To Have and To Hold

My Phillip and me, 
September 10, 1977

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb[Jesus] has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints...Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." (Rev. 19:7-9 NASB)



From the cradle, my parents ingrained in my brain: "you go to college then you get married, you go to college and then you get married, you go to college and then you get married."

So when the tall, strong, handsome, and sixteen-year-old Phillip Glassco asked fifteen-year-old me to marry him, I responded, "You go to college and then you get married."

Even by finishing Auburn University on the three-year fast track, Superman and I waited six looooooong years to have and to hold until death do us part.

~

Although believers have waited for over two thousand years for our Lord's return, in John 14, Jesus promised, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me...I go to prepare a place for you...I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you will also be [to have and to hold, from this day forward, forever and ever and ever and ever].

Therefore, beloved of Jesus, on this Valentine's Day, "let us draw near [to Him] with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:22-23).

For God

              so loVed the world,

                    thAt He gave His

onLy

          bEgotten

soN,

               thaT whosoever

    belIeves

                                   iN Him shall not perish,

                but havE everlasting life.

John 3:16

Happy Valentine's Day!!!