YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN

I thought I would post a brief time line to celebrate the past 14 years of marriage (and almost 20 years of being together).

1991 - I broke my ankle and noticed you cheering on the sidelines. I thought, "Wow, that girl is too cute not to go out with me..." and on October 19 we went to Homecoming (almost 20 years ago).
1992 - This was the infamous 'Schlitterbahn' trip were I acted like I didn't like you. Yeah, still sorry about that. I just had to realize what I had in you.
1993 - This was a fun year... we were crazy high school kids! I remember always surprizing you somehow at the locker we shared between classes.
1994 - We had to grow up a lot this year. I graduated, moved to college and snail mail became our best friend. This was before email and texting, remember all those hundreds of letters?
1995 - You graduated, and we lived for Fridays when I would drive home and meet you at your house outside on your steps for 'the hug.'
1996 - This was perhaps the longest year of our lives. The wedding was set and we just simply waited... and waited... and waited. Though we had upgraded from snail mail to 'pager codes' such as 00000 (which meant "I Love You") it still was excruciating to wait for the next year to get here.
1997 - After three years of me driving home every weekend on May 31st, 1997 we stood before God and entered into a lifelong covenant. We had no idea what would be in store for us but it didn't really matter. We had each other and a determination to do whatever it took to always be the other one's #1.
1998 - Oh man... what a fun year this was... Newlyweds! I was working at Circuit City and going to school full-time and you were taking some classes and teaching full-time. I remember our small little apartment and of course how could we forget about our pot-smoking, sailor-cursing, clinically insane, bird-hating, downstairs neighbor, Gary.
1999 - I graduated from A&M and we moved to Lufkin. Little did we know that our lives would be forever changed by meeting 6 of the best friends in the world.
2000 - This year was marked by working, doing lots and lots of fun ministry, late nights at the Burch's and sleeping late on Saturday mornings (wow, remember what that was like?).
2001 - Heartache is the best word I can use to describe this year. We wanted a child so much and nothing seemed to go our way. Yet we held on to the hope that joy was indeed coming...
2002 - Joy did come. Except we called her Ashlin. All of a sudden we found ourselves holding what we had been praying for. We were as clueless as we were eager. We struggled but we learned lots.
2003 - I remember you saying, "It might be fun to live in a different state for a while." And with that we moved to Oklahoma and started an entirely new chapter in our life. We only had 1 kid, we ministered with new friends, and I earned lots and lots of free airline miles!
2004 - This year we searched for what God would have us do. It seemed like it was taking forever. Then Claire came along and it all fell into place. Now we had two kids and felt just as clueless.
2005 - I started full-time ministry and seminary this year. Meanwhile we were loving having two little girls to play with. I just remember there being lots of pink around the house.
2006 - As we continued to serve where God had us, He also began to change our hearts. He drew us closer together and gave us a desire to help other marriages do the same. We also decided to have another child. Then Levi was born, the great equalizer. He brought what was greatly needed to our house. Namely testosterone and camo colors.
2007 - Three kids now? Still in seminary... Are you kidding me? How did we do that?
2008 - Well, well, well. Apparently whatever was broken back in 2001 was fixed for good now because here came baby number 4... Carley. This year is also significant because it launched us into another category of living... The Minivan!
2009 - I finally finished seminary (serving full-time and having 4 kids). What we never thought was possible ended up being not only possible but down right fun. We also began to sense God leading us into other areas of ministry... but where?
2010 - Apparently that place was Tyler. We moved and began a new ministry, bought our first house, had a dog, and started to feel a little more grown up (but not much). Oh and the dog didn't last very long.
2011 - Here we are. What will this year bring? So far it's brought some sadness as well as hope. I could not have gotten through mom's passing without you. Your wisdom and loving hands have brought healing and comfort. I can only pray Levi finds a woman such as you and that our girls become mothers of tenderness and best friends to their husbands like you are to me.


I often think to myself would I change anything if I had it to do over again. I think I would do somethings differently, but I also know there is one thing I would never change. No matter how many opportunities I would have, or how many things I could do over. I would always pick you. I still pick you and you're still my #1.

Thank you Shelly for being who you are, thank you for your love, your beauty, and your compassion. For all you do, and all you are, and for what you mean to me and our family. Happy Anniversary.

I love You.