One year on...

So we've been married for 1 whole year! I can't believe it! it has absolutely flown in but I've loved every minute of it! 24th June 2006 was really and truly the best day of our lives-we would so love to do it again! but the past year has been wonderful-I am very strongly pro-marriage! I recommend it highly!! Waking up beside the person you love everyday, saying goodnight to them eveynight and living life side by side is wonderful! Johnny and I often note how blessed we are to have found each other so young and we feel very strongly that it was completely a God thing. I was a young and impresssionable 5th year at Banbridge Academy and Johnny was a very popular womanising u6th year when he asked me out on my first ever night at the 'belhole!' We are still shocked at the fact I said yes and that he asked!! but we can see God's hand in it all as only 4 weeks after that, Johnny came with me to an SU evanglesim night and re-dedicated his life to God. It was meant to be!!

The year has been the best and I so look forward to the next however many years together as we do the seemingly impossible thing of growing closer to each other, learning more about each other and also the not so impossible growing closer to and learning more about God together.

Colossains 3

This is a pic of our friends Jamie and Kate. I have known Jamie my whole life-literally since I was born when we were kinda forced to be friends as our mothers were friends! Kate and I were talking last week about friends and how some are borne out of situation ( I wouldn't still be great friends with Jamie now if there wasn't a bond there or we didn't get on well-which we do!), and some are borne out of just 'clicking' with people. I have to say that a lot of my close friends were put into my life by God for a purpose and I am very thankful for that and for them.

Anyway, Jamie and Kate are getting married on 25th July this year and I am reading at their wedding-which I am delighted to be doing! They have asked me to read from Colossians 3 v12-17. This is some of favourite bits of scripture-I have actuall y spoken on it before at the base when I was discovering if i was a gifted speaker or not!!here it is:

'Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.'

I love the use of the expression 'clothe yourselves', as if you put on these wonderful gifts from God evryday to protect yourself from the harms of the world like clothes protect your body. I long to be someone who is compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient all the time, everyday but it is impossible for us as humans. It is not impossible for us however, to strive everyday to try and be these things. I continue to try!

My favourite bit is at the end-'...whatever you do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus...' I thnk this will be my moto for life-a pretty good one, don't you think?