Our Commitment

In keeping with our desire to make things honest, unique to us and sacred, we wanted to write our own commitments to each other. We know we will also love, cherish, and all that, but there are other more important vows that we hold dear. Here they are for you to read:

Our commitment vows:
"I am commiting all my love to you. This is a commitment
to challenge
to support
to have fun
to laugh, to cry
to be honest
to listen, to share
to forgive
to be spontaneous
to accept
and to love.
I love you with all my heart"

We also really care about our community and belonging to one, so we wanted our friends and family to commit to us. So we wrote for them a 'Community Manifesto.'

"We, your family and friends, have witnessed you commit to each other. We celebrate
the love that brought you to this day. As members of your community, we also commit
ourselves to nurture and support you as the unique individuals you are, and the couple
you have become. This community is a home for your partnership, as we do not find
meaning in life by ourselves alone but with others. May your home be a place of happiness
for all who enter it, and your lives be a celebration of compassion, forgiveness, and love."


Lastly, as we love music so much and because singing is a big part of the Mennonite faith (Joel's heritage), we wanted to include a hymn. With no musical accompaniment and with the belief that some people would know the tune, we sang 'For the Beauty of the Earth.' Amazingly enough, it went very well! Here are the verses we sang:

"For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies. For the love with from our birth
Over and around us likes.

Chorus: Lord of all to Thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour, of tghe day and of the night. Hills and vfale and tree and
flower, sun and moon and stars of light.

For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child. Friends on earth and friends above
For all gentle thoughts and mild."