Hi, friends. It’s been a while, and I’ve missed being here. It’s partly due to a dizzying amount of activity and partly due to having so much to say that I don’t even know where to start. Two passages of Scripture have been coming to mind over and over in the last few weeks and months…

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3: 20-21

and

How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men! Psalm 31: 19

When people ask “How was the wedding?” my mind goes directly to these verses, and I say something like, “We did nothing but rejoice in God’s goodness!” or “God’s goodness and blessings were so evident, that we are still rejoicing!” or “There was just so much to rejoice over, so much to be thankful for.”

We weren’t really rejoicing over the 110 degree, record-setting heat in Dallas that day, but honestly, the intense and abundant sunshine coupled with the bright blue skies just seemed like a reflection of God’s presence and provision – also intense and abundant. I think I want to start by sharing with you what I was able to share at the rehearsal dinner. It gives some background and context for these claims to overflowing goodness and blessing.  Here it is:

Some of you know that Robert and I are originally from Texas, but that we’ve been living in Massachusetts since 1999 when we moved there to plant a new church. It’s been quite an adventure, and some days I still can’t believe that this Texas girl has made it that long in New England. Harder to believe is that my own children grew up there.We are still serving at the same church we planted 19 years ago, and Robert’s current summer sermon series has been on the 13th chapter of Hebrews – one verse at a time. A few weeks back the entire sermon was on verse 4 which says “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled…”

As Robert preached, I began to get a little bit uncomfortable about the six young children in the family sitting behind me. It took a lot of self-restraint to not turn my head and make eye contact with their mom, Cassi, to see if she was upset by the potentially new things her young ones were being introduced to. When I talked with her afterward she said, “Oh no, not upset or worried at all. It really goes over the younger ones’ heads, but Gabe (who is 12)  eats up every word, because he is so interested in being married one day.”It reminded me of another little boy who grew up sitting in that same row at church every Sunday, who also had plans for marriage at a very early age.

Here’s proof from my journal:

December 2000: (Susan Branch Journal/Kory Age 5)

Kory: Mom, God talks to me in my mind.

Me: Really? What does He tell you?

Kory: He told me I’m going to marry Mack and every day He tells me to obey you.

(Mack is the daughter of a dear friend of mine. She and Kory were church nursery mates.)

February 2002/3: Valentine’s Day (Kory age 7/8)

Kory made Valentine for his friend Christy (whose brother might be here tonight)

I was able to take a look at this card before he gave it to Christy.

It said “Dear Christy, I love you. From Kory.”

I went to Kory with the card and explained that I thought he should make another one.

I explained that the words “I love you” are very special and need to be saved for his wife.

I explained that he would meet a lot of girls over the course of his life.

I explained that he should save those words for when he is old enough and God shows him who to marry.

March 2002/2003 (Kory age 7/8): Friday Homeschool Ice Skating at UMass

Ice skating time is over and I’m upstairs putting my shoes on.

I look over the balcony to the rink below and see Kory whispering something to James.

Back at home I ask Kory what he was whispering.

Kory: I was telling James to tell Anne (his sister) that I love her.

I reminded Kory about our previous conversation and saving those words for his wife.

Kory: “But I prayed, and God told me that Anne was going to be my wife!”

Here are some of my own prayers for Kory – since he needed a bit of wisdom and direction in the finding-a-wife wife department (not that Christy or Anne wouldn’t have been wonderful wives…eventually):

Green Journal: November 8, 1996 (Kory age 1)

Lord, may Kory be the fruit of godly instruction and correction – both ours and yours. (Prov. 13:1) May he accept our discipline and be wise because of it. Mold him into a godly young man. May nothing come in the way of his salvation. May he have a hunger to know you truly. May be become a leader in his home and church. Raise for him even now a godly wife from a godly home. (Rebecca was almost 2 years old on this date.)

Journal: June 29, 2011 (Kory age 16)

Most of all, Lord, I pray that Kory would know you daily and be humbled by your gift of salvation.  May his heart grow daily in gratitude for the cross and for your forgiveness. Deepen his understanding of your Word and may he grow in his love for it and be transformed by it.  Please make clear his calling and begin to reveal what vocation he is to pursue. Place him in the college or university that you desire and reveal what major he is to choose. Please provide a godly wife for Kory.  Protect him and give him godly wisdom and discernment in this area. Steer him away from those women who would hurt him or distract him from you. May she be in love with you and have a love for your Word as well. May she love Kory deeply and be a true encouragement to him. (Rebecca was 17 on this date)

Fast forward to Kory’s college years at Baylor, a couple of short-lived dating relationships with other girls, senior year, and social dance class – the P.E. elective where he met Rebecca. Recently, I asked Kory why he took that class, and he said, “Because I wanted to learn how to dance and heard it was a great class!” (Camille will hopefully tell Rebecca’s much more reluctant side of that story later!)

Kory went off to Guatemala to serve with Pine Cove over Christmas break that year, and he and Rebecca officially started dating in January. Robert got to meet Rebecca in January on his annual fundraising trip to Texas/Oklahoma, and I got to meet Rebecca when I came to town for Kory’s ACL surgery that March. After Robert met her, he texted me: “Rebecca is exceptional.” After I met her, I couldn’t help but agree.

Then in July, while Robert and I were working at a summer church youth camp at Gordon College, I got a call from Kory one afternoon. After some lighthearted chit chat, he asked me a couple of serious questions: “Mom, What is love? And How do you know if you love someone?”

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