Cleyo's Testimony

I'm thankful for this opportunity to share some changes in my heart that's been made over the course of a year. My hope is that this ceremony will be God-centered. My goal today is that I can present to my bride a pure and honest groom. There's a lot of differences from what took place 14yrs. ago. Back during our first ceremony we had some words called vows, that I was just more worried about saying them without messing up and looking like a fool. I still don't want to look like a fool, but this time I'm not worried about how I'm saying them as much as I'm concerned on how I'm living them.
            To start off there's no way I saw my bride back then like I do now. Sad thing is, it took me 13yrs. to see her the way God had intended me to see her. I've felt that I always loved my bride, but never quite knew how to love my bride. I placed barriers in our marriage that never should have been there.  
            The biggest obstacle was, I kept things hidden or in secrecy. For some reason I thought my bride didn't need to know things about me. If I'm not honest about who I am, what I've done against my bride, what I struggle with in my life, or if it is to shameful, to embarrassing, or I think it is to offensive to share things with my bride even though it's wronging her, then I am clearly missing the one flesh concept here. Half of my body knows what the other half is doing and where it's been.
              I no longer believe it's about us, trying to selfishly hold on to individualism and somehow expect our relationship to work together. I believe it looks more like taking two lives and minds and blending them together to create one great heart that God can show how to love together in Him for His glory.
               There's a verse in Genesis that many of us are familiar with. Genesis 2:18  Then the Lord said," It is not good for the man to be alone, I will make him a helper suitable for him." Now this helper became my wife, not other guys or mother and father, son or daughter and surely not another woman. By taking the full advantage of the blessing God has given me, allows me to not have to work on my sins alone. And through time, by rejecting the Spirit of God, I can become blind to my sin. It takes someone who I know loves me because they are committed, like a precious bride to help me through my struggles.
               Therefore I'm confident my gracious Savior gave me the most suitable helper for me. When I break my pride and come to the under-standing that becoming a servant to the most important thing in my life, that's Jesus, and if I demonstrate this to my bride and she receives me with a sacrificial love of Jesus, beautiful things can happen.

I read once that happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. Two of the things I have are, my covenant salvation and the covenant of marriage. Covenant's are sealed contracts and God's covenants are promises made to man.
            Through salvation I have the security of knowing I won't be plucked out of my Savior's hands. In my marriage I want to offer my bride the same security of not only staying till the end, but striving to love her like Jesus loved the church, and gave Himself up for her. I believe in order to make this happen, it's going to take me reading God's word, praying, being involved in this church body, and fulfilling my hopes to why we desired to have you here to witness and to hold us accountable.
             So I want to thank you very much that you decided to come and be apart in this. It means a lot to us, that you have sacrificed a New Years day and some football to celebrate this covenant between my bride and I. I can't say enough for all those who helped us to make this possible. I'm also letting you know that I understand it won't be all smooth sailing here on out. But hopefully we can steer ourselves from rough waters.
              For my last note, I pray that since we are imperfect people and sin dwells in all our hearts, that this New Year we would commit ourselves to a deeper level with our Savior and show compassion to our spouse like the compassion Jesus showed on that cross to pay debt for those sins.
                    
                                                       thank you for your time.