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For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
Hi, friends!
For the first time in the ten years that Richard & I have been together, this year is the first time I've EVER forgotten our anniversary, which was last Sunday, May 14th! Since we began our first Shabbat this past Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, that left us with only Sunday to get things prepared for the coming week... and Richard's sister, Joyce, and her husband Charles (whom I'd never met and whom Richard hadn't seen in 16 years!!!) were coming to visit us for the night, so we had to clean house like crazy before their arrival, plus it was Mother's Day! Around 8:30 that night, Richard called me to the table where he was visiting with Joyce & Charles, and asked me if I'd forgotten anything about that day. I could've cried!
We actually were married twice in the same year! We were married on May 14, 1997 by a Justice of the Peace in Lake Charles, LA; then on May 17, 1997 by a Lutheran Pastor at my cousin, BJ's, house, where our families could attend. Today (5/17/06), I had forgotten AGAIN!!! NOT GOOD, Peggy!!! <smiles>
During the 9 wonderful years that we've been one flesh (and another year before our marriage), we've been through SO much, it's unbelievable!!! Richard has had countless heart attacks, was 2 days short of bleeding to death, had two open-heart surgeries and laser surgery, fell head-first onto a cattle guard while land surveying and broke his neck, and had a stationary mass the size of a golf ball behind his breastplate. He was miraculously healed of every one of these things! The doctors were shocked in each case! Now, tell ME that God doesn’t begin, WAY before we accept Him, to protect us and care for us! To God be all the glory, forever & ever! My husband is a walking, talking testimony to the power of prayer!!!
We partied hearty for about 4 years, bar-hopping on our Harley, and "living it up". Then in 2001, while Richard was having his first open-heart surgery (quadruple bypass), he caught a glimpse of the other side. From that point on, his life did a 180 degree flipflop. He rededicated his life to Yeshua, and began his new life living for the Lord!!! He quit drinking and smoking, and the change in his personality and spiritual walk was so rapid, we hardly realized it had occurred until we looked back! He began writing/singing/producing praise & worship songs (on the site... Christian Music button on the main page)!
Mine began the following year, when I decided I wanted/needed to quit drinking and partying. I was praying, and I told the Lord, "Father, you know I love partying and drinking, and that I can't quit on my own. I'm no kind of wife to Richard, who is the best husband on earth and doesn't deserve the treatment I give him when I'm drinking; and I'm no kind of witness for You. Please help me; I need you to take away not only my drinking habit, but my desire as well. In Jesus' Name, amen." I stood up, went into the kitchen, took down a brand new half-gallon of rum, and poured it down the sink. Do you know, the instant I did that, my habit disappeared AND my desire to drink????????? And my life did the same as Richard's... one day I loved drinking and partying, the next I didn't. I began writing Christian poems (on the site... Christian Poetry button on the main page), started His-Forever in November of that year, began feeling the Lord's touches (physically, I mean), etc. I hardly recognized either of us, nor did our families!
Now, with each passing day, the Spirit has renewed us more and more! Our desire to serve the Lord has become an all-consuming one, as well as our desire to become totally obedient to Him and to make Him happy and proud of us! We two have truly become ONE FLESH.
Richard, my precious husband, other than YHWH's gift of His Son, and Yeshua's gift of Eternal Life, you are the greatest gift I have ever received from Him, and I will love you with every fiber of my being for all eternity! If I had it to do all over again, I would choose no one else but you! You have been the epitome of what Yeshua meant when He said that a man should love his wife as He loves the Church, and gave His life up for it!
May we, as one flesh, grow in Him to the fullest extent that is possible for a human being to achieve, until Yeshua comes to take us Home, at which point I pray we may bask in His love and in hearing His words, "Well done, my good and faithful servants."!!!
My eternal love, sweetheart!
Peggy
To see photos of our May 17, 1997 wedding, click HERE. To hear the special song Richard wrote for me, entitled "For My Wife", click HERE.