Share the Hope!

We’re back again today with another wonderful post in the Summer Sizzle Series!

Teaming up with some of my very favorite blogging friends, we are offering a series that Summer Sizzle Serieswe are calling, “Summer Sizzle.” 

Each week, I’ll be sharing the best articles from several amazing women that I personally know, pray for, do ministry with, and dearly love.

Today, you get to hear a wonderful love story from my friend Shannon Geurin. What I appreciate about Shannon is how honest and open she is. She beautifully shares her heart and her story.

I believe you will be blessed by what you read.



After a year of planning, hoping, and dreaming, the day had finally arrived.

She in her mother’s wedding dress of Chantilly lace and he in his shiny black tuxedo were just babies at the ages of 19 and 20. They sang love songs and made vows of promise and love and death. All of the anticipation had come to one final conclusion of everlasting love.

Then after, they walked hand in hand down the aisle, smiling and waving at friends nearby. When they entered the lobby he swooped all of her up and twirled her around wildly proclaiming, we did it!”

It was beautiful and spontaneous and the joy in that moment was palpable.

The Journey of One Married Couple

The Incredible Journey of One Married Couple

That was 25 years ago.

25 years ago today, at this very minute (I am writing this on Tuesday, June 28 and it is exactly 4:51 pm)

I was nervous, anxious and hopeful.

What would our life be like?

And, what was in our future?

What would we face?

The questions swarmed around inside my head. I knew what we had was real and I knew that God had placed you in my life and in my heart.

Amidst all the questions there was no doubt in my mind that I was doing exactly what God had called me to do. I would love you. I would stand by your side. And, I would birth our babies. I would walk with you through heartache and joy. Truly, I would die with you and I would live forever with you in heaven.

A gift to my soul

The last 25 years with you have been a gift to my soul, John.

I’ve often said that my love for you and all that is in my heart is impossible to explain. I will make a feeble attempt but forgive me if the words just don’t sound right. “Words” are completely meaningless right now. I can tell you all that is in my heart but no word would EVER be able to express my love for you and for your heart.

God gifted me with you.

Today I was driving and I wanted to hear your voice. I called, knowing that you would be tied up in a meeting. I was hoping you wouldn’t answer. 1) I knew you would be busy and 2) I wanted to hear your voice through a long uninterrupted sentence in your voicemail. Instead, you answered.

You broke away from a conversation to take my call. In your ever so professional work voice (I really love your work voice, by the way) you answered. Instead of hello, “What’s up babe?” My heart began beating just a little bit faster as we made our way through the conversation.

I am giddy over you. And it’s the little things in life that you do that make me that way.

  • When you break away from the conversation at work to answer my call.
  • When one of the girls says something surprising and you have no idea how to respond and you look my way with wide eyes that say, “HELP.”
  • Or, when you ask me if you picked the right shoes for your outfit.
  • When you unknowingly bite the insides of your gums while in deep thought.
  • When one of the girls asks you for something and you never hesitate.
  • And, when Mercy is so excited and can’t handle herself as you walk through the door every night.
  • When you simply say, “Shan.”

Our love

“Love bears all things, hopes all things, believes all things, and endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:7

That’s a pretty difficult passage of scripture to follow if you really dissect it out. We’ve done it though; wouldn’t you say?

Love bears all things:

We shield, we protect and we cover. We’ve had some stormy times, love; – but you stood by me; we stood by each other. So, we bear.

Love believes all things:

We believe in our marriage and we believe in our family. That’s strong. It would’ve been much easier to give up at times, but we stayed the course. So, we believe.

Love hopes all things:

There was a time when hope was weak and almost lost. I remember when you would lay your bible out on the kitchen counter for me to see each morning. That means the world to me…you will never know. So, we hope.

Love endures all things:

When I look back on our journey, I can’t help but think about the devastating and traumatic time we walked through. I still grieve over it as I know that you do. I think that’s normal. It’s over, it’s in the past, we’ve moved on, and we are genuinely happy. We never quit. We never give up. And we never surrender. So, we endure.

Happy 25th anniversary to the one whom my soul truly loves.

Twenty.Five.Years.

Wow. Time has flown by like a vapor in the wind. And we’re here. We have two amazingly beautiful daughters who are kind and love big. We have an amazing family who is supportive and loving. Amidst all of those amazing things, we have a God who is the God of the impossible. He mended our completely broken hearts and he made us new.

“If you’ll just stick with me…”

You’ve said that to me from the very beginning at Honor Heights park the day we got engaged.

I’m not going anywhere.

And where you go, I will go. Your God is my God.

I would say we did it; wouldn’t you?

Here’s to 25 more, my love.



About the Author:

Shannon Bio PicShannon is fun-loving and authentic. She loves big and fierce, and at the top of that “love list” is Jesus, her husband John and her two daughters, Alex and Averee.

She’s a woman who has been rescued and restored and knows how to fight.  Shannon believes every woman has a calling and she has a passion for seeing women everywhere rise up into who God has designed them to be.

Although a book is in her future, you can currently read her blog and her story at www.shannongeurin.com.

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helloredds@gmail.com

Best-Selling Author | Speaker | Blogger| Podcaster | When the world is falling apart, we can ALWAYS trust in God’s goodness!

1 Comment

helloredds@gmail.com · 07/23/2017 at 8:37 AM

Thank you, Shannon, for sharing your story with us today.
I’m so thankful for marriage and for God’s grace!
May He bless you and your man with another 25 years together!
Appreciate you~
Melanie

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