13 & Life to go.

This time 13 years ago, I was in my office of University Heights Baptist Church. I wasn't preparing a Bible Study or putting the finishing touches on going to camp. I was getting into my tux and enjoying the time with my friends who were about to stand beside me on stage as I waited for my soon to be bride to walk down the aisle of UHBC.

So much has changed in those 13 years: 3 kids, 11 different jobs, 13 different houses, 9 different towns and nearly 40 more lbs (for me, not her). However, one thing has remained. God has continued to bless me beyond what I deserve by allowing me to be loved by, respond to, lead and care for Christie Beavers McCullah. If you know her, you know how amazing she is.

As I right this, she is asleep on the couch across the room from me. Why is she asleep? Well, we are staying with our amazing friends Will and Rachelle Joyce. They have two fantastic young boys, Jackson(4) and Thomas Ryan(2) (that's right, Thomas RYAN), and Rachelle is pregnant with Boy #3 (I am hoping for Eugene) . Well, a couple of days ago, Thomas Ryan developed a pretty rough cough. It has made him not feel well and sleep difficult. Last night, after Rachelle had served in the Kids area of her church, driven us all around St. Louis, prepared our meals for us and generally been an amazing host, she crashed around 10 PM. Around 3 AM, Thomas Ryan woke up with his cough and decided that it was time to play, so he went into the room where the girls were sleeping and began to ask them "What doing?". Christie heard him get up and went in to see if she could get him back to sleep. It took a while, but Christie eventually rocked him back to sleep. Christie wasn't going to say anything about it this morning, but the girls loved the fact that they had a cute late night visitor and told Rachelle. Rachelle was shocked to hear the news of her son paying social visits last night and asked Christie, "Why didn't you wake me?" Rachelle and everyone who knows Christie knows the answer to this question. Christie loves and serves because she is aware of how loved she is by Jesus. She simply gives because so much has been given to her. As her husband, I often have to tell her she can't give anymore at times. But that is how she is wired.

One thing has changed in these 13 years. I love her more now than I did when we said "I do" 13 years ago. I really never understood what that meant or that it was even possible to grow in your love of someone. Infatuation and the feelings of early love are intense, but it is true that deep, abiding love does grow. As my body grows in places it shouldn't and my jokes and nuances become less "cute", God has replaced our capacities to love and serve one another with super natural abilities to love one another.

I now recognize that loving Christie is my first act of worship of Jesus. Her protection, welfare, success, capacity for joy and provision are my pleasure to take care of and Jesus is glorified when I love her as He loved His Church.

Thank you all, as our community, for loving us, praying for us and supporting us. Your accountability and love are a vital part of our marriage working. Thank you and we love you all!

Most importantly, thank you Jesus for blessing me with my Bride, Christie and for the amazing blessing that was set in motion on August 3, 1996.