Have I told you lately how much I love my husband?

How do I love him? Let me count the ways...

4. The number of years we have been married on May 21st (about an hour and a half from now).

2. The age of our most precious prize in the entire world, our little girl

9. The number of years we have been together (well, in October it will be)

1,000,000 and counting... how many times I have thought about him since we met

1460. that the number of times we have kissed if we kissed once a day since our Wedding day

10220. that is the number of times I guess we have kissed (doesn't seem like that much huh?)

Now--I wonder what his numbers would be.

Maybe they would be like...

7. the average number of times I email him during the day to see what he is up to and to tell him I love him (and to give him his honey-do list)

13.5. the number of hours I was in labor to bring forth previously said precious prize

71. the number of years we will be married if he lives to be 100.

3. The number of times a night I ask him to get me something when I have already settled in with Cori

I am so thankful that even when I was very young, and didn't know any better--God knew exactly what my life would hold. I am so thankful that He brought me the most amazing man in the world. Justin is an amazing husband, a precious father, and a pretty good cleaner (I know you are jealous). He gets me water at night when I forget and I am drying my hair and need a drink. He loves to spend time just him and Cori, and I love that. He cleans the kitchen and the living room every night before bed--and I really love that. He is more than I could ever have asked for. He loves me unconditionally. He loves me for all my faults and for all my goodness. He is the greatest husband and I am so happy he is mine.

Thank you Justin for an amazing 4 years, and here is to the next 67!

The best ear buds in the world!

I got the most amazing things this week. My awesome friend gave me a pair of Kicker ear buds! See www.kicker.com. They are amazing. When they are in your ears, even with the music off, you can barely hear people around you. This is awesome for me at work when I am trying to concentrate and get my work done and keep people from interrupting me.

My dear hubby tried them out and he fell in love too. He is excited to try them when he is mowing the lawn. That way he won't have to turn his ipod up to the highest volume to hear the music while he mows. This might save what is left of his hearing.

Also, it helps me keep the volume down about two or three notches when I am listening. The sound quality is amazing. Like nothing I have ever heard before. If you are looking for some new ear buds I totally recommend ones from Kicker. They know sound, so it makes sense they would have the best ear phones.

Reparation

Reparation: compensation, making amends

This is a word that has been running through my brain all day long. It came from reading Isaiah 40 today. Now, that word is not directly used in that passage, but that is the major impression that I got and I can't stop thinking about it.

Our God is a God of reparation. Both good and bad. He promises reparation for our sin and for our faith. He sent his Son to make amends for our sin. He paid the price we should pay. He also tells us that our faith will also be rewarded, compensated.


1 Samuel 26:23The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD's anointed.

Proverbs 14:14The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his.

Isaiah 61:8"For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Hebrews 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

I am thankful that I serve a God who is rewarding to those who earnestly seek Him. I am thankful that a good man is rewarded. I am thankful that my God makes an ever lasting covenant for those who are just. I am thankful that Jesus paid the price for my sins, but I also want to make sure that I am faithful, that I am just, that I am good, and that I earnestly seek Him.

Things have been difficult in the lives of so many around us. People at work cringe when their phones ring, wondering if their husbands are calling to tell them they have been laid off. Health issues, infertility, loss, death, money problems, plagues (have you heard of the swine flu?), earthquakes, tornadoes, and the list goes on and on and on; these are the things that we Christians face every day. Can you imagine facing those things and not having Christ in your life? Can you imagine going to bed at night, and just staring at the ceiling without hope. Can you imagine not praying? Can you imagine not knowing a God that you know hears you, loves you, is with you every moment of every day, and promises to one day dry the all tears from your eyes?

I can't believe that I haven't done more to share Jesus to those without Him. I can't believe I have been so selfish that I use God for myself and don't tell everyone I meet about Him. I can't believe that I don't do more. I can't believe that there are people in the world who are killed for their faith, and I don't even share mine, in a country where I am free to do so.

I know this blog doesn't make much sense tonight. But it does to me. It is all the things that I am feeling and thinking. The thoughts are just pouring off my quickly typing fingers onto the computer screen. I don't even know what made me decide to blog tonight. It has been nearly a month since I even logged on. I have just been so busy with myself, and my agenda that I haven't even thought about sharing my thoughts and feelings.

I just feel like I have been holding my breath. For months. For years. Holding onto something, afraid to let go because it might all fall apart. I am breathing deep tonight. God is an amazing God. He has blessed me beyond measure. He has saved me. He saved me from myself. He saved me for eternity. I owe Him my life. I should die as compensation for my sin. Jesus saved me. I owe Him my life. I need to start living like it. Reparation. Repayment. I owe and now it is time to pay up!