Walking Toward the Same Destination

On September 5th, Jonathan Khalil and I co-officiated Savannah and Ethan's wedding ceremony on their farm in Lenoir City, Tennessee. Here are the remarks I shared with them and their guests:

When I think about Savannah and Ethan, one lesson stands out above all the others: a great marriage begins when two people discover not only that they love each other, but that they are walking toward the same destination.

Think about their first conversation.

They had just met in a crowded Nashville bar. Ethan introduced himself... and promptly spilled Savannah's drink. Most people would have remembered that as an awkward beginning. Instead, they found themselves talking about something neither of them has forgotten to this day: one day building an animal sanctuary. Years later, that dream is still there. They even have a name for it, Red Sky Sanctuary, named after their first horses. How many couples can say that the dream
they shared on the very first day is still one of the foundations of the life they are building together?

Relationships are strengthened when two people are not simply looking at each other, but looking together toward the same horizon. Ethan describes Savannah as someone who is "extremely open-minded, curious and had no ego." He says she wasn't boxed in by what other people expected of her, and that freedom immediately captured his heart. Savannah, in turn, says what drew her to Ethan wasn't simply his kindness, but his character. She says he is "the type of person who leaves everything better than he found it."

One admires the other's freedom. The other admires the other's character. And when freedom and character come together, something very special begins to happen.

For Savannah and Ethan, marriage is about building a life of peace and fulfillment alongside someone who shares their values and their purpose. For both of them, it’s about devoting their lives to someone they believe will be the best spouse and parent they could pray for. Neither of them talks about marriage as the end of a journey. They see it as the beginning of the next adventure they have been preparing for all along.

The strongest marriages are not built only on romance. They are built on shared purpose. On common values. On the quiet confidence that whatever life brings, we're building it together.

Savannah and Ethan, thank you for reminding all of us that when two people share not only their hearts but also their dreams, the future becomes something they don't fear. It becomes something they eagerly create together. May your home always be filled with the kindness you already show one another, the peace you bring into each other's lives, and the joy of watching the dreams you first spoke about on your very first day continue to come true.