I Give You My Love

I give you my love

I give you my heart

I give you my hope

I give you with joy

     from the coffers of my precious time the rest of the days of my life;

To delight in your body

To nourish your mind

To be at home with your spirit

     the way a star is at home in the sky;

To celebrate you with joy

     the way the sun emblazons the seas with its light;

To console you in sorrow

To wrap my heart around yours like a blanket

Until we both shall grow old and the sight falls from our eyes

 and our being

      falls from life to light;

I choose to go with you always

From this day until the end of our days

As your adoring soul mate.

Should I get married?

Question: Sometimes I think I want to get married, but lots of marriages end in divorce.  Why should I put myself through that pain?

Answer:  It is understandably difficult to imagine that your marriage will last when so many others have failed.  No one wants to be hurt.  But ask yourself this: would it hurt if your lover left you or was unfaithful to you?  Of course it would.  The truth is that all relationships involve some degree of risk.  You must be willing to take a risk in order to gain the love that your heart desires.

Getting married, however, isn't as big of a risk as is living together.  Choosing to live together won't prevent the pain you wish to avoid.  In fact, living together may be more likely to cause your relationship to fail.

Beyond the practical benefits of marriage, there is the mystery of God's plan for relationships.  Sex and marriage are his ideas!  Because God loves you so much, he wants the absolute best for you.  That's why he gave instructions to marry and to save sexual intimacy for marriage.  He knew that the best way for your deepest needs to be met was in the security of marriage.  When you obey the instructions he has given, he promises to bless you.  Marriage is simply the right thing to do when you love someone. 

God wants you to find fulfillment in marriage, but on one person can meet all your needs. You need a relationship with God.  Even in the most healthy marriage, you will have a place in your heart that will feel unsettled or unsatisfied.  This spot has been described as a God-shaped void that only God can fill.  God's plan for you can only be known as you get to know him.

 If you want to understand more how your marriage is part of God's process to grow the two of your into a lasting, loving oneness, Chaplain Gene and Chaplain Anne would love to share our story with you. Free premarital counseling sessions are available.

From "Making an Informed Decision About Marriage" 2003 Frontlines Publishing

Elope to Idaho $65

          Skip Las Vegas, elope to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to be wed amidst the pines with a stunning back ground of Lake Coeur d'Alene.  It is easy and quick to be married in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. No waiting period, no blood tests, no witnesses, license can be obtained in minutes, and a few moments later you are married.



        No, we do not have a drive-up wedding window, but Chaplain Anne or Chaplain Gene will meet you at the lake for a delightful summer quickie wedding for only $65.  The wedding is a simple civil ceremony with no customization, taking about 10 minutes.  This package is offered Monday through Thursday, 10:00AM through 8:00PM.  Last minute is possible depending on availability. Summer evening weddings, 7:00 or 8:00pm, have the option of a photographer for another $65.  Call (208) 964-3578.

Here are the great locations right down town Coeur d'Alene for your simple elopement ceremony. 

 Coeur d'Alene Resort Boardwalk

Coeur d'Alene Park

Scenic Picnic Area or Beach Along the Lake Walk

Tubbs Hill

     If you have been waiting for the right moment, and it strikes this summer, be spontaneous!  Call us and we will meet you at the recorders office in Coeur d'Alene, then escort you to the site of your choice for a lovely outdoor weekday ceremony.

Chaplain Anne or Chaplain Gene  (208) 964-3578

Kootenai County Recorder's Office, PO Box 9000  Coeur d'Alene ID. 83816-9000                     Phone:  (208) 446-1480

Marriage licenses are issued 9:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday ($31 fee) and Saturdays ($48 fee) from 9:00AM to 2:00PM, except holiday weekends.  CASH ONLY

APPROVED PROOF OF AGE DOCUMENTS:

· Certified Copy Of Minor Child's Birth Certificate or
· A Valid (non-expired) Driver's License or State Issued Identification card or
· Passport]
· A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER IS REQUIRED BY EACH U.S. RESIDENT APPLICANT, PER IDAHO CODE. For non-U.S. residents, identification must be from the country in which they are a citizen.
If the person does not have a U.S. Social Security Number, they must provide us with a printout from a U.S. Social Security Office stating that they do not have a US Social Security Number, OR that they have applied for a U.S. Social Security Number.



Irish Blessing

May you always have

Enough happiness to keep you sweet,

Trials to keep you strong,

Success to make you eager,

Friends to give you comfort,

Wealth to meet your needs,

Enthusiasm to look for tomorrow,

And a growing love to make each day

Better than the day before.

Expression of Intent for Marriage Anew

Knowing that your heart has been bruised,

That the path of marriage has not always brought you joy,

That because of your sorrows you have doubted your wisdom

And the wholeness of the self that did the choosing,

Do you choose now, with fresh joy and new love,

To marry __________ for the long unfurling future,

and for the ever-remaining seasons of your life?

Answer: I do

Vows from the year 1100

      Here is a Medieval French vow for you to enjoy.  It is fun to see how similar and yet different they are from traditional vows today.  The French employed some more earthy reminders of the pleasures of the marriage bed.

     "I take thee as my wife/husband and my spouse, and so I join thee in faith to my body, that I may bring thee faithfully and loyally to my body and my belongings; and so I will keep thee in health and in sickness and in whatever state that Our Lord deigns thee to be in, and neither for better nor for worse will I replace thee with another, all the days of my life."

Song of Solomon

Come My Beloved

Behold my beloved speaketh to me,

"Arise, make haste, my love, my dove,

My beautiful one, and come. 

For winter is past, the rain is over and gone. 

The flowers have appreared in our land.

The fig tree hath put forth her green figs;

The vines in flower yield their sweet smell.

Arise, my love, my beautiful one and come.

My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow of the wall,

Show me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears.

For thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely."

"My beleved is mine and I am his who feedeth among the lilies."

Song of Solomon 2:10-14, 16