It was a perfect day.  I was all dressed up and hanging out with some of my closest guy friends.  Leah was hanging out with some of her closest friends putting on a dress I had never seen.  When the time came music from a four string quartet played softly over the crowd.  Candles helped light the elegant church sanctuary.  There was a quiet joy and expectation in the room.  Following two of my nieces scattering rose pedals down the isle and the ring bearer, bearing a belled cross that rung in the picture of perfection.  The doors opened and my heart became mush, my eyes filled with tears.  The most gorgeous woman ever came down the isle glowing with beauty and flawless grace.  As promised by others the next 30 minutes blurred some as we exchanged rings, vows, and shared a time of candlelight with our guests.  It was a day when three became one:  God, Leah, and me.  The Holy Spirit graced us all with the presence of joy, peace, and hope.  We said, "I Do!"  We walked out of the sanctuary that day as man and wife.  It was pure bliss!

Fast-foward 8 years.  Through all of the things in life that seem to take our joy and perfection away, Leah and I are celebrating that day when the Holy Spirit joined our hearts and our souls together forever.  While the things in our life can sometimes be broken and burdensome.  The covenant of marriage is perfect.  Our partnership is perfect.  Not because we are perfect, but because God is perfect and every day He redeems our lives and He redeems our covenant.

I love my wife with all of my being and every day I see God in her eyes, Jesus in her heart, and the Holy Spirit in her steps.  I am a blessed man.  And the best part is that there are more years (the rest of our lives) to go.

There was a time in life when I thought that God had a specific plan and path for my life and He would give me directions as I needed them.  God was my GPS!  That was in college and now through circumstances of life my view has changed.

In 2005 Leah and I decided to take a new job in a new city.  We put our house up for sale that October.  On December 31, 2006 it finally sold. During those agonizing 14 months, Leah and I had many questions.  People assured us that God wanted us to be in our new city at our new church in my new job so much that our house would sell.  That is when I began down a trail of "opposite thought."  Because the opposite of this philosophy is that if our house doesn't sell, then God must not want us in our new place and we made the wrong choice.  Our GPS was on the fritz!

It is my perspective that God doesn't map out our journey using "one way" streets.  God has many ways.  He has many directions where He can use us for His purposes.  When we say that God has that one special person out there for us or that God has one perfect job for us or God has already chosen our one path to take, then we are limiting his ability and his creativity.

God is not our puppeteer but rather our Father.  He is our savior and He is our guide.  We should take responsibility for the choices we make and not lay blame on God for what may or may not happen in our lives.  God may watch American Idol, but I'm pretty sure He isn't tampering with the results to either give you the victory or teach you something in defeat.  We are walking this journey.  God will use us in mighty ways whatever turns we may take as long as we are journeying for Him.

Next time when it seems that life is not working out at all like you had hoped.  Next time everything you prayed about has happened as you told God it should.  Next time you are caught at the Crossroads and not sure whether to move without a sign.  Remember God wants your faith and your movement.  And then He will provide you with everything you need to faithfully trust in Him.  The only One Way, God has is to glorify Him in all that we do!