Celebrating 50 Years Married

August 28 is always a very special day for Trudi and me. It is the date that we got married in 1970. And this year August 28 was a landmark. It marked our 50th anniversary. We were so young back then. I was 19 years old and Trudi had just turned 17. (Let me be clear. I didn’t say we were married in 1917. We may be old, but not that old.) We wanted to take a special trip to celebrate, but because of COVID our options were so limited.

We decided to drive from Oklahoma City to Ft. Worth, Texas, where we lived for 3 years after we first got married to spend a couple of days reminiscing. We wanted to go to all the places that we lived, the restaurants we ate at, the church we worked at, etc. and just reminisce about those early days.

We capped the day off by eating in one of our favorite restaurants. We had our meal, a great dessert, and watched the clock. At 6:00 pm, exactly 50 years to the minute of when we said our wedding vows, we looked each other in the eyes and said them again. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

This deal of marriage for us has been such a remarkable quest. We were 2 kids back then. I don’t think the people in our little farming community in the west Texas panhandle gave us much chance of making it, and I can see why. We were so young and didn’t know much, but the main thing we didn’t know is we didn’t know Jesus.

But God gloriously entered our life and we began this journey. Have there been surprises? Many. Challenges? Oh yeah. Disappointments? A few. But there have been many miracles. Trudi’s dramatic healing from crossed eyes. We weren’t supposed to have children, but we found a promise (Psalm 113:9) believed it and it worked. We have 2 amazing kids who married 2 amazing spouses (I can’t imagine life without them) 5 grandchildren, and a great grandchild (a little boy) is on the way.

As we talked about the details of all these years, we realized there is no way we could have planned this journey. We could never have seen that I would be the character named Nicodemus on a kids Christian TV show that went around the country or that I would write songs and record music. There is no way we saw ourselves having a ministry together teaching on family principles that would take us to churches around the world.

So how did we make it? It may sound simple but nevertheless it’s true. We both loved Jesus more than anything else, and then we loved each other second and were willing to fight for our marriage. And we just kept working at it, and it took us on the adventure of a lifetime.

In conclusion, we’re still not done. Many of you know that Trudi sells bracelets, both for men and women, that are designed to remind you of specific promises from God’s Word when you wear them. I have a black leather one, and every time I put it on my left wrist I speak these scriptures:

Psalms 71:17 (NKJV) O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this [day] I declare Your wondrous works.

Psalms 71:18 (NKJV) Now also when [I am] old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to [this] generation, Your power to everyone [who] is to come.

I may be gray, but I’m not done. Thank you for your faithful support of our ministry. Trudi and I wish you all may have your own adventure with God and fulfill your purpose, in Jesus name.

Ken and Trudi