Happy Anniversary

Well today is officially our 10 year anniversary. Yes, 10 years ago, June 27th, 1998, Steve and I officially became husband and wife. What an amazing day that was. I loved my wedding day and would not change a thing.

Steve and I both grew up in Colorado 30 miles away from one another but did not meet until 1994 while we were both attending Colorado State University. We met through mutual friends. We were both, and still are, sarcastic people so we were not instantly into one another. Although I know each of us had an attraction to one another. This is my version of the story. Someday, Steve can write his.

Over the next year we would see on another more often on campus and at parties. Neither of us were Christians at this time. During this year we become more acquainted with one another until we would see one another and enjoy just hanging out. At the end of 1994, Steve left CSU for reasons I only found out later, but are very important to our story. It was during this time that the Holy Spirit was working on Steve. He left CSU and came to Denver to go to a school and get away from the environment. He began meeting was a couple of friends who had just gotten back from seminary and were starting a church. It was during this time that the Lord saved Steve.

In June of 1995, I graduated from CSU and came back to Denver to the same school Steve was going to to get my teaching license. We decided since we were both down here, we should get together and have lunch with one another. It took Steve 3 months to call me. We had our first date on December 8th, 1995.

When we began dating, Steve was a new Christian. In September of 1995, Steve faithfully told me the gospel and my need for Christ. I was brought up by two incredible parents, both who are Jewish. I want people to understand that I tell you this out of gratitude to God. I am blessed to be Jewish and to know Jesus as my Saviour. That’s a whole other blog!

By the Grace of God I was saved and pray that I have grown to walk in His ways. I am so very thankful for the sacrifice He made on my behalf on the cross. My hearts desire is to walk in His ways. I hope that while reading my blog you see that my strength is not on my own, but through faith in Christ alone. I would love to share with anyone, if you have more questions, just exactly what it means to have faith in Christ alone and exactly where my hope lies.

In November of 1997, Steve proposed to me and in June of 1998 we were married in the foothills of Colorado. What an incredibly beautiful day. It was perfectly clear (as you can see in the "blury" picture...Oops!) and extremely hot. Hot enough that my brother-in-law (the best man) passed out. We have some very fun memories of that day. I would do my wedding day over in a heartbeat.

So in 10 years of marriage what can I say? Well…it has been a good journey with many unpredictable roads. Some smooth, some bumpy and all with turns we are unable to predict. I have enjoyed each day with him.

Each day of our marriage has been a part of our sanctification in Christ and so I hope that through this time we have grown in our understanding of Christ, what He has done for us, and what our responsibility is to him. I pray for our hearts to continue to be open to His molding of us. This last year has been a hard one, yet a blessed one. One we could never have prepared for, but God certainly prepared us without us knowing. We saw so much of one another. Perseverance, Hope, Fear, Love, Compassion, Mercy and the list goes on. I guess you could say…this is when you see your vows in action…. I would like to share ours….

Steve and Corie:

As God has chosen to show forth the realities of Christ’s love for His Bride through your marriage, will you seek to live this gospel reality?
Will you seek the “Oneness” that God has intended for you to show the oneness that He desires of us?
Will you seek to show the world that as nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, nothing can separate you from the love that you have for each other?
That there would be nothing that you discover in each other, that would ever turn your commitment to love one another?

Will you use watchfulness and care to each others spiritual and eternal welfare?
Will you pray for each other and with each other?
Will you gently and affectionately bring to bear each others sins and defects?
Will you strive to stimulate the other unto spiritual ends by being a holy example?
Will you warn in temptation, comfort in dejection, and in every way assist one another in your pilgrimage to your true home?
Will you converse often together on the themes of redemption by Christ, and eternal salvation?
Will you study each others dispositions, weakness, troubles, decays in piety, that you may apply suitable remedies?
Will you exhort one another lest you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin?
Will you encourage one another to make communion with God your greatest priority?
Will you love Christ and labor together to make Him known?
Will you mutually share your thoughts, perplexities, joys, fears, sorrows?
Will you lay down your lives that the other may hear the words from our Lord, “well done good and faithful servant”?
Steve and Corie, will you strive to fulfill these according to the grace of God that has been given to you?

I promise and covet before God and these witnesses to be thy loving and faithful husband (wife) in plenty and want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall life.

And so my dear husband…Thank you for being my husband for the last 10 years. You have been a friend I could never imagine having. You listen to me at night when you would rather go to sleep. You go out every day and work so hard to provide a living for me and your children so I can stay home with them. You are patient with me when I am an emotional mess…sometimes for no reason at all. You patiently answer questions about “life” the best you can even when I have asked the question 20 times. You strive to bring glory to God in the way you live.

This past year you have proven yourself even more to me. I have been even more grateful for the gift you are. It is easy to commit to your spouse at the alter, but when something difficult happens is when you really see one an others love and commitment. I will never forget the day we got Larsons diagnosis and you looked into my eyes and said, “its going to be OK, we will get through this together” and we are. I can’t say its been a bowl of cherries, but we have walked hand and hand together. When I felt horrible and could not imagine saying good-bye to our son, you continued to encourage me even while your own heart was breaking. And when it was time to meet Larson on January 22nd you held my hand and prayed with me during the entire c-section. You show so so many around us the beauty of a marriage that is built on Christ.

You were willing to make decisions that I never wanted to make…memorial service songs, meeting with doctors, funeral arrangements. You did all of this mostly by yourself, because I could not make the decisions. You put your family above yourself and walked with such strength and courage with your head held high. With complete humbleness you have lead your family through this valley. I know that as we enter into the next decade we do not know what is before us. I do know that by Gods grace our marriage will strengthen. So my dear husband, thank you for all you have been to me the last 12 ½ years and thank you God for the gift you have given to me to walk through this valley with. Here’s to another 10!