Happy Anniversary Iris

For my friend Iris on her 52nd wedding anniversary:

Blessing for a Marriage

by James Dillet Freeman May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitement marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding. May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. May you need one another, but not out of weakness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you entice one another, but not compel one another. May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another. May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces. May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults. If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back. May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities. May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.

Love and Crayons

"Love is like a box of Crayons Always color within the lines. Don't look at them as barriers or roadblocks that limit, but guidelines to keep your love strong.

Be Creative. Use your own colors. Roses aren't always red and sunsets are never the same.

Marriage is like sharing a coloring book. Decide together what page to work on and then share. Perhaps one is better at coloring the sky and the other the grass and flowers. Never Criticize the other's work.

If you both desire to use the same crayon, choose a different shade or wait until the other is finished. Compromise and patience is the backbone of a strong marriage.

At times color your own page. A strong couple stands together but each casts their own shadow.

In coloring, this is accomplished by first agreeing on two connected pages and sitting close together.

Keep your crayons sharpened. The joy of love and marriage is in the details.

When disagreements arise, color together. No words need to be spoken. The peace and joy that comes from creating beauty will not permit the ugliness of anger to exist.

Always be thankful to the God of all colors. He created you both in love and graciously brought you together. Finally, clean up afterwards.

Marriage, like a crayon box, has a place for everything. You will discover that when one is missing the whole box seems incomplete. (Copyright 2005 Bob Perks)

To Accept Each Other

may we not only love but accept and enjoy each other . may Your love , joy , peace , and patience be at the heart of our relationships with one another , along with Your kindness and goodness , faithfulness , gentleness , and self-control . (galatians 5:22–23a)may we encourage each other , and build one another up in every circumstance . (1 thessalonians 5:11)

may we be willing to love each other as unconditionally as You love us , for such love forgives the wrongs of others and makes up for their many personal faults . in love , help us forgive without holding on to anger , resentment , or disappointment . (1 peter 4:8 ; matthew 18:21–22 ; ephesians 4:26)

may we love and accept one another just as we are , not waiting for change or perfection — as in Christ You have accepted us . help us be kind and compassionate to one another , forgiving each other as You have forgiven us . (ephesians 1:5–6 ; 4:32)

help us not to bring past issues into the present .

in Jesus’ name , amen .

by Jim & Kaye Johns