It is so difficult to know what to give to the man I love on his 31st Birthday. What do I give to the man who has given me so much, who has loved me so well and fathered our children so graciously? Really, what can I offer...
- For the man who comes in from a tiring day of work and plays with his kids but never before kissing me first and asking me about my day.
- For the man who surprises me by cleaning our shower, or organizing our cabinets, or emptying the dish washer, cleaning the kid’s toys and my favorite part is that he will leave these surprises for me to find rather than announce his work for recognition
- For the man who always takes care of our car needs (I often take this for granted but having him gone for 3 weeks in Africa made me realize how nice it is that he cares for these issues)
- For the man who will wake up extremely early to tend to his school work or sermon preparation rather than cut into his family time
- For the man who has made it a habit since we first were married almost 9 years ago to go to bed at the same time with me and has lead us in prayer every night (with the exception of a handful of times but even when he is away he makes it a priority to pray with me)
- For the man who looks upon my post pregnant body with such love and desire I forget all my insecurities
- For the man who has taught me about personal integrity from the moment I met him 16 years ago and continues to teach me
- For the man who would choose to make me his best friend and confidant and who actually really wants my opinion ( I love that you say you need me)
- For the man who plans dates with me even in the midst of busy work schedule and the demands of ministry
- For the man who watches the Notebook every anniversary with me and makes out with me during the steamy scenes
- For the man who faithfully goes to work every day and provides for our family
- For the man who rides his bike to work even in the winter in order to leave his family with access to the car
- For the man who has blessed his children already with a healthy view of marriage by the way he treats their mother with kindness and affection daily
- For the man who I still have the hots for after all these years
- For the man who loves the Word of God and lives it out with integrity
- For the man who lives with me in an "understanding way" (1 Peter 3:7) and has heaped blessing upon our family because his prayers have not been hindered
- For the man who has lead our family in nightly devotions for the past 3 and a half years
- For the man who brings me coffee each morning as I sit in my chair to meet with the Lord
- For the man who has never spoken a harsh word to me or my children (wow, even as I write this one I know I am few among women to be able to say such about their husbands- thank you my love)
- For the man who will get out of our warm bed to put clothes in the dryer that I have forgotten about
- For the man who prays with our children every night (what a gift you are giving them!)
- For the man who plays pretend with his kids pretty much whenever they ask (which is often I know)
- For the man who just knows me inside out and can know with a glance when I need to talk
- For the man who makes wise decisions about our finances and has always sought to honor God first (what blessing we have received living so simply)
- For the man who has never lied to me
- For the man who protected our purity in our dating relationship and never put his hands on me until our wedding night (I can never thank you enough nor express how secure it makes me feel in our marriage)
- For the man who continues to protect our marriage and honor the Lord and myself by being intentional about what he allows before his eyes (what a fear of the Lord and honor for me you have)
- For the man whom I can say all these things about and so much more
I love you Eric Rivera and I often can't believe how lucky I am to be your girl (I've always felt that way). I am so grateful for you and know how blessed I am to be your wife and the mother of your children. I know what I will give you and will continue to give you for the rest of your years. I will give you my respect and I will be your helpmate all our days. I am your ezzer. I will speak well of you all the days of your life and seek to "do you good and not evil all the days of my life". I will work hard for you and our family. I will always respect you. Thank you for being easy to respect and love and adore. I will be like one of Sarah's children (1 Peter 3:6) for you are my lord, not because you are my god but because God is my God and I submit myself to Him first and you second without any fear. I love you baby! As a side note: I will also give you running shoes just because I know you need them and it will encourage your love for running and staying in shape.
