Five Years

May 15, 2004 Joel and Renee were married near the Sheep River in Alberta, Canada. It was an overcast spring day, about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The trees had a light spring green tinge to them and the grass was soft and green. The Rockies were there though they couldn't be seen, you could hear the river and the birds, and we were both barefoot. My feet never got cold.



Below is a song of which the lyrics struck my (Renee) heart. Though they may seem negative at first, to me they were of hope and perseverance. It was a reminder that my husband is "just a man", doing the best that he can. He's not giving up on me. I'm not going to give up on him either. We are living life together, and we are committed to each other. No matter what.


Don't Give Up On Me (by Andrew Peterson)

The road is long that leads me home tonight
It disappears into the distant light, my love
Don’t give up on me
You know I love you, but I’m just a man
I don’t always love you the best that I can, my love

Don’t give up on me
Don’t give up on me
I won’t give up on you

Got all these letters that I never did write
All this affection I kept inside my heart

Don’t give up on me
Don’t give up on me
I won’t give up on you

You were there when I shook my fist at the sky
You were there when I fell to the earth and cried
Do you remember how it felt just like we died and rose again?

And the storm inside was raging
It was howling like the wind at the Pentecost
And his love was teaching us a language we thought was lost.

I have felt the holy fire of love
Been burned by the holy fire of love
Made clean by the holy fire of love

I walked beside you in the canyon flames
Deep as an ocean and hot as a thousand suns
We barely survived

Now I wake up in a golden dream
Angel voices in the rooms where the children run
All covered in light

Don’t give up on me
Don’t give up on me
I’m begging you, please
Don’t give up on me
I won’t give up on you