BLOOD

COVENANT

WEDDING

Expectancy

Thank You for the faith to believe. Thank You for the strength to receive

the promises You've made to me as they become reality.

Thank You for the patience to wait, just knowing You are never late -- the heart to want Your perfect plan, the grace to stay in the palm of Your hand.

Thank You for preparing me for my tomorrows that You see.

Just like a child on Christmas Eve, I'm waiting in expectancy. *

And You're excited, too, I see,

because You know the joy there'll be when... from Your hand ...so perfectly You give Your gift of love to me.

i.e., anticipate + patience = anticipatience

© 06/12/06. Written down by Carolyn Vardell 08/29/83. Scribe hereby gives her permission for it to be freely reproduced and used for the glory of God; because Jesus said, "Freely you have received, freely give." (Mt. 10:8) Amen.

The Joy Unspeakable

John 16:23-24; Jeremiah 32:17

God whispered in my heart, and He revealed His will for me.

He gave me the desire, and then He said so tenderly,

"Just ask Me for the heart's desire I've placed inside of you,

And you'll receive—there's nothing that's too hard for Me to do!"

Then came the joy—the joy unspeakable, complete and full in me!

There is no joy that is comparable to that when you receive;

And this completes the circle of God's love when He looks down and sees

That there is joy—the joy unspeakable, complete and full in me!

I asked Him, and I trusted Him to do just what He'd said,

For nothing is impossible for Him Who raised the dead!

By grace and patient confidence, I waited in His hand,

And He performed His promise and fulfilled His Master Plan!

Then came the joy—the joy unspeakable, complete and full in me!

There is no joy that is comparable to that when you receive;

And this completes the circle of God's love when He looks down and sees

That there is joy—the joy unspeakable, complete and full in me!

© 06/12/06 Written down by Carolyn Vardell, 02/10/85. Scribe hereby gives her permission for it to be freely reproduced

and used for the glory of God; because Jesus said, "Freely you have received, freely give." (Mt. 10:8) Amen.

S O M E O N E

I dreamed of Someone who would be Prince

Charming on a great white steed . . . One day,

he'd come quite suddenly, Reach down and

sweep me off my feet!

I longed for Someone who would see In

me a precious treasure rare,

And he would want to purchase me And

hide away with me somewhere.

I asked for Someone who would be A

man I could admire . . . adore —The

one my Father planned for me To love

as no one e'er before.

I asked for Someone who would be

Devoted to God's Kingdom first; He'd

crave God's will to always see And live to

do His greater works.

Jesus/Church Parallels:

Isa. 9:6; Rev. 19:11

Mt 24:27

1 Thess. 4:17

Mt. 13:44-46

Isa. 53

Jn. 14:3; 17:24

Lk. 7:37-50

Eph. 1:4-6

Acts 17:28

Jn. 4:34; 6:38

Mt. 6:10 Jn.

14:12

You are my Happy Birthday song! Heb. 2:12; Psa. 22:22

My rainbow's end! My dream come true! Isa. 11:10; Lk. 4:21

My Christmas morning's rising sun! Lk. 1:78-79

And you're my precious Someone, too! 1 Cor. 8:6

© 06/12/06. Written down by Carolyn Vardell 02/16/85. Scribe hereby gives her permission for it to be freely reproduced and used for the glory of God; because Jesus said, "Freely you have teceive4 freely give." (Mt. 10:8) Amen.

Your Words Your words spoken so tenderly

Have reached to the inside of me,

And that is what I've needed so very much—

Someone special...the real me to touch.

Your words...your words are giving

Me reasons...new reasons for living.

Your words...your words are healing

Ev'ry scar where there was no feeling.

Your words are making me feel

Like someone worthwhile. Your

words are making me happy...

Now I want to smile.

Your words have reached to my spirit,

My body, and soul.

Your words have made me complete,

And completely whole.

© 06/12/06. Written down by Carolyn Vardell, 08/27/83. Scribe hereby gives her permission for it to be freely reproduced and used for the glory of God; because Jesus said, "Freely you have received, freely give." (Mt. 10:8) Amen.

Exceeding

Abundantly

You are more, far more,

than I ever dreamed could be!

You are more, far more, so much more --

exceeding abundantly!

I love you more, far more,

than I ever dreamed could be!

I love you more, far more, so much more –

exceeding abundantly!

© 06/12/06. Written down by Carolyn Vardell 12/02/82. Scribe hereby gives her permission for it to be freely reproduced and used for the glory of God; because Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Mt. 10:8) Amen.

More Than Yesterday:

Less Than Tomorrow

(MTY:LTT)

My love for your today

is more than it was yesterday;

And my love for you, I know,

will grow even more . . .

when today becomes . . .

tomorrow.

© 06/12/06. Written down by Carolyn Vardell 06/11/83. Scribe hereby gives her permission for it to be freely reproduced and used for the glory of God; because Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Mt. 10:8) Amen.

NOBODY EVER Jesus/Church Parallels

Nobody ever has treasured in me Mt. 13:44-46 the facets* the Jeweler cut skillfully. Col. 1:12

Nobody ever has said about me Isa. 62:3-4,11-12

the special things you have said so tenderly. 1 Pet. 2:9-10; Jn. 15:11

Nobody ever desired time with me, Mt. 6:6; 11:28-30 to just be together in sweet unity. Jn. 14:20-21,23

Nobody ever shared secrets with me, Mt. 13:11 unwrapped precious heirlooms** to hold carefully. Jn. 15:15

Nobody ever has listened to me Jer. 33:3; Psa. 139:1-18 or wanted to know how I tick — why I'm me! Heb. 4:12-13

Nobody ever has gently wooed me Jn. 6:44 his heart's one desire and possession-to-be. Eph. 5:25-27

Nobody ever has owned all of me 1 Cor. 6:19-20 but now I surrender to you willingly. Rom. 10:8-10

* FACET—implies one of a multiplicity of sides each of which manifests the central quality of the whole.

