Celebrating 20 years!

Today is our 20th wedding anniversary and it's been a great ride! Although Andrew & I are opposites in many ways, we are also very much alike in many ways. He inspires me and makes me laugh -- and makes me so thankful to have him in my life! I don't like to think about life without him.

Over the past years we have seen quite a few marriages around us crumble and succumb to divorce. We've also seen marriages that are obviously a facade for 'good marriage'. Recently someone said to me that 20 years of marriage is 'nothing' and I have to disagree. No it's not major milestones like 25 years or 50 or 60 years, but in this day and age, every year of a successful and happy marriage is a testament to the Lord's goodness in our lives. And it should be celebrated! For a long while I've longed for a marriage mentoring ministry (where older married couples mentor newly married couples, couple to couple) and maybe one day I will be involved in one. I think that encouragement for marriages is so necessary and sorely needed. And often absent, especially when so many newly-married couples come from broken homes and have not seen a solid marriage at work -- first-hand anyway.

I don't have the answers to what exactly makes a good marriage and a lasting one, but I do know that it takes hard work, patience and a genuine concern for the other person in the marriage. There isn't any room for selfishness or a me-attitude. And having the Lord as the center of everything changes how we view each and every situation that arises. I've told many young couples that marriage can be as good (and I think better!) than those pre-marriage dating days -- when you can't wait to see or hear from your beloved! It's true!

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox for now and share some photos with you. I was hoping to don my wedding dress today but the weight loss didn't come as fast as the anniversary did, so maybe next year! Here I wore my dress on our 10th anniversay (the kids called it our 'second wedding' back then! LOL).