Saturday, August 20, 2016

Our 50th Wedding Anniversary...


John Charles Worden
This adorable little boy...

































Linda Louise Groves

                           ...and this adorable little girl...































                                                ...grew up with these siblings....
l-r:  Jim, John and Cynthia Worden
l-r:  Barbara, Linda, Margelyn, James (Jim), and Kathleen Groves
 ...met at the University of Wisconsin in Madison...

...knew each other for 3 years;  
dated for two years...
...got engaged...
Newly engaged couple...

Set the date and got married August 20, 1966...

...at Faith Baptist Church, Madison, WI

Wedding party...  Calligraphy by John M. Worden...
Prayer for God's blessing and leading was essential from the beginning...
John wrote our vows with collaboration from me...
It was such a happy and holy day...

Parents:  James & Edna Groves, John & Linda, Kay & John M. Worden
Grandparents:  Irene Worden, Lady Mae Stiles, J&L, Ludvick & Tillie Matson, 
Amanda & Bill Groves
20 years later we looked like this...
49 years later we looked like this...
50 years later we looked like this at Laity Lodge Family Camp in early July 2016...
1-r back row:  John G., Stephen (16), Phillip (18), James
l-r front row:  Lydia (13),  Diane, Linda, John, Cozzie (nearly 6), Sarah, Joanna (15)


It is impossible to summarize 50 years of life in a brief paragraph.  What I can say is that we are very grateful that we have done life together with the same or very similar goals and ideas.  We have never doubted that the Lord was with us and caring for us even when there were 
  • job changes and losses, 
  • cross country & cross cultural moves
  • parenting challenges, 
  • health issues,
  • child's heartaches...
We have weathered the ups and downs together and with God guiding and providing.

We don't expect to have another 50 years of marriage but we are looking forward to as many more years as God provides for us.  

And hopefully we will take seriously God's teaching from:
Psalm 78: 4a-7
...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.  He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.  Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
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It is our prayerful hope that all the generations of family who come after us will chose to receive God's free gift of salvation and will follow the Lord all the days of their lives 
as they love, serve and make Him known in their families and around the world.

Our hearts are filled with gratitude on this our 
50th Wedding Anniversary.