Four years ago today, I stood in front of a large group of family and friends and committed my life to a young lady named Heather Jean Swilley. And today we are celebrating our four-year wedding anniversary.
As I look back to four years ago, I remember what was one of the best moments in my life. You know, those moments that are forever burned into your brain and that make you smile every time no matter how many times you think about it?
Heather and I are not traditional people, so we definitely did not have a traditional wedding. My groomsmen came down the isle to the startling lineup theme music from the classic 1990s Chicago Bulls teams with Michael Jordan for crying out loud. We also did not do the whole traditional “bride and groom cannot see each other till the actual wedding”. We took pictures before the ceremony, so we could go straight to the reception and more importantly, start the honeymoon sooner. However, we did have a special moment where I was in the church auditorium alone and Heather walked down the isle. When the doors opened, my heart skipped a beat and my breathe was taken away by her beauty. Having that moment of seeing my bride walking down the isle, dressed in white, and all dolled up brought tears to my eyes. That moment was so special because it was just me and her, nobody else. What a special moment!
Heather, I love you so incredibly much. I thank God everyday for bringing you into my life. Thank you for all the countless ways you are a servant to me. You teach me more about God than any other person in my life and you make me want to be a better person. You are such an amazing partner in life and in ministry. In fact, you are probably a better minister than I am. You are beautiful. You are my best friend.
The thing that attracts me to you the most today is the same thing that attracted me to you so many years ago: the fact that I know without a shadow of a doubt that you love God way more than you could ever love me.
I cannot wait to grow old with you, raise kids with you, go on vacations with you, experience new things with you, minister with you, and see you smile day after day.
I love you very much. Happy Anniversary, Heather.
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And, yes, we are sitting in the Yankees dugout at Yankee Stadium in the above picture.
