20 Years Today

20 years ago today…

I didn’t know we would be living in Dallas, TX.

I didn’t know I would be preaching for a church.

I didn’t know you would be a kindergarten teacher.

I didn’t know we would have had the chance to travel to places all around the US.

I didn’t know we would have had the chance to travel to places all around the world like Mexico, Canada, and even to Israel!

I didn’t know we would have three kids! And a dog!

I didn’t know we would be going to so many baseball games.

I didn’t know how much joy we would share over watching that boy play ball or our girls dance.

I didn’t know that one day we would routinely fall asleep before 10PM. (Sometimes before 9PM!)

I didn’t know that we would face the struggles we have faced so far. Or that we would have been able to find our way through them.

I didn’t know we would have so many people who genuinely love us and care about us.

I didn’t know that all these years later you would still be sleeping on my side of the bed!

I didn’t know that we could possibly love each other more, but we do.

I didn’t know that one day I would have to trade in my beloved Jeep Wrangler for your dream car, aka a mini-van, when our kids were born.

I didn’t know that McDonald’s french fries would still make you happy and that you still wouldn’t want to share them with me.

I didn’t know that after all those years of youth ministry, we would still go out for pizza.

I didn’t know how important so many of the decisions we made early on would change the trajectory of our lives.

Decisions to surround ourselves with incredible, wise, spiritual mentors. To be debt-free. To always communicate about decisions big and small and love each other enough to put each other first. And to keep Jesus central in our marriage, our family, our home, our finances, and in every area of our lives.

20 years ago, I did know…

That I would always love you.

That I would always love your smile and getting the chance to make you smile.

That I married up!

That I was blessed beyond measure.

That you made me a better person, a better friend, a better minister, a better father, pretty much better at everything.

That wherever God led us, we would be in it together.

And that when we said, “I Do,” that day 20 years ago and your dress didn’t catch on fire (which it certainly could have when that spring-loaded unity candle jumped out of the stand) that we would still be standing together today.

So here’s to 20 years, babe! I love you more today than I did the day we got married. And I can’t wait to see what the next 20 years hold!

Here’s to the adventure!

I love you. Happy Anniversary!