It’s our anniversary in two days (Feb 17th, again this year). Anne-aversary has a nice ring, and makes it personal. Or how about Anne-adversary? That’s how it is at moments, like iron sharpening iron. Seems that happens more in a marriage than between any two men.*
Or how about, Anne-a-mystery! Like in a mystery of a man with a maid.** I like that better.
Here we are in Oregon, trying to remember where we were and what we were doing on each anniversary–or at least each year. Read through it if you’d like, or skip to the little poem at the end.
The List
1966 Marriage . . . on four days notice, next day to job in Georgia
1967 Back to CA, working art in LA, parents still worried
1968 Beginning to get serious, setting goals
1969 Goals reached early, life’s disappointments realized
1970 Searching trip in Mexico, found God (or vice-versa), new start
1971 First child born, new everything again
1972 Left Surfer Mag for Wycliffe Bible Translators, to Guatemala
1973 Climbed volcano (and much else)
1974 U. of Washington for linguistics (and much else)
1975 Second child born, in Guatemala, Jungle training in Mexico
1976 Calif. again, to work in Wycliffe home office
1977 Scraping by, $$ prayers answered, 2nd job (Surfer Mag)
1978 Third child born, larger house bought
1979 Raising kids, working two jobs, begin degree program
1980 Fourth child born, no time for anniversaries
1981 Life continues
1982 And continues
1983 Still continues
1984 Transfered to Papua New Guinea, all six of us
1985 Discovering another world, co-wrote book
1986 Transfered to Texas, VP of Wycliffe Intl
1987 Continuing education for both of us
1988 Anne Dir. of Women’s Ministries, my traveling much
1989 Life continues
1990 And continues
1991 Anne receives BA, U of Texas, discovers printmaking
1992 Child adopted, I become President WBT USA, back to CA
1993 Children growing, in their turn graduating, life continues
1994 And continues
1995 MA finally completed (Leadership)
1996 30th anniversary trip: Switzerland
1997 Painting spirit hits, fired as President, moved to Canada
1998 Org. fund raising, Student Ministries, painting
1999 Living
2000 Children leaving home, college, marrying
2001 Return to California, still with Wycliffe
2002 Traveling, writing, painting
2003 Painting, printmaking, at office less
2004 Resigned from WBT, begin making a living as artists
2005 Life of faith begins again, first grandchildren born
2006 40th anniversary trip: back to Guatemala
2007 Anniversary trip to Santa Fe, NM for galleries
2008 Living and praying and working
2009 Living (don’t remember what else)
2010 More not remembering
2011 Traveling, almost monthly, visiting family scattered about
2012 Art-making anniversary trip to Oregon (1st annual?)
That’s it to date, much glossed, much left out, but it gives the idea. A marriage adds power to a life, gives it value, not to mention the sharing, which makes everything more meaningful. And all the more the longer it goes.
The Poem
Here’s a little poem I just came across in a 2007 sketchbook—
With Anne and God, that’s all I need . . .
Another trinity, really, we three.
God knew a man without a woman would be incomplete
And I knew without Him I am,
So, there we are, the three of us,
Man, Woman, God.
It’s all I need to succeed.
____________________________
Celebrating in Toledo, Oregon.
*Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
**Proverbs 30:18-19 “Among the things too wonderful for me, best is the way of a man with a maid.” (My paraphrase)
Coming Saturday: Love, the greatest power in the universe. A talk.
Our Lives Together
Its About Life
9:14 am
Very much enjoyed this Hyatt. And, congratulations!! We have great love & admiration for you and Anne and your lives lived. God Bless You!!
9:16 am
Happy Dad and Mom-aversary! We, and our children, have all been blessed because of and through it.
9:34 am
Dearest Hyatt,
I hardly know what to say….my eyes are filled with tears and my throat swells….
I still don’t know what to say…
…except thank you….
Mary
9:37 am
and Happy Anniversary to you both.
10:04 am
Fabulous poem!
10:17 am
It was on your 40th then that we met, here in Panajachel, Guatemala… You are an inspiration!
10:36 am
Lives lived to the fullest, you two, Happy Ann-verse-ary! Keep living in the moment with God, blessing us all.
As Van Morrison so well put it,
“These are the days by the sparkling river
His timeless grace and our treasured find…”
from “These are the Days” Avalon Sunset, 1989.
