Celebrating 21 Years of Marriage

Today is our 21st Wedding Anniversary
I am so truly grateful for all of the good and bad in our relationship. We have had so many trials in our marriage. It really has taught us so much about ourselves and each other. It also will help our children in their marriages because they truly realize how much work marriage is. How much you need the Lord in your marriage as well.
This year I felt the Lord nudge me to purchase Paul a bible. He is not much for bible study, gatherings with men etc. We attend church but not faithfully. There are times where side jobs require us to both work on Sundays just so we can make ends meet. He did attend bible study a couple of times this past Fall and then he and our middle son attended a men's weekend retreat which they both really enjoyed recently.
I felt like if he had the tools he needed it might be helpful. We had given him the Bible on MP3 for his birthday in June and I knew he had been listening to it some while working his side job after his regular job here at home.
It was an amazing struggle finding the right bible. I felt such angst even trying to figure out what was best. I also did not want to offend  him. I didn't want him to feel that I was saying he wasn't the head of our house, that he was failing us etc. I prayed over the words I would put in his card that accompanied his gift. I even prayed this morning that the Lord would allow his heart to feel and hear how I intended the words rather than how the devil wanted him to.
When I opened up the card that he brought home for me I immediately knew we were for once in the same place at the same time. His card was perfect. It had butterflies on it and the words that the person that created the card fit us and our "now" to the tee.
I am so thankful for yearly celebrations, they remind us to reflect and remind us to dream. They also remind us to pray for one another and take the time to be grateful for how much we are given.
My son made this graphic today, its a picture from our summer vacation and he just added the verse I wanted to the top of it. I think it turned out wonderfully.

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