daddy4ms

This weekend, I am in Tulsa, Oklahoma officiating the wedding of Dusty Riebel & Kelsey Knisley. I have enjoyed getting to know them both better as we did premarital counseling.  Dusty was a youth in my youth group when I was Associate Pastor at Iola First Christian Church.  Here are a few pictures of Dusty to commemorate his big day:

Today, Bethany and I are headed to Tulsa, OK for a wedding I will be officiating.  I am excited to be a part of the marriage of Dusty and Kelsey.  It will be good to see people again from Iola where I previously served as associate pastor.  I am also looking forward to a weekend away with my bride.  During my sabbatical, I had wanted to get away for a weekend with Bethany, but due to a long vacation and other trips, that did not happen. I cannot wait for some date nights and time to talk and enjoy one another without the distractions of work and kids. What fun things are there to do in Tulsa? Good Restaurants?

Summer went by too fast this year.  Since school has been in session for two weeks now, I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures of the summer.

Today is Bethany's brother's wedding. Here are a few pictures:

Today is my 14th Anniversary! So, I thought I would share some memories from our wedding week 14 years ago. Talking in hotel parking lot to my soon to be bride after the rehearsal dinner Seeing my beautiful bride walk down the aisle Discovering a large hole in back of my tux coat.  I'm thankful for Denice Julian sewing it together for me.   Guests being evacuated to the church basement because of a tornado Great decorations in the sanctuary and gym by Shirley & Bethany Not eating anything but cake at the reception. For those that know me, that is amazing. Eating at our favorite restaurant, Carlos O'Kelleys before leaving town Almost losing my wedding ring down the drain the first night in the shower when trying to get bird seed out of my hair Spending a week in Myrtle Beach, SC for our honeymoon Bethany getting sunburned on our first day after a long walk along beach and city Eating at some great restaurants & doing fun activities Staying at a great b...

Today, I celebrate my 12 th anniversary. Since it is a Sunday, I am busy for most of the day, but I have a night away planned for Bethany and I to celebrate. I really cannot believe how fast the 12 years have gone. We have gone through several highs and lows together and I cannot imagine going through them without her. I still can remember clearly seeing Bethany for the first time 12 years ago today. We did not see each other on our wedding day until the back doors of the church opened. It was then that I first saw her smiling face and the beautiful dress. It was a great celebration of our faith and our lives together. It was a beautiful wedding-Bethany and Shirley did a great job. We have great pictures too. I enjoy looking back at them and our video to remember some of the details. I love her more and more each day. She is such a blessing to me. God has grown us together through the years. She has supported me in ministry changes. She has been there during the 6 moves o...

This weekend, I had the privilege of officiating at the wedding of a close family friend. I was the ring bearer in the bride's parents wedding, the bride lit the candles at my wedding, and now I was able to be a part of their special day. Being the pastor for a wedding begins long before the wedding day. We began meeting in March for premarital counseling. I had previously been trained in Prepare/Enrich-a premarital and marital inventory. Both the bride and groom take the inventory and it returns a 30 page report to the pastor to discuss in counseling. I enjoyed talking about strength and growth areas with the couple. As well, as to talk about their own families, finances, conflict resolution, and communication. It was a learning experience for them and got them to ask the hard questions about their relationship. I highly recommend and urge all couples to seek premarital counseling before getting married. I know I will not officiate a wedding without this crucial and impor...

Today, I celebrate my 11 th anniversary with my beautiful wife. I thought I would share why I fell in love with and have continued and grown in my love for Bethany. I remember the first time I saw Bethany. I truly can say it was love at first sight. She was wearing red (which shirt we disagree on) and it was Sterling College orientation. We were both freshman. I remember seeing her and being attracted to her. She was beautiful and I knew I wanted to date her. We began dating in January 1995 and spent 3 1/2 years dating before getting married. I remember my proposal. Before I proposed, I met Steve and Shirley at a Braum's to ask their permission to marry their daughter. I then planned the proposal for Bethany's backyard. Shirley had done some amazing things with plants and flowers and it was beautiful. I took her through several "stations" where we talked about our memories of dating. Finally, I got down on one knee and asked her to "marry me." If you wonde...