Love At First Sight and Forever Too

Today, I celebrate my 11th anniversary with my beautiful wife. I thought I would share why I fell in love with and have continued and grown in my love for Bethany.

I remember the first time I saw Bethany. I truly can say it was love at first sight. She was wearing red (which shirt we disagree on) and it was Sterling College orientation. We were both freshman. I remember seeing her and being attracted to her. She was beautiful and I knew I wanted to date her. We began dating in January 1995 and spent 3 1/2 years dating before getting married.

I remember my proposal. Before I proposed, I met Steve and Shirley at a Braum's to ask their permission to marry their daughter. I then planned the proposal for Bethany's backyard. Shirley had done some amazing things with plants and flowers and it was beautiful. I took her through several "stations" where we talked about our memories of dating. Finally, I got down on one knee and asked her to "marry me." If you wonder if she was surprised, see the pictures where she is wearing a bright yellow Last Blast t-shirt.

I also clearly remember our wedding day. I was so glad that we did not see each other before the ceremony. I can remember clearly having the back doors at First Bible Baptist Church open and seeing her smiling face and the beautiful dress as she came into the sanctuary. We had a beautiful wedding and great pictures from the day. To top the day off, when our guests were going through tornado warnings and green skies, we drove to Kansas City to start our honeymoon and we saw a rainbow.

What I Love About Bethany:

• Her relationship with Christ-her faith and understanding of the Bible challenged me to grow in my personal walk with Christ.


• Her beauty-I am amazed at how blessed I am to have a great looking wife. She is my standard of beauty and is very attractive.
• Her intelligence-I love talking with her and hearing her viewpoints on life.


• Her voice-I love hearing her sing. She truly does have the voice of an angel.


• Her encouragement-She has encouraged me in my faith and ministry.


• Her caring-She has always been sympathetic and empathetic to people especially to me and the kids.


• Her convictions-When she is passionate about something, she gives her all. I love stories about her reports in school about being pro-life, her heart for helping unwed mothers, and how these and many more beliefs are based on God's Word.


• Her presence-I love waking up next to her every morning. I just love being with her. She is always there for me. I miss her greatly when she is gone. I love dates when we do nothing, but just spend time together.


• Her forgiveness/confession-I am thankful that when I mess up she is willing to forgive. I am also thankful that we she messes up, she is quick to confess. We have had few fights over the years because of this.


• Her giving-She is so giving and unselfish. She gives of her time, energy, and gifts to her family, friends, and church.


• Her parenting-She is a great mom and takes great care of our home. I am thankful that she is the mother of my children.
  

I could go on and on. I have been blessed with a wonderful wife and look forward to spending the rest of my life with her. It is hard for me to believe, but I love her more today than I did on our wedding day. I pray that our intimacy and love grows more and more each and every day. Thank you, God, for giving us marriage and for the wife you created for me!