a heart overfilled with love

I've been talking to my friend Tera lately about her upcoming wedding (47 days!!!!) and it's got me a little sentimental. I've also just been feeling overwhelmingly thankful for this man of mine lately. I love him so much more than I can even begin to describe or show him. With a little less than three months to go before our 3rd wedding anniversary (where did the time go?) I'm sharing part of our ceremony below. I've highlighted parts that really stick out to me this far into our marriage. This was written by our amazing Chaplain, Doug Carver, especially for us since our big ceremony was more than a year into our marriage. I'm so thankful for such a personalized ceremony and for his beautiful words.

"Dave and Lauren, today you stand before Almighty God and these witnesses seeking the Lord’s blessing on Your marriage, submitting to His authority over your lives, and vowing to establish a Christian home.  A Christian home is one where you love each other as Christ loved you. To love like Jesus means to give of yourself completely, unconditionally, holding back nothing, laying down your very life for the needs of your spouse… to empty yourself of all selfishness and the “me first” mentality in order to satisfy the desires of your life companion…to care for the welfare and happiness of your spouse as your very own…to look in the same direction together…to celebrate your differences and consolidate your efforts as a team…to place yourself in the role of giver…being willing to go the second mile…to turn the other cheek…to give sacrificially of your time, energy, and effort to please your spouse

 One of the best expressions of this kind of love that we are to exhibit in marriage is found in 1 Corinthians 13 where the Apostle Paul says, “If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, love doesn't have a swelled head, love doesn't force itself on others, Love isn't always "me first, love doesn't fly off the handle. Love doesn't keep score of the sins of others, love doesn't revel when others grovel, love takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, love puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never dies.” "

Lots to live up to and strive for each and ever day in our marriage but I think we do a good job and I can't imagine sharing this journey with anyone else.