14 Reasons I Am In Love With My Wife.....

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. As I wandered through the day, my thoughts would drift to my favorite Valentine, my wife, Kelly. Next week, we're taking a few days to go away together but I didn't want to wait until then to state my love for her publicly. Herewith, 14 reasons I'm in love with her:

1. We had our first date in the summer of 1978. She was young and excited and so amazingly captivating, she stole my heart immediately.

2. We had our first kiss standing next to my motorcycle at the IHOP on Colonial drive in Orlando. I still remember it vividly.

3. We got married on Feb 25, 1980. She wore a beautiful gown with a string of pearls around her neck and flowers in her hair. She was drop-dead gorgeous!

4. She put up with my foolishness the first few years we were married. She was always completely open with me and, I could tell from the start, I was her best friend.

5. When I got saved and she re-committed herself to the Lord, she cried dazzling, sparkling tears of joy. Her repentance was total and I had never seen anything so pure, honest and beautiful.

6. She has had trust and faith in me ever since.

7. We had some rough years back then. But, after Christ entered our relationship, nothing ever threatened our commitment to each other. Her Lord has always been her highest priority and her first love and her devotion to Him has spurred me on to do the same.

8. She used to shop and spend frugally because we had no money. She learned how to buy a trunk full of groceries for $15 and can do amazing things with macaroni and cheese.

9. She gave birth to our daughter Ruth on Feb 13, 1983 (today, actually at 8:50 this evening) and suddenly and totally transformed from a beautiful young wife into a wonderful, caring and devoted mother.

10. Then she did it again on Oct 22, 1988 with our son Jason. I've learned so much just from watching her love, trust and care for our kids.

11. She gets more beautiful with every birthday.

12. Her devotion to Christ and her desire to honor Him in everything she does is totally inspiring and motivates me to do the same.

13. Her grief and repentance when she falls short of those goals is even more inspiring.

14. She is so much a part of me there are times when I fully understand "one flesh".

15. I am not worthy of such a wonderful gift as she is. She is a walking, talking, breathing, living expression of His mercy and grace.

16. Oops! did i go over?

17. On Feb 25, we will have been married for 29 years. I wouldn't trade one moment we've had together for anything else. God has used each of them to get us here and this is a pretty exciting place. I can hardly wait to see what our relationship looks like for the next 29 years!

18. She stole my heart, she invaded my mind and she has etched herself on my spirit. She's my Valentine.....forever.