nine.

8.9.03

The day my life changed forever.

They day we committed to health and sickness.

The day we devoted our faithfulness to each other.

The day we said we'd be rich or poor together.

The day we worshipped together as husband and wife for the first time.

The day that God had ordained for US to start OUR life with Him as one.

Y'all have no idea. NO idea, what kind of man I married.

(well, if you know him well, you have an idea.)

I had no idea what kind of man I married that day.

I was 20, blinded by love, just wanting a life of our own.
I knew I loved him deeply,

but I had no idea the amazing journey God was about to take me on with this man.

We've been through a lot.

a. lot.

Lots of sickness, lots of financial struggles, several devastating losses, lots of uncertainty.

But also lots of healing, lots of deliverance from strongholds, lots of miracles, and just a journey of faith that has tested us, but also held us together.

I can honestly say that I am broken, just broken, sometimes with feeling like I do not deserve this man as my husband.

Parker...

He loves well. SO well.

He is the most amazing Dada.

He is the most grace-filled person I know, and forgives me well when I act in my flesh.

He leads me well, ALWAYS pointing me to truth and to Jesus.

He dreams with me...big dreams and little dreams.

He encourages my passions and desires.

He works incredibly hard for our family, and allows me the blessing to stay home with our girls.

He isn't afraid to speak truth when it is needed.

He defends his family against attacks of the Enemy and isn't ever afraid to rebuke evil.

He teaches me well, about life and about the Lord.
He is by far the most obedient person to the Lord's voice I have ever known.

He is so incredibly smart.

And so incredibly humble.

(I could go on and on...)

He has no idea the impact he makes on people around him, and on me as his wife.

I am thankful that we are not just married, but that we DO LIFE together.

That's one thing we do get right in our constantly growing marriage...

we do life and share life together really well.

Thank you Parker, for loving me so well.

I am honored to be your wife and am so happy to celebrate 9 years with you today.

I love you baby.

eight.

Eight years ago today we started an incredible journey together.

we have been blessed through every season.

Seasons full of love, fun, adventure, newness.

and seasons full of sickness, trial, struggle, and loss.

We have stuck with the vows to each other,

and the vow God made to us.

That He would never leave us or forsake us...

through the good and the bad, the rich and the poor,

the sickness and the health.

Our desire at that ceremony 8 years ago tonight

was that the Lord would be worshipped.

Little did we know how prophetic the main song of our wedding would be.

We sang it during the wedding,

and we walked down the aisle into the world

as a married couple to this song:

"You give and take away.

You give and take away.

My heart will choose to say,

Lord, Blessed be Your Name"

Let's just say our hearts have had to choose A LOT

to say "Lord, blessed be Your name."

Because though a lot has been given,

a lot has been taken away in our short life together.

But He has remained sovereign.

People have literally said to us in the past

that maybe we should not be married because

"God seems to be putting ya'll through too much."

We have had friends ask if we accidentally said

"in sickness and in sickness" in our vows.

We have been told maybe we had made a mistake,

that why would God allow us to go through so much, so young?

We used to dwell on what was being taken,

by our Enemy, or by God's protection for us.

But we are {still} learning to say,

and actually believe,

"Lord, Blessed be Your Name!!"

God gas GIVEN in our marriage.

protection from things unseen.

forgiveness when it seemed hopeless.

money when there wasn't any.

children at perfect, unexpected timing.

healing from major sickness.

provision we didn't know we would need.

I wouldn't trade our journey together for anything.

It has blessed me, challenged me, grown me, and guided me

beyond my wildest dreams.

I cannot believe it's been 8 years,

but I cannot imagine having spent them any other way.

We. Are. Blessed.

God has given us immeasurable JOY even in the midst of fire.

I love who we've become.

I love who we're going to be.

I love US.

Happy 8 year Anniversary, Parker Lowe.

I'm so glad I said "I do".

the man of my dreams

Thats what I found as I walked into the bathroom after loading a sleepy baby out of the car and into her bed for a nap today. I had been holding it all the way home and was rushing in to the bathroom, but the little pink post-it on the mirror caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks.

He's so good to me, my husband.

He had to leave town today for work and left while Abigail and I were out.

What a treasure to come back to a little bitty love note on my mirror.

sigh. my heart is beating fast even as I think about how it

totally threw me off and made me melt.

(not to mention it made me forget how bad I needed to pee) :)

Several minutes later I went into the bedroom and found this on my nightstand...

seriously? oh my goodness.

I've never really bragged on my hubby before on this blog, but Im going to take this chance to do so if you don't mind. I want to share with you just a tiny glimpse about him,

and about his heart, and about his love for me.

He loves people well.

and anyone who knows him knows that they can call him for anything,

and that he follows through.

He understands and demonstrates grace like no one I've ever known.

He would tell you its because he's been given grace too and that he knows it changes lives.

He works hard. For many years we have not had a steady paycheck (well, what the world calls "steady" anyways), and have been completely reliant on the provision of the Lord. not an easy thing, especially for a man.

But he's always been obedient to the Lord's calling and direction, even if it meant leaving jobs or ending potential business ventures that could have been "successful".

Its been an honor to walk a life of faith with this man.

My husband has taught me the difference between religion and having a relationship with Jesus, two totally different things.

And he's been patient with my black-and-white understanding of God and has helped me see how colorful my relationship with the Lord can be.

I love learning about the Kingdom from my husband.

He always points me to Jesus and to truth.

and let me just tell you how much he loves his little girl.

i mean, completely SMITTEN!!

(i thought it couldn't get sweeter and then I found this on Abigail's little table)

We have both been in awe of the JOY we have been given through our precious Abigail.

Her name means "The Joy of the Father", and that she is.

Of her earthly and her Heavenly father.

I've never seen him so giddy and we talk every night about how in love with her we are.

I dont know who lights up more when Dada comes in the room, him or her!

He is such a good daddy and has been such a display of unconditional love to our daughter already.

I cant wait to see them grow up together.

I thought that was all the love notes, but when she woke from her nap and needed a new diaper...this is what I found on the changing table.

(another sigh.) I am in awe of what God has given me in my husband.

If we were sitting down to share our story with you, we would tell you that it hasn't been an easy road. Our almost 8 years of marriage have taken us though a lot of what we call fire (because we know it is refining us), and yet we are still standing.

I just have to share a few more things about him.... :)

He has stood beside me through 6 (yes, 6) surgeries and countless health issues.

(glad to report we are both healthy today)

He has been obedient to what the Lord is telling us about our marriage and our journey of faith.

He has stuck it out when marriage has been hard, and it has been.

He has loved my family so well.

He loves my friends well too, and they love him.

He never fails to minister God's love and truth to me,

even when I am fighting what he has to say.

He has stood by me though pregnancy and delivery and

through the sleepless adjustment to motherhood.

He held my hand through our miscarriage, I couldn't have held it together without him.

He spoke with grace at his father's funeral 18 months ago,

and shared the love of Christ despite his grief.

He has mourned his father's loss with a hope that is amazing,

because he understands the hope that we have been given in Jesus.

He is such an example to me.

He is a very real person, and will speak truth to you like it needs to be said.

He loves well, because he is loved by a Father in Heaven that changed his life.

Thankful for my pink post-its today...

"I love you too, Parker Lowe"

This was the lovely in my day, to get some more lovely, head over here: