♥ Mr. Right
Twenty-six years of marriage! Set off the fireworks: some sparklers, Roman candles, poppers and snaps, ground spinners!
According to statistics on children of divorce, I should be a mess: addicted to drugs, a college drop-out, and divorced, too. My brother and I should be shorter than our projected heights, also, according to another source(I will update my sources once I unpack them from our move).
Sadly, statistics don’t include the God-Factor! It’s such a shame that God is barred from schools. Someone who grew up in the same denomination I did once claimed he grew up in a “dead church.” His parents weren’t divorced. As a result, he wasn’t compelled to call out to God for help. Maybe when you don’t need God, you don’t realize how alive He is.
However, my parents were divorced. At school, we had Bible class daily, attended a weekly service, and were allowed to pray in the sanctuary during recess. When you are little, confused, and hurting, God is a big protector. I cried out. He answered. God never fails.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”(Jeremiah 29:11)
How many children and teens are confused, hurting, and stressed–they don’t know God, they don’t know He protects, that He offers a way out of their dysfunction? When God stands with you, you don’t become a statistic!
I’ve mentioned in a “What Do I Think about Her” about praying for God to show me the man I was to marry. When God provides, He provides the best!
“Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”(Matt 9:29)
My husband is definitely the Elkanah to the Hannah I so want to be. I just want to share with you the top-ten reasons why I so adore my husband as much or more than I did 26 years ago:
1)He loves me unconditionally!
2)Five children later, quite a few pounds later, he still thinks I’m beautiful!
3)He encourages my dreams!
4)He’s so dog-gone wise. I wish I could carry him around in my pocket and pull him out when I need a really wise response!
5)He is strong!
6)He is an awesome father to his sons!
7)He is calm in the face of adversity
8)He is impressed with my dog-with-a-bone attitude about problem solving whether it is with my boys or trying to get Wal-Mart and Kroger to cover Cosmopolitan and Glamour magazines. I don’t think my boys should read verbal porn in the check-out aisle.
9)He is a Faith man who loves God
10)He has such a boyish sense of humor that brings such joy to my day!
11)I still love his ankles!–Yes, I said that! I think love includes all that is noble in a person but include eclectic elements that add appeal to the entire package.
I love that he loves his mama and respects his dad. I love that one of his favorite books is one I gave him years ago, The Oxford English Edition of Classic Ghost Stories. I am amazed that he still loves me when we argue!
I love that my happiness doesn’t depend on him. It is not his job to fetch and carry buckets of happiness to me, filling me like an insatiable flower pot, demanding servitude. You wouldn’t expect your girl BFF to do that. I’d be pretty miserable if I relied on someone else to keep me happy. My happiness depends on God. That sure takes a lot of pressure off our relationship and creates healthy expectations in our relationship.
I love that I will grow old with him.
When God answers prayers, He blesses abundantly! I am looking forward to another 53+ years with My Knight in Shining Armor!
Happy Anniversary. What a wonderful post!
What a beautiful couple! Congratulations on so many years of happiness! Thanks for the tips for the beach! 🙂 I really appreciate them! I haven’t visited in a while! I apologize! 🙂 I need to go back and read all of your awesome and inspiring posts!
Praise God and Happy Anniversary!
My husband and I are newbies — celebrating five years tomorrow, but what a gift he is. We had to wait a while for God to put us together, but perhaps because of that wait, I am even more grateful for him.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Blessings ~
Happy Anniversary!!! I so love to see couples that have some years under their belt… & God as the center!!!
What a blessing to read this post today! Happy Anniversary!
…oh and by the way, I totally agree with #8!!!
Congrats and Happy Anniversary! What a nice tribute to your hubby! Hope you have a great celebration!
I love how you say that with confidence too. Those of us committed for life should just say it with supreme confidence, “Marriage rocks.” (or something like that)
Blessings, and Happy Anniversary
Ohhhhh! What a LOVELY tribute. I echo all of your sentiments, including the ACODP status. God’s word in our lives has made all the difference. Bless you and your knight in shining armor!
That was a very sweet post. Happy Anniversary. We have been married 23 1/2 years and I feel the same way about my husband. However, I think he has the best legs.
How sweet! Congratulations!!!! Sounds like a match made in heaven!
What a beautiful post! Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment to let me know that you were there. I appreciate it very much. It was great to meet you.
You have 5 boys? Wow!
Have a great weekend!
Christy Rose
Love it! Can’t wait to proclaim the same happiness when we hit the 26yrs together mark.
Love this post! I asked our wives at PWC a couple months ago to write the things they are thankful for in their Husbands. The volume of responses were amazing.
When we start thinking about “Why” we love our husbands it fosters love in our hearts for them. Staying positive in what we say about them out loud is important as well. I have learned the scripture “Life and Death is in the power of the tongue” to be so incredibly true!
Thank you for posting this. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog! Happy Anniversary! I’ve got one boy with another on the way. Congrats on so many wonderful years together, and here’s to many, many more!
What a beautiful anniversary post.
When God stands with you, you don’t become a statistic! I agree!
God is with you all the way.
Your list of ten could also very well apply to what I love in my own husband.
We celebrated our 30th year in Chiang Mai Thailand. Not knowing it would be our last.
Make every year count.
I love your love story.
Love
Lidj
Happy anniversary! Thank God for enabling us to be family pattern breakers!
I totally hear you on that checkout magazine thing. The girls in Barlowgirl actually turn them around when they see them. Maybe I should start doing this.
Happy Sits Saturday Sharefest! It is so awesome to meet another Sister in Christ! Praise God for the wonderful anniversary. Isn’t is wonderful to prove that God trumps any statistic! Hallelujah!
Thank you for sharing and Happy Anniversary!
Beth
Ok, I’m laughing at myself! I have been here before. Your blog is the one I tried to follow but never figured out how. lol
Sorry, I’m not totally loopy.
Love,
b
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
What a lovely tribute to God, to your husband and the life you share!
Just stopping by from SITS to wish you Happy Saturday Sharefest!
Happy Anniversary!
A little late.
I know that I say this every time that I read one of your posts.
This one is my favorite!
Sweet dreams.
What a beautiful tribute to your wonderful husband! You two were so cute in the younger photos and still so cute in the not quite as young photo!
So glad you stopped by today…thanks for your prayers! Happy Anniversary to you and your hubby! This was such a beautiful testament to your love for each other and for God.
This is a truly beautiful post! Congrats!
Wow, how beautiful!!! Your words are touching but both photos, and I mean both, are just beautiful. Love it. Happy Anniversary and thank you so much for coming by and saying hello!!!!
*Popping in from SITS
Congratulations on your Anniversary!
Congratulations! Love your blog…visiting from sits!!
That was beautiful! I just found your blog and I already love it! Thanks for stopping by my blog too!
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I remember those younguns! What an adorable couple you all have ALWAYS been! I knew you guys were meant for each other from the day I met your now hubby. You have such a lovely, healthy attitude about your relationship that it’s not at all surprising that you are still very happily married.
Yes, you and your brother did “beat the odds” so to speak. Kuddos to you and may you remain in love forever…..
Thanks for those sweet words Cynci!!! God blessed me with wonderful friends, too! Wish I could fit in that black coat with the gold braid, though! LOL