Marriage Takes Three

As a couple draws closer to God, they draw closer to each other...

Marriage Takes Three

I once thought marriage took
Just two to make a go,
But now I am convinced
It takes the Lord also.

And not one marriage fails
Where Christ is asked to enter,
As lovers come together
With Jesus at the center.

But marriage seldom thrives
And homes are incomplete
Until He’s welcomed there
To help avoid defeat.

In homes where Christ is first,
It’s obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes three.

by Perry Tanksley

Sweet As The First Bite

Yesterday, my Mom and I met with the baker for my wedding and got the cake details set. Hip-hip-hooray! It was good to finally get that part of the wedding planning settled and marked off my ever-growing list of "Things To Do." We decided on a four-tier white cake with white buttercream icing that will look remarkably similiar to the picture on your left. <---- A few slight modifications... such as nix-on-the-red-flowers and yes-to-the-blue-dogwoods-and-white-lilies-instead. So, we have that taken care of.

But I've been thinking of wedding cakes ever since yesterday's meeting. I've been thinking about what the wedding cake means. For example: It's the first food the couple eats together. They feed the cake to one another, a symbol of being one flesh and sharing everything from that moment on; also a symbol of caring for the other. And... the cake is sweet.

I'll never forget last year at a friends' wedding, after the cake was cut and the happy bride and groom were sitting at their table eating, my Mom walked up to them and said, "I hope that your marriage and all the years to come will be as sweet as that first bite of wedding cake." Though it wasn't said to me, I'll never forget it.

The wedding cake is sweet! Fluffy cake, sweet-tasting icing.....sugar. :) If you'll indulge me, I'd say wedding cake is kind of a neat picture of salvation. It's beautiful and it's sweet.

May we always be mindful of the goodness of salvation...the sweetness of salvation. May each day of our walk with Christ be as sweet as the first. May it never dry up and become stale, but always fresh, always delightful to the taste.

John 15:11
"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

The Warrior Prince

Isaiah 9:6b -"....and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Judges 6:12 -"And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor."

Most every girl longs for a warrior prince, a noble knight, a valiant man of honor. Unfortunately, these days, men of such esteem are few and far between.

When I was little, I adored the "princes" in the movies. My heart would ache with excitement and longing while I watched Prince Phillip in Sleeping Beauty, as he rode in on his noble steed, defeated the dragon, braved through the forests, thundered up the palace steps and rescued his beloved princess!

What modern-day normal, average Joe would do such a dangerous and noble thing now?

The answer? Very few.

Recently, I've been reading the Old Testament battle sequences in the Bible. Over and over, I find phrases like "mighty men of valor" and "all the valiant men" and "a man of war." Words such as "honorable," "strong," and "helper" have stuck out among all the names and stories of the warriors. Men like David, Jephthah, Gideon, Benaiah have a name among the "mighty men of valour." David was a warrior and a King. He slayed Giants by day and wrote songs and psalms by night. A mighty man.... a tender man. A poet and a fighter. Many times we overlook the amazing "wow-ness" in the story of David killing the lion and the bear with his two hands, and then the giant, Goliath, with a single stone.

What modern-day guy could do that??

The answer? Next to none.

Sadly, the men who have the power of God upon them so strongly that they can defeat lions, tigers, bears (oh my!) and the giants are closer to zero. Most "men" are femininity-bashing, innocence-conquering, wolves in sheep's clothing. They are of the charm-enhancing, smooth-talking, self-centered breed, who believe themselves to be God's gift to women. Where are the noble knights? The mighty men of valor? The honorable kind?

Take heart, my sisters reading, for there are still a few warrior-princes out there. Amongst the ones who try to be men in their own strength and under their own terms, are the mighty princes on their noble steeds who still stand for and fight for their King Jesus, who still defend the poor and the weak, who still protect innocence and purity, and who still have a tender heart and a warrior spirit.

There is one man, however, who is the ultimate picture of a Warrior Prince. In fact, he makes Prince Phillip in Sleeping Beauty look rather wimpy. He is the One who is the epitome of manhood, of knighthood, of strength and power. He is the One who is the shining example of love, faithfulness, tenderness, and wonder.

He is none other than Christ Jesus.

The few warrior-princes of our day are truly a sight to behold! But they are only small shadows of the ultimate Warrior-Prince. They are His workmanship and He has molded them into His likeness. But He is the true Warrior-Prince. It is Jesus who is the ultimate "mighty man of valor" who conquers sin, death, and the grave. It is Jesus who is the epitome of nobility and honor, who is full of grace and lovingkindness.

