Why I Love My Bride

Lydia and I will have been married 5 years this June. If we have experienced anything over the past several years its been change. We have added 3 children to our family. We bought and sold a condo and are getting ready to buy our first house. I went back to school six months after we got married. We have experienced many blessing and some difficulties but I guess that describes most any one's life. One thing that has remained constant in our every changing lives is our love for one another.

I love my bride. Even though I don't always express my love as I should or as often as I should, it does not change the fact that I love her more than anyone else on this planet (or on any other planet for that matter). Love can be serious. Love can be playful. Here are 5 reasons, some serious and some playful, for why I love my bride.

1) She balances me. I don't think an unmarried person can fully understand how God uses our spouse to shape and change us for the better. I know I certainly would not have understood as a single person. Because Lydia knows me better than anyone else, she sees my strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies more vividly. She knows the mistakes I'm prone to make and she protects me from myself with her advice. Before I ever make a big decision, I want her opinion because she often sees what I overlook. I love her because she sees in me my strengths and she protects me from my weaknesses.

2) She loves children. I have always considered myself to be a person who loves children but Lydia has shown me a higher level. I see it in the way she trains and disciplines Will and Riley. She doesn't take shortcuts. When you are exhausted from caring for three children, its natural to be lazy and not exhibit the patience needed to properly train your children. Lydia's passion for our children propels her to do things the right way and I admire her for that.

3) She is a logical and systematic thinker. I don't always think through all the details, whether it be with planning an event at the church or purchasing a house. I don't always see things from start to finish as well as I should. Over the years, she has really helped me to be a critical thinker who examines every angle of a situation. I know this may be a funny thing to love about your spouse but it has helped me so much as a husband, father, and minister.

4) She is beautiful. I have the honor of seeing my wife counsel other women all the time. She possesses wisdom to so many different aspects of life and I love to see her help others. She is beautiful to me when she shares her wisdom and helps others with everyday life situations. She is beautiful in the way she forgives. I have a tendency to make the same mistakes over and over again. From time to time, I don't listen as well as I should. Yes, I am a man! I know that when I repeat my mistakes, it can communicate to her that I don't care enough to change. However, Lydia is patient with me and I love her for her ability to forgive. And of course, she is beautiful on the outside as well. Have you ever seen such beautiful brown eyes? Well, maybe in her oldest daughter.

5) She can flat out cook. This past year, Lydia has started watching more of the Cooking Network and its paying off. She tries new things all the time and more often than not, they turn out amazing. She made an Italian Cream Cake the other day...awesome. She made a bolognese sauce two weeks ago (that included carrots?)...crazy good. One of my favorites are her blond brownies (did you notice two of the three foods are desserts)...love it. Men, I encourage you to let your wives watch the Cooking Network. It pays off in the long run.