The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him" (Genesis 2:18). "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD" (Proverbs 18:22). "Marriage should be honored by all" (Hebrews 13:4a).


Today is a special day in our home.  Thirty years ago Brooksyne walked down the aisle of her home church in Sapulpa, Oklahoma to join me in holy matrimony and we began our journey together as the Weber family.  For this we are very thankful.  We had both committed our lives to Jesus Christ years earlier and have served the Lord together over the last 30 years.

We've had our victories.  We've had our disappointments.   And we still have them. We were unable to have our own biological children and we've had several of the inevitable heartaches associated with ministry.  Raising our daughter, Ester, though a tremendous blessing to us, has been a challenge as well.

Like any issue of life we have a choice whether to focus on the positive or negative.  We choose to focus on the positive and God's many, many blessings.  God has blessed us with a very fulfilling marriage along with a fruitful ministry.

We've always admired the joint ministry of Aquila and Priscilla. Once we preached a sermon together based upon their lives.  They are referenced seven times in Scripture in five separate contexts of ministry.  They're always mentioned together and every reference is positive. 

Most of you can probably think of ministry couples who have impacted your life for Christ. Brooksyne and I thank God for the ministry couples who have enriched both our marriage and ministry.

Take a moment to thank God and pray for these couples today. As you have opportunity let them know of the blessing they have been to you!  Sometimes the very people who inspire us along the way lose their spiritual focus and need a fresh touch from the Lord.  Is Christ asking you to be His messenger today?


Be encouraged today,


Stephen and Brooksyne Weber

Brooksyne's Prayer:  Jesus, what a joy it is to walk along life's pathway with a loving companion who is present during times of celebration as well as times of disappointment.  It seems that You make him strong when I am weak, and when he is weak You make me strong.  You blend our strengths and weaknesses to make us an effective spiritual team and a genuinely committed family.  Thank You for your countless blessings that far outnumber the difficulties and heartaches of our lives.

Jesus, would you encourage our readers who are presently going through marital strife.  Remind them that they will experience future blessing as they endure and work through their present difficulties. When we cut short the permanency intended in a marital relationship we miss so much of the blessing that comes years later after many of the earlier struggles are but a memory. Thank you for the spouse of my youth who remains my constant companion as we grow old together.  What a marvelous blessing!

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Brooksyne's Note:  As Stephen and I shared together in our encouragement today I am very sensitive to the emails we receive from regular readers regarding marital difficulties.  Many write about the deep wounds you feel as a result of your spouse's unfaithfulness in marriage.  Please know that our hearts cry out to God on your behalf and we continually pray for healing, forgiveness and, when possible, restoration in your marriages. If I may share with you personally an example from my own childhood perhaps it will serve as a reminder of the importance of long-term marriage commitment.

My parents struggled a lot in their marriage – they were very different in personality and both had hot tempers which led to lots of serious arguments over the years.  It was very unsettling for me and my four siblings.  We rode out the fiery storms and their short-term separations over the years.  While I was a junior in Bible College (200 miles from home) they showed up one day unannounced to let me know they were planning to divorce.  It was certainly a surprise since my wedding with Stephen was scheduled only a month later. 

Instead of divorcing, somehow they chose to stay together but sadly they continued to deal with marital strife over the next 20 years.  Of course none of us could know what the future would hold for both of them as Mom first dealt with cancer and then Dad, a year later, would find that he, too, had cancer. Only a couple years previous to their dealing with cancer they both recommitted their lives to Christ.   Though it was terribly difficult to see them suffer with such poor health it was a blessing to see them tenderly care for one another during life's greatest storm they would weather together.  Dad went first in 2000 and Mom's death followed the next year.  They came to realize just how much they really did love each other.

When the five siblings gathered around both parents toward the end of their lives on earth I remember thinking about "What if?"  What if they'd chosen to go their separate ways and hadn't had each other during their most difficult days?  What if they'd chosen other mates?  I considered how complicated the setting would be for "others" who were not our flesh and blood to be making crucial decisions at such an intimate family time.  I know many of you reading this are a blended family so you know personally of what I write. 

Many things in life happen that are completely out of our hands, but when it is up to us, let us consider the long-term effects of our decisions and realize "God's way is the best way!"  He wants to give us a hope and a future that will bring untold blessing!  For some of you God is turning the wreckage of your home into a place where trust is being reinstated.  Wherever you are in your journey keep your foundation firmly established in God's Word and His sufficient grace will be constant supply.

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"My Tribute" is one of the songs we used in our wedding and it still expresses our desire in living for the Lord. Here's an online audio version.