books – painter's daughter (a work in progress)

For family far away, I want to share Jason’s best man speech. It was emotional and full of heart. And some of the humor may be lost in translation, but the delivery was so good! I laughed and cried and shouted and probably blushed.

For those who couldn’t make it, I know you were there in heart and spirit…

It was such a beautiful day and the ceremony is something I haven’t quite gotten over yet. Full of God’s Spirit. The kids wrote their own vows and had a foot washing. God was all over that church…

The following five photos are credited to https://www.margaritaorangephotos.com

Jason’s speech:

“First and foremost, I’d like to thank all of you for being here to celebrate the marriage of Levi and Alexa. It’s a special day, made even more so by the amazing group of people who helped bring it all together. I have the honor not only of standing here as Levi’s best man, but also as his father, which makes this moment even more meaningful for me.

As I thought about what to say today, I realized that while some of you have had the privilege of watching Levi grow into the remarkable young man he is, others are just beginning to get to know him. So, I thought I’d take a moment to share a bit more about Levi and the journey that brought him to this day.

My wife Pam and I spent the early years of our marriage in a childless, carefree, self-involved bliss. To be honest, we were one of those couples who thought children were little soul-stealing creatures that would ruin your life and rob you of all your fun! OK, maybe that was more my perspective than Pam’s, but you get the idea. Nevertheless, we were happy and content in our isolated little world until one day my sister called to announce she was pregnant. I remember our initial reaction vividly: “What were they thinking?” “They’ve got no business having kids”, “They’re going to ruin everything!” or so we thought. I admit, it wasn’t our finest moment. But when we met our niece for the first time, our hearts were moved. She wasn’t the evil little monster we were so afraid of—she was perfect, and we were smitten. Not long after meeting our niece, Pam and I decided, “We need to get one of those.” And soon enough, we did.

Now, the day Levi was born was simultaneously one of the scariest and one of the most joyful days of my life. Pam and I had no idea what we were getting into— there is no class or book that can fully prepare you for the experience of the delivery room. I also learned that day that you don’t fully know your wife until you’re by her side during childbirth. Watching Pam go through labor was an eye-opener. Let me tell you, I used to tease that she had a low tolerance for pain—was I wrong! The physical effort she put forth that day was truly astonishing. She was strong, determined, and… vocal. Very vocal. Very, very vocal. As I watched my son being delivered, I started wondering if everything I was seeing was normal. I had no point of reference mind you, but something seemed off. In an effort to make Pam comfortable (ie, less vocal), the doctor had given her 3 rounds of pain blockers which nearly put her to sleep. Levi spent a little longer than normal amount of time in the birth canal, so his head had moulded to the shape of the birth canal a little more than normal, and he was delivered with what I was sure was some sort of deformity. He had a perfect cone head! Now, I’m looking around trying to judge the expression on the hospital’s staffs faces trying to determine if I should be worried or not. Turns out, it was normal, everything worked out, and we had our beautiful son, Levi.

For the next eight years, we were a trio, and life was good and full of new adventures. We traveled, we played, and we laughed. We read lots of books, played hide and seek, and dressed up like pirates. We celebrated so many of Levi’s firsts—his first laugh, his first tooth, his first steps, his first words, one of which was “NASTY!” said with great disgust. When he’d see something questionable, he would pull out his pacie, point and say NASTY! His mother had trained him well. Levi’s energy was boundless, his imagination wild, and his sense of humor always made us laugh, especially when he teased Pam about who he loved more, daddy or mommy.

Then one day Levi became a big brother when our daughter Annabelle was born, and he embraced the role beautifully. Levi was always so patient and kind to his sister and they became best buds and were nearly inseparable. Annabelle adores her big brother, and no matter what, she will always be his biggest defender. Though, of course, being siblings, Levi couldn’t resist teasing her from time to time. But their bond has always been strong, and watching them grow together has brought Pam and I immense joy.

As Levi has grown and matured over the years, I started seeing glimpses of the man he was becoming. It was little things at first—how he’d say something thoughtful or insightful to Pam or he’d help out without being asked. One day, out of the blue, he announced he’d made the decision to give up video games to focus on more meaningful pursuits. He began asking me for advice about things such as investing and business and the future. I witnessed him morning after morning setting aside time to read his bible and be alone with his Creator. I watched as he developed healthy habits, showed incredible self-discipline, and built a strong work ethic. And I watched him fall in love with a beautiful young woman. I remember the first time I met Alexa. She had come to our home to pick Levi up for a date. She was so happy and excited and smiling from ear to ear. When she asked Pam and I what time should she have Levi home, I knew I was going to like this young lady. Over the course of many months Levi and Alexa’s affections grew for one another and I observed as God guided their courtship. So, when the announcement came that they were engaged, it was no big surprise, but it filled my heart with joy all the same.

In recent months, as I’ve shared Levi’s plans for marriage with my friends and coworkers, the same words to describe Levi keep coming up—mature, focused, driven, polite, well-spoken. A number of people have said to me, “It must be good parenting,” and while I can’t deny Pam and I, along with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, have all played a role in shaping the man he’s become, I know in my heart that Levi’s strength and character come from his faith in his Savior. Undoubtedly, his relationship with God has guided him in ways that no person ever could.

When I reflect on myself at Levi’s age, I am all the more amazed at the man he is today. He is so far ahead of where I was. So grounded, so confident, so focused. The world might look at Levi and Alexa and say “you’re too young to get married” or “you’re going to miss out on things”. I think Levi and Alexa look at the world and know it’s full of shallow promises, heartaches and frequent pitfalls and they have chosen to take the road less travelled. They have chosen to commit their lives to one another with God as their guide and source of strength. They have chosen the good part, and I don’t believe it will be taken from them.

Levi and Alexa, as you start this new chapter in your lives together, I’d like to offer up this prayer:

Oh Lord our God,

**Bless this husband. Bless him as the provider of nourishment and clothing. Sustain him in the pressures of his labors. May his strength be Alexa’s protection, his character be Alexa’s pride and may he so live that she will find him the haven for which the heart of a woman truly longs.

**Lord, bless this loving wife. Give her tenderness that will make her great, a deep sense of understanding and great faith in You Lord. Bless her with that inner beauty of soul that never fades, that eternal youth that is found in holding fast the things that never age.

**May they not expect of each other the perfection that belongs to You. May they minimize each other’s weaknesses and be swift to praise each other’s strengths. May they never take each other’s love for granted, but always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims, “Out of all this world, you have chosen me!”.

Levi and Alexa, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. And may you grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Congratulations Levi & Alexa, we love you!”

**Italicized prayer is from The Marriage Prayer by Louis H. Evans. This was read at our own wedding so many years ago. And as to the following pictures, I just couldn’t choose so I decided to share them all. Thank you, Dana, for capturing these!