Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him, bless his name. – Psalm 100:4

Today is the third in a series of posts featuring the weekend family wedding in Virginia Beach. The first was, “We declare love, we declare victory.” The second, “The strong love that holds this family together.” Both include some great photographs.

Today I am going to try to pull it together and share the balance of the images (all new) in two galleries. First as a slide show (the rehearsal). Then my usual tiled montage (the wedding and reception).

The professional photographer did a great job… but these more candid shots also turned out pretty special.

Emotionally, Reed’s wedding affected us all deeply. Not just in an “all the feels” way but the poignancy of loss, of family history, of recovery from devastating setbacks, of trust that “all things are possible to those who believe,” of redemption and – most importantly of all – of promise for the future.

All of this came together beautifully in the way that Rebekah and her brother Jesse conducted the ceremony. Faith, hope and love – all bound together in the scriptures and in their words and the music and the vows.

It is critically important, I believe, especially today in this uncertain moment in history, that we understand the power and the intention of love. The opposite of fear, scripture tells us over and again, is love. I am talking about the quality of love that heals, that redeems, that overcomes, that advocates for us and that makes what seems impossible possible.

First: a slideshow from the rehearsal:

The impossible becomes possible:

This miracle is exactly what happened this weekend in Virginia Beach.

Healing, redemption, hope – all made possible by the power of love.

For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures for ever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations. – Psalm 100

In love, and because I believe – DEREK

Second set of photos: The Wedding Day: