Celebrating our 35th Wedding Anniversary!!! - I Could Never Promise You ~Don Francisco

April 7, 1979 - 2014

Celebrating our 35th Wedding Anniversary!!!

35 years ago, on April 7, 1979,  though it seems like only yesterday, Tommy and I were married at my church, Prince Avenue Baptist Church in Athens, Georgia. We asked one of Tommy's best friends from our graduate school program in Atlanta, Georgia, Mike Turner, to sing in our wedding before we had picked out any of the music. Mike agreed and later came to us with this song that evidently had been written just two years before. We both immediately embraced the song as it reflected the great respect we both had for the kind of love we knew we must have to go into a marriage with God's merciful blessing and protection.

God has since blessed us with thiry-five years of that blessed love that has had its foundation in Him! Tommy has been the most self-giving husband! Although my parents had a wonderfully blessed marriage of sixty-four (64) years, I could never have imagined that our marriage could be so sweet and wonderful. Then God blessed us with our three precious children, all of whom came to know our Lord within the first several years of their lives, each dedicating their lives more fully in their teen years. Our two sons, Rollin (now age 31) and Nathan (now 29), both have very close relationships with our Lord (as does our precious daughter-in-law Stephanie (age 29, almost 30), married to Rollin now for the past five years), and as you all know, Merry Katherine, our only daughter, has now "graduated" into Heaven with her Lord! 

We are so very thankful for all the many blessings our precious Lord has enabled us to enjoy with His help. So tonight, we wanted to share a little of our celebration with you. How nice to not only be able to share our tears with you, but our heartfelt joys as well! Thank you for your love and support over these past 7 1/2 difficult years. May our Lord wrap His arms around you as well, bringing you joy to balance some of the deep sadness in your life.

Thank you for allowing us to share some of our heart with you in a different way tonight. 

~Much love to each of you, and God's sweetest blessings to you and yours.

I Could Never Promise You

Words and Music by Don Francisco, 1977

I could never promise you on just my strength alone

That all my life I'd care for you, and love you as my own

I've never known the future, I only see today

Words that last a lifetime would be more than I could say

But the love inside my heart today is more than mine alone

It never changes, it never fails, never seeks it's own

And by the God who gives it, and who lives in me and you

I know the words I speak today are words I'm going to do

(Chorus)

And so I stand before you now for all to hear and see

I promise you in Jesus' name the love He's given me

And through the years on earth and as eternity goes by

The life and love He's given us are never going to die…

(Interlude)

(Chorus)

And so I stand before you now for all to hear and see

I promise you in Jesus' name the love He's given me

And through the years on earth and as eternity goes by

The life and love He's given us are never going to die

The life and love He's given us are never going to die

Music video: http://youtu.be/GPGYwVEHZJA

Friday's Faith - My Visit

Friday's Faith

My Visit

Tommy and I were blessed to have our brand new (almost 7-months old now!) grandbaby "Ellie" ("Merry Ellie," named after Merry Katherine) stay with us for about five hours yesterday afternoon while Rollin and Stephanie went to the doctor. They met the radiologist who will do Rollin's radiation therapy (he will have 2 rounds of daily 4-week radiation treatments coming up for him as a preventative measure to ward off potential cancer cells) since he had his testicular cancer removed almost 2 months ago). Please pray!

Our time with Ellie was very sweet, as usual. And ~as usual~ I got triggered back to my own baby girl, Merry Katherine. . .

Ellie enjoys trying out new noises, so I decided to sing to her. Tommy and I were sitting outside on our patio with her, all three of us swinging on our glider. The wind was blowing steadily through the trees, so automatically, out of my mouth flew the song,

"Hear the wind blow dear;

Hear the wind blow.

Angels in heaven hear the wind blow."

And immediately the tears began to flow down my cheeks (even as they flow now) as I pictured these angels being in Heaven next to Merry Katherine . . .

But almost as soon as the tears came, I "felt" Merry Katherine say,

"I'm right here Mommy!"

quickly reminding me she hovers near, so much closer than I tend to think. I smiled and was comforted, but the tears still flowed.

All this time, Ellie is cooing along with me, also bringing me joy amidst my sorrow. Tommy ran and got me some tissues so I could wipe my eyes and nose. Then I read to Ellie from one of Merry Katherine's tiny little childhood books while Ellie "turned" the pages for me. (Tears are still rolling down my cheek as I write.)

It has been a tough week with clients in crisis. How sweet that on my day off, God let me enjoy my visit with my two favorite girls in all the world . . . Merry, and Merry Ellie ~ God is good. Grief is still so hard, but my baby girl is okay, and she is nearby, smiling even as I cry. Yes, God is good.

Pictures, mine