Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

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Five Decades! Wow!

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Yesterday marked fifty years of marriage for Ken and me. It’s hard to wrap my mind around that fact, but it’s true.

We were so blessed to celebrate the occasion a little early last month with all our kids and grandkids on a family vacation in Divide, Colorado. There were 23 of us in all and it was a wonderful time of hiking, swimming, mini-golf, board games, and s’mores around a nightly campfire. It was truly a week to remember.

Ken jokes that we’ve been married for 48 incredible years—and a couple of doozies! 😉 Thankfully those “doozies” didn’t happen all at once, but instead, a hard week here, a difficult day there. Marriage is hard work! Mostly though, it’s been glorious, and I would marry this amazing man all over again in a heartbeat. (And I kind of did just that since Ken surprised me with a vow renewal ceremony while we were in Colorado.)

Our kids put together a sweet slide show of our lives together, and gave us a jar of scrolls with loving words from all the kids and grandkids. Something we’ll treasure for the rest of our lives. We loved telling our two oldest granddaughters our love story—and trying to express how important it is that they wait for the man God has in mind for them.

This final screen of the slide show from our kids made me cry. But they were tears of the best kind. Joy, pride, gratitude. I could not feel more blessed with the years God has allowed us and the family he’s given us to walk through life with. I’m grateful, too, for the legacy of long, faithful marriages in both of our families. There are several hundred years of till-death-do-us-part marriage represented in our parents and grandparents. One set of Ken’s grandparents celebrated their 82nd wedding anniversary before Grandpa’s death at almost 102. Pretty amazing. So I guess at 50 years, we’re just getting started! 😉

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Deborah Raney

DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched Deb’s writing career. Forty books later, she's still creating stories that touch hearts and lives. Her novels have won RWA's RITA Award, the ACFW Carol Award, the National Readers Choice Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She is also a three-time Christy Award finalist. Deb is on faculty for several national writers’ conferences and served on the executive board of the 2,500-member American Christian Fiction Writers organization for 18 years before retiring in 2022. She is a recent transplant to Missouri, having moved with her husband, Ken Raney, from their native Kansas to be closer to kids and grandkids. They love road trips, e-biking, Friday garage sale dates, and breakfast on the screened porch overlooking their wooded backyard.
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Comments

  1. Congratulations, Deb and Ken! It’s wonderful to hear your story and of the love shared from your kids and grandkids. Wishing you many more happy moments and joyous occasions.

  3. CONGRATS, dear friend, and may God grant you many more years together! You and Ken are such a such a great team—life partners in the truest sense of the word—and it’s been a privilege to walk this road with you for the past 20+ years. And to see all of your fabulous grandchildren come into the world too! Lasting legacy, indeed! Love you, my friend!

  5. I love your love story. And, how your love of God infuses your family legacy. Congratulations, my friend. ❤️

  6. Congratulations on 50 years together!! You two are just precious! I enjoy following along with your family. You are such a good example of what a Christian family looks like! May God bless you with many more years together.

  9. Beautiful ways to celebrate your love story and family! Thanks for leading the way and sharing your journey with us!

  10. Congratulations, Deb! What a wonderful milestone. Living out your happily ever after in the real word. 🙂 We need more examples of loving success stories to show that sticking together through the hard times is worth the investment. So glad you got to celebrate with your kids and grandkids. That’s the best!

  12. Congrats! What a huge accomplishment–especially in today’s world. What a legacy you leave of both love and hard work in marriage to your children and grandchildren. I know you had a fun trip being with everyone.

  13. Congratulations, and many more! I love the pictures.

    My parents celebrated 61 years. I was fortunate to share 57 years with my husband. We had an August wedding also. This year would have been 59.

  15. Congrats, Deborah! You and Ken deserve a big round of applause in an era when marriages don’t last very long…or sadly, don’t even happen! And how great that your entire family could gather!

  16. Happy Anniversary! That was sweet what your family did including your husband. My husband passed away August of 2021 from cancer. That December we would have been married 45 years. It’s been mighty hard but I still trust God.

    • I’m so sorry, Brenda. I can’t even imagine but it is such an encouragement to hear that you trust God despite the sadness. And almost 45 years of marriage is a beautiful testimony!

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