We, my sweet husband and I, are quickly approaching the 10 year mark. As I think back to those exciting days and weeks leading up to the wedding, I always remember our extensive pre-marital counseling. Pastor Bethea, who performed most of our ceremony, was very patient and understanding with us for our conseling sessions. We talked about our plans for the ceremony. Both fathers had parts in the ceremony as well as Pastor Bethea since my dad and Joey's dad are both ordained pastors and we wanted to include them in our special day. We had two or three counseling sessions with a little homework and reading assignments. Then, with the Thanksgiving holiday, school events, and Christmas holiday coming up, Pastor was very busy and he brought us in for a final counseling session. He told us both, very seriously, "I know both of your families. I know your parents and I know their ministries. If you paid attention at all growing up, you'll be just fine." We all kind of laughed about it at the time, but I think his advice was very sound. He could have squeezed us into his extremely busy schedule and taught us everything we needed to know about marriage and making a Godly home, but we had been taught those things from our infancy - hopefully we were paying attention.
My parents recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. We put together a slide-show of pictures from their wedding and their early ministry, here in Alaska, as well as more recent pictures. It was such a blessing to see how God has blessed them through the years and how they have remained faithful to His call in their lives. Their years of faithful service in Alaska has touched so many lives, including my own. Their marriage has given stability to my life since my childhood. I always knew that no matter what else happened, that my parents would stay together and would be there for me always. That assurance in a child's life cannot be measured. I'm so thankful for their Godly example to me.
As a young person, I never considered the family I would marry into. I really should have. Still, the Lord was gracious to me and gave me the best in-laws in the world. I couldn't have asked for better. The Seibers have accepted me into their family and have always been a blessing to me from the very beginning. I am so very thankful for the Godly influence my husband had growing up. Mom and Dad Seiber sacrificed of themselves to raise Joey in a Godly home to become the man he is today. Mr. Seiber taught Joey by example to be a loving husband and caring father. Their caring relationship and their faithful years of ministry for the Lord are an inspiration to us each day.
I praise the Lord for the Godly legacy He has given to Joey and me and the amazing Christian influence my children have from both sets of grandparents. We are only a week away from our 10th anniversary. How exciting to think of the many more years together that are still to come!
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