We are a down-to-earth, transparent couple: he’s a senior chief serving our country, and I’m a pastor who preaches hope and grace. We travel the world, yet our greatest journey has been learning to be utterly open with one another, honoring the truth of who we are and the love that binds us. God has called us to be a beacon of light, showing what marriage looks like when two imperfect people give their all, lean into each other, and choose faith, service, and transparency every single day. In the moments between our vows and our victories, we nurture one another with steadfast love, unmasked authenticity, and a shared commitment to living out His purpose. This month marks 22 years of marriage, a testament to endurance and grace.

Our life together is an invitation to witness what prayer, dedication and commitment looks like. From the quiet mornings of prayer, coffee, tea and workouts to the bold, healing of reconciliation after misunderstandings, we move as one guided by grace, anchored in truth, and propelled by a mission to shine God’s love into every corner of the world. This isn’t merely a marriage; it’s a calling to model sacrificial love, fearless vulnerability, and a steadfast trust in His timing as we navigate seas, stages, and souls together, hand in hand, for all the days to come.

Love and Blessings,

The Harrells

We first met as teenagers in the hallways of Custer High School in Milwaukee, WI. Sherman swears I had the best-looking photo of all the Juniors in the yearbook, and right then he decided we were going to prom together. The only problem? He asked me two weeks before the big night, and I already had a date. So, I had to turn him down. But instead of ending there, it turned into something much bigger—a friendship that lasted through decades, distance, and all kinds of changes.

I moved to Dallas in 2006 for a new career, and years later, in 2020, Sherman ended up in Dallas too. We were living in the same city, not even realizing that God was quietly setting the stage for us to reconnect.

Then in 2023, our paths finally crossed and it just felt right. What started as catching up with an old friend quickly grew into something deeper. Love came naturally, not rushed, built on years of trust, shared values, and faith. By 2024, Sherman asked me to walk beside him forever, and of course I said yes. In 2025, we stood before God, promising to honor one another in marriage.

Our journey—from high school friends to husband and wife—reminds me that true love isn’t about perfect timing, it’s about God’s timing. Even when it feels delayed, it shows up exactly when it’s meant to. Those years apart weren’t wasted; they were preparation.

Love isn’t always instant, and it isn’t always easy. It’s patient, it’s faithful, and it’s choosing each other every single day—through the laughter and the challenges.

For anyone who still believes in the beauty of love and marriage, our story is proof: friendship can grow into love, faith can sustain it, and daily devotion can make it flourish.

The Mortons

Married for 32 years, our relationship has been built on a strong foundation of friendship, love, and time spent together. From the beginning, we’ve learned that love is sustained through patience, mutual respect, and choosing one another every day. Our marriage has been shaped not only by milestones, but by the simple, consistent moments that have allowed our friendship to grow and our bond to deepen over the years.

We are grateful for the many blessings God has given us, including the joy of being parents and grandparents and the gift of time spent together. Whether in simple moments, family gatherings, or meaningful conversations, we continue to enjoy each other’s company and grow together. Our hope is that our journey encourages others to believe that love, friendship, and trust in God can sustain a marriage through every season.

The Hines

The journey of the Gates has been a roller coaster. Like with any relationship one will go through things. We’ve encountered the good, the bad & the ugly. But in all that we’ve endured we never lost hope for what we know our marriage is destined to fulfill for our children and for the kingdom of God. We have kingdom purpose! On this journey that God has given us to walk for almost 10 years we never turned our back on Him. As mature believers in Christ we knew a lot of things that happened were tests, dealing with spirits working in people and some things from bad decision making. A lesson learned in all that occurred. 

Our faith never became weak. We are a couple that understands the totality of what prayer is and what prayer does. Nothing will last without a relationship with God in prayer, consecration and the word of God. We understand the scripture that states in Isaiah 54:17, “even though the weapons may form they will not prosper.” We understand that the enemy despises godly covenant and the family dynamic. We understand that the enemy will only attack what’s a threat to his kingdom. We understand the scripture in Deuteronomy 32:30 that states, “one can chase a thousand and two can put ten thousand to flight. We are stronger together as a team. And because of our unwavering faith and getting back in full alignment with God, entering into 2026 has been nothing but sudden blessings and increase. We are grateful that the hand of God rests on us, the Gates. We are testament of his love, protection and grace. We will continue to be our father’s living testimony. We can do all things through Christ Jesus that strengthens us. 

The Gates

Thanking God for a prayer answered! My husband and I met in the summer of 2023 at a gathering and little did we know how our lives would be changing for the greater good. God knew what He was doing, He is always in the blessing business. He introduced himself to me, and we began to get acquainted through talks about our interests, including Latin dancing. Our worlds lit up when we discovered how much we had in common. The more we interacted, the more it felt like looking into a mirror of our own lives, like we had known each other for years. Right then and there, we knew something was happening between us, but we didn’t know what. We both asked ourselves, is this too good to be true? Over time, we developed a genuine connection and relationship that motivated and encouraged each other, listening to each other’s life stories, raising our kids on our own, and doing our best to live a Godly life, pushing forward despite previous tests and trials we endured before meeting.

I had never encountered a man with whom I felt so at ease so quickly, even though I was usually cautious and kept my guard up. Everything continued to develop smoothly as we grew closer. Finally, I introduced him to my sons, who are on the autism spectrum; through the years, I have devoted myself to ensuring that anyone in their life would have their best interests at heart and be trustworthy. He then introduced me to his two beautiful daughters and grandchildren. I was amazed at how this wonderful man connected with them so well. I had never seen anything like it in such a long time, if ever. We became so connected that I was able to experience genuine love not only from him but also from his entire family. We prayed and hoped, though it sometimes seemed distant, that we would have a spouse who would be exactly right for us. We are a blended family filled with so much love.  

The Hatchers

Bishop Charles Thompson and Prophetess Martha Thompson are joined in a Kingdom marriage by divine decree, not human design. Their covenant is a prophetic assignment forged by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to advance His Kingdom in the earth. Standing together as one, they are a force to be reckoned with—unified in purpose, aligned in spirit, and anchored in unwavering obedience to God. Through spiritual warfare, trials, and triumphs, their marriage has been refined, not weakened, proving that when God is the foundation, no opposition can prevail. Their union stands as a prophetic witness to the power of Heaven, for “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate” (Mark 10:9).

As apostolic leaders, Prophetess Martha Thompson and Bishop Charles Thompson steward their marriage with holy reverence, knowing that Kingdom marriage is an assignment from God and a weapon in the hands of the Holy Spirit. Together, they move with authority, love, and discernment—releasing hope, restoration, and divine order to couples and families. Their marriage speaks life to what was once broken and courage to the weary, declaring that God still heals, restores, and empowers covenant unions. This Kingdom marriage—love ordained by God—is to be taken seriously, for its assignment comes directly from God and carries purpose, responsibility, and generational impact.

The Thompsons

My husband and I have known each other since we were teenagers. His brother was actually a good friend of mine in high school, and unfortunately his brother passed away, but we kept in touch over the years. We both married other people and were living our lives. I relocated to Memphis in 1996, and he relocated to Memphis in 1998. I never knew he was here. Then one day we bumped into each other in 2023, and the rest is history. We connected, dated for two years, and got married on June 28, 2025. Love always wins, and it’s never too late to find the person that God has for you! He’s truly my best friend, my covering! Mr. & Mrs. George and Fonda Lucas.

I knew George was my life partner because it was easy to love him. He was very gentle with me, understanding some of the things I’ve gone through in past relationships. He spoke to my spirit and made me feel like I was the most important person in his life. We just fit like glue. My childhood love for him made me love him more. It’s never too late for God to send you the person you are meant to be with!

Mr. & Mrs. George and Fonda Lucas

Our story 

In 2006, I met my husband at church I had been visiting. I wasn’t looking for a husband because I had almost lost my life to my late ex husband. He had tried to take my life before he ended up taking his. The enemy kept whispering to me: “No one will love a widow nor a domestic violence survivor.” Obviously, the enemy was a liar!

One of the most memorable moments I could remember was when my husband I were dating he had asked me on a date to go to church with him. I had just few days prior thinking it would be nice to go to church with him! We dated 4 years before we got married due to being a blended family and wanted to take our time. Last March 2025, we had celebrated our milestone wedding anniversary of 15 years! It has been a roller coaster ride of pain but many blessings! I love and adore this man of mine that Jesus has blessed me with. He has been supportive in everything and he always tells me this when I’m going through something: “We will get through this.” 

The Murphys

Two kids from the inner city of Milwaukee, just 16 and 15, crossing paths at a house party. No idea that a single, question would shape the rest of OUR lives. When Fenay asked, “Do you have a man?” and I answered no, he said “Don’t look any further.” And I didn’t. What started as young love has weathered storms, change, and victories. Nearly 40 years later, that same love still remains but is deeper, and richer than it was the day of the house party. Together, we have built a legacy: five children raised in love, twelve grandchildren carrying it forward.

