30 years with 'my-most-FAVORITE-girl-in-the-whole-wide-WORLD'!

February 17th, 1990. The day I married my BEST friend!

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the day I watched my beautiful young bride, walk down the center isle of our old home church. we both had NO idea what our life together would be like. We were also both VERY nervous!

As soon as Deb stepped up on the platform next to me, I began to run off  HUGE bucket-loads of sweat! My nerves were in some kind of over-drive. Debbie, on the other hand, was shaking and trembling---  almost like it was cold in the old church that mid-February Saturday! (it WAS raining and cold outside that day, by the way!)

I guess it's worked out okay! It's hard for me to believe, in some ways--that as much of a CHUNK of time as 3 decades has came and went. In other ways, it feels like EVERY bit of 30 years has went by! Some of it has even felt like it slowed to a CRAWL as it went past.

I'm thinking, of course, of the times where we lived through / encountered / endured tragedies.The illness and death of our first little one, baby Kayla---who only lived to be 6 months old. Deb's two miscarriages after that. The loss of Debbie's dad to lung cancer--- we STILL miss him! My brother-in-law Allen's suicide. Not to mention BOTH of my parents going through extended illnesses, and the recent loss of my mom.

We've had to work through a few bumpy times and rough / rocky places in our relationship. The folks who say they've NEVER had an argument or disagreement in their marriage? I don't believe that for ONE second! Two people, living together for as many years as my wife and I have, are NOT always going to enjoy endless times of 'sweetness and light'!

There's also been a number of difficult times, long stretches of me being unemployed, and equally long stretches, where money was EXTREMELY tight--- or just nonexistent! There's been tough times with our kids. Both when they were little guys,as well as since they've been young adults.

This could be one VERY LONG post, if I chose to focus on just SOME of that stuff! Don't get the wrong impression though. BOTH Shelby and Wade are wonderful, hard-working, honest young people, that the 'ol Loydster is VERY proud of! Helping them get to that point however, hasn't always been easy! The old saying : 'parenting-- the TOUGHEST job you'll ever love' is oh-so-VERY TRUE!

Through it ALL though, there's been 2 things that have kept Debbie and I bound together. Kept us as the best of friends that we STILL are. First, is our STRONG love, and open, honest, REAL affection for each other. My dad always used to say: 'you and your mate have to LIKE each other, before you can LOVE each other', How VERY right he was!

Second, and probably most important--- is our ongoing, ever-growing and developing faith in, and relationship with Jesus Christ. Our spiritual relationship, is the GLUE that's helped hold the relationship we have with each other together. Simple as that.

I thank God for the little lady that I've been SO blessed to share my life with, these past 3 DECADES. My wife, my helpmate, my partner, my BEST friend---- Mrs. Deborah Ann Ferrell.
Here's hoping and more importantly, praying-- that we have at least another 30 or 40 more years together! Love you, honey! Always have, ALWAYS will!

The (STILL beautiful!) bride, and the (STILL  happy!) groom. November of last year. Still loving each other enough to stand close together! (and not just in pictures!)

Matthew 19: 4 - 6---
'(Jesus speaking) He (God) made them (man & woman) at the begining, male and female-- and said... a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined (glued, fastened, attached STRONGLY to) to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (united as ONE, a whole, and complete)--what God has joined together, let NO man separate!'   

--Amen to THAT!--