I'm Going There Someday

I love everything about Carson--his looks, his personality, his character, his sense of humor, his kindness...everything.  It's really wonderful to be with someone you truly enjoy.  Underneath all of those great qualities is something I love even more, something I've always known was essential when choosing the man I would marry.  Carson is a man of faith.  He grew up in a family that taught him to love God, to faithfully serve his fellow man, and to be diligent in choosing the right.  The most important thing we have in common is our desire to make faith in Jesus Christ the center of our lives.  We both believe that this life is merely a moment in the grand scheme of eternity.  That is the primary reason that we do not simply wish to be married "until death do we part" but to be sealed in the temple "for time and all eternity."

 

In the temple, we will be sealed together with that same priesthood given by God to Peter.  In Matthew 16:19 he says "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  The ceremony will be small and simple, without glamour or glitz.  The focus will not be about lavish decorations, crowds of people, tasty food, or beautiful music.  It will be quiet and reverent and will focus on the promises we are making to each other and to God.

 

Sadly, many of my family members will not be able to join us for the sealing.  As you may know, entering the temple is a great priviledge and therefore cannot be open to the public.  One must first obtain a temple recommend which requires a meeting with a bishop to ensure that you are spiritually prepared for the blessings of the temple.  Of course this requires membership in the LDS church.  However, that is not the only or even the most significiant qualification.  One must also excercise faith and repentance as well as be baptised and maintain worthiness through church attendance, regular repentance, standing as a witness of Christ, and keeping one's body clean from drugs, alcohol, and pre-marital sex.

 

Me, my dad, my sister, my grandmother, and my step-mom

Though my family consists of individuals with a firm faith in Christ and a desire to follow him, some of our beliefs differ.  I am proud to have grown up in a family of Christians who believe in doing good to all men.  I am also proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (more commonly termed "Mormon").  Because of my faith and my beliefs, I have a strong desire to be married in the temple.  I know that this is what my Heavenly Father wants for me and I have been taught from a young age that a temple marriage is a worthy and admirable goal. 

I am sad that most of my family will not be able to share in this special moment with us.  I would love nothing more than to have my family with me in the temple, sharing not only my joy of being sealed to Carson but sharing in the joy of the spirit that can be felt in the temple.

 

Despite familial strains, I know that the Lord will bless us for choosing to be married in the temple and for qualifying for that sacred priviledge.  I know that we will gain protection and power against the forces in this world that try to tear apart marriages.  I cherish the opportunity to be sealed for time and all eternity in the holy temple.

 

I am also grateful for family members and friends who have chosen to support Carson and I even when our choices seem selfish or confusing.  It means so much to me to have them wait for us at the temple and to be there to recieve us when we come out.  It means so much to have them attend the ring ceremony where Carson and I will be able to engage in more traditional customs such as walking down the aisle with my father, declaring our love to each other, and exchanging wedding rings.  I hope that the people we love most will feel that love and know that we want them to be a part of our wedding and our lives.

 

 

Dad and I

This blog is a love story, a Carson-and-Ashley story but I want to dedicate this particular post to some of the first loves of my life: my mom (Emma Vidrine), my father (Scott House) and his wife (Elizabeth House), my brother (Adam House), my brother's mom (Kathy McCauley), and my grandmother (Amanda Tally). 

 

My mom and I

Me and Adam around 2000

Kathy and David





My grandmother and I