Hi Rhonda, Thank you for sharing your joy with us, as we shared your sorrow. May you and Ben have a most beautiful and fullfilling time together.. You are a testimony of the Lord's work and triumph. If the enemy can destroy a marriage, he destroys the visible type of Christ and his church. Vinny ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rhonda Partain" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 8:13 PM Subject: 25th anniversary coming up soon > Ben and I will cellebrate 25 years together on January 26th 2010. He asked > me if I would like to renew our vows. Here is a message I sent to our > pastor when he replied to me that he would be honored to help us do just > that. > I am sure some of you may remember the rough season Ben and I had about 8 > or so years ago. > > You can't possibly know how wonderful it is to have Ben want to renew our > vows, to have him going to church with me, He said he would never.....ever > go > to a church again! > I remember many nights crying myself to sleep asking God how in the world > I could possibly reach Ben, he seemed to be growing more and more distant > each > day. He had computer friends and didn't seem to need me. I remember > telling God that He showed David how to fight the giant, he showed him > which stones > to use. What was I to use? I felt God saying I should just love > Ben.....not the answer I wanted. not an easy thing to do......what I > wanted was permission > to leave my marriage. to just end it all, this was just too hard and > certainly not what I had signed up for. But memories of my wedding vows > came to mind, > for better or worse....this was worst all right.....words of being > faithful, and true. I knew I had made a promise not just to Ben but to God > as well. > If it had been a promise to Ben only I think I might have more easily > broken it, but then there was God right there in the middle of all this > anger, > hurt, and disappointment! I am sooo glad God wouldn't give me what I > wanted, but insisted I stay! > I am truly blessed and as our 25th year together comes to an end I realize > more and more how wonderful the love of God truly is! just as God directed > David > in choosing the five stones, so too He directed me in loving Ben when > that was not what I wanted to do. > I couldn' understand why God would want me to stay in a situation where I > was so hurt, where angry words criticised everything I did or > said......why??? > But God can see the future, and He knew if I would only stick it out, be > strong through the rough patches I would have what I had prayed for such > a long > time for, a husband who loved me, who used his words to encourage and > support me, who talked to me about everything, someone who held me close > and made > me feel loved and secure. > Thank You Father....for your love that is soo much greater than mine, for > never giving up on your children, even when we have temper fits! > for showing me how to forgive and how to love again! > This is truly a beautiful picture of what your love can do. > I thank you for Ben, for his lovve, and that he stayed too when I wasn't > the most aggreable to live with. We are so blessed to have a marriage of > three! > Rhonda > > > __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus > signature database 4631 (20091123) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. > > http://www.eset.com