Reflections On 8 Years Of Marriage

It's July 22nd again. The significance of this date is huge in my life; let me explain.

In 1994 I got up the courage to invite a girl to a sports banquet being held at my high school. It was the year I turned 16, and I had never had any kind of relationship before. She said she'd go, and then I ended up having to back out because of a death in the family. That was the spring and by July 22nd I had strategically moved my way into her heart, or at least as far as you can go as a sixteen year old. That summer was Baltimore Orioles games and trips to watch her play softball. It was her seeing me off at the airport when I went on a missions trip and thinking about her each night at sunset. July 22nd was our first date and seven years later to the day we stood at the altar and said, "You betcha". (We didn't actually say that. It was more like "I do" or "I will")

note:

• Guys this is a great numeric tool to help you remember anniversaries. Just make sure that every anniversary falls on the same day. My advice: Start dating a girl on her birthday and follow the plan.

So after seven years we got married, and kept right on with the same anniversary date. Here we are at our 8th. Corie put an interesting perspective on it the other day when she said, "At least now we've been married longer than we dated." I suppose for some people that happens in the first six months of marriage, but for us it took a whole lot longer.

I picked a good one. I have been pleased with her more days of our marriage than she's been with me. I'm excited to head out to dinner with her this evening, look across the table and be thrilled with the woman that God has blessed me with.

Anyway, just some thoughts.
--Ben