Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;–
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
A Psalm of Life (excerpt), Henry Longfellow Wadsworth
We’ve all been to one. Many of us have been involved in one. And many more of you have planned, hosted, enjoyed, (survived), and celebrated your own. As I now stand at the outset of my own engagement, I am like a sponge ready to soak up the collective wedding wisdom that abounds in my community. Tell us what we need to know!
Post in comments. Post on our Facebook walls. Send us emails. Call us. Tweet us. Do whatever you must, just don’t keep your experience, advice, and counsel to yourself!
On Sunday afternoon overlooking the Sydney skyline at sunset, I asked Vanessa Larkin to marry me. She graciously said, “YES!”
It was a sacred time, not only because I kissed the love of my life for the very first time, but although we have only been dating for six months, there is an undeniable sense of togetherness and joy, in not only simply being together, but in looking to our future– knowing that our marriage will be a trophy of Jesus’ extravagant love and His mighty power to save. This is a humbling, epic, and joyful time that we are thrilled to share with our incredible community of friends and family around the world.
You can see many of our photos from Down Under HERE. Our official wedding website is at robandvanessa.weddingwindow.com (the beta launch!), and you can follow us on Twitter at @robandvanessa for all the essential updates leading up to our wedding!
(in no particular order and hardly scratching the surface)
and these guys
big mountains and guys to climb them with
my Bible
freedom
eclectic community
the magic of travel
old books, epic stories, and provoking speeches
America
big fuzzy hats in rugged conditions
film
the road not taken
…
Although the quality dropped disasterously between my Macbook and the video upload, see below for a glimpse into the recent Carter Family Reunion in Panama City, Florida (aka: the Redneck Riviera):
Another Carter Family Reunion video put our recent get together to shame, however…
The Economist reported last month that the amount of time one spends on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace is inversely proportional to the amount of satisfaction and happiness one has in a dating or marriage relationship.
After 13 months of preparation, my little sister, Shannon, is married in a blink of the eye. Undoubtedly, it was a most beautiful wedding for a most beautiful bride– and a most Christ-exalting celebration for a Savior who is most deserving of all our praise.
The generations of my extended family, often separated by geography and years, gathered in Seattle to honor Shannon and Jeff and rejoice in their union. It is building upon this heritage of love, generosity, and commitment, that my family had arrived at it’s greatest moment. This was the greatest moment in my family’s history.
The greatness of that moment was not a the result of a nice ceremony, good food, or our words of honor and gratitude, but it’s greatness lies in the promise over Jeff and Shannon, that their lives will be a continual outpouring of love, faith, and service to our Lord Jesus Christ and to one another. It is for this reason that we stood with them on their wedding day, not only for the sake of this generation, but for generations to come. The future of my family is in good hands, for it is my prayer, that Jeff’s extravagant love for my sister will be the clearest demonstration of the love of Christ that this city, that our generation, will ever see.
 |
| Coy Wedding, August 19, 2007 |
“We put the ‘fun’ in dysfunctional.” >> Dr. Robert Garey, my Dad
Evidence of those eloquent words about my family was most recently confirmed when my Mom and Step-Dad, Kevin, competed in the Dancing With My Man Contest on KOMO TV’s Northwest Afternoon. In preparation for my sister’s wedding (August 19th), my family in Seattle has succumbed to a dancing lesson binge that somehow led to my parents dancing on the local news.
These clips are hilarious, very random, and lengthy for you hyperactive post-modern kids, but certainly worth your time if you’re a fan of Anita and Kevin! For Part 1 and 2 of the six-part series, click here and scroll down to the appropriate Dancing With My Man links. After Week 1, Kevin and Anita Metzger are in the lead with a commanding score of 25 (out of 30). Next week— swing dancing!
In other family news, it looks like I missed a very special 4th of July back home in Seattle when our little Shiatsu decided to do just that on our living room couch (see pic below).
Pictured: (Left) BJ Coy, brother of my future brother-in-law; (Middle) Sadie’s Surprise 4th of July Turd.
It’s occasions like these that make homecomings so sweet.
