Hands 

Merisha, please face John, 
and hold his hands, palms up, 
so you may see the gift that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, 
young and strong and vibrant with love, 
that are holding yours on your wedding day, 
as he promises to love you all the days of his life.

These are the hands that will work along side yours,
as together you build your future, 
as you laugh and cry, 
as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.

These are the hands you will place 
with expectant joy against your stomach, 
until he too, 
feels his child stir within you.

These are the hands that look so large and strong,
yet will be so gentle as he holds your baby 
for the first time.

These are the hands that will work long hours 
for you and your new family.

These are that hands that will passionately love you
and cherish you through the years, 
for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe 
the tears from your eyes: 
tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will comfort you in illness,
and hold you when fear or grief wrack your mind.

These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin
and brush your cheek as they raise your face 
to look into his eyes: 
eyes that are filled completely
with his overwhelming love and desire for you.

John, please hold Merisha’s hands, 
palms up, where you may see the gift 
that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, 
smooth, young and carefree, 
that are holding yours on your wedding day, 
as she pledges her love and commitment to you 
all the days of her life.

These are the hands that will hold each child 
in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurt,
supporting and encouraging them along the way,
and knowing when it is time to let go.

These are the hands that will massage tension 
from you neck and back in the evenings 
after you’ve both had a long hard day.

These are the hands that will hold you tight 
as you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick, 
or console you when you are grieving.

They are the hands that will passionately 
love you and cherish you through the years, 
for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will hold you 
in joy and excitement and hope, 
each time she tells you that
you are to have another child, 
that together you have created a new life.

These are the hands that will give you support 
as she encourages you to chase down your dreams.
Together as a team, 
everything you wish for can be realized.

Prayer

God, bless these hands that you see before you this day. 
May they always be held by one another.
Give them the strength to hold on during the storms
of stress and the dark of disillusionment. 
Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other
in their wondrous love. 
Help these hands to continue building a relationship 
founded in your grace, rich in caring, 
and devoted in reaching for your perfection. 

May John and Merisha
 see their four hands as healer, protector, shelter and guide. 
We ask this in your name,
Amen. 
 

Art of Marriage

The little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude
or duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and
demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo 
or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, 
understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the
independence is equal, dependence is mutual and
the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, 
it is being the right partner.

Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon the fields.

May the light of friendship guide your paths together.
May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile
from your lips, a twinkle from your eye.

And when eternity beckons,
at the end of a life heaped high with love,
May the good Lord embrace you
with the arms that have nurtured you
the whole length of your joy-filled days.

This Page is dedicated to my Friends
Merisha and John
and
~Made with Love ~