**HEIRLOOM—is a piece of property that descends to the heir as an inseparable part of an inheritance; something of special value handed on from one generation to another.

© 06/12/06. Written down by Carolyn Vardell 02/11/85. Scribe hereby gives her permission for it to be freely reproduced and used for the glory of God; because Jesus said, "Freely you have received freely give." (Mt. 10:8) Amen.

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

and he... and she...Wives,

understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ.

The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to His Church, not by domineering but by cherishing.

So just as the Church submits to Christas He exercises such leadership,

wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands,go all out in your love for your wives,

exactly as Christ did for the Church—a love marked by giving, not getting.

Christ's love makes the Church whole.

His words evoke her beauty.

Everything He does and saysis designed to bring the best out of her,dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.

And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor— since they're already "one" in marriage.

No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it.

That's how Christ treats us, the Church, since we are part of His body.

And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh."

This is a huge mystery, and I don't pretend to understand it all.

What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the Church.And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife,

loving himself in loving her,and how each wife is to honor her husband.

Ephesians 5:21-33 The Message Bible

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

and he... and she... Wives,

understand and support your husbands in

ways that show your support for Christ.

The husband provides leadership to his

wife the way Christ does to His

Church, not by domineering but by

cherishing.

So just as the Church submits to Christ

as He exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands,

go all out in your love for your wives,

exactly as Christ did for the Church—

a love marked by giving, not getting.

Christ's love makes the Church whole.

His words evoke her beauty.

Everything He does and says

is designed to bring the best out of her,

dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.

And that is how husbands ought to love their wives.

They're really doing themselves a favor—

since they're already "one" in marriage.

No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it.

That's how Christ treats us, the Church, since we are part of His body.

And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh."

This is a huge mystery, and I don't pretend to understand it all.

What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the Church.

And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife,

loving himself in loving her,

and how each wife is to honor her husband.

Ephesians 5:21-33 The Message Bible

Nuggets from the Heart of God for Husbands and Wives, and for Parents

HUSBANDS, someone else could do what you're doing at your work, in your church, or in that community organization; but you are the only man God is holding responsible to protect and provide for your wife. He's given you that desire down deep inside and has promised to supply all that you need to be all that He's purposed. Just as God protected and provided for Abraham and his heirs (Gen. 15:1), and Jesus protects and provides for His Church, that is your responsibility as the head of your marriage covenant. (Now you understand why Adam is held accountable for what happened in the Garden.)

WIVES, similarly, the other things you're doing could be done by someone else, but you are the only woman God is holding responsible to be your husband's helpmate. God has given you the desire to be protected and provided for — even if it is buried under the rubbish of abuse, tradition, lies, rejection, dashed hopes, and society's brainwashing — because God wouldn't design a plan and then fail to give us the capacity to receive its fulfillment. This kind of a marriage relationship is so foreign to what we see today that it almost sounds like an once-upon-a-time-and-happily-ever-after fairy tale, but it is God's plan for every marriage covenant. If we'll get back to the Owner's Manual, we'll get the results He ordained — "no longer two, they become one flesh." In Ephesians 5:21-33 The Message, the Owner's Manual says,

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

and he . . . and she . . Wives, understand and support your husbands

in ways that show your support for Christ.

The husband provides leadership to his wife

the way Christ does to His Church,

not by domineering, but by cherishing.

So just as the Church submits to Christ

as He exercises such leadership,

wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the Church — a love marked by giving, not getting.

His words evoke her beauty. Everything He does and says is designed to bring the best out of her,

dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor —

since they're already "one" in marriage. No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That's how Christ treats us, the Church, since we are part of His body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become "one flesh." This is a huge mystery, and I don't pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the Church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife,

loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.

FATHERS, your mentor is God Himself— always loves, always does what He says, always is consistent. That's how your children learn to trust and obey you — and, ultimately, God. God's plan for the fathers to teach

the heirs hasn't changed (Gen. 18:19; Psa. 78:1-7; Eph. 6:4); so don't be too busy and seek to delegate your role to others, because He's holding you answerable (1 Sam. 2:22 — 3:13).

MOTHERS, it is also our God-ordained responsibility to teach and train our children — Deut. 6:5-9; Psa. 127:3; Prov. 22:6; Isa. 54:13; 61:9; and 3 John 4 are some of my favorites. If, for whatever reason, there is no father in your household, God will supply all your needs and those of your children (Isa. 54:4-6; Psa. 68:5; 146:9).

PARENTS, you are the only ones God is holding responsible for your children. If wrong choices have been made by you or by your children, it's never too late. Receive Isa. 49:25 — GOD ALMIGHTY is talking, and save in the original means avenge, defend, deliver, preserve. God made no exceptions, so don't you! Believe it, and God will see to it.

Philippians 1:3-6; 2:13 — Do what you know to do!

Only One Chair at the Top...

There's only one chair at the top - one king of a kingdom,

one CEO of a corporation, and one head of a home.

So often, when the husband isn't being the "head," the wife says,

"Well, somebody's got to do it! I'll do it until he starts being the 'head,' then I'll step aside."

But... there's only one chair at the top. He'll never start being the "head"

until she gets out of the chair.

That takes trust in God and His faithfulness to make him the "head."

The husband's purpose is to be the "head." That's not the wife's purpose.

Jesus is not my Lord... until I get off the throne of my life.