Token of Thanks and Appreciation

They hold bachelor and bachelorette parties for you and showers. They buy matching gowns and tuxes which they will most likely never wear again. They sometimes travel long distances to be witnesses. They buy you a gift. They help you decorate and ready yourself for the ceremony. These are the bridesmaids and groomsmen. So for all they do for you, what do you do for them?

Typically brides and grooms will give gifts to their bridal party. More often than not they will be matching gifts, like jewelry for the bridesmaids and beer steins and pocket knives for groomsmen. Some couples give each member of the bridal party a frame to put in a picture of them together from the wedding. For bridesmaids we've seen perfume, robes, slippers, candles, compacts, monogrammed bags, cups, cosmetic bags, nail polish and shoes. For groomsmen we've seen watches, money clips, belt buckles, ties, whiskey, flashlights, bottle openers, cigars, sweatshirts, suspenders, bobble head dolls, mugs and cufflinks. Anything goes, even gift cards.

Brad and I gave all the bridesmaids matching sapphire jewelry but then at our rehearsal dinner had individual gifts for each person in the bridal party representing our relationship to them. My sister got a Precious Moments statue (which she collected) of a maid of honor. My junior bridesmaid, Lizzy, got a doll (which she says her daughter plays with to this day). My brother, a groomsman, got a Walter Payton Bears jersey. My penpal got a plaque about how letters give wings to the heart. One of Daddy's friends got an 8x10 photo of himself on the California coast shot on a trip he went on with him. Each gift was unique and special from us to them. We wanted each person to know how much they meant to us and recognized them individually.

I know Ayla and Rob have both made progress on their bridal party gifts (and they are really nice). To be surrounded by your besties at this most important day of your life together is a pretty wonderful memory to have. So to leave them with a token of appreciation and an extra memory is so important. Philippians 1:3 says, "I thank my God every time I remember you." This is a precious way to do so.

Discussion: What have you thought about bridal party gifts? Have you ever received a bridal party gift? What do these gifts mean to the receiver?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the precious friends and family who will participating in these weddings. We thank you every time we remember their value to us. We ask for blessings on them all and protection as wedding dates approach. And pray we find them just the right thank you gift. In Christ, Amen.

Romance Me

Most women love romance. Love it. We want to be wooed. We want to be surprised. We want to be cherished. We want to know our spouse is making the effort to think about us enough to plan something special to celebrate us. We like sweet gifts like flowers, jewelry, balloons, love notes, cards, dinner out, a show and chocolate. And with Valentine's Day tomorrow, it is important that men are prepared.

We girls were once alone on Valentine's Day. We were the ones not receiving the sweet Valentine's gifts above. And we didn't like it. We didn't like watching other women receive those kinds of things and feel left out of the love fun. So now that we have a special someone, we want the full Valentine's experience ... even the ridiculously huge fluffy stuffed bear that takes up space and you can do nothing with. It just means we were loved and thought of that day.

But the romance should not just happen on Valentine's Day or on your anniversary. Romance should be all year round. Monday, while sitting at my desk working, my sweet husband came up behind me and laid a bouquet of bright pink tulips in front of me. It was the sweetest gesture! I was completely caught off guard and it brightened my day. I asked, "Is this my Valentine bouquet?" To which he preciously responded, "You said it was Valentine's Month." Indeed I did. I always say February is the Love Month. But not just for spouses by the way. It's for everyone. It is especially a good time to shower some love and sweetness on friends and family who may not otherwise receive it. It is a month to have fun!

Remember the other day when we said "Men need sex to have love and women need love to have sex?" That love we speak of for women has two parts to it: that selfless love where men help us out and care for us and that romance love that goes above and beyond. When couples are dating, guys will go out of their way to get flowers, write notes, get little gifts, etc, but oftentimes the guy figures once he's proposed or married, he's got the girl, so that romance stuff goes by the wayside. If a guy goes out of his way to make his lady feel special, she will certainly go out of her way to make him feel special, wink, wink. The romance should never stop. And honestly, some guys like the romance stuff, too, so girls go for it. Find out what your fiance/spouse likes and meet that need.

• Does she like flowers? What kind? What color?
• Does she like chocolate? Dark, milk or white? What brand?
• Does she like dinner out? Seafood, steak, salads, burgers?
• Does she like jewelry? Dainty or bulky? Real or costume? Blingy or thematic?
• Does she like cards? Mushy or humorous?

And on it goes. Don't just know what she likes ... know details. It shows you care. And that goes the other way around, ladies.

I will never forget the 72-Hour Valentine my husband planned for me when we lived in Wisconsin. The kids were little, and he went all out planning my every hour for several days. It was so precious and meant the world to me. Try to top that one, fellows! So keep the romance coming. Have fun! Enjoy bringing joy to each other! You will both reap the benefits of it, trust us.

Discussion: What do you particularly like to receive from a romance standpoint? Do you like to be surprised? Tell about a moment when your fiance was particularly romantic? What is your idea of a perfect Valentine's Day or weekend?

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for love. We love because You first loved us we're told in 1 John 4:19. Thank you for setting the example of pure beautiful love. May we do likewise and never forget to sweep our loved one off their feet. In Jesus, Amen.

Exceedingly Beautiful

Bracelet, check. Headband, check. Earrings, check. All that's left to find is a necklace and you'll be all blinged out, girlfriend! A sparkly princess bride for sure! I read on a wedding jewelry website that the jewelry can set the mood of the wedding. If that's the case, then we're going to have a sparkling good time! This same site says a wedding is a good place to wear heirloom jewelry or to purchase a piece that can be utilized as such for future generations. They recommend adding sparkling pieces to the bouquet, shoes, your dress, your veil and on and on. That's a lot of sparkle.

While the Bible is thin on jewelry descriptions, the only engagement piece we are aware of is the nose ring Isaac's servant gave to Rebekah (Genesis 24). However, God talks about bejeweling his bride, Jerusalem, in Ezekiel 16:11-12 which says, "I adorned you with ornaments: I put bracelets on your arms, a chain on your neck, a ring on your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head." (Again with the nose ring ... don't get any ideas.) He continues in verses 13-14 "You grew exceedingly beautiful, fit to be a queen. Your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of my splendor that I had bestowed on you, says the Lord God."

That's pretty much how we anticipate a bride to look. Dripping in jewels, sparkling like a queen, beautiful in splendor. It is in this same Ezekiel passage that God talks of His unending covenant with the city, similar to the unending covenant in marriage. As God says to the city of Jerusalem, "I pledged myself to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord God, and you became mine." (Ezek. 16:8)

There is no doubt that both Ayla and Kayla will be lovely brides. And here's the thing, I think no matter what they wear - in clothing or jewelry - both Rob and Anton are going to be blown away by what they see ... "exceedingly beautiful" brides.

Discussion: What is the significance of any jewelry you will wear? Why do you think brides want to look their most beautiful on their wedding day? What does the groom expect appearance wise on your wedding day? 

Prayer: Father, just as You made Your eternal covenant with your holy city Jerusalem, both couples will be likewise making an everlasting bond with their fiances. Father, we pray for Your blessings on them both and pray Your fame is spread throughout the nations. In Jesus, Amen.