Tuesday, May 7, 2013

WHAT CREATES LONGEVITY IN WHOLE AND HEALTHY MARRIAGES?


I am learning that marriages when whole and healthy are a blessing to communities. Marriages offer an opportunity for couples as individuals to discover who they are and who they are not.  You might want to ask yourself the following questions: am I kind to my mate?  Am I giving?  Am I forgiving?  Am I bent on being right or having the last word?

Last weekend I was honored to be in the company of a couple who has been married for thirty-one years.  I appreciated this experience. I felt privileged to see love in action. They were kind and loving, and there was a sparkle in their eyes when they looked at each other.  I saw several loving glances during the time I spent with them. It was clear to me that they adored each other even after thirty-one years of marriage.

They gave me something to strive for in my marriage.  I am praying that after thirty-one years my husband and I can still be as loving. But I also realize that this doesn’t just happen. We have to make conscious decisions to remain kind and loving, and never take the other person for granted or disrespect him or her. Most important, we must remember that communication is vital. 

Also remember this verse in the Holy Bible: Mark 10: 9, which states, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Wedding Officiant's Comments on The Film "Django Unchained"


I saw the film Django Unchained this week. Although there is controversy about the movie, as a Wedding Officiant I liked it. In particular I liked Django (the main character, played by Jamie Fox), and Broomhilda, (or Brunhilda in German, the main character’s wife played by Kerry Washington). They were torn apart by slavery, yet their love and devotion to each other was committed and strong. As an African-American woman this was the first time in my sixty-two years that I saw a film that dealt with slavery where a black man encountered great danger to save his wife. When Django rescued her I could see her proud in her body language as she waited for him on her horse before they rode off to freedom. In my mind I could hear her saying, ‘My man knows how to take care of business!  He loves me and as much as I love him’.