25th

Last night, Joelene and I had the privilege of being part of a 25th anniversary renewal of vows (and reception) for a great couple in our church. That is a wonderful milestone that deserves to be celebrated in some grand style. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS MARRIED TO THE SAME PERSON. No regular feat today. Joelene and I celebrated our 27th earlier this year.

When you think about it, it's pretty amazing. Twenty-five YEARS. That's 300 months ... 1,300 weeks ... more than 9,000 days ... 218,000 hours ... 14 million seconds of marriage.

Twenty-five years ago. 1983. Some of our readers weren't alive yet. But here are some things that happened that year, just to give you an idea of what our wonderful, happily married couple celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss has slogged thru these past 2.5 decades:

* The ARPANET officially changes to using the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet.

* The International Olympic Committee restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals to his family.

* Björn Borg retires from tennis after winning five consecutive Wimbledon championships.

* The final episode of M*A*S*H is broadcast, becoming the most watched television episode in history, with 125 million viewers.

* The United States Football League begins its first year of competition.

* The Nashville Network (TNN) begins broadcasting.

* President Ronald Reagan makes his initial proposal to develop technology to intercept enemy missiles called the Strategic Defensie Initiative (DSI).

* A suicide bomber destroys the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 63 people.

* Michael Jackson's song "Beat It," hits number 1 on the Billboard music charts.

* First publications of the discovery of the virus that causes AIDS shows up in the journal, "Science."

* Pioneer 10 becomes the first manmade object to leave the solar system.

* Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space

* New York Yankee outfielder Dave Winfield accidentally kills a seagull during a baseball game and is charged by police for his "act of cruelty to animals."

* Peter Jennings hosts his first broadcast of ABC's World News Tonight as sole anchor - as does Tom Brokaw for NBC Nightly News.

* Korean Air Flight KAL-007 is shot down by a Soviet Union jet fighter when the commercial aircraft enters Soviet airspace. All 269 on board are killed.

* Vanessa Williams becomes first African-American Miss America.

* Ameritech Mobile Communications (now Cingular) launches the first US cellular network in Chicago.

* U.S. Marines barracks in Beirut hit by truck bomb, killing 241 U.S. servicemen.

* President Ronald Reagan signs a bill creating Martin Luther King Day.

* An estimated 100 million people watch the controversial made-for-television movie "The Day After," depicting the start of a nuclear war.

* The last day that the AT&T Bell System exists before being broken up by the U.S. Government.

So you can see how much history our happy couple has outlasted in 25 years together. Here's to the NEXT 25.

And be blessed.