Look it up, great anniversary song!
Love you guys.
10:42 am
Happy Anniversary to a wonderful couple who share so much of themselves and their gifts with others. You’ve inspired and challenged me since the day we met. Keep going and glowing for the Lord.
11:34 am
Happy Anne-aversary you two and thank you for passing down all the richness that God has revealed to you over the years. You are truly a blessing to those of us whom you mentor. Glad to hear your having a wonderful trip.
12:26 pm
Love the list idea. It shows the road you two have travelled and the many detours along the way. Congratulations on a long-lived life and wishes for many more together.
12:51 pm
Anne and Hyatt:
Like carbon stones
turn into diamonds
a long long marriage
adds up in value.
In skillful hands,
titanic duel,
a diamond lattice
is cut to jewel.
It´s time and love
not meant for quitters
that breed a gem
precious, that glitters.
12:56 pm
Your memory is very impressive. We all attain so much more in marriage once we put our personal goals on the shelf, jump in and just go for it- a life shared is so much better than one not.
1:11 pm
Praise the Lord for these marvelous years! Solomon had it right… “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
and he receives favor from the LORD. Pat & I thank God daily for our 44.5 years together!
1:32 pm
Love it, Hyatt, and love you two! Happy Anniversary!
2:03 pm
You have brought me to tears with your story and your poem. What you have is so precious … a partner, a companion for life … God bless you as you continue to enjoy each other. Happy Anniversary, Hyatt and Anne.
Thank you for sharing your lives with us.
3:21 pm
Sounds like you have a wonderful trail to go down when you use it as a memory lane.
Happy anniversary and many “Moore.”
Loved the poem – very real!
3:48 pm
Dear Anne and Hyatt…..
You are an amazing couple and I am so happy to know you both.
All the best,
JoAnn
5:00 pm
Wonderful! I’m linking this to my blog. Happy Anniversary – you told me long ago it was Anne who kept you together. I’m glad she did, along with God’s grace, of course. (: Love you, brother.
7:53 pm
Happy Anniversary, Anne and Hyatt. Such a wonderful compliment to God and wife from you Hyatt.
Many more happy years to both of you.
11:49 pm
Congratulations lovely Hyatt and beautiful Anne! Hearing your life’s adventures and honest journey together only makes me smile with joy because that is all we all have—– a life of wonderful memories big and small, hard and easy, heavy and light! The true joy and happiness of a life that is shared is the rich connection that you both have with each other that cannot be had with another. Love Lisa and am praying for many moore anniversaries to come! ( I did see the more/Moore connection! Hahahaha!) love that way of tying words in together! So clever!
12:13 am
Dear Hyatt and Anne,
I always see the honest description of the lives of Scripture heroes as signs of the truth of God’s Word. I see the same beautiful honesty in your pilgrimage described above.
We thank the Lord for you two and only on the other side of heaven will we see how many lives you have touched with your lives and expressions of your gift of art in its many forms.
With much love,
Louis and Lisa
Oh yes, Happy Anne-versary!
7:54 am
A & H You are both a delight and an inspiration! Love and blessing on this year and the ones to come! Happy Day!
1:39 pm
Happy Anne-aversary to both of my dear friends. You make a great team and I am so glad that both of you are in my life.
9:31 pm
I remember that drug store fountain and your wedding. I also remember the great pencil sketch Anne sent home of your first apartment! Happy Anniversary to you both,cousins. God has blessed you indeed, and us for knowing you!
9:51 pm
I remember when you all were leaving for Papua New Guinea, you gave a talk at WBT chapel. You were saying how thankful you were having Anne as your wife, because she just simply said yes when you brought up the crazy idea of moving the whole family there. I was struck by her simple & trusting reply. Anne, you were awesome. What an inspiration for me. Happy Anniversary to both of you. (What a rich list you got there, too.)
7:31 am
Very inspiring to a couple in Thailand preparing for our 4th anniversary!
12:17 pm
Hyatt and Anne,
Just catching up on the blog posts I have missed over the past two weeks. Love this one: how excited you must be when you look back and see how this trinity had traveled together through tough and good. What an amazing journey! Congratulations! Sincere apologies I am reading this too late to send you greetings for the day of your anniversary. However, every day is a day to celebrate what God has brought together. Have a brilliant day today, tomorrow and every day…. Ken