the wedding

this weekend i officiated keith and ashley's wedding. what a blessing to have such a significant role at the wedding of two people who i have known since i was 4 years old! that's right, the three of us started school at parkdale baptist in corpus christi, then we followed each other to middle school, high school, texas a&m, and then all ended up in dallas too!

this couple never officially dated until 2yrs ago, but they have been good friends to each other throughout their entire lives as individuals. it's really beautiful to see God's plan unfold. their love for each other is bound up in their love for God. you can't help but be joyful when in their presence.

although there are many reasons why i love each of them, i think ashely's courage and keith's compassion are two of the biggest reasons. my sweet ashely has been battling breast cancer over the last year. she is doing so well, but she had her share of chemo and radiation leading up to the wedding. we all know that those treatments can take a toll on you in various ways, including hair loss and ashley was not immune to it. ashley has always had the most beautiful long hair, so as one would imagine, she wanted her hair to be just that on her wedding day. well, after a series of events, ashely had a choice to make and she decided to take her wig off and go natural to the reception. SHE WAS STUNNING! i was so proud of her for being so vulnerable. i can't imagine what it was like for her to feel so exposed, because she has not wanted much attention surrounding her cancer. however, her confidence in who she is as a child of God who is surrounded by God's love and the love of family and friends gave her the courage to experience freedom. i was overwhelmed with joy watching her be so free. and, then there was keith...he loves her so much. watching him be with her when it was clearly difficult, how he encouraged her and told her how beautiful she is also brought joy to us all. way to go friend!

may we all experience such freedom.