Marriage Advice I'm glad I found...

Last night, while we were both kind of speechless, I stumbled across this link to marriage advice that I'd read before.  It's just a reminder to me about how important it is to stay rooted in the love that brought us this far.  The content of the advice is less important, than the reality that you're the most important person in my life.  It takes an extraordinary love to love the way both of us need to be loved.  And we've both made a commitment to be extraordinary for each other. Thank God we each have Jesus to fill in the gaps.  

Good morning love...

Good morning dear, 

I thought I'd drop you a few lines on this encouraging Monday morning to remind us both just how good we have it.  

First, we're living the life of our dreams.  We are who we say we are.  Successful.  A power couple.  Loving. 
The Josephs of our Family.  International travel?  Check.  Ministry to marriages?  Check.  Serial inventor and entrepreneur?  Done.  God has given us everything we need to prosper by already giving us His grace and His blessing.  And the blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow with it.

Second, our children are blessed.  Scooby and Scrappy Doo both have everything they need to lead embedded on the inside of them.  

Third, our families fulfill the will of God for their lives.  And we get to be there to cheer them on, encourage them, all that good stuff.  

Get ready for a great week, filled with surpassed expectations, new developments, reaffirmed love, and restoration.  Wake up!  Joy is here, wake up!  Yes Lord, yes lord, yes, yes Lord...

love
SDW3

I love you...

Hey babe 

I just wanted to drop you a brief line to let you know that I love you and appreciate everything you do for me and our family.  I appreciate the fact that after a long, difficult day that began kind of rough, you still pushed through to gain professional development last night.  That was admirable.  You can definitely do anything you put your mind to.  

And on top of that, you still found time to give your husband a great massage.  You're the total package boo, and though the job is hard, I hope it's also rewarding, because you're doing it all.  Thank you Jesus for the strength to be everything we need and want to be!

SDW3

It's been a while...

Since I wrote a love letter dedicated solely to you. I was speaking to someone at work recently about the hypothetical conversation we had years ago in the apartment. If the doctor had told me I had to choose between you and one of our children. Do you remember my response? I said I'd choose you. At the time we had no kids, and so I didn't know Riles or Olivia.

The thing is, I'd still make the same choice today. I know I haven't been quite acting like it lately, but you're still my number one lady. And I love you more than anyone or anything else. I should be going above and beyond for you, more so than I do for our daughters. I forgive them effortlessly. I guess it takes me longer to forgive you because I trust you more, and make myself more vulnerable to you. Others I expect to let me down, but for some reason, it still sucks when you do. I guess that's what happens with the one you love the most.

Except I also know that the one I love the most also deserves the most grace from me. I don't ever want to remain in a place where our relationship is based solely on how I feel about you. The truth is, I hate being mad at you. It's the one thing that drains me more than anything else. I need you. All of you, differences and all.

So I'm challenging myself to go find the proverbial "shopping cart" for you every time. Because you're that important to me.

I love you

You know how I like to write out my thoughts sometimes when things get stuck in my head but I wanted you to know them so that you could hear my heart.  So here goes.  

Earlier today when you asked me what I was thinking about...I was just being thankful for you.  I was thinking how awesome it is that I am married to a woman who cares as much about familes and communities as I do.   We share passions.  That's cool, and it's rare to be this aligned, so early on in life I suspect.  When you told me what you shared at your bible study group with the girls earlier today I was proud and impressed.  

I was also thinking about how interesting it is that you're...let's say "excited" by the fact that I did all that car work yesterday and today.  I'm going to pocket that bit of insight and hopefully pull it out at a more useful time.  Good to know though.  My woman not only likes her man to look, dress, and speak well, but she also enjoys a good classic greese monkey in him every now and then.  And I thought it was my brains that did it for you... lol.  

Finally, I'm just tired.  There's a lot going on.  I feel like we're on the precipice of a lot of cool stuff with our purpose, with the couples, with our parenting, with our finances, with our dreams... and sometimes I get lost in just thinking about it all.  I need you help to keep me grounded in the day to day reality of things (remember how I got lost in the 5 year budget plan yesterday?).  That's one of the things I need you for- that grounded, down to earthness.  Don't burst my bubble (you rarely do, so that's not a real concern), but help me appreciate the moments right in front of me.  Even when I'd rather dream about the future...or reflect about the past.  

Oh yeah, thanks for putting up with my moments of introspection.  I realize now that when we as husbands do that, it's not always about pushing you away, sometimes its more about understanding ourselves so that we can ultimately connect better with you.  think about it.  Anyway, I love you.  

SDW3

Praying for you

Here's what I prayed for this morning:

I called you out by name in each of these prayers, and that in and of itself was special.  Just saying your name in prayer.

I started by thanking God for Samantha Wakefield, thanking Him for bringing you and keeping you in my life.  Thanking God for the gift of Samantha to our family, and the gift of Samantha to our marriage.  

I then prayed that you would be empowered to do your work well- because when we do good work as Christians it makes room for us in front of important people.  It gets us positively recognized.  

That you would be encouraged about your self image, and trust that since you're created in God's image you're already beautifully and wonderfully made.  

That we have the romantic relationship that we both desire, and I, as the head of our family do what's necessary to maintain and strengthen that relationship.

That a weight would be lifted off your shoulders today, and that you would be encouraged and empowered by the joy of the Lord today.  

And then I thanked God for you again.

The beginning of our 2013 confessions

2013 confessions

Jesus is my peace

Set your affection on things above, not on the things on the earth- Colossians 3:2

God has already blessed me with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.  Because He loves me, He had me on His mind and settled on me as the focus of His love to be made whole and holy by His love- Ephesians 1:3

I pray today that God makes me intelligent in discerning and knowing Him personally, my eyes focused and clear, so that I can see exactly what He is calling me to do, grasp the wonderfulness of His way of life and really trust Him- Ephesians 1:17-

Industry

God, endow my wife and I with an industrious mindset.  We work as if we’re working for the Lord, knowing that He is the one who brings our reward, no matter what we’re working on. 

See a man diligent in his business?  He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean [obscure] men- Prov 22:29