It was an amazing event. A church softly lit with strings of tiny white lights and white mesh along the pews. A true Prince and Princess stood taking their vows before our God and many witnesses. That's not so unique though, is it? Haven't most of us been to weddings before?  What set this wedding apart was the KISS. Yes, I said "kiss."  Are you ready for this? It was their FIRST kiss ~ at the altar, and in front of everybody. Jay and I felt like we were intruding a little on that special moment. We were so happy for them our eyes welled up with tears.

Traditional vows were spoken first, then the same vows spoken again in Swedish since the Prince was from Sweden, and then a third time they said their own personal vows that they had written. In those, their hearts for God and each other really came through. A sold-out love was expressed reaffirming their desire for a marriage completely devoted to God. I think the only thing missing was the white horse. (Knowing the Princess, I am sure she probably tried, but was denied because of city ordinances or something like that...  Just kidding! ... Sort of!)

True love and trust, don't you think? When two hearts devote their lives to God and keep their actions pure. This was a testimony of complete commitment before Him and toward each other. Jay and I felt as if we had witnessed a great spiritual transaction before the Lord like we had never seen before.  We felt privileged to be a part of it. I am not sure if you have heard of this concept before, but what this couple had committed themselves to is something called "courtship." 

This isn't something that generally somebody just wakes up one teenage morning and decides to do. It is a mindset that we as parents begin setting when our children are toddlers. Yes, I said toddlers! Many of us were not raised with this mindset. In fact, just the opposite. I remember  having a "boyfriend" when I was in Kindergarten!  "Now that's just innocent childhood" you might say, but nonetheless many subtle words and actions can lead our children astray and into believing that this is only "normal." While some may agree that in today's world it is "normal," it isn't something that we need to settle for. 

If you are just now getting introduced to this concept here in this article, you may not understand why this might be considered "settling for something less." If you'd like to know more, Barb Shelton has several articles on this topic at her Article Chart in the "Romance & Relationships God's Way" section, which is the fourth section down.  She gives a basic intro to this concept in her "From My Heart" article, and her now-grown children Sharnessa and Tory both have articles on different aspects of this message.  Plus there are four other articles that help explain it even further.

We encourage you, as a couple, to go before the Lord, seek His will, study this subject and be willing to follow His answer for your children.  We are so proud of parents Dave and Barb Shelton and many others who have paved the way by helping direct their children's hearts toward the Lord, and toward purity with the opposite gender.  They encourage their kids to save their whole hearts for "the one," not waste precious time on "the dating game" which actually prepares more for divorce than for marriage.  They led them, instead, to use these single years to draw closer to the Lord, and thus bring a healthier, more mature person to a marriage, if and when God leads that way.

The following letter was written by a friend of mine,

Diane Leasure, the evening of  August 19, 2000, after she

had returned home from the wedding...

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