To the newlyweds here gathered Who have decided to spend life together A marriage is a union of hearts Both partners contributing their parts A wedding day is a sign from above A day filled with faith, hope, and love A new stage in your journey together Declaring your love for each other Faith in the love you have shown Hope for the love that has grown Love that continues to blossom and grow As your journey together unfolds For any journey to be a success Continuous work is the best For those times when changes are needed Experienced advice should be heeded We make a promise to you this night That when called upon we will share our light And when you reflect on your journey together We hop you'll look back with love and laughter Richard T. Boulay
FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
I was in darkness
Living in blackness
Light did not exist
Why did I persist?
Living in pain
Nothing to gain
In an uncaring world
That’s in constant whirl
My spirit was dead
Laden with dread
Of a useless life
Filled with strife
Then one sleepless night
I saw the light
And my quest began
To be God’s man
As I learned of God’s love
I prayed for more from above
My spirit filled with love, joy and peace
The Holy Spirit, in my heart, within reach
By Jesus on the cross, I was forgiven
He built a bridge, for me, to heaven
Made acceptable to God by His blood
Such was His unconditional love
Guilt and shame finally ceased
Hatred, and despair released
Replaced by forgiveness and acceptance
Love, patience, and hope in abundance
Am I complete yet?
Not until death
Continuous growth my goal
I will walk on water from the boat
LOVE’S AWAKENING
As the morning spring sun
Awakens the world
To the beauty of nature
So have you awakened my heart
To the beauty of love
As the setting summer sun
Envelopes the sky
With deep rich colours
So has my heart been enveloped
By a deep rich love for you
And in the fall
When I stare in awe and wonder
At the beauty of the forest
It is with this same awe and wonder
I see the beauty within you
And in the winter,
When the earth is asleep
Beneath a blanket of white snow
It reminds me of the sleep I was in
Before I met you
Richard Boulay, 2004
LOVING THROUGH PAIN
This pain is familiar though much deeper
Physically in the middle of my chest
Sharp and deep like a dagger
Feels like taking my last breath
Unrequited love is pain at its deepest
Breaking through walls built to keep it out
Shrinking my heart to a clenched fist
Leaving me in total doubt
But this time while deep in pain
It did not change to anger
Instead love grew again, and again
And my heart got bigger and bigger
I asked God to watch over you
To help you find lost joy and peace
For as His child more than these are your due
I know this to be true for now I’m at peace
I told God that I would gladly suffer this pain
Loving you through the pain of unrequited love
If joy and peace would be your gain
Through God’s love for you from above
Richard Boulay
STAGES OF LOVE
When you first fall in love
It is a feeling,
A very powerful feeling
That leaves you dizzy and breathless
You want to be with that person
Every second of the day
Feeling like you’ve never felt before
Sharing like you’ve never shared before
But love, like all feelings, comes and goes
And during those times that the feeling isn’t there
That is when love grows into a decision
The decision to love is not as intoxicating
But it is much stronger than the feeling of love
Because it is based on the knowledge that you do love
Rather than on the fleeting moments of the feeling of love
The decision to love can be made at any time in a relationship
Through the good times and the bad
And it is your decision to make, no one else’s
But love is strongest when it is a commitment
A commitment to work through any situation
With a willingness to learn and grow
Without giving up on each other
God, love, life 