THIRTY-FIVE WONDERFUL YEARS!

I'm blogging today instead of Monday and Tuesday, because Monday is our anniversary, and in a few minutes, Milton is taking me to Savannah for a couple of days to stay in a historic B&B and eat at Paula Dean's restaurant (famous TV cook). I hope to buy one of her aprons. I'm starting an apron collection. In July, we ate at Emeril's restaurant in Orlando, and I bought one of his aprons. It has BAM across the front. Now, if I can just think of a neat way to display them in my home--all of my aprons. I have a turquoise Jaguars football apron, and I'll soon have a custom-made apron with my brand new book cover on the front--Kiss the Cook. I'll be wearing this one for a book signing in Dallas in September at American Christian Fiction Writers conference. And I have my grandmother's little half apron that's dear to me. And one of my mother's...

But back to our anniversary.

I'm checking my lipstick in the ladies' restroom this morning at church before service time, leaning across the counter peering into the mirror.

"Have you seen your husband's column in the bulletin this morning?" a lady asks, twinkles dancing in her faded eyes.

"No, I haven't."

"You just wait, you just wait." Her eyebrows are going up and down. "It's good," she says, dragging it out.

"Oh, wow, I'll be sure and read it." And hopefully not during his sermon. :)

"It's all about you," she says, more twinkles dancing in her eyes.

"It is?" I'm surprised.

"Just you wait."

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During church, I have to go to the pulpit to announce our upcoming women's event, Girls' Night Out. Once I get there, Milton tells the congregation it's our anniversary tomorrow, and he's so thankful for me, and he always loved redheads, and he got the prettiest redhead around, and he still has the prettiest redhead around,

I'm back. I just ran into the master closet to show Milton the things I'm taking, with suggestions as to what I'd like him to wear when we eat at Paula Dean's tomorrow night.

"Here's my stuff," I say. "Most of it's hanging. Can you get a suitcase down and put my suitcase stuff in it? I've got to finish blogging."

"Hurry up," he says. "I'm ready to go to Savannah."

I dash into the master bathroom on my way back to my study, then back into the closet. "Oh, I forgot." I pull a nightgown off the shelf. "I need to take a nightgown."

"What do you need that thing for?"

Life with this man is so romantic.

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So I'm at the pulpit this morning with him, and he's telling the congregation how much he loves me, and then I take the mike and tell them how much I love him and how thankful I am for him, how I read a prayer poem by Ruth Graham (Mrs. Billy) when I was a teenager entitled "Let Him Be Like Thee," a poem that was the heart's cry of a young girl asking God to send her His man into her life, and how I prayed that prayer, too, even memorized her poem, and then God sent Milton to me, and at our wedding, right here in this very church (we now pastor the church I grew up in; neat) I read Ruth Graham's prayer poem and then the corresponding poem I wrote entitled "And So He Came" in which I thank God for sending me Milton.

And you could hear a sort of collective ahhhhh from the congregation,

And then Pastor Mike, from the piano, led everyone in Happy Anniversary to You.

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When I sat back down in my pew, I picked up the bulletin and read it. It's so sweet, I had to share it with you:

Thirty-Five Wonderful Years

By

Milton Dykes

(Kristy's note: Lord have mercy, has it been that many years? I still feel like a teenager.)

According to proper etiquette, this year’s wedding anniversary gift from me to Kristy should be coral or jade. (Kristy's note: Hey, maybe I can find some coral or jade in Savannah.) Tomorrow Kristy and I will celebrate our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, but I am going to let her pick her gift so I’m not sure yet what she will desire. We have plans to get away to celebrate and give thanks to God for the wonderful years we have shared together.

I’ve always been partial to red hair, and in college Kristy was the prettiest redhead in sight. She still is the prettiest redhead around. She was fun, talented, filled with life and energy, compassionate, and most of all committed to the Lord. I just couldn’t resist all her charms. After I graduated from college we married right here at Southside Assembly on August 14, 1971, and moved to Mobile, Alabama, where we started our ministry as youth pastors. Within two years we were senior pastors of our own congregation and all these years she has been my partner in life and ministry. We have much to be thankful for and much to look forward. Life has been good to us. Praise God!

How can you make your marriage healthy? According to Jeff Herring, it takes:
1. Commitment; 2. Teamwork; 3. Communication; 4. Meeting emotional needs; 5. Resolving conflict; 6. Apology and forgiveness; 7. Creating a relationship vision. Kristy and I have shared these qualities with a few added. Most of all we have had the Lord and His love to help us with our weaknesses.

Kristy, thank you for saying “I Do” thirty-five years ago. You are my favorite cook, writer, and woman’s speaker. You are a fantastic homemaker, wonderful mother, super pastor’s wife, and the best wife a man could have. You compliment and complete my life. As you know, we have dreams yet to fulfill together. I look forward to finishing life’s journey with you.

Church, Kristy and I are thankful for all your love and prayers for our family.

Pastor Dykes



Ahhhhhhhhh.

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