It is a lovely thing to have an earthly warrior-prince....a man who will serenade you, write you sweet sonnets, love you eternally, and fight with all the zeal of a knight for your heart.

But it is an even greater thing to be Christs'....to have the great King of Kings die for you, love you unconditionally, write psalms and love letters to you, intercede for you, never leave you or forsake you, conquer all for you, defeat all evil for you, and building a mansion for you where you will be with Him forever.

He's a Warrior.... and a Prince.

The Worldly Princess vs HIS Princess

* A worldly princess glorifies herself

* HIS princess glorofies her King

* A worldly princess cares about her needs & desires

* HIS princess is more concerned about the needs of others



* A worldly princess will be known for her comfortable way of life

* HIS princess will be remembered for her character and courage



* A worldly princess invests her time and talent in the here and now

* HIS princess invests in eternity




* The self-centered reign of a worldly princess will end

* The God-focused reign of HIS princess will last forever



Credit: Sheri Rose Shepherd in "My Prince Will Come"

The Day She Became A Princess

In a world where fantasy and fairy tales are smudged by reality, a certain simple maiden received a most wonderful gift! In a certain majestic kingdom, the Ruler and King looked upon His Son and decided to give him a bride. His eyes passed through all the fair maidens in the land seeking one who could make His Son complete.

As a common young girl, she was chosen to be the future wife of the Prince of the land. Handpicked by the King himself, she was most humbled. There were so many young maids in the kingdom certainly better than she. To be so highly favored was frightening, yet an honor most sought after by many others. But she was fearful and doubtful, so aware of her own shortcomings and imperfections. "Such a grand Prince deserves the very best," she said to herself. "And I am most definitely not the best!"

Denying her destiny, she ran away, trying desperately to leave the kingdom. Surely the King would not find her, for He had so many in His land to care for...

But the King, all-knowing and all-powerful, knew exactly where she was and sent His servant to bring her home again. He went out to seek her.

After running so long and trying to hide from her destiny, the young girl found herself lost in another world of empty hopes and dreams. She knew where she should be but was fearful and knew after running, she would never please the King or the handsome Prince. She felt a failure. The servant sought out the maiden and found her; he came upon her and in His quiet way, began drawing her home again.

"Why hide from who you really are?" he asked. "Why run from such an honor?"

"But I am unworthy!" she cried. "I am unclean, I am a failure. I am flawed and not worthy to touch the hem of the Princes' garment! And yet you say that He WANTS me?? It cannot be!"

"Ah, but it can be," he smiled. "The King and His Son know everything about you. The King has watched you grow from a little baby into the young woman you are becoming. He has seen your weaknesses and your faults, yet He sees in you a greatness. He sees you seated in His palace, helping to rule His Kingdom. He knows what you are capable of and who you are meant to be."

The young girl paused and listened. The servant told her how much the Prince loved and needed her, how the King had sent for her. He spoke of how it did not matter what she saw of herself, for the King looks at more than the outer appearance, or the past. Slowly, she began to believe the faithful servant. He was comforting and gentle.

"I will go," she said. "Lead me back to the Kingdom, please."

The servant smiled, took her hand and led the young girl back.

There was much rejoicing when they entered into the gates! All that were in the Kingdom celebrated the return of the future Princess. The servant led the young girl to the King and with an heavy heart, she repented for running away.

"My child," He said with a tender lovingness she had never seen before, "you are back!" He smiled as He took her in His arms and hugged her. "You are forgiven. It is no longer in my mind."

The young girl wept as she clung to her King.

"There, there," He said at last. "No more tears. It is time to celebrate! Go prepare to meet My Son."

Off in her chamber, she made herself ready. She had never laid eyes on her Prince but was in love with Him already from the stories the servant told her on the way back into the Kingdom. He was praised and admired by all. He was wonderful, mighty, and known to all as a ruler, a healer, a friend and a King. Handsome and strong, righteous and just, He brought peace to all. She could hardly wait for the wedding! The time was near.

It was time to meet the Prince.

All was still, the Kingdom was silent as she was escorted up to meet the Prince. She stood before the King and suddenly, there He was! The Prince! She could hardly breathe for He was more than what she had been told. He was fairer and mightier than she could have ever imagined! Her fears of unworthiness began to resurface but then she looked into His eyes and saw a love beyond any she had ever known or seen before. He wanted her!

As He stepped closer, He took her hand and said, "My love, finally you are here!" He held her close as He said, "I have a built a house for us, wait until you see it! Thank you for coming to Me!"

"But You chose me!" She replied.

