I found this link in a post at Christian Moms Forum and thought it was so cool! We've probably all heard of the Five Love Languages but here is a simple quiz that can get you started knowing where you or your spouse stands. Just go HERE and select which most represents you out of each pair of statements. Have fun!

My sweetie was a wascally wabbit when he was a young one. Oh sometimes the stories he tells me about things he did make me glad we haven't had a son yet . There are two stories that stick out in my mind. The first one is when he was in young elementary school. I'm not sure his age but his little brother was a toddler. Eric was outside with a bow & arrow and shot his arrow straight up into the sky, and as if time stood still, he knew it was a bad decision. He looked over at that moment and saw his step-dad looking out at what he was doing and then looked over to see his arrow plummet to the earth barely gracing his baby brother walking innocently out there on the lawn. Oh, need I say how angry his step-dad was? Eric says he used to have to pick his own spanking stick out and he learned not to pick the "safe" looking ones as dad could always find a better one. But, the good news is everyone was okay and now we can "laugh" about it. Plus that little boy with the bow and arrow turned out to be a wonderful hunter who appreciates God's design in nature and that he can provide venison to his family!

The second story is when he was probably not much older than that first incident, he shot out the yard light with a sling shot. Now let me tell you, they lived in the middle of nowhere down a long, winding, and hilly dirt road. There was no light at night but from the moon & stars. He says the night after he did that he remembers overhearing his parents talking in the living room while he was laying in bed, IN THE DARK (lol). They were remarking how dark it seemed that night. I'm sure he lay there snickering and knowing no one would ever know. No one would know until it was too late to spank him of course. Now that he's an adult we all laugh about that one too.

Oh I can imagine the mischief him and his siblings must have got into. I appreciate his sense of adventure! There was another time where I thought we were going to die. We weren't even close to danger but me and my panick ridden anxiety laden self couldn't help but lose control. We had taken his little old 4-cylinder Ford Ranger to a little old lake in the middle of nowhere. One of his brothers was with us. After a wonderful, relaxing time of fishing on the lake he had backed tried to back his truck down to the lake so we could easily put the aluminum boat back in the bed. Well, being dusk and a slippery muddy two-track down to the lake, Eric backed over a very large tree trunk that was laying on the path. We were stuck! No way to get back over or to move the tree.

This brings us to where I thought we were going to die. What about that situation makes one think death? Now I laugh at myself. Eric was laughing at me then, along with his brother. But we ended up rocking the truck back over the log and you cannot imagine the relief I felt. I probably shook and trembled the rest of the night from the adrenaline that went through my body.

But all that to say, I thank Jesus for the differences in us that bring us together! Thank you Lord for giving me a laid back, relaxed husband who can calm me when I'm ridden with anxiety! My husband truly helps me to be a better person and I love him all the more for it!

I am just so filled with thanksgiving this morning for my husband. I've tried to think back of a funny or romatic story I could tell, but I've already told in this post  of how he asked me to marry him and other things I have thought of I have already shared in previous posts. But, again I am so amazed by his sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. We are often leaders of our praise and worship at church and do a special song many Sundays. I am always humbled when the Spirit speaks through him at those times. He will open his mouth to introduce a song or tell why we chose a certain special and more often than not it is not my husband who does the talking, know what I mean! He will be touched by God and tears will flow and I imagine he touches everyone's heart, including mine.

We had a terrible tragedy in our small town last week. A madman who was a client a young realtor with 2 children ages 1 and 2 walked into the realty office and asked the realtor for a meeting in the board room about his house that had been for sale, and took out a gun and shot him execution style in the head. He died at the hospital. Please pray for this family! I believe they were saved by God's grace so my hope is that he is walking Heaven's shore today!

That tragedy got my husband thinking a lot this week about how fragile our lives are. So, yesterday, we sang "Just a Closer Walk with Thee " and he began talking about how we are never promised tomorrow. We just had this tragedy in town this week of a man who never ever would have woke up that day expecting that to happen. We are all promised one thing for sure, we all will die at some point, but we have to be ready each day. Eric talked about how we have to yearn each day to be closer and closer and closer to the Lord. We have to be careful not to let the business of our days interfere with the relationship we have with the Lord.

