My heart to you...

Marriage has been such a life of discovery. From the beginning you discover many great qualities, surprising qualities about each other. You also can discover many faults about each other. 

I've also discovered that Nick has no more great qualities OR faults than I do. We are pretty balanced in both areas- each of us. : )

If Nick chose to set his mind on my faults then our marriage is doomed for sure. For before I know it, love will exchanged for distaste and dissatisfaction in me and with me. 

Same goes for me...if I choose to focus on his faults then my heart will grow hard toward him. 

Instead he has chose to focus on me. Who I really am. Not my faults, not even my qualities but who I, Starla, truly am. Who God uniquely created me to be. 

And I'm choosing to focus on who Nick truly is. Without all the stuff of life. 

I WANT Nick to love me in this way, to see me as who God created me to be- for him to encourage me to BE- to be who I really am. I, too, want to love and encourage Nick to be himself and grow more and more in love with Jesus. 

"Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh...Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."- 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

Jesus wasn't our Savior, our Lord or our Life when we marred. Neither of us were believers. But, I do believe when we married- because of the words spoke and prayed over us at our wedding- God blessed our union. 

And God knew- that 12 years down the road this broken little family would come to Him- and He would change EVERYTHING. 

...I am confident of this, He who began a good work IN you will complete it...(Philippians 1:6)

What wonderful years of marriage we have had (oh yes,there have been "all things"- the good, the bad and the ugly BUT Jesus!) since Jesus was welcomed into spirit, our life, our family and our home.