On occasion, it would come up at the dinner table that one of my brothers or I had a new crush at school.  Dad’s first question was a guarantee:  “Do they love Jesus?”  With a heavy sigh or a teenage eye-roll, “I don’t know,” or “Daaaaad!” was our typical response.  “God first.  Family second.  Then school,” he would say, “You need to make sure you find someone who loves Jesus.”

Fast-forward fifteen to twenty years and those words, that I always knew were true, have never held as much weight as they do today.  As Dad gave his toast at our reception, he recounted all the times he said, “No one will ever be good enough for my daughter,” and yet, the character found in my husband, was enough to prove him wrong.

This man I call Husband is my best friend; a man after the Lord’s heart who is fully engaged in the opportunity to live life well.  His humor fills our home with joyous laughter and the level of dedication that he applies to everything he sets out to accomplish is inspiring.  There are moments when I find myself so completely overwhelmed by the blessing of being his teammate, that I am literally moved to tears.

Today seems to be the most fitting day to express even these few words of my immense gratitude for the Love of my life.  Happy 30th Birthday, Babe!  I love you!!!

Photo courtesy of Brianne Janae Photography (BrianneJanaePhotography.com)