As the years pass and the family grows, so does the bond that started it all. This isn’t just a love story, it’s proof that when love is rooted in commitment, friendship, and faith in each other, it doesn’t fade. It multiplies!

The Gates ❤️

Our Love Story…

Stephen and I met over 30 years ago. We dated for 6 months and
Instantly we both knew we were a match made in Heaven. We have been married for 29 years. I was brought up on an old school Baptist Church and Stephen was brought up in a Catholic Church. I learned to pray and exercise my faith at an early age so I was able to introduce Stephen to prayer and faith.

During that time, we were faced with an obstacle that called for unwavering faith. I saw God rise in Stephen like he’d been walking in the power all his life. Needless to say, we experienced a miracle that only God could have performed.

In the 30 years together, we’ve been blessed with 4 kids and 4 grandkids. God has entrusted us with a successful hair salon where we are able to service clients and spread God’s Word.

We love sharing our story with others for God’s glory.

The Landrys

We’ve walked this journey together for more than three decades, building a life rooted in mutual respect, unwavering trust, and a love that deepens with every year. Our partnership is a quiet testament to commitment, to the everyday acts of care that keep a marriage strong, and to choosing one another, day after day.

Today we reflect on the blessing of the years we’ve shared and the example we hope to set for others that marriage is more than a moment; it’s a daily choice to love well and to honor one another. Our wish for the years ahead is continued joy, good health, and the same steadfast devotion that has carried us this far.

Mr. John & Carol Bowman

Love is often celebrated in moments of joy, but our story was forged in faith during one of life’s most difficult seasons. Shortly after my husband and I said “I do,” our marriage was tested in an unexpected way when he became incarcerated. What should have been our honeymoon season became a period of uncertainty, prayer, and deep reliance on God. Instead of allowing fear to define our union, we chose commitment—leaning into the promise we made for better or worse. Every day became an opportunity to show love in ways that didn’t look traditional: handwritten letters, daily phone calls, and unwavering encouragement. I traveled to visit him whenever I could, (every other weekend actually) determined that the walls around him would never silence the love between us.

Through that season, our relationship transformed from romance into resilience. We learned that love is not just spoken—it is shown through consistency, sacrifice, and belief in one another even when circumstances try to pull you apart. Faith anchored us, hope sustained us, and partnership carried us forward. Our journey is proof that marriage is not about perfect conditions, but about two people choosing each other again and again, trusting that God can redeem any chapter. I share our story for anyone who still believes in the beauty of love, the strength of commitment, and the power of standing firm when life takes an unexpected turn.

The Morris

We met in high school and started dating a year after graduation. We were 18 and 19 years old. At 22 years old, we welcomed our first child. I went into labor at 20 weeks and delivered a baby girl at 24 weeks weighing only 1lb 8oz. It was in that season that we decided to choose each other for the rest of our lives.

We've been together now for almost 24 years and married for almost 19. We realized that marriage is indeed a sacred covenant from God, and for us, we would always approach our marriage in that manner. Our journey has been filled with many ups and downs, and we're blessed to say more ups than downs. We love hard and strive to always fight fair. Over the years, we've built a friendship like no other. We laugh often and make date nights and extended weekend getaways a priority. Now, with two beautiful children, we continue to lead our relationship with honest communication, keeping God at the center!

The Fields

 Faithful Foundations: A Guide to a Lasting Marriage by Dr. LaTonia Harrell offers practical wisdom for cultivating a resilient, loving, and divinely-grounded partnership. The book blends psychological insight with faith-based principles, focusing on communication, trust, intimacy, and mutual growth. Dr. Harrell emphasizes establishing shared values, healthy boundaries, and daily habits that nurture connection, conflict resolution, and emotional safety. It’s a roadmap for couples to build a marriage that endures challenges, centers on faith, and continually reinforces commitment through love, respect, and intentional partnership. 

Two hearts bound by faith and perseverance. Us meeting was a gift from God, a moment of grace that brought us together to build a life rooted in love, trust, and unwavering commitment. Our marriage stands as a testament to strength and resilience, showing that perseverance and mutual devotion can weather any storm. We are deeply grateful for the love we share, a love that grows more enduring with every challenge we face side by side.

He loves me as Christ loves the church, and I've stepped in as his steadfast partner and helper, bringing grace, courage, and support to our shared journey. Even when winds blow and doubts arise, we seek shelter in God, knowing that with Him, all things are possible. Our blessed union is a beacon of hope, reminding us that faith, prayer, and partnership can transform hardship into profound grace and joy.

The Carlocks