Wedding Anniversary Week - Reflection #5

Life Markers

There are many things in Kimberly's and my life together that make us who we are today.

I remember like yesterday, the very first time that I saw her walking down a stairwell in Bldg 1650, Kelly AFB, San Antonio, TX in January 1987.

I remember the first time that she first noticed me. I was blasting music in my dormitory room, drinking way too much and noticed Kim and a few of her coworkers going to the Bowling Alley. I jumped in front of them and shouted, "Hey you, YOU can come back and hang with me, but not the rest of you" hahaha...yep, not smooth at all, BUT she came back after a night of bowling! 😃

I remember our 1st apartment; our 1st breakup; and our 2nd apartment. I remember my proposal to Kim and her saying "Yes" after two years of dating.

I remember our wedding day, Lisa Boyles Thomas flying in from Florida to be Maid of Honor; Jay Keller giving Kim away; and Kim and I cooking all of the food for the reception, preparing the Clubhouse, helping the DJ get setup, greeting the Justice of The Peace and finally our wedding vows.

Four years later, our firstborn son, Keith Jr was born on June 19th and Father's Day that year was June 20th

Four years after Keith was born, we had our second child, Kyle on May 8th, four days before Mother's Day that year

I retired from the Air Force in January 2005

Our daughter Kaelyn was born in January 2006!

But THE MOST SIGNIFICANT Life Marker was on March 23, 2005. On this day, at a basketball banquet of a league that was affiliated with a Christian organization and the games where played in a local church, Kim and I received Jesus Christ as our LORD and as our SAVIOR!

Prior to this Life Marker, there was nothing truly significant about us, our lives or our lifestyle choices. BUT after this date, our world changed, our hearts were changed, our marriage changed, our love grew stronger, our decisions were made better, our pathways were made clearer and our names were written in The Lamb's Book of Life! On this day, my wife and I truly became one before God and we remain before His Throne as one to this day!

There are many Life Markers in our lives and I'm proud of each of them. However, the most significant event of Kimberly and myself was the day Christ became Lord in us and for us.

Thank You Lord for teaching us what true love is and for teaching us how to truly love each other. My Mom said this to me shortly afterwards..."Keith, you had love for Kim, but now, YOU KNOW LOVE & HOW TO LOVE!

Christ IS love and without Him in your marriage, we will only go through the motions.

Wedding Anniversary Week Reflection #4

Keeping It Real Works for Us!

To Keep it Real...There's nothing out there that can hold my heart, that will hold my hand and that holds me closer than the love of my wife.

To Keep it Real...I use to like to go to "The Club". I use to like hanging out until three o'clock in the morning. I use to like the attention (drama most times) that could be found by making yourself available to everyone and everything. But those things really drained me, drained my enthusiasm and stole my identity and security.

See, to Keep it Real...I had to come to the understanding that a strong and healthy marriage trumps "The Club"; trumps casual acquaintances: and trumps the paranoia and fake/false/phony nightmarish masquerade mask that I once wore to be part of the crowd.

What has worked for us is our realization that Life, Love and Memories are Made at Home and with those you love and who love you; and not the random strangers that we meet in the streets or clubs.

This is Real...Kimberly gives me my identity as being her protector, her best friend, her confidant, her husband, the father of our children and priest of our home.

This is Real...Kimberly is my security in that she keeps me grounded, protects me from negativity by showering me with confidence and affirming my position in our lives and by shielding me from even my own self doubt.

To Be Real...Kimberly and I aren't perfect and we don't profess to have the perfect marriage, but:

Keeping it Real REALLY Works for Us!

Wedding Anniversary Week Reflection #3

TOGETHER!

My wife and I have been together for over half of our lives. We grew up together as young adults, made a family together and established our home together. Everything that we have, we obtained together. Everything that we lost, we endured together. For everything that's come at us, we've prayed together and there were times that we've cried together. Whatever life has dealt us, we survived together and through it all we strived together.

By now, you've got the key to our marriage that is quickly approaching 28 years and the key is: TOGETHER!

• Together, the two have become one
• Together, nothing can divide us
• Together, life is made and love endures

Thank you Kimberly for making me your priority. Together and with God's blessing, we shall continue in life and love, enjoying it all, TOGETHER!

Wedding Anniversary Week Reflection #2

Love doesn't always agree with all of our wants, but stands firmly beside us, pushing us, praying for us and championing for what is needed rather than what we may have wanted. Love knows what the goal is and will not settle for a shortcut or a cheap escape.  Love makes whatever it achieves worth the wait and worth the effort.

Love in marriage is worth everything that we have left, lost and accomplished together.

Kimberly, thanks for loving me the way that only you can!

Wedding Anniversary Week

This is Kimberly's and my Wedding Anniversary Week. On Saturday, July 1st, we will be celebrating 28 years of marriage!  During this week, I'll be reflecting on our marriage.

Every successful marriage has endured life's challenges. The secret to success is simply that TRUE LOVE ALWAYS survives and ALWAYS conquers!

Here's my first share concerning OUR marriage that has and continues to work for us:

"We didn't fall in love, we committed to love!"

Kimberly and I didn't "fall" for each other, but we COMMITED to each other:

• Until death do we part
• Through sickness and in health
• In spite of the opinions of others
• During times of more than enough and during times when there wasn't enough

Commitment works for us and we remain just as committed today as we were in 1989.

To God be the glory!

Help Somebody

Finishing Strong Friday: Wow, wow and wow...what a week this has been! BUT GOD! Yes and I'll say it again...BUT GOD!  

Well we made it again and we must rejoice and be thankful. However, think about those who may be still going through. Instead of dwelling on our own issues, I want to ask each of us to pray for those still going through something! Speak God's Word in their life right now and right where you are! Let them know what Nehemiah says, that "the joy of The Lord is my strength". Speak into someone's life that they are "fearfully and wonderfully made" and if need be, encourage them with an old hymn of the church that reminds us all that  "My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand." 

You see, finishing strong isn't always about self! You'll really FINISH STRONG once you've helped someone else find the "Solid Rock" that is Christ Jesus. We'll help someone else FINISH STRONG when we tell them to stop believing the words of the world which is their "Sinking Sand"! 

May God bless you all and I pray that you all FINISH STRONG!

Be Encouraged

Don't be Discouraged. No, you have not been forgotten. Your ministry has not been overlooked.  Your prayers are relevant and heard. Every effort has been recognized. The love that you have shown towards others is known. 

Remain encouraged! This world and those in it will leave you feeling as if you don't matter.  Keep doing what you are doing, even though you may not get the worldly recognition or rewards; even though folks talk about you, laugh at you and ridicule your efforts...Keep on going!  Don't be discouraged when it appears that things that you are involved in aren't growing, but remember that there is a season for planting, a season for watering, a season for tending and then comes the season of harvest.  Ministry Colleagues, whatever you do, DON'T QUIT & DON'T GIVE UP!! Let God's love for you and His intimate knowledge of your service for Him encourage you as you face disappointment and rejection here on earth.

"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them." (Hebrews 6:10 NIV)

Amen!