Happy 10th Anniversary!

His gift is writing to me...my gift is bragging about him.

Last night was amazing.  It was our tenth wedding anniversary and my husband is a true gentleman.  It all started with blocking his calendar a few weeks in advance with "plan anniversary date".  He planned ahead...that means a lot to me.  He found a babysitter that allowed me to relax and not have to rush to get home.  He planned dinner for them so I didn't have to think about it.  (All of those details tend to stress me out for some reason).  He told me that we were doing something different and gently asked me to wear that little black dress...the one that's a little too small in my opinion.  He wears his suit...because he knows it drives me wild and I don't usually get to see him in it.

 I'm running around trying to find my earrings and to get Hannah to put her clothes on when I see someone come to the front door.  There he is in his suit, with roses and a card.  LOVE IT.

We get it all together and get in the car to leave.  He plugs in his phone and begins to play his predetermined love song play list...first up is Adele's "make you feel my love".  He says, "if you want to open your card now, you can".  In it is a 5 page letter outlining and remembering our last 10 years together.  PRICELESS.  I immediately tried to think of how I would keep it from getting ruined or wet or ripped...you know cuz that's just the life stage that we're in right now.

We proceed to talk about a million things. He says that he prayed that it would be the perfect night...because we've had a lot going on and we haven't had a date in forever.  I say a quick prayer too that things go as planned and I would have a good attitude...because sometimes I can just be a brat.  We arrive at the restaurant and are wined and dined and made to feel very fancy and special.  He picked a new place...unique and different and I just loved it.  The next step is to get dessert, drinks, and music at a cute little hole in the wall with historical significance...I would expect no less from my guy :).  We tried some new things and had lots of laughs.

I feel so blessed to have a man who knows me...all of the details...and after 10 years he's still working hard to make things special and to impress me at every level.  He is a true gentleman.  He treats me like gold...all the time.  He remembers things that I have long forgotten.  He writes with passion and detail and he isn't afraid to grovel just a little :).  I love you Dan Samms...I love you like crazy.

Until the next time :-), C

small miracles

I wish I could describe the way that I’m feeling tonight.  I've tried numerous times today to put it to words…but I just can’t quite get it out.  If you happen to have stopped by my little blog in the past year, you will know that God has guided me through quite a journey complete with mountains, valleys, and lots of windy and mangled roads.  All the while though I have this sense of closeness with Him…I feel my roots digging down deeper and deeper.  I’ve learned to lean into him more.  I’ve learned to walk with him more closely.  

Dan, myself, and our kids are in an exciting time of our life.  I’d love to tell you more about it over coffee at Panera sometime.  We are embarking on an adventure for sure.  There is no guidebook, there are no assurances.  Our bills still must be paid, and life still delivers its cruel realities with bits of happiness sprinkled throughout.  But God has called us to something and our hearts know it well.  His voice is unmistakeable.  He confirms it time and time again.  It’s been about a year since this leg of the journey began and looking back I just can’t help but fall to my knees in amazement and wonder at the goodness and mysterious nature of his ways.  We are not special.  We are not better.  Our lives are not easy!  We love God more than life itself.  We have been called to a life of leading people to Jesus and to do anything else feels utterly impossible. 

You see, today I witnessed a small miracle.  Again, to explain the details with words would undermine the work that God did in my heart.  So I will leave you with this:  God is real.  He created you.  He loves you.  He wants to know you intimately.  He is not surprised by your pain.  And He is not defined by your past experiences of “church” or “faith”…He is beyond all of that.   He wants a relationship with you and the thought of a life without him terrifies me to my core.  His peace is beyond understanding.  His provision takes my breath away…

If you’re missing this…let’s have coffee.  

“But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire.  It’s like a fire in my bones!  I am worn out trying to hold it in!  I can’t do it!” Jeremiah 20:9

Until the next time :-), C