We Did It Again!

We Launched another New Family This Weekend.

Less than six months later, we are back here again, but this time it is totally different. 

Yes, there are some similarities. For instance, Leslie and I are exhausted. The day got here much faster than we realized, and it was a whirlwind. 

But, this time it was my daughter, and, let me tell you that as a father marrying off a daughter, it is completely different.

Personally, I felt the stark and bitter-sweet realization that my child was moving on to a new stage of life much more severely. Sure, I was happy, but we are a close family. I was not quite ready to stop seeing her every morning and have that feeling that she is safe when she is sleeping in her bed.

But, the truth is that this is an answered prayer. We have been praying for decades for Koleman to come into Lizzie Gray’s life. We have been praying that she would get married early in her adult life. And, we have been praying that her husband would love Jesus and understand fully the concept of “love your wife as Jesus loves the church and gave himself for her.”

So, I just want to give you a few thoughts this week around this new marriage…

First, if you are a father of a daughter, GET READY…

This is not an easy process, and it shouldn’t be. If you have a strong relationship that you have invested in for years, this should be a hard process. It should be bitter-sweet. But, you should also know that it will get here before you know it. One day, you will wake up and some young man that reminds you a lot of yourself will show up and want to marry your little girl. You don’t have much time. You need to be present and engaged.

Second, does it scare you that the guy that marries your daughter will remind you of yourself. If it does, you better change what you are doing today and apologize to your wife and daughter(s). You can count on the fact that your daughter will be attracted to guys that have many of the same qualities you do as her father. No one expects you to be perfect, but do an evaluation here. And, just to tell you this, your sons are going to love their wives the same way you love their mom.

Third, prepare now for that wedding day. Your legacy is really in your grandchildren, not your children. There will come a day in which your children will make their own decisions. You will not be able to control them the way you do now. They will make decision based on what they believe is best. Does that scare you? 

How did you do in instilling in them discernment–understanding meat rather than milk (Heb. 5:11-14). Personally, I really saw this in the wedding ceremony. The choices that Lizzie Gray and Koleman made regarding songs, and vows, and the structure of the ceremony said a lot about what is important to them, and the ceremony is just the beginning. They are going to carry a lot of the inspiration for the decisions in the ceremony into the new home they will be building together. Praise the Lord! 

Tonight, we have a short newsletter. Clearly two weddings in 6 months is taking its toll. 

Thank you for reading! This coming week we are going to start a customer appreciation series in which we will send over all kinds of free gifts. We have a lot planned. Please make sure to pay attention to your email box.

Also, we are so happy to welcome Koleman to our family. If you’re interested in seeing a little from the wedding, Leslie shared a reel of pictures on the Teach Them Diligently Instagram and Facebook pages. Go check them out! 

Image Credit to Photos By Hailey