Dear Husband,

When we were young and spoke of marriage, we only anticipated good things, positive times, and wonderful adventures.  Then life happened, and our paths were separated for what we now know to be a thirty year season of time.

When we re-united as adults, we knew that marriage was good things, positive times, and wonderful adventures and yet, we also understood it was painful, sorrowful, and filled with challenges. 

We came into our marriage via a path we both have said privately and publically that we would do differently were we able to do again.  And, I know with all of my heart, that we would.  And, more importantly, God knows we would.

The past four years have grown in our hearts a humility and gratefulness that only God can bring to a marriage and only then, when the man and woman are receptive to His leading.  We are and have been receptive to the leading, guiding, and even at times, humbling of our gracious Savior knowing that only through Him are we able to bring honor and beauty to the vows we shared through Him and to one another.

Truth

There is an intimate tenderness to our marriage due to God’s sweetest compassion and gentlest healing within our lives.

So, today, I want you to know how grateful to God that I am for the gift of you in my life.

You have done for me what husbands are called to do….you have pointed me to our heavenly Father and have reminded me that I am His much beloved child……

You stand aside….you stand down….you stand away and let me find my own path back to God

And, for that, I am forever grateful

The vows we spoke that early May 14^th morning are precious to my heart….I read them often so as to remember that while I am HIS, I also, for this season God gives us, am yours

“His first, mine next” is what you tell me, constantly reminding me that while I am your wife, I am first and foremost His child

So many things about our relationship are precious to me….one of which are the words you shared when you asked me to marry you so I write them here so our children will one day be able to read what we hope our lives will emulate for them.

 

I have stood on the rocky shores of Maine to the black sand beaches of Hawaii.  From the golden sand beaches here in Florida to the continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains, to the vast wilderness of Canada to the son baked sands of New Mexico.  From the delivery room watching my son be born to the foot of the grave watching them lower my Mama and Daddy into the ground.  All of these places and times, I have always known something was missing in my life….It’s not missing anymore.”

“Lesa,

I know what hate is, and I know what true love is

I know what it is to be empty of God, and I know what it is to have my cup overflow

I know how to work hard, and I know how to play hard

I know what cheap is, and I know what is more precious and valuable than gold, silver, and the human voice can express

I know how to build a wall around my heart to protect me, and I know how to give my heart completely with no strings attached

I know how to dream a goal, and how to work as hard as I can to make it happen

I know how to love someone so much to be able to say, “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me”

I know how to love someone so much to water, nourish, and cultivate them so they are able to grow into the most beautiful flower in the garden”

Ian to Lesa

”I love you more than all of the 2,913,083 sunrises in the East.  What is important to you is important to me.  I promise to love, cherish and protect you.  To be your husband, love, and deep-spirited friend.  As Jesus loves His church, so my words and actions will evoke your beauty and everything I do I will strive to bring out the best in you and me.

I promise to keep God in the center of our lives.  To be happy and celebrate God each day with you.  To pray every day with you and for you.  To find in you the best things which are noble, reputable, gracious, beautiful, and praiseworthy.

Lesa

I knew when you were 13, 16, 18, and now that you have a precious heart.  I promise to protect your heart and your spirit.  I promise to water, cultivate, and nourish you to become the most “beautiful flower in the garden.”

I pledge and commit to you and only you my love, heart, body, mind and strength. My love for you is passionate; I will live in “true gut” truth and honesty with you.  I will search for new ways to love you, and when I find them, I will love you in those ways.

My love will be marked with giving not getting.  I want to hear you laugh and see you smile each day.

Madison, Kenton, and Johnson, I promise to love you as if you were my own children.  My home is your home.  You have my promise to love and protect you in all ways, always.  You have my promise to love and protect your Mama.

Jacob and Lindsay, I love you.  You will never be replaced.  I don’t ask you to give up your seat, but rather, that you add more place settings around our table.

Lesa,

I would die for you, climb the highest mountain….our love will “keep us together”

I love you with all of my heart

All that I have and am, I give to you

Ian

Lesa to Ian

I cannot remember a time in my life when you were not in some way a part of it.  Our families attended church together….I think that is significant.  My first memory of you and I together is our “swing” incident....also a church event. 

