To Mary Beth & Falcon

Mary Beeeeth! Merb. Merberella. Mary B. Our sweet middle sister is getting married tomorrow in Hawaii to such a wonderful man named Falcon! I am overjoyed for them because they both know the love of Jesus and give him all the glory with their lives. I am heartbroken that I won't be able to celebrate with them in Hawaii but I am certainly celebrating in spirit.

Growing up as the youngest of the five girls, I looked up to my sisters. Mary Beth was always so gentle, kind, artistic, creative, energetic, musical, and super stylish. Most of all, I remember that she sought after the Lord. I remember being four years old, sitting in her lap on the floor listening to her sing songs about Jesus to me, reading out of my children's Bible to my sister Amy and I, and asking us questions about the lesson we just learned. To have God's word in front of me at such a young age, I'm so undeserving! Each sister displayed God's love to me in a unique way, I'm so thankful for that. What joy filled our house!

She always had the best way of explaining things about God, boys, friends, and life in general. She taught me how to cook dinner, clean toilets, and to pray. She would bring Amy and I together all red scowl faced and arms crossed, after we had just scratched and bit each other (yes, literally) and she would make us apologize and get along. She was always so gentle, caring, loving, yet firm at the same time. She knew how to set us straight with her index finger pointed at Amy and me telling us, "you better go brush your teeth or you'll get a cavity!" Or, "Amy you need to go clean out your hairbrush now!" Oh, and this one, "that's enough sweets!" Haha! She was serious about God's word. As we got older, she would read to us out of her NIV and make us answer application questions... I appreciated it but always seemed to start nodding off to sleep. She'd say, "wake up, we're not finished.... God's word is important!"

She would brush, braid, and tease our hair, put makeup on us, doll us up. I felt like a princess. She'd show us the newest way to get your hair to curl such as those weird foam curlers that I always imagined to be like little snakes, a crimper, or a perm. Mary Beth's room growing up was covered in hearts! I mean that old wallpaper that had hearts patterned on it that if you looked at too long you'd go cross eyed! COVERED. It's ironic because Mary Beth's heart sure is big! She had a big white water bed with white fluffy blankets, and a big black cat with a red ball of yarn on each pillowcase. Hello, 1980s!

Each sister's room to me was like a new beauty parlor, a new set of treasures like Mary Beth's bow drawer (or diary... forgive me) and a new sister for me to hug! I always wanted whatever kind of lipstick she used, toenail polish she wore, or perfume she sprayed. I recall Mary Beth always having the best music blasting from her room like Shania Twain, Mariah Carey, Amy Grant, and some kind of Gospel music she sang at church. She was always singing, and beautifully loud! She would prepare her solos in her room for church as she got ready in the mornings and I always loved to listen. I admired her art, her bold but gentle personality, and how she always reminded me to be thankful. We couldn't complain around Mary Beth, she'd remind us of how much we have to thank the Lord for.

I loved watching her paint. She really is one of the most talented people I know. She lives in Hawaii and sells her artwork, creates beautiful dishes for restaurants, sings, makes jewelry, and more. I was her little art subject whenever she needed me. I would sneak into the side hallway of the kitchen in the middle of the night to stay up with her and watch art flow out of her. Every project took hours upon hours and I felt bad for her, sitting up all night alone. I wanted to hang out, talk to her about big girl stuff, and karate chop her back as she painted. She'd get out that old pink boom box with cassette tapes or the radio playing and I'd be the DJ.

Now, Mary Beth may seem all timid at times but let me tell you, I've got the pictures to prove (below) that if you get the right music playing, she sings her little heart out. She'll get to dancing, shaking, and singing in a jiffy out of nowhere! She also does the best voice impressions... all of us Sanderson girls do pretty good voices! Haha! We're especially good at coordinating five part harmonies in the back seat to various popular sings, Disney songs, and Christmas songs. There's definitely a silly side of Mary Beth that I'll never forget!

Even though we aren't as close as we used to be, I treasure our friendship through the years because I know that Mary Beth loves the Lord. She knows that we were lost in our ways of sin, saved by His redeeming, never stopping, unending love and grace. She lives for God's glory, she walks with Him daily, is lead by His word, and is sensitive to His Spirit. That's also why I love Falcon. You could say he's just about the coolest guy in Hawaii. He's the only guy from Hawaii that I know but man, he loves God. He has a powerful testimony to God's redemption and sovereignty in His life above all the crazy circumstances thrown at him. We were all dead in our sin, white washed tombs when God spoke to us and gave us life. He brings the dead to life, hallelujah!

Falcon lives and breathes this good news to those around him. He loves my sister because of the love God has shown him. I pray that their love continues to shine, shine, SHINE for Christ! I wish that I was able to stand up there in that line of bridesmaids to witness the covenant you make before God because it is an honor to be your sister! Thank you for living the way only you can with all your beauty, talent, and grace. Thank you for loving me. I love you Mary B and congratulations!