Covenantstrong.org

Some parts of our vows sound poetic on a wedding day. Because it is tradition, we recite vows before they become real. But these vows specifically, like the ones last week, are vows that life gives weight. And if I am honest, these vows are deeply personal in my own story. Many of you that know us, know that we almost lost James. And that changed everything. But if you talk to our children, family, and close friends, they will tell you life changed for us early in our marriage when sickness changed our lives and family dynamic. Hospitalization and quietness in our home became routine as I went from specialist to specialist to find out what was happening to my body. Eventually, praise God, we learned our to manage our diagnosis to enjoy a good quality of life.  What does “In sickness and in health” mean? An example that I often share is an early memory of my marriage. As you know, music is an important element of our love story. James and I enjoyed Flashback festivals in Atlanta whe...

Real talk family: When we think about the part of our wedding vows that says “To Have and To Hold” we must consider the deep implication of acceptance, presence, and closeness. These words are about being entrusted with someone’s heart, life, vulnerability, tenderness, and truth (have). Its foundation is spiritual but also entails physical, emotional, and relational closeness with your mate for a lifetime (hold). The “have” aspect of our vows is related to entering into a covenant relationship that is exclusive. It signifies that you are taking your spouse and accepting them unconditionally.  From this day forward specifies a lifetime, a lifelong commitment in covenant relationship. The benefit of marriage includes the trust and safety each person is afforded in covenant relationship. It is more than an emotional commitment. You are not only connected by this vow, but, you spiritually build a life together, becoming one flesh under God’s design for marriage.  Covenant marriage...

Real talk family.  We plan to explore, define, and understand the meaning behind the wedding day, the ceremony as well as our marriage vows. Let’s fully understand what we said "I do" to, and; what “I do” should mean for the happily ever after.   Your wedding ceremony does not only represent one special day, but more importantly, it represents a promise of love and marriage for a lifetime.  Marriage is one of the most beautiful commitments two people can make. So let's have fun with this series. We'll start the series by exploring what wedding rings represent.There are few things in marriage more familiar than a wedding ring. You wear it to work, to dinner, to church, to family events, and through the ordinary routines of life. Your wedding ring sits quietly on your finger, yet it speaks volumes. A wedding ring is not just jewelry. It is a symbol of covenant.  The ring's circular shape, with no beginning or end, has long represented eternity, wholeness, and endu...

  I hope you missed me delivering my weekly blog. I was without my laptop mid-March and just decided it was too much to update this blog via phone (I’m still very old school). But I’m back. I'm excited about April blogs. We have a lot of good things to share. Let’s start this off talking a little more about passion in marriage. To have passion, chemistry must exist, right? Wrong.  Chemistry is magnetic. It pulls you in without effort. But what many couples eventually discover is that while chemistry is instant, presence, connection, and partnership is built over time. Partnership steadies love. This kind of steady love is lasting because it’s achieved through time spent building something special together. This kind of love includes patience with each other’s differences and most importantly, being fully present in the process. One of the things you will appreciate most about intentional presence is how passion matures as a result of it. Yes, passion. While James and I had the...