 You were my first crush at 13, my first car date at 16, and my first love at 18.  All of my associations with you involve God, church, and family….and, in that order.  And, I think, that too, is significant.  I knew at 8 that you were kind because you took time to push me on my swing and even turned around and gave me a wink.  I love you for that with a little girl love for a young boy.

I knew at 13 you were Godly because you told me to protect my virtue…to save myself for a boy who deserved me.  

I knew at 16 you were a truth teller because you honored your word and came back to my hometown to take me on my first car date.  I remember it clearly…the way you held open my car door, held my hand, walked me back to my parent’s door, and sweetly kissed my cheek.  I love you with the sweetness of a 16 year old girl.

I knew at 18 you were a Man of Integrity for when we went our separate ways, you let me go gently so I could go to college and live my life.  I loved you for that gift and truly believe we would find our way back to one another if it was meant to be.  And, we have.

I know at 49 that you are a Godly, Loving, and Giving man…you show it in the way you treat me on a daily basis-in your words-in your actions.  For the first time in my entire life, I know what it is to be fully and unconditionally loved by my husband.

When I see myself reflected in your eyes, I see a precious, lovely, and Godly woman…that is the greatest gift you can give to me and you give it daily.  

I love how you treat my children…you discipline them yet do so with a kind and gentle heart.  You share fun with them and invite them to participate.  You share your worldly possessions and yet, you let them see what you share actually comes from God, not your own work.

You role model God’s love for me and for them

You are a giver and they are learning to be givers from you. 

And, what I promise you today….to be a giver-back to you.

I promise to give my life to God first, then to you, our children, our family, our friends.  I promise to give you my life long fidelity and love.

I promise to love you as God calls for a wife to love a husband…fully, wholly, and unconditionally. 

I promise to submit to your authority because I trust you with my heart, soul, and love.

I promise to seek news ways to love you and when I find them, to love you in those new ways.

I promise when you see yourself reflected in my eyes, you will see a precious heart, a tender spirit, and a Godly man.

I promise that when hard times come, and they will, that I will hold your hand until we reach the other side. 

I promise to love Jacob and Lindsay with the same love as I do my own and to respect their wishes with regard to me.

And, I promise to strive always to remember the VALUE of the GIFT God has given me when He gives you to me today.

I love you forever and one day

Lesa

So, as we celebrate this anniversary of marriage to one another, we truly are celebrating so, so much more than a day filled with words…and vows…

We celebrate and understanding of the value of the GIFT that is marriage and we do so not from youthful exuberance and carefree confidence that all 

will be wonderful at all times and in all ways….

We celebrate with a mature understanding of how we came to be…..and how God, in His mercy, made something beautiful in His time out of two individuals who were not always lovely in their time.

And, I thank you….for all that you are and all that you will continue to be as we walk this journey of life together.

I thank you for the gentle and tender care you have shown me these past eleven months as I struggle back to health

I thank you for loving me and my children as we so dearly needed to be loved

We are not perfect

Nor do we aspire to be

Instead, we aspire to be His

Only His

Always His

Forever His

And, we give ourselves to Him not only individually, but jointly, as man and wife

I love you…..

Second only to God

Wife

 

An Update on Lesa from today, June 24, 2015










Still His Little Lamb................




We are praising God at the Young home today!!

One year and four days ago, I underwent a surgery which has forever changed my life both physically and emotionally.  More importantly, it changed me spiritually...and, for that I am grateful.

As I wrote in the blog below...the first one....

He is the Shepherd who can heal me.  He is the Shepherd who can make me whole.  

And, I believe He will.

But, more than even that….I go with confidence into His will for my life

His will be done

Because, I have learned that when I give over my will….into His hands….into His will

There is not greater place to be.

For the past 369 days God has been working on me....it's easy to write the word to what I want to be like and hold as truth but it is much harder to walk my words as truth...to live my faith.

I don't know why we go through challenges in our lives....I don't understand fully what purpose my own journey has, but what I have learned is a very simple lesson

When God's will is done..and you strive to not waiver in your faith in His will

You come out on the other side healed...

Maybe not in the way you think or want to be, but in the way which matter.

In my case, as I write this, I am on track for a real healing....and, just as I wrote that I believed He would...He has.

In this season of my life...His will has been for me to walk in a healthier body...by His grace

I am thankful.  I am grateful.  I want to always remember this journey and not forget it as I continue on my way....

