The Reception
Good afternoon, everyone and welcome to the celebration of the one-year anniversary of the marriage of Lisa and Landry.
Today is a very special day for us and her mother and I are so thankful for your presence here today.
As you can see, Lisa has grown into an amazing woman and we are so proud of her.
Landry, we couldn’t have asked for a better match for Lisa. You have shown yourself to be a kind, caring and loving man and we are honored to welcome you into our family.
We would also like to thank those of you who have traveled quite a distance to be here today. Lisa’s grandmother, her aunt Kathy and uncle Larry are here from New Jersey and her cousins, Ari and Maddy, are here from Alaska.
As I reflect on what today means, something a pastor said to me a long time ago kept coming to my mind. “Are you prepared to go where God leads you? Will you do what He asks you to do? Are you ready to receive His grace along the way”?
When thinking about Lisa and Landry, I can see how relevant these questions are.
For most of their lives Lisa and Landry have followed their own paths.
Lisa’s path involved leaving home one summer to attend a bible camp in the mountains of North Carolina, not far from where we celebrate today. For the next five years Lisa would return to this camp but this time as a camp counselor to other young girls.
In 2019, she was serving as a counselor again. She also applied for a job in Boone. Little did she know that one of the girls at camp was the daughter of the business owner she would interview with and end up working for this woman at the Canvas Beauty Bar. God spoke to Lisa and she agreed to go to bible camp, she responded to the call to be a counselor at Teen Valley Ranch and was blessed with her dream job at Canvas Beauty Bar.
Lisa continued to experience God’s grace and was blessed with a wonderful church family, her caring friends, Tara, Eleanor and Lilly. Then Landry would show up at the salon, wanting to get his hair cut. He met Lisa there. They got to know each. They became friends. Later they started dating and this time last year they eloped. That brings us to today! Now we can clearly see what happens when we put our faith in our Lord Jesus and go where he leads, do what he asks us to do and hold out our hands ready to receive His grace.
Now as you go forward down life’s path together remember something Solomon said in the book of Ecclesiastes.
- Two are better than one.
- If one falls the other will lift one up.
- Two are stronger against opposition than one.
- A cord of three strands is not quickly broken
The lesson here is to make Jesus your third life partner. Keep Jesus first and in the center of your marriage and you will have success in life.
The apostle Paul also said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. Lisa and Landry, you too can do all things when you make Jesus your Lord and source of strength.
Now as I close, it is my privilege to ask everyone to please raise your glasses and join me in wishing Lisa and Landry a long, healthy and spirit-filled life together.
TO THE HAPPY COUPLE!