Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”
 
I love the county fair. The bustle. The noise. The odors. The tastes. The sights. Excitement grows in me as the fair approaches.
 
My fingers also start twitching.
 
Members of Calvary Bible Church and I spend the county fair making balloon animals, painting faces, and giving away Bibles. Last year, we made 750 balloon animals. We painted more faces than we could count. One of my volunteers got cramps in his fingers.
 
The culmination of our time is our church service at 10 am by the French Toast Breakfast. We eat great food. Then we worship our Savior in the middle of His creation.
 
By Sunday evening, I am exhausted, sitting in my chair and staring at a blank wall.
 
You might say, “There are many fun things to do at the fair. Why spend your time in a hot building, wearing out your fingers?”
 
Jesus has done so much for us. He died to save us from our sin. He rose from the grave, conquering death. He provides hope, peace, endurance, and comfort through hard times. We can know what true love is. We can have the relationship with our Creator that we were created for. We can be assured that our God will never leave or forsake us. We have assurance, because of Jesus, that we will live forever with Him on a new earth, in perfection.
 
We want to praise Him for all that he has done for us. We can praise Him in three ways. 
 
First, we can praise Him by thanking Him for all He has done. We will do that Sunday morning for our church service, as our guitarist leads us in worship.
 
Second, we can praise Him by telling others what He has done for us. We will do that Sunday morning also. But, we will also do that at our booth as we give out free Bibles and talk to those who walk by.
 
Finally, we can praise Him by showing others what He has done for us. We will do that by making balloon animals and by painting faces. He showed us love. So, we offer that love to others.
 
We hope you can stop by. If you do, plan on telling us something God has done for you.

​Genesis 2:22 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.”
 
I should first admit that I am not perfect. 
 
Are we clear on that fact?
 
I have officiated numerous weddings and have made my fair share of mistakes. However, I do have my list of “please, never do this” from weddings I have attended. Would you like a sampling? 
 

1. “The bride declines lunch.” Please, never do this. No one wants a bride to faint. This is up there with keeping the bride and groom from sleeping the night before. 
2. “Throw the schedule out the window.” Please, never do this. For the sake of those who have taken valuable time to travel and be a part of the wedding, follow the timeline. 
3. “Run out of cake.” This weekend was a first for me. Consider the kids who patiently endured the ceremony and tried hard to choke down the food. They need their reward. 

 
If you want more of my list, you will just have to ask me to officiate your wedding.
 
Do I have a point, other than allowing myself the emotional space to heal from the lack of cake? Yes, marriages are important events that should be taken seriously. 
 
A couple is vowing before God and the guests to enter into a lifelong covenant where each will strive to reflect God in their relationship to the world around. 
 
A married couple is able to reflect God uniquely. As they pursue oneness in all areas of life (mentally, physically, sexually, emotionally, spiritually), using their strengths to build up the other, they can reflect who God is. 
 
God is one. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equally God, but functionally different. Each uses his functions to perfectly complement the other as their united purpose is achieved. 
 
Nothing else in creation shows this, except for a marriage which is seriously lived out. 
 
All married couples should be in awe of this fact, as we all realize how many times we do not reflect God. 
 
Now, back to wedding ceremonies. 
 
Because of the seriousness of the covenant, as a reflection of God Himself, a ceremony should not just be a party. It should be sober look at a commitment. 
 
But, yes, it is also a party. So, please, don’t run out of cake.