James and Valder Beebe, married Valentine’s Day 1985, are inspired to launch the annual Great “I’m In Love” Search for others who have stood before God and weathered the changes of life to embrace “love and marriage.” They feel there are many who exemplify love and marriage, and welcome your submissions for the 2012 Great Annual “I’m In Love.”
The city of Garland Mayor Ronald Jones and his wife Peggy were the winners selected for 2011. Meet the Beebes and a few of the couples from the 2011 contest as they share their story of love in their own words.
James and Valder Beebe
We love the power of love in our 26-year marriage journey. Believing that GOD is the greatest power (LOVE) we married Valentine’s
Day 1985. This once-in-a-lifetime union has been profiled in various magazines, including Essence Magazine, numerous newspapers and web sites. 2007, we were inducted in the National Black Marriage Hall of Fame. James, the romantic wrote our wedding vows: “I say these vows once and only once to thee. Be My Love, My Life, My Partner in Productivity (PIP Production).” As we have taken on the adventures of life, we have stood on the foundation of our belief in GOD; created four children; had 26 annual love celebrations; created our company, PIP Production; managed our individual careers and shared our collective paths of success as husband and wife and a family.
Each couple profiled in The 2012 Great Annual “I’m In Love” Search exemplifies the power of being in love and being married, as they have committed before God, each other and society.
I take you to be my beloved, to love God, you and our family. To honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart and soul, for all the days of my life.
Mayor Ronald and Peggy Jones
During our 44 years of marriage, we can truly say that I Corinthians 13:4-7 has been our model. Love is patient, love is kind, and is
not jealous
We have found marriage to be like a stew that is blended and simmered over a lifetime. Our “marriage stew” has the components of love, respect, trust, adoration, communication and commitment. All of these components are important, but the key ingredient is commitment. You must be committed to Christ, committed to each other, and committed to the marriage.
Selfless love is what we share and we are best friends. We enjoy being together and doing things together. Our joy is making sure that each other’s needs are met while encouraging, affirming and supporting each other as we fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. We are thankful to God for this perfect union, for he has sustained us through the vicissitudes of life. Knowing that God is love helps us know how to sacrifice, forgive, comfort and care for each other. We feel truly blessed that God ordained the marriage that we both dreamed about. And, we are doubly blessed that He has sustained our marriage by giving us two sons, two daughters-in-law, and eight grandchildren. We are as much in love today as the day we got married.
Bob & Sylvia Klinger
We will celebrate 20 years of marriage on June 11, 2011. We pray together frequently during the day, and we compliment each other often. We respect each other at all times and say, “I love you” a lot. We communicate constantly – it’s like having a lifeline between us. We admire each other very much. We both love the Lord and each other with all our heart, spirit and body.
Ray & Pamela Baker
My husband, Ray, and I met 30 years ago at a Martin Luther King Day church program. He played the sax and I read a poem. It was in my first year of college at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, and he was a Manhattan native home for the weekend. We had a long-distance relationship during that time, and we would write each other about every week. After two years, we decided we really liked each other and married in 1983. My husband is a music producer, jazz sax player and pianist. We perform and co-write contemporary Christian and jazz music. In 1994 my husband produced one of his first jazz CDs called Sweet Honey. He dedicated the CD to me because my name, Pamela, means, “all honey.” My husband and I minister to couples in prison during weekend marriage retreats a couple of times a year. We have been married for 27 years and can truly say that we love being with each other.
Keith & Lorraine Brock
My husband and I are an all-American couple. Ours is a modern love story entwined with an old-fashioned fairy tale. Our parents have each been married to the same person for over fifty years and have mirrored for us what lasting commitment looks like. Married before we had children, I was a teenage bride who adored her husband, and still does almost 23 years later. We still enjoy date nights, late-night rendezvous in the hot tub, and a marriage that is envied by many.
First and foremost, the reason for the success of our marriage is the undying truths that are held in God’s word (the Bible). These truths on how a committed relationship is to work and function has given our marriage a firm foundation on which to stand.
Search at ValderBeebeShow.com, click on e-mail Valder link and submit your great love story to win the 2012 Great Annual “I’m In Love” contest.
