November 17, 2012 at 3:30 in the afternoon :: I married my best friend. He is my one true thing. My heart is so full and whole. I am complete. When I first thought of writing about this special day I thought about describing the beauty of the farm & our perfect sunset wedding, the way my amazing wedding party looked, and even just simple details here and there about the entire day. The day was perfect in every way. But as I sit here... there is really only one thing I wish to write about.
The words that were spoken by Reverend Rick Deerman and the vows that we shared...
Ruth 1: 16-17
"But Ruth replied, 'Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried."
"What a beautiful example of commitment and selflessness. The Bible gives us multiple
examples of what it looks like when your lives are not being lived out of selfish gain but
that in all things we live so that Christ is glorified. Today I urge you to live by the example we read about in the book of Ruth and commit this day…before each other…and before God
that your life will be lived so that in your commitment to each other…those closest to you
will see the love and commitment God has for His people."
"Based on this passage, may your commitment have the foundation of your
own personal commitment to Jesus Christ. The statement, Jesus is Lord is more than a
simple phrase, rather it is a declaration of our life and eternity. The first commandment
has never changed, “you shall have no other gods before me.” (Ex. 20:3) Jesus followed
that up with, “and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30)"
"As much as you tenderly cherish each other, your relationship must derive its
love, strength and hope from your basic and prior relationship to Jesus. Prayer, bible
study and meditation on God’s word will foster your spiritual growth, and this first step
will be the heart of this powerful commitment."
"The next step in this commitment is your developing life together, your home
and your marriage. The Bible says you will come together to build a home and the
two shall become one flesh. One flesh is a picture of one knowing a part of the other
physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It means one can not be taken from the
other without a tearing apart. One flesh is to share alike in the responsibilities and joys
of life. When you share sorrow, the sorrow is halved and when you share joy, the joy is
doubled."
"In building a home it must be built on Christ as the head. Steven you are
encouraged to be the spiritual leader. Led by the example of the one who loves you
unconditionally. Tess, you are encouraged to make the home a place of worship. Both of
you are exhorted to dedicate your home to your creator. Take His word, the Bible, for your
guide. Your goal…with one heart and one mouth, bring glory to our Father in heaven."
"The third step for the precious commitment is your service to Christ through
His body the church. The New Testament puts much importance on the fellowship of
the saints. The apostle John emphasized the fact that believers in Christ are a part of
a forever family in deep, personal relationship and responsibility to one another. Paul
called the church the Body of Christ. Peter spoke of believers as living stones built into a
spiritual house."
"For your welfare and to be obedient to Christ, you will not try to stand alone apart
from the Lord’s church but will give your best by being active in that expression of His
body. In doing so, you will share in God’s ultimate purpose for the world; you will see
God at work in the fabric of everyday people, the salvation of the lost, the victory and
celebration, and the quiet strength of togetherness. The rewards will be many, but the
greatest will be His words at the end of the day, “Well done, good and faithful servants.”"
~The Vows~
Steven and Tess, the Bible is the key to a Christ centered home. Without God’s
word we are a people without direction. Understand what the Bible says and follow His
word in every aspect of your marriage.
"Ephesians 5:21-24 says, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Wives submit yourselves unto your own husband, as unto the Lord. For the husband is
head of the wife even as Christ is head of the church: and He is the savior of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands
in everything.""
"Tess this passage is so often misunderstood. This charge is that you are yielding
to the direction of God as He moves in Steven. It is an expression of faith, that you trust
God’s word and the movement of Christ in the heart of your husband. There is benefit to
all when you submit to the word of God, there is protection, provision and love like we
have never seen before."
"Tess upon hearing God’s word, do you promise to submit to the authority of our
Lord and yield to His word? If so answer I DO."
"Verses 25-31 says “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the
church and gave himself for it. That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the word. That He might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be Holy and without blemish. So ought
men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself. For no
man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it even as the Lord does
the church. For we are members of His body of His flesh and of His bones. For this
cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto His wife and they two shall be one flesh.""
"Understanding this passage, Steven you are to give everything you have, every
resource you know to make a champion out of your wife. At all cost she should know that
she is the most wonderful gift our Lord could trust you with. Pray for her, honor her,
shelter her and respect her….it is through you that she can see more closely how our
savior loves us."
"Steven upon hearing God’s word do you promise to submit to the authority of our
Lord and yield to His word. If so answer I DO."
"Steven and Tess, the vows you are about to make are in the sight of God not
mere words, but much more. Those words said from the heart begin the building of two
into one."
"Steven take Tess by the right hand and repeat after me: I, Steven Dale Kline, take you
Tess Elizabeth Simmons ….to be my lawfully wedded wife….My
constant friend…my faithful partner…and my helpmate from this day forward. In
the presence of God…our family and friends….I vow to be your faithful husband…in
sickness and in health…in good times and in bad….and in joy as well as sorrow…I
promise to love you unconditionally….to have eyes only for you…to support you in your
goals…to honor and respect you….to laugh with you and cry with you…and to cherish
you as my wife…until death or Christ returns."
"Tess look at Steven and repeat after me: I, Tess Elizabeth Simmons, take you
Steven Dale Kline ….to be my lawfully wedded husband…my constant
friend…my faithful partner…and the head of my home from this day forward. In the
presence of God…our family…and friends….I vow to be your faithful wife…in sickness
and in health….in good times and in bad….and in joy as well as sorrow….I promise to
love you unconditionally….to strengthen….respect….and encourage you….to submit
myself unto you in all things….and to cherish you as my husband….until death or Christ
returns."
~The Rings~
"The ring is a symbol of marriage in several ways. It’s shape is a circle never
ending. In the same way, the vows you have made before God and to each other should
be unbroken. The metal is precious, in the same way the make up of the family is
precious in the eyes of God. This ring that I wear is a sign of my devotion to my wife. I
wanted to have one that you could see a mile away so that you would know that I am
married. However it is not the ring that joins you together, it is the promises you make
before God and to each other that make this very special."
"Steven taking your bride by the left hand and placing the ring on her finger,
repeat after me: With this ring…..I thee wed…..in the name of the Father… The Son and
the Holy Spirit"
"Tess taking your groom by the left hand and placing the ring on his finger, repeat
after me: With this ring…..I thee wed…..in the name of the Father… The Son and the Holy Spirit"
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