9 Years

Tuesday, December 29th Julie and I will celebrate our ninth anniversary.  We were married on a wintry Friday night in December of 2000.  Some would call it a blizzard, but what took place in Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, and then in the Blossom Heath Inn at our reception, was quite the opposite from what was happening outside.

The service was wonderful and I remember it as if it were yesterday.  Craig Mayes performed the ceremony splendidly, and Julie and I were surrounded by persons of vital importance in our lives prior to coming together in marriage.  We included three worship songs and I can still hear our bridal party belting out the words to all three songs as it echoed in the old small church.  I can still hear the two quarters (disguised as our rings) hitting the ceramic tile and rolling across the floor...that is still a good one Ara!  I remember seeing Julie beautifully made up in her dress and thinking "is this real?" 

Julie and I were surrounded by our family, but we were also surrounded by our church community, many brothers and sisters in Christ from "Primetime" our old single's ministry at Kensington Church in Troy, Michigan.  As Craig pronounced us "man and wife", we, with the bridal party behind us, danced out of the church to Stephen Curtis Chapman's "I'm Divin' In".  It was the most wonderful ceremony!

Then as we all headed outside into the blizzard and moved down the road for the reception, who knew what was in store?  Oh yeah...I did! :-)  Now it is important that Julie had chosen the Blossom Heath because of the beautiful circular dance floor surrounded by stately pillars in the middle of the hall.  The head table was positioned in two rows overlooking the dance floor and seating was spread out on both sides.  To get us to kiss, you had to do more than bang your silverware, you had to come up alone or in a group and sing  us a song with the word "love" in it.

Well, people were getting settled in and probably thinking about the snow outside. The bridal party had been introduced, and the staff was serving dinner.  Several of our wedding party had shared their hopes and prayers for our marriage and the salad was being served.  Then I quietly got up from our table, headed over to the DJ, got the cordless microphone and...the music began...

Julie quickly recognized that this music was not part of her program, and she was right as I had inserted the next piece myself.  I began my legendary rendition of Kenny Loggins' "Footloose" (which had enabled me to make Ensemble in Junior High by the way).  There I was, singing, dancing, avoiding servers carrying salad plates, jumping, breaking a chair, and getting a standing ovation from the crowd when I was done.  It was probably a top 10 moment in my life considering where and when it took place.  Julie was stunned and laughed during the whole thing.  It was AWESOME!!!

Well, our friends and family did not disappoint.  After my song and dance, we had a great meal with some amazing renditions of love songs from those in attendance wanting us to kiss.  Then as the dancing began, people flooded to the floor and our Primetime community led the way with the most wonderful spirit and joyful evening of dancing I have ever known.  As the evening finally wound down our brothers and sisters in Christ surrounded us on the dance floor and prayed over Julie and I for many minutes, once again acknowledging God as the Sustainer of our relationship and now the center and foundation of our marriage.

As we finally drove home that night (in the blizzard), Julie cried the whole way home because of the joy in her heart from the evening.  It truly was a most wonderful evening.  Nine years together, married, me and her...it has been everything I could have hoped for.  Happy Anniversary my Love!!!  I hope you can still hear "eight hours, for what?  Oh tell me what I got" ringing in your ears.