As some of you may know, Jeff and I were married this past Saturday, March 12th. We had a very small and simple ceremony. We invited about thirty-five people who meant the most to us. For the rest of this week I will be sharing pictures from the wedding. We chose to have several readings during the ceremony. I wrote some of the readings, and I will be sharing those with you as well. The first reading I am sharing was the first reading of the ceremony. It is entitled Life is a Vapor. I wrote this reading to honor the individuals who have touched our lives, but who are no longer with us in the physical sense.

The pictures that I will be sharing are of the chapel that we were married in. The name of the chapel is Goddard Chapel. It was built in 1918, and as you will see from the pictures, it was a beautiful place to have a wedding. I hope you enjoy the writing and the pictures.

Life is a Vapor

All of our lives are connected; one life touches another and another and another. When one life ends, another begins. There is a constant ebb and flow of life, and while the life that we live on this earth is fleeting and often filled with uncertainty, the life that is waiting for all of us on the other side is everlasting and filled with the knowledge that everything makes sense. While this life is fleeting, we all leave an indelible mark on the lives of everyone we touch.

James 4:14, says that life is a vapor. When we hear this being said, we think it means that life on this earth moves quickly and is over in the blink of an eye. However, we can choose to see the vapor of life in a very different way. When a vapor is sprayed into the air, it comes out in a million different particles and each of those particles falls in different places. Many times it is impossible for us to see where those vapors fall, but that does not negate the fact that they do indeed fall. All of our lives produce vapor. The things we do and say, the kindness we show, the words of encouragement we provide, and the love we bestow on each other are all parts of the vapor that we put into this world. We often do not know where these vapors fall, and many times we do not see the results of all the goodness we project into this world, but that does not diminish the powerfulness of the vapor.

At a time of great joy it seems very fitting to acknowledge those who are no longer with us in the physical sense. Their presence is in our hearts and in our souls. Even though we cannot see them, we can often times feel them. Their lives have touched us and their vapor remains with us all the days of our lives. It becomes part of the vapor that we pollinate the world with. So you see, they may be gone from sight, but their lives and the goodness they touched us with continue to touch the lives of others. We truly are all connected.

Dan and Jeff wanted to use this time to remember the ones who have touched their lives. As these names are read, they ask that you remember each of them and how the good things they did on this earth continue to have a positive impact on the world.

William Lloyd “Todd” White

Calvin Austin “Hoss” Weaver

Donald Taylor

Paul VanEckhout

Roy Lance

Norman Cutsinger

Judith White

Loueva Weaver

Irmadean Lance

Helen VanEckhout

Parker McKenzie Weaver-White

May all of our lives be just as important as these before mentioned individuals and may we all spread the vapor of love, hope, goodwill and peace because PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~