Tag Archives: happy

by | February 12, 2019 · 10:20 am

Happy Birthday, Valerie!

Before I say anything else…

Before I post another, well, post…

Before I write about things that matter little to me in the big scheme of things…

Before another minute of this beautiful (and seriously rainy) day is wasted…let me say,

valerie“Happy Birthday!” to my lovely wife, Valerie (named after Valentines Day).

She is the sugar that makes my life sweet.

She is my sunshine on a cloudy day.

She is my anchor when I start to drift.

She is the unflinching lover when I don’t even love myself.

She’s cement that holds this family together.

She’s the warrior that fights on her knees.

She’s the one who regularly reminds me that there is One who has everything in control, even when I want to throw in the towel.

She’s the one who never gives up, always tries one more time, and considers “it all joy.”

I’ve not given her the life she really deserves, but I know one day God will reward her for all she sacrificed for me.

Happy birthday, Valerie! I LOVE you!

Once again I’m gonna share this video with a song I wrote several years ago just for her. I hope you enjoy it.

But please! Somebody pass this song on to a country star so I can make enough money to buy her something nice for our 25th anniversary…

…seriously, I’m a starving song writer (BMI), so hook me up.

Happy Birthday, Valerie! I love you!

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by | January 1, 2018 · 4:17 pm

It’s Going to Be a Good Year

Happy 2018!

It is the afternoon of the first day of 2018, and I am looking forward to what’s ahead. I can only hope what lies ahead are things that will bring me happiness, but I can’t assume; some of the things that bring us the most joy are not always the things that initially brings us much happiness.

Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to being happy more often than not. I mean, even in the hard times and through seasons of disappointment, do we not have a choice? Can we not find a way to rejoice in the positive instead of dwelling on the negative?

For example, when I left the surgeon’s office the other day after getting stitches out of my shoulder, one of the nurses spoke to me. As I passed by with my arm in a sling, probably a little pale from the stress of it all, he asked, “Are you doing OK?” I paused, looked back, and replied,

“You know, there are people in the world who have to use their toes to brush their teeth. I don’t have to do that, so I guess I’ll be OK – it could be worse.”

And that’s really it, isn’t? Most of the things we complain about are really nothing more than first-world problems. Most of our unfulfilled dreams and expectations could be traced back to desires that most of the world would find laughable, if not absurdly immoral. Most of you who are reading this could be much worse off than you are in every area of life, everything from finances to relationships, or from health issues to housing issues.

Heck, if you didn’t have to ride an hour on an unsafe, crowded bus in 90-degree weather, all just to get to a place where you could stand in line to get access to a computer and internet, then you are automatically better off than hundreds I saw do just that in Zimbabwe.

I have a Savior who loves me and wants to commune with me, even when I forget He’s there. I have a God who is there every morning before I wake, painting a one-of-kind sunrise just for me! I am able to witness and experience the incredible complexity of nature, all with senses designed to recognize them and give glory to their Creator! I am blessed!

So, this is going to be a good year! I just know it! All it will take is recognizing what I have, as opposed to what I don’t have. I could even go a step further and recognize what I don’t have, as opposed to what I could be enduring.

This is the [YEAR] that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be GLAD (i.e., happy) in it! – Psalm 118:24

Our newest game – a cashless “Monopoly.” Scary, really.

….even if in the first game of the year I play with my youngest daughter, Haley, she completely decimated me and obtained complete control of everything. Good for her! 😉

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by | September 5, 2015 · 2:37 pm

I Love My Wife

Lifeway

Here I sit in a large Lifeway book store, a Bible and notebook in my lap, a cup of coffee (from Dunkin Donuts) beside me, my phone in my hand, studying, waiting on my daughter to get out of a meeting, and thinking of my wife. 

Lifeway is a Christian bookstore chain. Believe it or not, my wife and I actually spent one of our anniversary date nights strolling through and shopping in a Lifeway store. Why? Because it’s our kind of place – it’s all about the Lord and Saviour we love, Jesus. It’s where we feel like kids in a candy store, but without the risk of overexposure to calories. 

Likes 

In a recent marriage counseling session (yes, we go to one now and then), we discussed life changes and the risk of growing apart. One of the ways couple risk growing apart is by losing interest in the same things, not enjoying the same things together as a couple. 

We used to like some things we don’t like anymore. There are some things one likes, but the other doesn’t. However, Lifeway is one if those things /places we certainly enjoy together. That will never change, because we are both in love with the store’s purpose – Jesus. 

Loves

I don’t say it enough, especially for the whole world to read, but I love my wife! I love Valerie. I will love her with emotion and with action till the day we part in death, maybe longer. 

But the reason our love, our marriage, has survived over 21 years is because we are both in love with Someone else – Jesus. 

Picture a triangle. At the top of the triangle, the single Point, is Jesus, the Son of God.  At the bottom left and right are Valerie and me. The closer we get to Him, the closer we get to each other. Because of Jesus, no matter the likes and dislikes that change with times and seasons, our love for each other can grow and grow without limitation – because we can never get close enough to Him. 

I just wanted to tell the world how much I love my wife. And the closer we both grow, I hope you can tell it, especially in our mutual love for God. 

Love Jesus; love each other. Simple. 

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Filed under Defending Traditional Marriage, Love of God, Marriage, Relationships and Family

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by | February 12, 2014 · 1:40 am

Happy Birthday, Valerie!

Before I say anything else…

Before I post another, well, post…

Before I write about things that matter little to me in the big scheme of things…

Before another minute of this beautiful (and seriously rainy) day is wasted…let me say,

valerie“Happy Birthday!” to my lovely wife, Valerie (named after Valentines Day). She is the sugar that makes my life sweet.

She is my sunshine on a cloudy day.

She is my anchor when I start to drift.

She is the unflinching lover when I don’t even love myself.

She’s cement that holds this family together.

She’s the warrior that fights on her knees.

She’s the one who regularly reminds me that there is One who has everything in control, even when I want to throw in the towel.

She’s the one who never gives up, always tries one more time, and considers “it all joy.”

I’ve not given her the life she really deserves, but I know one day God will reward her for all she sacrificed for me.

Happy birthday, Valerie! I love you!

Once again I’m gonna share this video with a song I wrote several years ago just for her. I hope you enjoy it.

But please! Somebody pass this song on to a country star so I can make enough money to buy her something nice for our 25th anniversary…

…seriously, I’m a starving song writer (BMI), so hook me up.

Happy Birthday, Valerie! I love you!

3 Comments

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