Life In Our Quiver: weddings

March 17, 2009

They're Back!

Much to our family's joy, Joshua & Rebecca came home from their honeymoon today.

You could feel the excitement build when we told everyone that they had called and said they were less than 1/2 hour from home! Brooke stood in the entrance and kept saying, "Joshua, Rebecca, where are you?" And when they drove up Jesse gave a play by play of what they were wearing and what they were doing. Nathan stood there ready to take a picture. It is so nice to have brothers and sisters that love one another like this :)

We were able to visit a little with them and see some pictures of their tour to Israel.

It sounds like they had a very memorable time.

Some of the highlights we heard about were:

-Joshua getting baptized in the Jordan River

-Getting to know Phillips, Craig & Dean & their wives(you will hear their music in our home many a day. We love their heart for worship and for the Lord) and worshipping together with them

-Walking where Jesus walked

-Seeing and learning more about the places that they had read about in the Bible so many times

-and of course way too much to list here :)

We hope to hear much more about their time in the days to come.

So welcome home Joshua & Rebecca.

We love you!

March 4, 2009

Pictures.....Finally

It is hard to believe the wedding is over.

Something that you plan and plan for months and in just a few short hours it is finished.

Thankfully the marriage and memories last a lifetime

Sometimes I think we should do like other cultures and celebrate for days instead of just hours.

Then again that might be really tiring!

Megan and her Aunty Karen (Mark's sister) took the photos and did an amazing job.

There were many, many, many pictures so it took a long time to go through them and pick out some of my favorites to post here. So sorry for the wait:)

Josh & Rebecca's wedding was very non-traditional in many ways.

But it was a reflection of them and their personalities.

As they planned, they came up with ideas that weren't necessarily the norm in todays North American weddings. But that didn't stop them from having it be a part of their celebration. And I am glad they didn't because what resulted was a beautiful picture of their hearts and who they are as a couple.

So I decided to give you a photo journey of the wedding and say a little bit along the way.

It will be very long, so please bear with me!

First the candlelighters came in:

Rita Penner (Rebecca's sister) lighting the candles

Kerri lighting the candles

Then the mom's (Esther & I) came in each carrying in a candle that represented the lives of our children, Joshua and Rebecca. It was from these candles that the unity candle would be lit.

Then the bridesmaids walked in.

It was at this time that Pastor Peter read the text from Revelation 19:7-9

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. "

He then told the congregation that Joshua and Rebecca desired that the rest of the processional would be a reflection and proclamation of the greater marriage when Christ would return for His bride, the Church.

Next Rebecca's dad walked her down the isle.

Teary-eyed sister Raechelle as maid of honor

Teary sister Jennifer as bridesmaid

I must say here that the bridesmaids were so sweet as their tears showed their deep love for their sister and brother :)

Then the congregation sang the song "The King is Coming" to which Joshua and the groomsmen walked in part way through the song.

Joshua admiring his soon to be bride

It was then time for Rebecca's dad to give Joshua the key which symbolized the key to Rebecca's heart. Rebecca had entrusted her heart to her parents until the day in which she would give her heart to her husband. Today was the day. Here is the exchange of the key: