Mismatched Candlesticks and a Marriage giveaway
Published February 4, 2010ANNOUNCEMENT: Each day next week will be a different Valentine giveaway—–marriage books, Bath and Body Works products, Valentines goodies and more. Mark your calendar and ‘click’ in!
Have you joined us today by way of the Encouragement for Today devotion I have up over at Crosswalk.com and on our site at Proverbs 31.org? If so, welcome!
PLEASE NOTE: If you haven’t read the devotion yet, you’ll be lost when reading this post so click here to read it. Don’t forget to come back and enter the giveaway!
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My husband Todd and I are mismatched.
He is laid back.
I am high-strung.
He is energized by lots of alone time.
I am energized by being with people.
He loves smooth jazz stations.
I prefer talk radio.
He is “get to the point” already!
I am “tell all the details so it makes a great story”.
He is a simple ham sandwich with a pickle spear and side of chips.
I am a colorful grilled chicken salad with yellow mild pepper rings and snow white feta cheese and crimson dried cranberries with a splash of raspberry vinaigrette dressing and a sunny lemon-poppy seed muffin.
We are just not at all alike.
And it makes for a FABULOUS marriage.
No. Really.
Just like the candlesticks I described in the above devotion, we make a perfect pair.
Even though I am sure a compatibility test would NEVER couple Todd and I together, we are committed to making our mismatched marriage work.
Sometimes I wonder how we ever got married, being that we are so different. However, the old saying is true. Opposites do attract.
And then, they attack!
Living 24/7 with someone who does things so differently than you, who reacts in ways you wouldn’t or who thinks issues are so vital that you think are relative non-issues, well…it is just a set up for disaster!
Nearly 24 years of marriage has taught us that we are NEVER going to agree on every major parenting dilemma; or the proper way to stack the dishes; or which brand of toilet paper to buy. That is BEFORE we argue about which way it should go on the roll. (And people….can I just say, arguing about which way the toilet paper goes on the roll is just plain silly. After all, anyone with any sense knows that the paper should hang off of the FRONT of the roll! 
)
Let’s face it, living with another person, even one you are crazy in love with, is sometimes rocky and rough.
So let me tell you the one aspect of my mismatched marriage that I love.
It keeps me on my knees.
You see, if I had a perfect husband who could meet my every need, I would have no need for God.
And if he had a flawless wife who never yelled or nagged (not that I ever do those things!), he would have no need for a savior.
So that, dear cyber sister, is why I am thankful I have a husband who drives me nuts (and he, a wife who drives him even nutty-er!)
Because….it drives us both straight to Jesus.
For those of you who too are in a mismatched marriage, I have a little giveaway that may help you. It is pictured here (along with our mismatched candlesticks!)
It is a couples “basket-in-a-box” centered around my friends’ Bill and Pam Farrel’s book Men Are Like Waffles,Women Are Like Spaghetti; Understanding and Delighting in Your Differences.
In the Farrel’s words:
Why is communication with the opposite gender so difficult? Because Men are like Waffles, and Women are Like Spaghetti!
Men process life in boxes. If you look down at a waffle, you see a collection of boxes separated by walls. That is typically how a man processes life. Our thinking is divided up into boxes that have room for one issue and one issue only. The first issue of life goes in the first box, the second goes in the second box and so on. The typical man then spends time in one box at a time and one box only. When a man is at work, he is at work. When he is in the garage tinkering around, he is in the garage tinkering. When he is watching TV, he is WATCHING TV! Social scientists call this “compartmentalizing”.
In contrast to men’s waffle like approach, women process life more like a plate of spaghetti. If you look at a plate of spaghetti, you notice that there are individual noodles that all touch one another. If you attempted to follow one noodle around the plate, you would intersect a lot of other noodles and you might even switch to another noodle seamlessly. That is how women face life. This is why women are typically better at multi-tasking than men. She can talk on the phone, prepare a meal, make a shopping list, work on the planning for tomorrow’s business meeting, give instructions to her children as they are going out to play and close the door with her foot without skipping a beat!
This is just a sampling of some of the helpful marital info you’ll find in this fabulous book!
To round out this marriage giveaway, here is what else is included:
- For her, some Irresistible Apple Bath and Body Works Lotion. (Eve tempted Adam to evil with an apple. Maybe you can tempt your husband in a good way with this apple lotion. Are you trackin’ with me ladies?)
- For him, some C.O. Bigelow’s Bay Rum After Shave Lotion (Most after shave makes me sneeze. This one makes me want to ask Todd if he’s in the mood for a little “horizontal fellowship”
) - Does he drive you nuts? Enjoy some Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Almonds!
- He thinks you are a complete and total fruit? Feed each other some Dark Chocolate-Covered Pomegranate Pieces! (So much better than grapes!)
- Are the two of you as different as salty, snappy pretzels and smooth, sweet peanut butter? Well, those two tastes, just like you two, blend beautifully in a bag of H.K. Anderson Peanut Butter Filled Nuggets.
Okay, hop on and comment. I want you to tell one aspect of your husband’s personality that you appreciate. One gal who comments will win the couples giveaway centered around the Farrel’s helpful book! I’ll leave this post up through the weekend and the winner will be announced Monday.
I’ll go first.
I adore my husband’s calm, cool, collected, “I refuse to panic” personality.
I can freak out in a split second. He just doesn’t worry, fret or stress. His faith in God is cemented firm. In fact, when Kenz was stranded all alone in a winter storm in NC last Friday (post here), I was busy planning her funeral as I frantically talked out-loud to him, just after we’d crawled in bed after talking to a very distressed Kenz. Within a few minutes of my jaws flappin’, he was soundly snoring in the bed next to me. No joke!!!
Now, what do you appreciate about your husband?
Mismatched Blessings,
330 Responses to Mismatched Candlesticks and a Marriage giveaway
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I really can appreciate the candlestick metaphor as well as the waffle/spaghetti analogy. I love when someone puts a new/different/BETTER perspective on life!
One BIG part of my husband’s personality I really appreciate is his SERVANT’S HEART. I am always hearing compliments from co-workers, neighbors, and friends about how wonderful, patient, and helpful he is. What I see is someone who I have to BEG to not leave dishes laying around, to pick up his underwear from the living room floor, to not leave the interior of the vehicle a mess BUT, when someone else points out what a great guy he is, I am reminded that, yeah, he does do anything I ask with a GREAT attitude and with a happy heart. He doesn’t grumble or gripe, he takes action almost immediately, and he will even volunteer to do more!
It’s sometimes hard for me, a control-freak, to remember all I have to do is ASK and my husband will provide!
Thanks for today’s reminder!
Blessed beyond belief!!!
We’ve been married for 17yrs and of course we have different personalities, too. He has always been calm, gentle, and understanding. I started out pretty rough around the edges, but between him and God, they have softened me up quite a bit through the years. Recently, I had heart surgery to correct an arrythmia. Things didn’t go well, I was supposed to leave two days later, instead it was 21 days , with the majority being in ICU. My lungs did’nt want to fully re-inflate and I came home on oxygen. I had this cumbersome oxygen machine that he had to push up and down the hall every time I went to the bathroom, which I was doing quite a bit due to so much medication. He had to do everything, dishes, laundry, errands, doctor visits, plan meals, etc., all the while waiting on me hand and foot. What stands out to me is how, not once, did he complain or snap. He took such good care of me, even though I could look at him and see he was exhausted and feeling overwhelmed. I guess he could look at me and see I felt worse, lol. And I was depressed and I would cry at the drop of a hat, and he kept encouraging me to talk to him, to share my feelings. I love my husband very much, he’s the best!
I appreciate that my husband tolerates me and all my moods, looks, and just takes the whole package.
We have been married 7 1/2 years and have gone through some very hard things during that time. Loss of jobs, I had a very severe illness and most recently I miscarried our first child at 9 weeks. But through all of this my husband has never left my side. He is very dedicated and very funny. Sometimes he makes me laugh so hard that I have tears streaming down my face! He puts things in perspective for me. I tend to worry a lot over silly things and he reminds me that they aren’t worth worrying over. Life is too short to worry about little things. I totally relate to the mismatched candle sticks. We are alike in some ways, but so very different in others. I think that is what makes our marriage work. Where he is weak, I am strong and vice versa.
I love that after 10 years of marriage, and a very difficult and trying one at that, my husband still loves me and adores me just as much as when we first started dating. And only with God have we made it this far.
I just found your blog here, and it’s such a fun breath of fresh air.
Okay…about my husband:
I appreciate that on our wedding day, part of our charge from the pastor was for him to be a “student of his wife” [me], and he IS! Sometimes I hate that he can see right through me, but on the other hand…he LOVES me so completely–”warts and all.”
We fill each others’ gaps beautifully! <3
I definitely appreciate my husband’s laid back nature. He does not get frustrated or flustered very easily and is a very patient man. He is so supportive, understanding, and undemanding of me as a wife that it constantly amazes me and leaves me thanking God for allowing me to find such a man to spend my life with. I, on the other hand, do really well for a time but then have a massive “venting” session to clear the air. He also reminds me during stressful times that God is in control and that He always has and always will provide for us. We really do compliment each other in such a strange way. I really felt connected to the devotion this morning. I have often wondered if Jason and I would have ever matched up on one of those dating websites? I was so studious and focused in high school (where we met) and he was so carefree and fun-loving…definitely not the ideal student I strived to be. I honestly feel that he has rubbed off on me in the past 11 years in only good ways.
I love how organized he is because I am the exact opposite – very laid back and unorganized! He is rubbing off on me and that is a GOOD THING!
Where do I start? There are so many ways in which I appreciate my husband but I think what it all comes down to is that he makes me be a better me. I was always a grumpy “the glass is half empty” sort of person, but my husband makes it extremely hard to be negative. He brings a smile to the face of everyone he encounters with his ever-present positive view of situations, people, weather, finances…..whatever the day, he will find the good in it; whoever the person, he will find the good in them. He stops to smell the roses, to gaze at the stars, to take in the mountain view. He stops to give a ride to a stranger walking in the rain, puts up with my fanatical need to run (and will even drive alongside me in a strange place). He makes me laugh when I’m about to cry. I can go on and on about the ways he has helped me appreciate God’s greatest gifts but songwriter Martina McBride’s song, “I Just Call You Mine”, sums it up for me. And I thank God that I can do that!!
My husband and I are VERY different. I have always enjoyed being around people and he is perfectly happy to be alone. When we first were married, this was definitely a challenge for me, as after services were over, it would take us almost an hour to leave. Soon, he devised a short cut that took us straight to our car….. However, what at first drove me nuts about this man, God used to bring us both to an “understanding” of each other! Only God and obedience to Him, could have kept us together this long and each and every day we find ourselves growing closer because of Him. February 9th we will celebrate 19 yrs. of marriage but we’ve known each other 38 yrs. during which time we were engaged twice – but that’s another story! We are both blessed!
I love my husbands sarcastic sense of humor. He has a way of playing devil’s advocate and sometimes I can’t tell if he is serious or not, but it keeps me on my toes!
I love that my husband sees the positive in EVERY event. At the time of the actual event, I am not always so open to seeing the positive spin on it (as when our oldest was diagnosed with Type I diabetes 4 1/2 years ago!) but as time goes on, he is always right, that God will turn every event for good and for His glory. I also love his sense of humor, his patience and his ‘teacher’s heart’ – he truly is one of the greatest gifts God has given me!
What I love about him is he balances me. Like ya’ll, we don’t MATCH, but we compliment so well!
He picks up where I leave off — with chores, cooking, cleaning, laundry. If I start something and am tending to our son, then he finishes it A LOT! I love that!
Thanks for the chance to win such a great prize!
Emily
So this might not be a little bit against the rules, but since I’m not married I’m going to write about my parents (and give them the basket if I won, I know they would love it!).
My parents are very different: my mom is the social butterfly, my dad is the introvert. If I had to choose one thing (I’m sure there are many) that my Mom appreciates about my dad is his money sense. He pays all the bills and deals with all the “money stuff”. But he also is great at finding good deals, does all the grocery shopping (because he knows my mom would spend way more money), and is the reason our family made it through some of the tougher times and never went without. Me (and my mom) are so thankful God gave him this skill!
I appreciate my husband choosing to complete his college degree. It is hard work! …on top of marriage, being a father, and working a full time job, plus a part time job. I appreciate that he is willing, on occasion, to throw in a load of laundry or help with the dishes.
My husband and i are so not alike at all.
Come winter i want to head north and ski, he wants to head south and be warm. We started our marriage unconventially. We were friends first, Got Married on the way to my nephews graduation at a courthouse. We wanted both of my kids there and this prevented the other side from ruining that. our first year was all about orders of protection and how far my ex could stand in the same room with me. Then as we celebrated our 1 year anniversary my husband adopted my youngest son as his father no longer wanted him.
i ground the kids,he lectures for what seems to be forever
i like to listen to country and christian music. He will listen to anhything but.
i tuck in sheets, he untucks
and lets not discuss folding towels.
But last year (wow it has almost been a year) since we lost our oldest son, he has been my rock, my light and peace of mind. He who doesnt believe you have to go every week. started taking me to church. He knew that was what i needed.
I love that my husband takes such great care of his family. He loves me for me and I am very thankful for him. Thanks for the wonderful devotion today. It was just what I needed.
Blessings, Debbie
One thing I appreciate my husband for is that if I mention something I would like built he just quietly in his own way goes to his computer and draws up designs for me to look over and then procedes to build whatever it is. Sometimes he looks at me as if I’m nuts but he never tells me it can’t be done.
My husband and I are definetly different in a lot of ways. He is very organized and thinks that the yard must be mowed and the house cleaned before we leave for a trip. In one way I love this because it motivates me to do the same. In another way I wish he would relax from this a little bit and smell the roses. He does better since he went through some critical medical problems last year, but I have to remind him often. But we love each other dearly and compliment each others personality.
I appreciate all the acts of kindness my husband does for me each week. He always fills my car with gas each Saturday morning. He runs by the grocery store for me to pick up what I forgot on his way home from work. He is a “do-er” and loves to do stuff for me.
Thanks for offering this great give away!
I love that my husband understands this quirky scientific person he married and that he still marvels at our relationship after 16 years of being together.
I think what most amazes me about my husband is, is how calm he can be during ANYTHING! LOL! I can be freaking out over something and he will look at me and say, “why are you worrying? God is in control! Worrying will do nothing buy make you ill.” He is just that calm. He will take control of a situation to make things easier on me. He has always been like that. No matter what. We have been together for 19 years and for 19 years, other than God, he has been my rock. I love this man so much!
I appreciate that my husband is always there for me. Sure we disagree once in awhile but whenever I really need him, he is right there supporting me.
Karen, I really enjoy your blog, especially today. Even though I have been married just 6 years, at the age 56…..the honeymoon must be over!! We are just like the candlesticks and it is just beginning to come out! LOL! I love him so…….the thing I love the most is his faith in our Lord. He has been unemployed twice since we married and I freaked out and he kept reminding me that our God provides, and you know what he does and he did! Would love to win the basket, but may buy the book and ready regardless! Thank you for all you do and all I take away every day by reading your treasures! Kelly
I appreciate my husband’s knowledge in our finances. He keeps track of EVERY bill and knows when something isn’t paid on time or when he’s missed receiving a notice. With today’s economy and his financial prowess, we haven’t had to tighten our belts, even though I was laid off over 6 months ago.
What I love the most about my husband is the sacrificial way he loves me. He gives everything of himself for me and our 2 little girls ages 1 and 2. When I am exhausted after taking care of the girls all day he will sweep in (after an equally long day) and help cook supper. I work from home so child care sometimes becomes a challenge, but he will willingly take vacation days to help me out when I have a big event taking place. He is gentle and kind, exeplifying Christ in the way he puts himself last. After doing it my way too long, I finally yielded and let the Lord be my matchmaker. HE chose my precious husband for me and I thank HIM everyday for bringing me such a perfect match for me. That is why I am 1happycampa!
One evening after a very long and frustrating day at work I was at home very upset and complaining. I mean I was actually on the verge of tears. My husband said something to me that I’ll never forget and remind myself of whenever I’m starting to feel the same way. He asked if getting mad and crying was going to change my situation at work. The truth of that question stopped me in my tracks and put all things into perspective. I love my husband’s ability to tell me the truth even when it’s the hard thing to do.
My husband is the kindest man I know. He serves without complaining, gives of his time and NEVER has a negative thing to say about anyone. I admire and love him so very much!
Thanks for this opportunity!
I really appreciate my husband’s ability to let things go. I hold on to things way too tight, overthink just about everything, constantly worry, and drive us all crazy. He is much more likely to take things as they come, accept them, do whatever feels right to him – without thinking about it for hours, and after they are over, let go of them emotionally. Sometimes, that is such a better way to be!
We are a blended family with 5 children between the two of us; all of them currently within the ages of 25-20 yep pretty much one year apart all of them. At any rate, we had some pretty rocky years through the teenage stage, but are now enjoying an almost empty nest! I appreciate my husband’s soft, tender heart toward ALL our children. He makes them accountable but he is also the first guy there ready to help in a time of need! The Lord has blessed us by bringing us together!
Thanks for the reminder to take notice and praise God for my husband and I’s differences. How boring marriage would be if we were married to the male versions of ourselves, right?
I appreciate my husband’s heart and constant willingness to do the good thing, the right thing, in every circumstance. He is always happy to give to anyone that needs giving to, and his pure heart is a real example of Christ’s love to me when I need it most.
I love that my husband keeps me going. Even though we don’t think alike on some things, he still is very supportive. I love him so very much.
One thing I admire about my husband. Wow just own thing. We have a special needs child who has cystic fibrosis and some other health conditions. My husband is the one in our family that stands fast. I break down and cry leave the room and loose it. Even though he deals with this in his own way. He has always been there for me. For our son and for our family. It has hard on a marriage and family to have one child that requires so much. Sometimes in the fray we forget to take care of ourselves let alone each other. And mike always finds time to sneak in a date or a nice walk or even a quiet lunch for us two. He is the rock of this family. The one I can always rely on to be here. To cry with me when the dreams of a “normal” healthy child allude us. When it all seems to much. God first my husband second. I would not have made it through any of this with our son without his love and support. The divorce rate for couples with special needs children is so high.. but he has comitted to me to not have us be a statistic. To stay together and always get through whatever comes our way.. I praise God for him everyday!
I love my husbands sense of humor. No matter what is going on, one silly, off the wall comment can make it all better!
I love my husband’s quirky sense of humor – he’s goofy and i love it!
I totally love how laid back and patient Dave is. Nothing gets him flustered. It doesn’t matter how upset or anxious or in a rush I get, he still moves at the same pace and processes things the same way. It drives me crazy sometimes, but I’ve definitely learned to appreaciate how steadfast he is!
We are a blended family with 5 children. Mine, yours and ours!!I appreciate that my husband is a servant of God and trying very hard to lead his family in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
After 35 years of marriage my husband is still my rock. He has rekindled our marriage and helped me through the “emty nest” syndrome. He is a faithful Christian man who gives God all of the glory for each facet of his life. There is nothing he would not do for his children or grandchild,or anyone else who has a need. His love for others is evident in his daily walk with the Lord and through is job at a local hospital. He never knows a stranger and is always volunteering to help others. He is not perfect and we do have our disagreements, but I am so thankful for the love he has for me and most of all, my Savior.
What I love about my husband is his continued patience with me. Most of the time I am moody after a long day and he still comes back from work and is pretty patient with me and has a sense of humor to lighten my mood up. I am thankful for a husband that is so loving and lively. I know most of all that this love comes from Christ our Lord where our marriage continues to be founded on. Karen, thank you so much for these encouraging words during this month and especially during Valentine’s Day.
The thing I appreciate most about my husband is that he lets me be me! He has never tried to change me-even through the times that he doesn’t understand me nor does he even attempt to change any of the MANY things that I know irritate him (like trying to talk while he is watching tv). He loves me just the way I am and after almost 11 years of marriage still tells me I am the most beautiful woman he knows.
My husband and I have been married for 17 years and I have always wondered why we were brought together. Last year God showed me. I was dx. with breast cancer last year and my husband was by my side every step of the way and very supportive. He just always thought of my needs and just was everything I needed. God blessed us so much last year in so many different ways, just showed me that we will make if we keep our focus were it needs to be.
I hope I can still enter even if I’m not married….this is on my mom’s behalf. She’s not blogger savvy…but she definitely appreciates that my dad is relatively patient.
She’s not so much.
I love the way my husband is always there for me. He loves my children and grandchildren like they were his own. We are a blended family of 6 children and 6 grandchildren (one on the way). We have been married 4 mons. He shows me everyday what a man of God he is. I love him so much and thank God everyday that he put this amazing man in my life.
I LOVE MY HUSBAND! He makes me laugh, he is thoughtful, he works so hard at his job so I can stay home and homeschool our 5 kids, he wants me to be happy. He appreciates me and loves me just like I am. God commands us to respect our husbands – and that is easy for me – because he is such an awesome guy!
I love the way my husband is an excellent father. We have 4 children and he goes out of his way to spend quality time with each of them. He does it because he loves them and enjoys being with them. Also, he is a big kid at heart and loves to play … he’s so much fun!! I am so thankful for him and all he does for our family ….. I am truly blessed!!
I love my husband for all of the things that I am not. I am loud and he is quiet; I am a spur of the moment gal and he needs time to think it through. I could go on and on – but after 10 years of marriage – we laugh and complement one another. It’s been a rough start – but our love has grown stronger together in the Lord. God picked a great husband for me – I am sooooo glad that he’s mine.
I love and appreciate my husband because he knows exactly who I am…and loves me anyway.
Before I met my husband, I’d dated several other guys, and the common denominator in our relationship always seemed to be that the guy would find something about me he wanted to change. Maybe I had too many guy friends so he felt threatened. Maybe I was too close to my best girlfriends so another felt insecure. Maybe I was doing too well in my career so a third didn’t like my success. And on and on.
My hubby is the first man I’ve met, dated, and loved that knows who I am and hasn’t tried (or even suggested) that I try to change myself in any way to appease him. And I love that. Not that I’m perfect…I’m SO far from it…but to feel accepted wholly, now that is special.
I’d like to say that I’m the same way in return. In most ways, I am…but I confess that I do have a very short list of things that I not so tactfully bring up sometimes to him that I’d prefer to see in him – mostly about parenting since we tend to have different ideas and were both raised quite differently. But seeing his example makes me want to go higher and choose love more often.
My stable, down-to-earth husband grounds my fantastical, head-in-the-clouds personality. Thank God that He knows just who I need. Even if we don’t always agree. He puts the toilet paper in wrong. I fix it.
I so appreciate my husband’s love. He has shown his love from the moment he met me. He is very caring and very sweet. He loves with all his heart and shows it. He is a strong, devoted, responsible, hardworking man and I am proud and honored to call him mine.
My husband is my best friend in the whole world!! There’s no one I would rather spend time with than him. He has been a wonderful father to our four children and throughout their lives he instilled “identity” into each one of them. Now as adults, our children are some of our best friends, and I know it has a lot to do with the way my husband affirmed, loved and disciplined them when they were young. We worked together to raise them, but he was and is the spiritual leader of our home and I am so grateful for him!
I love how my husband is so easy to please–most anything I make he willingly eats, for example, and he helps me see what really matters, and focus on that.
Wow, what a wonderful giveaway and I love the mandatory entry you thought up!
I love that my husband is very forgiving, and that he loves me even when I’m unloveable (most of the time 
.
As I was preparing to comment on my husband’s endless patience, I realized that I need to tell him how much that means to me.
My husband is amazingly kind…I honestly cannot remember him ever saying an unkind word to me, and I’ve known him nearly twenty years. I wish I could say the same for myself toward him.
My husband is always giving me a million and one chances at everything!! He is so patient with me!! Gosh I LOVE him!!!
This is a fantastic giveaway! Perfect for Valentine’s Day. I love that my husband is willing to work hard at work, come home and work hard helping me fix dinner and take care of our toddler, and then work hard yet again tonight helping our pastor shovel snow out of our driveway. My husband is not a lazy man. He is loving and hard-working, and I am so blessed!
Aw, I can’t pick just one. Patience is probably one of the qualities I most admire. My husband is so patient with me, refuses to “catch” a bad mood, and knows how to lovingly help me speak kindly when I tend to get snotty. I think the next challenge for goodies should be telling our husbands how wonderful they are! Thanks for getting me thinking and I enjoyed the devotional too. God bless.
I appreciate my husband being very calm, patient and understanding. If he was not, our marriage would probably have not lasted 7 1/2 years. We are not only opposites, but we also complement we each other…except for our organizational skills. We both are pretty terrible at it! I am thankful and feel pretty blessed!
I love that my husband can melt my heart with his words or a look. I am an overweight, 61 year-old woman, and my husband is a trim 47 year-old man. Every day, he remarks about my “so very smooth skin” and he tells me that I am beautiful. It’s true we’ve only been married 15 months, but, Denny treats me like no other man ever has. We, too, have our moments (I had to get over that “fairy-tale” notion that newlyweds never have fights/disagreements) but I’ve never been so happy. We are a mutual admiration society and people look to us as examples for their own relationships.
The thing I love about my husband is his inner person. He is sooo much fun!!!
Horizontal fellowship?! You have me laughing out loud. I can’t wait to use that one. Twenty years later, my husband still tells me several times a week how beautiful I am. He is a “people developer”, and wow, has he ever given me chances in life!
I love my husband’s heart for others. He constantly and consistently puts aside things he would rather do to build up, encourage, and just ‘do life’ with those who need him (myself included!) My husband is amazingly self-sacrificing, and I am privileged and honored that God would allow me to be so intimately connected to such a wonderful man.
My husband Matthew was treated for stage 4 cancer in his left side of his face(all sinus cavities,behind left eye,and ear drum). We met in a Christian chat room in 1999. And married on Oct. 11,2000. We knew without a doubt we were TRULY made to be together by God. He is the BEST husband in the world. We are literally two as one in HIM. Even when he was going through the chemo and radiation treatments he took great care of me!!!!!!! I call Him my blessing from Above and my Beloved. We are not rich nor have all the THINGS that others have and we struggle to make ends meet…BUT we have the LORD and each other. GOD has healed my husband completely!!!
We give HIM all the Glory, Honor and Praise!!! I am so very,very,very Blessed to have a husband I can trust and be myself with and he still loves me….just like God the Father…Loving,Merciful,Gentle,forgiving and so much more. I am NOT calling my beloved God…But he has Gods characteristic’s and is truly a wonderful,kind and loves God as I do!!!
My husband and I celebrated our 15th anniversary on Feb. 4th. It hasn’t always been easy but it is so worth it to put that effort into our marriage. What do I love about my husband? The fact that he puts our relationship as a priority. I mean, we both put our relationship to God as our first priority, but he gently reminds me and makes the effort to keep the flame in our relationship. We have two children and they can zap the energy out of me on days so I am grateful that my husband keeps the flame going or I might have let it be put out.
There are so many things that I love about my husband. The thing that is sticking out in my mind this morning is that I love my husband because he is an encourager. No matter what is going on in our home, he is the one to lend support and encourage. He is a wonderful man and I am blessed to have him as my husband.
I love how my husband notices everything different about me, from my hair to a little bitty cut on my hand, who, then takes my hand and kisses it! I love how he loves me unconditionally despite my anger.
My husband recently got a new job 2 hurs from our house. He frequently needs to stay over in the city where he works because of early meetings or bad weather. This leaves me at home with our 5 kids alone, all day. We homeschool 2, and the 3 younger are 3,3, and 2 (Feb 12!). I am 71/2 months pregnant with our 6th child, who has a significant heart defect. lots of running around to different Dr’s. Needless to say there is A LOT of stress most days. I can get very tired, very cranky, and unfortunately, more often than not, my total opposite than me husband ends up at the receiving end. The other day out of the blue I received a card from him that read “We may not always understand each other, but we always, ALWAYS love each other. And that’s what matters most to me. That and You.”. THAT is what I appreciate about my husband…that even at my most unlovable moments (and there are many), he still loves me. Not necessarily huggie, kissy love, but “it’s a long, hard, race, let’s stay in our potato sack together” type of love (his loving words).
My husband and I walked through a storm together this past summer. Our little boy was born 7 weeks early after my placenta abrupted. Thank God I was already at the hospital because my blood pressure had spiked 4 days earlier, out of the blue. I had a crash c-section about 15 minutes after my bed filled with blood. Grant didn’t have a heartbeat for 8 minutes after he was born – it took 2 shots of epinephrine to get his heart to beat. My blood pressure rose higher after the c-section and the docs were afraid I would have a stroke, so they kept me snowed under for about 36 hours. I lost 2 units of blood, it was just really bad all the way around – my husband nearly lost both of us. I had no idea of any of this when I woke. Grant weighed 3 lbs, 10 oz and spent 15 days in the NICU, but he is amazingly perfect these days. Such a gift from God. I believe God gave this perfectly mismatched man to me to walk through this trial with. There are so many qualities that helped us through – his intense concern for all of us, his patience, his glass-half-full outlook, even as we were really worried about brain damage for Grant, there are just so many things – God truly sent me the perfect man for me.
My husband is a very organized person. He keeps things together at home as far as orginization goes. I am so unorginized that I don;t know where things are half the time. If it weren’t for him our house would be a shambles. My husband is also very complimenting of me, he tells others wonderful things about me and it feels good to hear them tell me how he brags on me. I am a happy go lucky kinda girl too, fly by the seat of my pants, if he wasn’t so grounded we would be in serious trouble. I thank God for him, and for bringing us together, cause we are so very different.
I love how calm my husband is. The world can be falling apart around him and he is as calm as can be. He exudes peace & reassurance. Meanwhile, I am flitting around trying to figure out how to put all the pieces back together again. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful husband!
My husband is wonderful with people; I, on the other hand, don’t always like “them” very much! He doesn’t avoid the difficult conversation, but he is able to carry it off in a kind and respectful way. So thankful for him : )
I really LOVE my husband! He is Jesus to me everyday. He can walk into the room when I am falling apart from some worry or stress and just seeing his face, even before he puts his arms around me, makes me feel like everything will be okay. He is loving, kind, romantic, yet strong and masculine. Don’t get me wrong, he’s Italian – so he can be “prickly” sometimes and his passion can get him in trouble. But, he always humbles himself and admits his mistakes and that makes him truly a “man after God’s own heart” in my book!
I appreciate my husband for loving me and putting up with me, good or bad. I appreciate that he helps out around the house and takes care of me when I feel bad. I am grateful that God brought him into my life!
I appreciate my husband’s commitment to taking time for the Lord. He gets up at least an hour (sometimes 2) before going to work to make sure he gets intimate time with His Saviour. This only works to strengthen our marriage. Also while I’m the unorganized, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type; he’s my stability and structure. He’s willing to help with housework and such a support system. I am truly blessed by God to have a man who is a Spiritual leader!
What a great devotion and encouragement from you. I love the emphasis on what we love and appreciate about our spouses! It is easy to forget about those things when life gets busy and tough. I appreciate my husband because he is loyal – to our Lord, to me, to our family, to his job, to his ministries.
I appreciate how calm my husband is in a crisis. Also, when something needs to be fixed he does something about it right away!
Loved your post today, and I love this giveaway including items for both hubby and wife.
I appreciate my husband for his gentleness and his forgiving nature. We are newlyweds of 8 months and have been experiencing some difficult times in the recent months. We have decided to ‘get back’ to being more diligent in our walk with Christ. His willingness to not give up on what God has brought together is admirable to me! We are indeed like the 2 candlesticks but we know God has a greater purpose for our marriage. I was introduced to this sight from my cousin and the message she forwarded me was right on time!
I am truly blessed to have been directed to this website.
I Love my husband cause we renewal our 10 wedding anv. And this time we have God as the center piece on our marriage . And we pray together as a couple . Which at first it was kinda hard for him to do.
I love how my husband quietly takes care of me and our 2 college-aged boys. He makes sure we have everything we need and I don’t tell him enough how much I appreciate him. He will drive 200 miles to help me with car trouble without complaining. He has driven more miles to watch one son in the southern part of the state participate in sports, and then driven to the northern part of the state to help the other son find his lost keys! He is a wonderful man who shows his love by his daily deeds of caring! This giveaway would be a neat way to show my appreciation to him!
You know it wasn’t until I met and married my husband, that I realized actually how much God loves us. I call my husband my better half, because he is everything I am not; patient, forgiving, carefree, happy-go-lucky kind of guy. I came with alot of baggage into our marriage, and he has loved me “unconditionally”. His walk with Christ has made me a true- beliver, and made me ponder…”If my husband loves me this much, (alot) I can only imagine how much God loves me.
The first thing that came to my mind, is I appreciate my husband’s forgiving personality. Though Christian, I have done stupid things in the past that I personally would have never forgiven me for; but he has and has done so unconditionally. I really admire and appreciate that, because I know I am not the easiest person to live with at times.
I, on the other hand, can sometimes have a difficult time with forgiveness due to a rather rocky past. But him…it just seems so natural and its a trait that I wish I had. It would certainly make my life easier!
Douglas is laid back, I want everything nice, clean and neat. We butted heads for a couple of months when he would leave cabinet and closet doors open and make me crazy. Someone suggested I tell him how it bothered me. As soon as he realized it was important to me that the house always look neat and clean even if it was not spotless, he started helping me keep it neat. He now takes his coffee cup to the sink when he’s through. I quit complaining if he forgets and take it myself. We have had some really good discussions over the last year or so about what bothers each of us (while we’re both relaxed) and work harder to make the other happy. SN
I appreciate that my husband’s selflessness and how he sacrificed his dream of going into the military while we were dating because “I couldn’t see myself as a military wife”. God has shown me that sacrifice he has done and now I am proud to say he is leaving for basic training in one month. And I couldn’t be more proud of him!
I appreciate that he chose me!
I appreciate my husband because, he is hardworking, always puts his family before himself and takes care of us so well. I also appreciate his walk with christ. He’s a great example to us all. Thanks for the opportunity to win, love all of you p31 girls.
I appreciate my husband because when we met he was a single fathher and that was fantastic to me!! & now he always know’s when to hold it together when I lose it and he is the fisrt man in my life besides my father & God that truely showed me LOVE!!!
I love that my husband is such a great role model to me and my children when it comes to reading God’s word and spending time in prayer. He has been so great at teaching scripture to our children and reading to them from the Bible every day!
I love that my husband is encouraging in all aspects of my life.
My husband and I are like oil and water. We are soooo different but soooo alike. I LOVE that we meet in the middle. I feel we both have big hearts and are eager to see the other happy. We tend to disagree (as most couples do) but we try to compromise. We were just married in September 2009 and since then, I feel that we have become closer and more in sync. We worked through a workbook that helped us get to know each other better and learn what we wanted from a marriage. Kudos to our pastor for recommending it. I learned more in that short period than what I had over our 10 year relationship. I am still trying to warm him up to the idea of spending our Sunday mornings together at service…its a work in progress. Baby steps…
My husband is amazingly thoughtful in so many ways. He always is putting others before himself. When he sees I need some time for myself, he schedules “buddy time” with our girls so I can do whatever I need to get done. He always is looking to ways to be the best daddy he can be and build great memories with our girls. Ever since I met him he has been very attuned to other peoples needs and willingly jumps in to help them, even when it is inconvenient for him. And I love that when I feel tired and overwhelmed by the never-ending housework that needs to be done, he jumps right in to do dishes, laundry, or cook dinner. I am thankful that instead of complaining about the house being messy, he comes along side me to get the work done.
What I love the most about my hubby is the fact that he is able and willing to protect me. He is very strong physically (and emotionally, but that’s another topic!), but he doesn’t let it go to his head. I love it that he is confident in his ability to keep me and our little home safe and I can sleep the night away.
In our 26 years of marriage, I have never seen my husband “bring his day” home with him. He always comes home with a smile, no matter what. I think that’s amazing!
I’ve heard other wives complain about their husbands coming home crabby or grouchy or complaining. I feel very lucky to never have to deal with that, and I should try harder to reciprocate and meet him with a smile.
I love that my husband is so patient and giving of himself to others.
I love that my husband refuses to look at the negative in a situation. I’m the first one to see the flaws. He sees the potential.
My husband is the type of man who has everything organized and in the best place. He is always able to retrieve anything I ask for as he is the epitomy of the verse: “Let all things be done decently and in order.” I Cor. 14:40. This has been a blessing to me as I am slightly disorganized. He has demonstrated to me that life is best when simple and decluttered.
I love that my husband is so easy going and forgiving. He is also a wonderful hands on father.
My husband is hilarious! He constantly has me laughing out loud to some random joke. Plus, I am so thankful for how hard he works so that I can stay home with our new baby girl. The Lord has truly blessed me.
Wow! There are so many things that these wonderful ladies have appreciated about their husbands, it makes me feel so blessed to be able to read about thier praising God for them. My husband is a treasure to me. We are so opposite and it can be so trying at times but I know without a doubt that God wanted us to be together. We will celebrate 20 years on Feb 17 and he unfortunately leaves tomorrow to work out of state for two weeks. However we are grateful he has the work right now, and I am so grateful for the way he loves me, our kids and most of all our Heavenly Father. His love language is acts of service so while he may not say it often with words, he shows it in little things he thinks to do for us all. He too is calm, cool and collected while I am more the emotional and passionate type. God definitely had a sense of humor when He put us together.
Thanks for the reminder to appreciate our husbands and let them know! I love coming to your blog.
I appreciate that my husband is willing to work so hard to take care of our family. His life is not easy, but he keeps on going, never whining or complaining.
My husband of 27 years has the patience of Job and with me he needs it!! He never raises his voice but just goes about whatever I have nagged him to do. He is just like my dad! He is such a kind man and always making sure his family has what they need even if he has to do without which he does many times over!