"That I did, yes," He said with a smile. "But I would never force you into being mine. You were not made a puppet, you are a human with your own choices, your own decisions. Yes, I chose you...but you also chose Me..."

The King stepped forth and said to the maiden, "This is My Son, your bridegroom. He is called the Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Everlasting Father. He is called Wonderful and Mighty. He is the Christ, His name is Jesus."

Then, looking out into all the land, He announced to the Kingdom, to the heavens and to all the earth, "and this is His beautiful, spotless, Bride..."

Taken at Five

Seventeen years ago, when I was five years of age, on a hot, humid night in northern Arkansas, I got engaged!

....Okay, I know you must be thinking "um....come again?" You're waiting for the punch-line, aren't you? Okay, well, to clear the air, I was not betrothed to a little boy at the age of five. So you can sleep well now. No, this engagement was a bit different than your everyday "down-on-one-knee-with-a-diamond" kind of thing. No, at the tender age of five, I became engaged to my heavenly Prince. Pssst! His name is Jesus. :)



If you read my last post, you'll know that this blog is all about my relationship with my Prince Jesus and how every detail of our earthly lives is a beautiful picture of our spirital life as well. Well, I'd like to share with you the night I became taken. :) The night I said a joyful "YES!" to Jesus. In other words, this is my testimony! ;)

As I mentioned before, it was a hot, humid, August night. My family and I, who travel and sing, were conducting a revival in the northern part of Arkansas. Growing up in a family who sing about Jesus, preach about Jesus, talk about Jesus, read books about Jesus, watch movies about Jesus, and dedicate their lives telling others about Jesus.....it's bound to stick. :) I grew up knowing and telling Bible verses and Bible stories as early as a year and a half old. So by the age of five, I knew the sweet story of Jesus coming to this earth at Christmastime as a little baby, who grew up and never disobeyed his Mom or Dad (that was slightly shocking to my childlike brain), who did many miracles, and finally, for no reason, was put to death by his own countrymen. I used to get angry when I thought of those mean soldiers nailing my Jesus to a cross. As the days and months went by, the gospel story burned in my heart. And as I learned more, I was amazed. Jesus died for me? He came and died because I didn't clean my room when Mom told me to? He had to die because I did something wrong? It pierced my heart. He died so I wouldn't have to? He died so I could go to Heaven? Little by little, this precious love story worked its way into my five year old heart.

So on this particular night, during the revival services, I knew the time had come to truly thank God for what He did for me; to apologize for all the times I did something wrong and hurt him; to pledge my life and heart to Him, to live for Him forever. Later that night, at the foot of a bed, with my Dad and my Mom, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me.

So what does that have to do with being engaged? Think about it.

When you're twenty-two and your handsome fella comes to you, kneels down, presents you with a ring, and asks you to be his forever, and when you are swept away by his love, and you say "Yes!" then you are engaged! :) Congratulations. :) ;)

And likewise, when you're five years old and the King of all creation comes down to this earth, presents you with His body and blood - a sacrifice of Himself - and asks if you will accept Him, love Him, serve Him, and live for Him forever, and you are amazed at the depth of His great love, say "YES!!" ....then YOU, my friend, are engaged as well.

Earthly engagement is lovely but spiritual engagement? That's pure bliss! I hope, if you have not yet said "YES!" to this Heavenly Prince I speak about, then you will do so soon. Believe you me, it's a love story that is quite amazing.

I'm a Bride!

Hello everyone! I entitled this blog “The King’s Bride” for two reasons, both of which I’ll happily explain to you.

Firstly, I am a Christian, redeemed and loved by my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Bible calls Him many names: Lord, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Emmanuel….but it also calls Him King of Kings. And we, who are saved, are His bride. Spiritually. :) I am His bride. And hopefully you are too. :)

Secondly, I am a bride in the human, earthly way also. I am currently engaged to a noble prince; a warrior in the army of our God and King. He is strong, romantic, poetic, tender, loving, and practically everything a girl could ask for.….and I’m his bride. :)

And so here we are.

The purpose of this blog is to magnify my King and my heavenly lover, who loves me unconditionally; who came and died for me, who redeemed me from sin, who robed me in white, and who is coming for me one day soon! Of course, I’ll also throw in tidbits about my earthly wedding planning, my wonderful family, my sweet friends, my ministry, my goals, my passions….my blessed life.

So welcome to this blog! It’s a sneak peek into my heart and my mind. It’s the “parlor room” of my life. Hope you will be blessed and inspired but, most of all, I hope you will draw ever closer to the King yourself. And if you are not His bride, I do hope you’ll come to know Him and accept His proposal. :)

Coming Soon!