15 Years

Today is my 15th wedding anniversary. I will refrain from writing a sappy love letter, mostly because Gene "says" that he doesn't read the blog. That doesn't offend me at all because I know how busy he is at work, and I don't want him getting on the computer as soon as he gets home. I also post my entries at very random times. Sometimes it is in the early morning, sometimes after lunch, sometimes at night. He would have to check it all day long to stay current with it and he just forgets.

I will say a few things. I met Gene when I was 16 and I knew then, and told many people, that I was going to marry him. I was crazy about him from day one. The timing wasn't right then and 3 years passed. He contacted me again when I was 19 and we started dating, and we married 3 years later. So basically, I have been in love with Gene for 21 years, or over half of my life.

To say that I am still in love with him today would be a huge understatement. He is my soul mate and my best friend. I cannot imagine doing life without him. He just gets me and I get him. We click and it is just so easy with him and quite frankly, it always has been. We get along perfectly, and I think we compliment each other and bring out the best in each other, exactly as God designed the marriage relationship to do. I trust him completely and enjoy his company above all others. We are alike in many ways and different in others, thank the Lord. We can sit and talk for hours or we can sit side by side and never say a word. Either is good.

Marriage is a covenant relationship that is ordained by God. I am amazed at how many people walk out on the commitment that they made before God, leaving their spouse and their children behind. Marriage definitely has its ups and downs. Gene and I have walked through some tough things together and with God's help, those issues have made us stronger. Today, we are in one of those "up" places, and I do not take that for granted.

If you are in one of those "down" places in your relationship with your spouse, I want to encourage you to take all the issues to God. He has to be the center of your relationship for it to work the way He designed it to. Submit yourself to Him and to your spouse. God can overcome every hurt and betrayal, and can awaken every dead feeling and renew the love that you guys once had for one another. God is love and we can love only because He first loved us.

Gene and I are headed to Callaway Gardens for an overnight stay. We are tickled pink to be getting away and spending some alone time together. With little ones in the house, the moments of deep conversation and uninterrupted quality time are few and far between. You will remember that we went away together for 5 nights in July and we had a fabulous time, reminding ourselves that times away from the busyness of life are vital to our relationship.

So, if you read this Gene, Happy Anniversary. Fifteen years has gone by in a blink, and I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. I love you.