10th Wedding Anniversary

It's ten years today since Em and I got married. I'm incredibly thankful to God for the past 10 years. That Saturday in Bristol in 2002 really does seem like quite a long time ago now!

The past five years have been years of massive change. We spent our fifth anniversary in the New Forest - in torrential rain! At that point we were preparing to leave the house we'd lived in for five years in Reading, and move to Exeter, changing jobs, unsure of what was ahead of us...

The landing was a bit bumpy and there were points in the first few months where we just wanted to go back to Reading. These have been years of growing up, not just because the 28 year old couple with lots of time and energy from back then now have a mortgage and two kids...  Hello grown-up 33 year olds!

The past five years have been a crucible for character change and for us growing closer. The past five years have been more physically, financially and spiritual stretching than the previous five. Sometimes that has led to frustration, arguments and distance between us, but I hope overall we're progressing in joy and in the faith, slowly maturity as we walk together. I'm less impressed with myself than I used to be, and blown away by how impressive my wife is. But, our hope isn't in ourselves. Our love has to be a fire kindled from heaven.

Growth changes everything, but somethings stay the same. A little after 1pm that Saturday Em walked in to the sound of Jesus Blood Never Fails Me. I'm not sure I had much idea of what that meant in 2002, it feels increasingly meaningful today. The rings we exchanged a sign that my beloved is mine, and I'm hers and I'm so glad to be walking this road with her.

And as for five years from now...