Have we heard enough about the royal wedding between William and Kate yet?
Their wedding launches the spring “wedding season.” Brides-to-be are either in the thick of preparation or are in the final days before the wedding day. Bridal magazines present endless possibilities for the big event. The wedding has become such an expensive day that the trend is increasing among low-income couples to skip the wedding and marriage completely, because they think that they can’t afford to get married.
Rebecca Mead, author of One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding, was quoted in an article as saying, “Vows, which is the trade magazine of the wedding dress industry, had an article about how to market to the ‘nontraditional bride’ and warned readers that this kind of woman is dangerously apt to ‘forget the wedding and prepare for marriage.’ People who work in the wedding business often appear to be very warm and sentimental, but they're salespeople, and the successful ones are completely coldblooded about it.”
If every prospective bride and groom seriously investigated the purpose of marriage and of weddings, both weddings and marriages would change. These articles give some ideas to consider before the wedding—in the planning, for increasing the odds of success, financial status, and even the parents - Wedding Season and Those Left Behind.
Mother’s Day is around the corner, our first one without my (Donna) mother. My mother was a very important influence in my life. As I have thought about what she imparted to me, so much comes to my mind. Anyone who knew my mother saw her love, her warmth, her generosity, and her desire to make every event in life a celebration. She gave me an enormous amount of security with her unconditional love, but also showing me what it meant that God loved me. She always believed in me, told me that I could do anything. It was a great shock to me to realize that were some things I would never be able to do. Through that encouragement, she gave me confidence. Even though she was raised during the depression and war in rural Oklahoma, the 9th of 11 children, she recognized the value of education. She pushed me and my sister to read and do well in school; consequently, both of us love to read and to learn. Mother said the only book she ever finished was the Bible, but I think that was enough. She had an eye for nice things after growing up with the basic physical necessities. She taught me about the beauty in life. She even taught me how to take care of her in her last days after I watched her devotion, love, and care for her own mother 30 years ago. My prayer is that I can do as well as she did in being a mother and grandmother. I recently read this from an unknown author, “The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her.” I thank you for your prayers during this time.
We are about 30 days from leaving for Zambia. We are still awaiting word that the notebooks and study Bibles, which we shipped a few weeks ago, have arrived. Please pray for their safe delivery there! (see info and video about this mission trip)
As we write this letter, we have received a little over 80% of the funds for our mission trip. We praise God for what we have received. Please pray with us for the remaining amount ($3,875). We have to send the balance of our funds to ALARM, our African partner ministry, by May 5.
And please continue to pray for the preparations in Zambia, that God will bring men and women committed to strengthen marriages according to God’s Word. We know that He wants to do a great work to change the hearts and minds of the people in Ndola, Zambia.
We love and appreciate you and your support of the work God is doing through Living Well!
May the Lord bless you in your relationship to Him.
Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray that the Lord will provide all that is needed for our mission to Zambia.
