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The Musings of a Stubborn Believer

Love Gives

Ten days out. Long days of school, a trip to the east coast for a funeral, late nights, early mornings, (over and over again) and emails and work and volunteering piling up unmercifully–

Joy is still on the throne.

I can’t explain it. Why we trip down the road at twilight the five of us that remain, and laugh instead of cry.

I can’t explain it except to say that our joy is unutterably full.
And it doesn’t even seem like they’re gone.
They aren’t really… They’re closer than they were when she slept upstairs.
Even if we only exchange maybe one email a week.

The joy of giving far outshines the joy of having.

I can’t explain it.
I feel no need to try.

Almost every table and windowsill in the house boasts their faces in some form.
And almost every conversation includes references to “Lukey and Chantรฉe.”

Something tells me that for some time, that’s how it’ll stay.

18 Comments

  1. Amazing. Wonderful. Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing some of the joy! Amen.

  2. I love the unsurpassed joyfulness evidenced in your post and photos. ^_^ There are few families as happy as yours. You are exceedingly blessed beyond measure. ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Pure love and Heaven-blessed marriage. Wish it were possible to have been in two places at the same time. I'm rejoicing and celebrating with you all from across the world. :)Thanks for sharing the slideshow. Beautiful!

  4. I so loved the second song on the slideshow! Could you please share the words? So happy for them. ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Great Joy!! I can see it in every picture. A gift from God. LOVE. Very Precious.

  6. I'm so happy for them too… Amazing love for sure.

  7. Thanks for sharing the slide show too ๐Ÿ™‚ It was special to get to see it!

  8. Beautiful!!
    God is so infinitely good.

  9. Amazing. I love it!!!
    Thank you for sharing photos because I've been waiting for them for a month.

  10. Thank you Sean for posting these wonderful pictures and the great video. I wonder where the music sheets for "Amazing Love" are available – well, I guess I will find them somewhere!

  11. You're welcome, Daniela! ๐Ÿ™‚ Amazing Love was written for the wedding, so there isn't any sheet music as yet… ๐Ÿ™‚

  12. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Amazing Love

    The morning star grows faint,
    In streaks of bran new day
    The clouds are rimmed with rose
    The night is chased away
    The star we call our own
    treks it's westward way
    And all is earth is filled,
    All the earth is filled with Song–

    Amazing love!
    Amazing love!
    Amazing love,
    how can it be that light should rise and shine on me…

    The rain that blurs the glass
    The tears that stain the face
    Both serve to wash away
    Every selfish trace
    And when sun shines again,
    We see the work of grace
    Each drop is now a stone,
    Each glistening drop, a diamond rare

    Amazing love!
    Amazing love!
    Amazing love, how can it be
    that joy should come, and tears should flee.

    By waters still and deep
    Through places high and steep
    The Shepherd leads and they–
    They're trusting Him to keep
    And all the while He knows
    The joys that they will reap
    For on the mountainside,
    They find a love that cannot die

    Amazing love!
    Amazing love!
    Amazing love, how can it be
    that dawn should reach eternity…

    Amazing love!
    Amazing love!
    Amazing love, how can it be
    that Christ Himself should choose to bleed

    That I myself might blessed be.

    Amazing love…

  13. This wedding and Caroline's wedding last spring were good for me. Not only were they beautiful, Christ-centered occasions, but they both gave me faith in place of the fear I have possessed at the thought of losing my own dear siblings. What you 3 and Paulo going ahead of me did experience grows my conviction that I will be able to grow closer to my siblings instead of having to lose them when that time comes – I won't give them away, I'll gain them even more. And even if I do "give them away" my joy will be the more full because "the joy of giving far outshines the joy of having". ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank-you for this post, Sean.

  14. So right. You're welcome, Elissa. ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. How beautiful! What a testimony! True Love; what the world rarely sees.
    Enjoyed the video; and songs!!!

  16. Now I wonder about the other song in the slideshow (not "Amazing Love"). Who sings the other song?

  17. Also my sibs and I… "Promise Me Forever"
    From the album "I Will Go"

  18. Very nice song as well.Praise God!

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