Thank you all for your faithful prayers on my and my family's behalf.  We "still have miles and miles to go", but this woman of God knows with all confidence that she goes not alone

He is with me

As are you, and I am grateful.

Love and Blessings on all of us,
Lesa

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An Update on Lesa: Easter Sunday 2015  (So many of you have asked for an update that my heart is touched.  I thank you for your care and compassion)

I go tomorrow, Monday, April 6, 2015, to The Vanderbilt Clinic for a pre-assessment by the Physician’s Assistant of my surgeon.  She will examine me (and discuss with my surgeon) to see if I am ready for the cystogram scheduled for 11am.  If I am deemed ready (it’s been 13 days since surgery), then I will have the cysto.  If not, I’m not sure what will happen outside of a Foley catheter change.  Based on what happens, they will determine my next steps.

To date, it appears that this surgery has “taken hold”.  I wrote before the surgery that I believe God will and has healed me and I do.  We don’t know the long term affects, but do know I have a few complications which I will address for the days to come.  It’s in God’s Hands.

So…please do keep me in your prayers.  For total and perfect healing as only God can provide and for peace of mind knowing that the ultimate physician has me in His good hands.

I go with great peace and every expectation that God has healed me.

Thank you for your many prayers.

His Will Be Done…..

Our love,

Lesa, Ian and children

_____________________________________________________________________________

I Am His Little Sheep and He is My Shepherd

“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.  He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all of his own, he goes on ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.  But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.  Therefore, Jesus said again, very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. “  John 10: 1-5

“- and I lay down my life for the sheep” 

~ Jesus

June 20, 2014 was a life changing day for me, my family, and those who love me, including many of you who are reading this.  Not because of a surgery which caused physical harm to my body, but because I was forever changed in my relationship with God. 

 I am not the first, nor will I be the last to have a struggle in my life. 

My struggle is not the biggest nor is it the smallest of the world’s struggles.  But, what it was for me was an opportunity to grow in my relationship with God or against God as I have walked these past 9+ months.  We all have a choice in which direction to change, and I choose to grow toward God.  To follow His leading.  To listen to Him call my name.

On another day, God willing, I will share with you all that God has taught me since last June 20, 2014…but, for now, I leave you with this…

I am most confidentially and certainly, His little lamb. 

 He opens the Gate and I follow.  He knows my name and I listen for and to His voice. 

 He goes ahead of me preparing my way and I will follow Him because I love Him. 

 I do not follow the voice of this world because it is as strange to me as that of a stranger’s voice.

In fact, I choose to run away for the strangeness of this world.

Instead, I run toward toward the Gatekeeper….the one who gave me life here and who prepares me for that life there, with Him in Heaven.

I have total faith in my Shepherd, that He will bring healing to me. 

 I pray with all of my heart for His Holy guidance of the surgeon who will operate on me this Monday. 

 I pray for all the medical professionals who will care for me.  I pray God bless each and every one and lift them up.  

I pray for you who will be praying for me and I thank you in advance.

I pray for a Godly husband who has cared for me like I am the most precious of lambs.

I pray for my children who God gave me to teach me about living for someone other than myself.

I pray for Godly parents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.

I pray for Godly family and friends.

This world is not our home, heaven with the Shepherd is. 

 But, while we are here, He wants us to remember Him….to know Him….to recognize His voice as He calls to us.

He wants us to be such precious lambs that those who are near us can tangibly feel His love for Us….and, through us, for them as well.  

So, as I head into Monday and the weeks that follow, I go with great confidence.   

He is the Shepherd who can heal me.  He is the Shepherd who can make me whole.  

And, I believe He will.

But, more than even that….I go with confidence into His will for my life

His will be done

Because, I have learned that when I give over my will….into His hands….into His will

There is not greater place to be.

God go with all of us….and, may we all remember the wonder of being His Sheep….

May we all answer when He calls our name…both while on this earth…and, in Heaven.

Love and Blessings,

Lesa

 Surgery at Vanderbilt University Hospital, Monday, March 23, 2014 at 7:30am.  Madison will post once I am out of surgery.  Humble, joyful thanksgiving for the outpouring of love you have shown me.  my family.  You are His hands, feet, and heart in our lives.