i do...forever and ever!!

i love anniversaries!! i especially love this one: today i celebrate my life and marriage to my Amazing Man!! he is absolutely my best friend, my soul mate, it was totally meant to be.... i am gushing, i know, but how many people in this world are completely in love with their spouse? from the looks of it, not many. the Lord created him for me, to be the daddy to the kiddos, to be my leader and head of the house, my secret keeper, he's the one who knows what i'm thinking many times before i say anything.

all this wonderful-ness isn't easy, some days it is down right un-fun. but the Lord is the center of our marriage and you know what, if we turn our eyes to Him, give our troubles to Him, live out our marriage according to the Word then God is going to bless our lives together!! when we said 'i do' it was forever, not when it gets hard we go our separate ways!! it breaks my heart to see other couples in our lives divorce or separate; God is sooooo much bigger than the marital issues we see in front of us. trials can strengthen the bond of marriage if we focus on the Lord and take our eyes off ourselves and lift up our spouse. now some may laugh, but i want to be the submissive wife that is in 1Peter 3:

1Likewise, wives,be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2when they see your respectful and pure conduct.

i know this is such a foreign concept in this day and age ( i realize that makes me sound old!! ), but i have really prayed for the Lord to give me a heart of submission, to allow my husband to lead me. but it doesn't mean my mouth stays closed all the time and i only speak when spoken to (hee hee), it means say my piece without cutting my Man down or being ugly (which it still comes out that way sometimes, sorry my love) and then trusting him to make the right, Godly decision. it means praying for my husband, that his heart will be softened to the Lord, his ears will be sensitive to the Lord's leading & calling. and you know what, we both win: my Man gets to be the Head of the House and the Lord's will is impressed upon his heart and (hopefully) we turn and follow the will of God, and our family is blessed, our marriage is stronger, our love for each other grows deeper, as well as our faith and trust and love of Jesus is deeper!! i love watching the Lord work in our marriage and our family.

so... my Amazing Man.... i love you more today than i ever knew was possible. i love how in love with God you are, and i pray that you are always seeking Him and drawing nearer to Him each day. thank you for loving me unconditionally, even when i am completely unlovable. for guiding me to become a better wife and friend, thank you for the gift of motherhood, that when we first started dating 13 years ago, i didn't even know i wanted to be given the gift of kiddos!! i love that you are not perfect: you have never stayed prisoner to your imperfections & mistakes, rather they have motivated you to be an overcomer and grow and learn so to be an example to others of the grace of God and how He molds His children little by little.

i look forward to the many years we have ahead of us (at least 60, right?!!), you make me want to be a better wife and mother and Christian everyday... i love you more!!!