THE WEDDING
July 18, 2014
Thanks to Forestry Films for providing this video.
Photos
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Thanks to MSR Photography for the photos.
THE VOWS
Betsy's Vows to Steven
Steven, you’re my best friend, my trusted mirror that helps me see myself for who I am – the good, the bad, and the just plain scary but you’re also my greatest champion – sacrificially loving me and others with a selfless, unconditional, and restorative love. You’re the man I most admire for your quiet faithfulness to following the life of Jesus as well as your witty sense of humor amongst other things.
So now, together with all of these incredible people that have helped write our lives’ story thus far, I publicly declare that I give all that I am and all I have to following Jesus by your side, forever. At the end of the day and at the end of our lives, all that will remain is the love that we’ve given away.
Thus, I choose first to follow the greatest example of love that we’ve both found – Jesus. I choose daily to bring honor to your name and to love you with the same generosity shown to us by God – a love that is despite circumstance, feeling, or what I may get in return.
I recognize that our lives out not our own, about our own comfort or pleasure and therefore I will help you take risks to cultivate all of the potential God has given you, to celebrate in successes, and to learn with you in our many failures. I will not always make you happy but I will give all I am to helping you become a better man of character, love, and influence.
I choose you Steven and these vows, with God’s help and the love of our community, I will live out daily til death do us part.
Steven's Vows to Betsy
Betsy, my love, my friend, my life travel partner. You have been a shining reflection of God’s grace in my life. You’ve bought out my best, and have refined my worst. I choose to commit myself to you for the rest of my life.So today, before you, before our community, and before God, I make these vows.
First, I promise to love and follow Jesus with my life. I will listen for His voice in our lives, trust in his goodness towards us, and follow His lead. This is the greatest gift and promise I give you, to love God first, because only then can I love you with all the I am.
Second, I promise to remind you of God’s love and goodness towards you. I will make the decision everyday to love you, whether I feel it or not. I will choose to serve and protect you, placing your needs above my own. I pray that you would know each day how beautiful and valuable you are to me, and even more so to God.
Finally, I promise to always be at your side wherever God leads us. I will strive to lead us into living lives of faith and courage, of adventure and impact. Above all, I will stand with you on mountains, in valleys, and in the mundane.
As I make these promises to you today, I know that I will break them. I am human, I am weak, and I will fail you. I ask that you would forgive me now, and in the future. In those moments, I will lean on you to be my strength when I fall, my comfort when I cry, and my guide when I stray, for I know that you will be the reflection of Christ’s grace and mercy to me.
I love you, and I will choose to you love you everyday.
Our Vows to You, Our Family, Friends, & Community
This day is not about us…it’s about you and celebrating God’s goodness through each one of you as we start this new chapter in our story. We make these promises to you, our friends and family, as well as friends yet to be made.
You’ve opened up your home as a place for refuge and for celebrations. You’ve freely shared with us your transportation and tools. You’ve made our hearts overflow with gratitude for all the gifts and support you’ve given us.
We understand everything we have has been lent to us by God, so we will choose to live with open hands. We promise to live lives of generosity by sharing with you our home and our resources. We will trust that God is our provider and will be courageous in giving what He’s given us.
You’ve made yourselves available to us for advice and counseling. You’ve shared meals to comfort us, laugh with us, and cry with us. You’ve shown us patience, forgiveness, and grace as we grow.
So, in light of your example, we will generously invest our time in both you and those around us. We promise to be there to share in good cries, share in celebrations, and share life in the everyday. We won’t hesitate on sharing coffee and meals with you, going for a drive, or chatting on the phone.
Thank you for living lives worth modeling, we’re honored to have the opportunity to follow you as you follow Christ. You’ve loved in our darkest moments, shaped our greatest victories, and challenged us to be people of integrity and influence.
Christ has called us as a couple to demonstrate his goodness and love to the world. Therefore, we promise to follow those values and live out our faith by loving you and serving you with our entire lives.
By the grace of God and to the best of our ability, we promise to live out these vows to you. We ask that you hold us to our word and give us grace when we fail. We love you with our entire lives.
