THREE YEARS // Happy Anniversary to you, my love. The joining of two hearts is no little thing. This “profound mystery” of marriage continues to call out to the deepest parts of who I am – often exposing my pride, uncovering my selfishness, and revealing my fears. As these hidden corners of my heart are illuminated, I begin to doubt that anyone could truly know me and love me still. But you do. And you will.
▫️ My finite mind wonders how it is possible to love someone who is imperfect, and sometimes I have struggled to love you when I sense a fault or weakness. Forgive me for my nearsighted and incomplete idea of love.
▫️ It is true that there is a God in heaven who reveals such mysteries, who reveals the profound and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness, and His wonderful light exposes us while His perfect love covers us. And so, little by little, the faith I profess becomes a reality through our marriage: It is indeed possible to be known and loved, and it is possible to know and to love.
▫️ The Bible says husbands ought to love their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. For we know that God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Clark, more than I have ever understood or expressed, you are doing this. You have always chosen hope and you have always chosen to stay. You have seen me at my darkest, and you love me still. Thank you.
▫️ I initially planned to caption this photo “Cheers to 3 Years! I love you forever!” so please excuse the unexpected wartime letter that just poured out of me. Yes, I am crying as I type this and, yes, this is a precise demonstration of how extra your wife can be. I am just praying and believing that God is going to miraculously manifest Proverbs 18:22 for you, and sooner rather than later: “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” Haha! Oh Lord, let it be so!
I can’t even begin to describe how thankful I am for this beautiful soul! @gennycarsten the Lord continues to bless me immensely through you, and I cherish our friendship more than you know. 😭 Thank you for your loving advice, willingness to have deep conversations, intentionality in creating space for others to feel invited and heard, effortless elegance, wonderful sense of humor, and for bringing so much JOY and phenomenal dancing to the last 5 years of my life! ✨ You are creative and stunning and thoughtful and honest, and your Heavenly Father delights in the woman that you are! To my tiny sage full of wisdom, and my favorite person to celebrate — HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! 🎉 I love you G$!
To the most beautiful and brilliant blonde bombshell: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🎉 @hii_itsmelindsey You are an absolute treasure, and I am really, really thankful to have you in my life. You are a loyal friend, an incomparable hostess, and a radiant light to me and to countless others. ✨ I mean, it is quite literally your profession and specialty to light up rooms in the most intentional way... Does anyone else see the divine analogous splendor in this!? 🤩 SHE LIGHTS UP ROOMS PEOPLE. It’s. Just. Who. She. Is. ☀️You are one of the best people I know, and I love how thoughtful, creative, loving, and honest you are. 🌺 What an exciting year you have ahead! It is going to be a blessing to watch you step into motherhood... that sweet Baby Girl Brandsma is already the luckiest kid ever to have you and @kgbrandsma as her parents! 🙏🏻 I love you forever!
Meesh ✨ What a beautiful woman, leader, teacher, encourager, listener, giver, and beloved daughter of the King you are. I am so, so grateful for you. Thank you for being my friend, you gorgeous sister o’ mine! Your support means the world to me! 💗 PS How you gonna not tell yo girl about her crazy flyaways? Haha!!! Even my hairs are excited to see you!!! 😛😂⚠️
Happy Mother’s Day to the greatest mama in the whole wide world 💗 The Lord blessed me beyond measure when He gave me this beauty as my mom, mentor, confidant, best friend and sister in Christ! She is a prayer warrior, the best afternoon tea partner, and an absolute hoot. 👯♀️ Sweet mama, you have not only been a wonderful mom to me, but have selflessly welcomed so many others into your heart and life - your unconditional hospitality, joyful generosity, and sacrificial love are an incredible example of Jesus Christ. ✨ You radiate light and warmth! I love you forever!
God, your God, will restore everything you lost; he'll have compassion on you; he'll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you were scattered. No matter how far away you end up, God, your God, will get you out of there and bring you back... {Deuteronomy 30:3-5}
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Earlier this year, I was given the great privilege of traveling to west Africa with Restore Hope as a photojournalist. This video does not begin to touch on the heartbreaking accounts I heard as I sat down with beautiful children and teenagers to learn their stories. One by one, I interviewed precious kids who had been orphaned due to sickness and disease.
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Despite the hopelessness of their circumstances - and just when it became almost unbearable to listen to what these children had endured - hope emerged in every story. Yes, HOPE! Dear friends, what is intended for evil, our God uses for good. There is no situation beyond His redemption, and no brokenness beyond His healing.
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The love of Jesus Christ intersected the lives of these little boys and girls through the work of Restore Hope, local Sierra Leonian churches, and faithful followers of Christ, and I leaned in close as sweet Sierra Leonian voices recounted testimony after testimony of darkness and death being transformed into light and life.
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Our Heavenly Father has NO ORPHANS! These incredible kids are children of the Most High King: adored, protected, beloved, and part of an eternal family. When a person believes that he or she is LOVED without condition and without limitation, we catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven here, on earth.
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By the way, you (yes, YOU!) are loved with the very same transforming, restoring, and unconditional love. You are loved, friend. Hope and healing are possible.
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But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. {Psalm 10:14}
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Restorehopetoday.org
Happy Birthday to this stunning sister-in-love of mine! Oh Melissa, you truly light up my life and every room you walk into! ☀️ Thank you for your humor, compassion, depth and honesty. It is a gift to have you as my friend and as a part of my family. Seriously!? How lucky am I!? Thank you, Jesus! 🙌🏻 You are captivatingly beautiful, sister. I hope your day is filled with kolaches and baluga whales and weird cuddles from Duke Silver and all of your sweet friends... mostly I hope your heart is filled with an undeniable joy and knowledge of how very much you are LOVED and appreciated. 💗 You are a gift! I LOVE YOU FOREVER!!! #infinitycrew #prom
