"I Do"

When Jeff and I got married, we wanted to write our own vows. As the wedding day grew nearer, the busyness of preparations seemed to absorb every minute. Finally, just days before the wedding, I realized that I hadn't yet written my vows. So I stole away for a few quiet moments to reflect on what all ribbon and flowers and tulle were really about. And, of course, the day wasn't about any of the those things at all.

Then the day came.

We memorized our vows, and despite all the furor of the day, when the moment came to exchange vows, we did so without forgetting a single word. When I said, "I do," this is what I said:

"Jeff, today we come together to become one,
so that together we may become more
than we ever could apart.
I promise you love and laughter,
commitment and compassion.
And without reservation, I will honor you,
and I will trust in your leadership.
As God resides in our hearts and our home,
I promise to do all I can to make our home
a place of welcome for our friends
and a place of peace for our family.
I will keep a soft heart,
and with a quiet and gentle spirit,
I want to serve you.
And above all else,
I will let grace reign in our marriage."

For our first anniversary, I wanted to write the words of my vows in the card I was planning on giving to Jeff. Bits and phrases came to me, but I couldn't remember the exacting wording. It had only been a year, and already the busyness of everyday life converged upon my memory. I had to watch our wedding video in order to hear my own vows said back to me!

I decided to print our vows and put them someplace where we wouldn't ever forget them.


This plaque hangs in the entryway of our home. We can't come through the front door and make it to any room in our house without passing a written reminder of the vows we made all those years ago.

Everyday life still gets busy. Sometimes we get caught up in all the lists of things to do. But we mustn't ever forget what brought us together in the first place and the vows we made.