Again, I am so thankful today for a husband who is tender to the Spirit of God speaking to him and through him!

"Just a closer walk with thee. Grant it Jesus, is my plea.

Daily walking close to Thee. Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Now I am weak and Thou art strong. Jesus keep me from all wrong.

I'll be satisfied as long as I walk; let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares. If I falter, Lord, who cares?

Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee."

I thank the Lord for a husband who continually tells me that he loves me! He has always been good at taking the time to thank me for the things I do around here. It is so hard for me to accept his thanks gracefully because I feel like I don't do enough around here. Nonetheless, I appreciate his willingness to appreciate me and thank the Lord I feel confident in Eric's love for me!

Mr. Steady

A year or two ago I read "Created to be His Helpmeet" and learned my husband is a Mr. Steady. I appreciate that so much about him! Though there are times I wish he were more commanding I'm sure his personality has made the difference in the peace we find in our marriage.

I know that having three small children takes up much of our time and attention and so I find that there is little time to get mad or stay mad at him. Although staying mad is NOT even in my personality, partly because I feel immediate remorse for things I do or say that are not right and partly because I'm very forgetful .  On the flip side, my man is the complete opposite and though I may be ready to say I'm sorry and seek his forgiveness (which I need immediately) he is not ready to hear it or move on. Maybe it's a man thing, but he needs time to process all the information.

Anyway, back to the book, I'm going to highlight a few of the things Debi Pearl mentions about a steady man and why I love my stady man. She says that we have to learn to seek God's wisdom in all matters and wait for God to move our husbands. One thing I will never forget is her comment that we are not to be our husband's conscience...God is. Oh how that has resignated through my mind over and over, not only about my husband but as I've been learning to be less critical of others and just pray that God will move in their life.

"Your wasting of time and spending money foolishly will weigh heavily on him, robbing him of his pride and pleasure in you." (pg 90). Oh my oh my, how this hit the cord with me. I have struggled with spending a little too much here and there for our entire marriage. I have suffered so much guilt and anxiety over this issue and I guess I have not ever completely given this struggle over to God. I know for sure, finances weigh heavily on my husband and on me. We made some poor decisions in the past and are trying to now pay off all of our debt. I wish I had read enough to know about these scriptures before we got into our mess...Romans 13:8 "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." and Proverbs 22:7 "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Oh that we could have avoided this trap. But praise be to the Lord that we have now wised up and are changing! Lord please help me to use our money as wisely as possible!

This I love much about Eric...though it is very hard for him to make decisions, I think it is because it takes him so long deliberating and weighing all the options that he times out like the computer does . No really, Debi Pearl says "These men can be some of the most important men in the church, because their steadfastness is sure, and their loyalty is strong. They make wise, well-thoughtout decisions. They are rarely rash or roolish...Their children grow up to highly respect their gentle-speaking dad."  (pg 90) This is all the same for my dad. It's funny my parents used to always tease me that I'd marry someone like my dad and it's true...I did. Though they both disagree my mom and I can both clearly see how alike they are.

"He will bein quiet contemplation much of the time. It will drive his wife crazy, because she will long for him to share his deepest feelings and thoughts with her so she can "feel" loved. He cannot...He is very, very slow to come to trust and open up to the woman he loves, because he does not understand her...Of the three types, he is the one who will be most liked by everyone." (pg 91)

And lastly, "When she stops trying to change him, he will grow. She can, then, willingly take up tasks that will fill her time and give her husband joy and satisfaction when he sees her productiveness." (pg 92) So, thank you Jesus for this steady man who helps to level my life out and be my strength when I am weak and my support when I am down. Thank you for this man who can calm me and love me and hold me when I am falling apart. Thank you for this man who does complete me!

