"And Now A Toast To The Married Couple."

As is customary, I was given the opportunity and honor to present a toast to our daughter Megan and our new son-in-law, Greg prior to the wedding reception dinner. The text of that toast is as follows:

"As I held my new born daughter for the first time as we walked from the delivery room to the hospital's nursery, her tiny little head was shaped like a half-sharpened pencil, and I thought to myself, "I'm not too sure how this is going to work out."

When she packed a peanut-butter sandwich in my old briefcase as precocious 3-year old and set off determinedly down the sidewalk away from her mother and me to make her mark on the world, I thought to myself, "I'm not sure how this is going to work out."

When she left our nest years later to head off to the University of South Florida - "Go Bulls!" - to begin another important chapter in her life, I thought to myself. "I'm not sure how this is going to work out."

When Megan brought home a young man from Pennsylvania, who couldn't return to his home to celebrate Easter with his family, and who posses the unlikely nickname of "Butters,'" I thought to myself, "I'm not too sure how this is going to work out."

Megan assured her mother and me that she could "never" marry this young man because her name would then be "Megan Morgan and how silly would that be?" Well, how silly indeed... As the lyric to the country song proclaims, "If you want to make God laugh, just tell Him your plans."

At the conclusion of all these formative chapters in our daughter's life, a new one has begun this day, and her Mother and I can assure you that everything has worked out just fine.

I am a firm believer that a man and a woman's destiny is best realized through God's perfect will...that no person comes into the life of another person's heart without God's hand to guide and shape the encounter. And so it has been with Greg and Megan. Their separate journeys through live have come to this appointed, special day and their individual paths today have been co-joined to travel the remaining road before them as one. For this special blessing we are thankful and praise God for His wisdom in making it so.

Greg and Megan... From this new day forth may all of your hopes and dreams be renewed with each new sunrise. May your disappointments be few and your sorrows fewer, and may each be forgotten with each sunset. May all your future memories be as joyous as is this day. May God lighten your hearts so that they will be forever filled with ever increasing and over flowing respect, admiration and love for each other. And may God continue to pour out His riches blessings on you both with His love and peace throughout all the days that He has set aside for this special union that pleases Him immeasurably. May you strive daily to out-love each other so that at the conclusion of your lives here on earth you discover that this jointly held goal resulted in a resounding tie.

Therefore, our special children, go forth from this hour of celebration in God's grace and love, and strive with all your beings in His presence to be happy all the days of your lives together. Now, let us raise our glasses in celebration of Greg and Megan."