It's our 60th

Proverbs 31 describes "a wife of noble character" vs. 10. It also says that her husband is "full of confidence in her" vs 11, and her husband "sits at the gate" and "praises her".

This blog seems to be the best place I can publicly do that.  I have been very reflective this week as I have recounted my life with and my love for Carol Sue. It has been quite a emotional journey as I have thought through our marriage- my 60 years of days living and loving this woman.

Her senior picture was taken about the time that the following account, taken from a memoir I have written, recalls:

"We were going steady when I graduated from high school, but by the time I went away to college we had drifted apart just from the sheer difference in our geography and interests.

We were going steady, but not very steadily, seeing each other, still occasionally dating when I came home from school to work on the weekends.  Then one day while sitting in my room at college, it hit me. I missed her terribly and I was treating her and our relationship way to casually. I had heard she was going out some with other guys and I was in danger of losing her. I sat down and wrote her a letter saying I was coming home on the weekend and if she still thought she wanted to be with me I would meet her at a certain dance. I remember I was at the dance nervously looking for any sign of her. Well,after the dance started, she showed up and we have never looked back.

She has shown an enormous amount of patience with me, which is a huge part of the definition of true love. Carol always has been more whole emotionally. I have been just the opposite. I was damaged goods in the love department. Because of the lack of love or the examples of love in my upbringing, it has taken me a lifetime to grow to anywhere near a real understanding of love. In fact, I am sure that if I never had become a follower of Jesus and experienced His love and became familiar with His love letter the Bible, I never would have come to understand what true love looks like and to experience it. I am thankful for her unconditional love that has never wavered, I am also thankful that because of her, I experienced the opportunity to receive God’s love and begin the process of love finding me."

So began a journey of finding and serving God together. It was the beginning of a family that has grown to include over 65 people including 18 grandchildren and almost 20 great-grandchildren.
I am overwhelmed at the thought of what this lady has done to follow and support me in our efforts to serve God and raise our family. From Washington, to Alaska,
to Oregon, to Canada, and back to Oregon. In between the lines of those moves have been numerous houses, thousands of miles. thousands of meals and many crises. All without regret and surely without recrimination.
A faithful marraige is not about the crises or the spectacular. It is about a day by day commitment. A priceless gift, she is truly God's gift to me.