I cannot think of how thankful I am to have been blessed with my husband without remembering his grandmother, Lucille. Practically everybody within a 60 mile radius of her probably knew of her. She was a woman with a purpose. A woman called by God to fulfill much! I know she has a mansion in Heaven and is singing on the streets of gold today! She went to be with Jesus about 5 years ago at the age of 92. During her life, she grabbed everyone she could to hug them and tell them how much she loved people. For a very small, fragile woman, she was stronger than you could believe. I'm sure it was the strength of God she carried through her bones! She had no TV, and only listened to talk radio. She lived a life devoted to the Lord and His purposes. I can only imagine the bliss it was for her to walk a life void of the secular influences of television and radio.

Growing up my husband lived next door to his sweet grandma and spent everyday with her after school. Eric's dad went to be with Jesus when Eric was only 3 years old and so his grandma played such an important role in his life. She shepherded his heart and prayed for his salvation daily. He said he would come walking near her house and hear her talking out loud to someone...to Jesus! She not only prayed for his salvation but she prayed for the spouse he would meet someday.

I remember being so impressed and privileged to have been prayed for long before Eric and I knew each other even existed. How precious and special I felt to have been prayed into Eric's life. I am also blessed that Eric's mother is a child of the King and prays for us still daily. I should also say my parents as well are saved by God's grace. We are so blessed. I am very thankful that our parents and grandparents have passed down this heritage of faith and that we can cultivate it even more as we pass it down to our children.

I am not sure if what I'm about to tell you will make you laugh at me or agree with me, but from about the time I was 12 years old I had made a long list of all the qualities I hoped to find in a husband someday. My life's goal from the time I could talk was to get married and have children. I am living my dream! I carried that list with me for years until I basically had it memorized. Though some may seem superficial, they were in my heart so I wrote them down. A few of them went like this...

1. Blue Eyes
2. Tall
3. Hairy Chest  Don't ask. I don't know why but God answered that wish too
4. Handsome
5. Liked to sing
6. Liked to play the guitar
7. Family-oriented
8. Wanted children
9. Sense of Humor

and many many more. I remember having two columns full on a lined piece of notebook paper. But I still feel like a schoolgirl with butterflies in her tummy everytime I think of the ways the Lord answered my prayers. The night after I met my husband he came over to my dorm room and we literally sat in desk chairs opposite each other and I went through my list of questions from in my head and he truthfully matched every single thing I wanted. I was amazed and I as I said in an earlier post, I knew even before we'd officially met that God had chosen him for me.  But, for him to have matched all of my wishes was a tremendous blessing! 

I think one of my favorite things I've always appreciated most about Eric is his sense of humor. His mom always told me at home that he was the one joking around and making everyone laugh and lightening up people's spirits when they were down. I appreciate his jokes and goofiness! He has taught our sweet daughters to be goofy and play around which is something that has not come naturally to me .

I came upon a blog today that has left me without words. I think most of us probably unknowingly take our husbands for granted. Maybe we just don't thank them enough or appreciate them enough or whatever the case may be. But after reading of this dear woman's tragedy I have a renewed thankfulness for my husband! Dixie Cajuns has challenged us all to blog 7 days in a row about our husbands. So, check out her blog and lift her and her family up in prayers please!

I've already blogged about how I met my husband so I can't do that again. I'm going to have to dig down deep within the wells of my soul and share how much I love him. He has always been such a very patient man and let me tell you, between me and the girls he needs lots of it.  I am always so amazed at how he can keep going day after day after day to provide for our family. I'd have lost it a long time ago. I cannot even come close to understanding how it is for him because the last time I had a full-time job outside of the home was before I birthed our first daughter.

Thank you Eric for getting up at 5:40 every morning to drive one hour to work. Thank you for putting up with your difficult coworkers for 10 hours a day. Thank you for driving one hour home each day to have dinner with your busy little girls and spend time with them each evening playing despite your tiredness and stress. Thank you for doing everything you can to be a good daddy, a good husband, a good worker, and a God-fearing man! I love you.