaying the covenant-keeping love between Christ and his church. Knowing Christ is more important than making a living. Treasuring Christ is more important than bearing children. Being united to Christ by faith is a greater source of marital success than per- fect sex and double-income prosperity.
If we make secondary things primary, they cease to be secondary and become idolatrous. They have their place. But they are not first, and they are not guaranteed. Life is precarious, and even if it is long by human standards, it is short. “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Prov. 27:1).
So it is with marriage. It is a momentary gift. It may last a lifetime, or it may be snatched away on the honeymoon. Either way, it is short. It may have many bright days, or it may be covered with clouds. If we make secondary things primary, we will be embittered at the sorrows we must face. But if we set our face to make of marriage mainly what God designed it to be, no sorrows and no calamities can stand in our way. Every one of them will be, not an obstacle to success, but a way to succeed. The beauty of the covenant-keeping love between Christ and his church shines brightest when nothing but Christ can sustain it.
Very soon the shadow will give way to Reality. The partial will pass into the Perfect. The foretaste will lead to the Banquet. The troubled path will end in Paradise. A hundred candle-lit evenings will come to their consummation in the marriage supper of the Lamb. And this momentary marriage will be swallowed up by Life. Christ will be all and in all. And the purpose of marriage will be complete.
To that end may God give us eyes to see what matters most in this life. May the Holy Spirit, whom he sends, make his crucified and risen Son the supreme Treasure of our lives. And may that Treasure so satisfy our souls that the root of every marriage-destroying impulse is severed. And may the marriage-watching world be captivated by the covenant- keeping love of Christ.”
ben, jan, david, sarah and ian planned a wonderful surprise honeymoon in annapolis, md. if you’re looking for a good place to stay there, check this out. I didn’t think we would ever find an accessible B&B, but i was delightfully surprised!!
thank you, b&j and d&s for going with us and making it a blast!
here are some more random shots of the wedding while we wait (patiently?) for the real ones!!!
and to start it off, two of the four most wonderful parents in the world- the whiteleys who made the whole wedding possible. mom and dad, you are the absolute best!!!!!
Here is a link to an update broadcast that we did on Chris Fabry Live. We did the original recording in March and were asked to do an update for a Labor Day broadcast. Once you follow the link, click on “hour 2” on the right hand side.
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