Planning Another Wedding!

 What a blessed day yesterday was! Not only do I have a beautiful daughter preparing to get married in nine months, but now I have a handsome son engaged as well! Yesterday, Anton asked his sweet girlfriend of nearly five years to marry him ... and Kayla Marie Lee said, "Yes!" They got engaged in Atlanta in Centennial Olympic Park around 11:30 a.m. EST. Your Daddy and I, along with Kayla's parents, Tommy and Irene Lee, surprised Kayla in Atlanta. We celebrated at Dantanna's for lunch then explored the College Football Hall of Fame. It was a wonderful day. While we headed back home after that, Anton and Kayla then went to the Atlanta Hawks basketball game where Anton had their new betrothal mentioned on the jumbotron at the arena. Such a blessed celebration! We are so excited that both of our children have found precious souls to spend the rest of their lives with. Glory to God!

I asked Ayla if she would be alright if we began to address this blog to Anton and Kayla as well as you both. It will still culminate in Rob and Ayla's Oct. 16 wedding, but we figured, since they were already reading these devotions and were likewise preparing for marriage, that we could include them in this journey. So we've added their engagement photo beneath yours. No date has been selected by them for a wedding as yet. Lots of plans are ahead!

Daddy and I are so excited to be observing our prayers answered for our children. Since we prayed for your future spouses since you were toddlers, we know both Rob and Kayla were hand selected by our Father, molded and shaped by the families, environments and experiences in their lives to bring them to this place, where they will be joined by Ayla and Anton for the rest of their spiritual lives. Praise to the Lord God Almighty!

Tommy and Irene had a beautiful sign created for Anton and Kayla's engagement that included the following verse on it from 1 Cor. 13:7: "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." This young couple has truly grown up together (and will continue to) since meeting in Anton's junior year of high school. In awe of her in a bright red prom dress, a first date to Bruster's for ice cream, long distance love while she was in college and again when he was at the Alabama Rural Ministry, in school together at Troy ... so many learning experiences and ups and downs already, so this Bible verse is perfect for them. They have much to hope for ahead in their relationship. The verse immediately following begins with three words, "Love never ends." That is our hope for our children and their future spouses. Because that is as God intended. As Tommy said today to us prior to Anton's proposal, "We believe this is something that happens just once and lasts forever." So do we. Praying you four believe it, too. God bless both couples! We are so excited in celebrating you both!

Discussion: What do you think it means for love to bear, believe, hope and endure all things? Do you believe this love is forever?

Prayer: Father, thank you for setting the example for us in perfect love through your Son Jesus Christ, the groom of the church. May we love as He does ... unconditionally, sacrificially and compassionately ... forever. In His name we pray, Amen.