WOW! 15 years

Tim and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary today. You got it! 15. Sadly, it's a long time by todays standards, but we always knew it would last. If you had asked me 15 years ago today where I would be in 15 years I never would have said, "Oh, you know. Married for 15 years, living in Shelbyville, KY, being a stay-at-home-mom for our adopted son, Joseph, and home schooling." No...15 years ago I would have said, "Um...do you mind...I don't have time for this. It's my wedding day!" LOL

Just a bit of information about our wedding day. It started off with me getting my hair done and it looking like something my grandmother would have done. I argued with my sister (when do we not do that, though), had a brunch with my brides maids, learned that the best man, Bob, was offering to drive Tim far away from the ceremony (you can imagine my feelings on that one). Had my make-up and nails done, got to the church only to learn that the air conditioning in the fellowship hall was not working (it was later fixed), started getting dressed, heard that Tim was in the building (yay!!). Finished getting ready, saw the flowers and was upset that they were not what I wanted but were since they were still pretty I just dealt with it. Heard the music start, realized I had butterflies (big time), began walking down the aisle only to have my dad stop so the stupid photographer could get some goofy picture (not daddy's fault at all...dumb photographer), saw Tim and started to cry...cried through the whole thing! Walked down the aisle as Mrs. Timothy Chase, wanted to go to the reception but only made it for 10 minutes, took WAY TOO MANY pictures, finally changed to go leave for the honeymoon, threw the bouquet (and it honestly EXPLODED in mid-air...no joke!), did the embarrassing "taking off of the garter" thing, got into a car that was decorated by our sick-in-the-head friends, and drove straight to the car wash before driving to our honeymoon suite at the Courtyard Marriott Chattanooga East. I shall spare the rest of it except to say that on our wedding night we watched "Dave" and ate Pizza Hut pizza. :-)

Seriously, though, Tim has been the best thing to happen to me. Since I have known him I have discovered talents I never knew I had, challenged myself to do things I never thought I would do, and achieved dreams I never thought possible. I have told him things that no one else will ever hear. We have laughed together, cried together, lifted one another up in dark times, and rejoiced for one another in bright times. I truly love this man and I praise God for creating him for me and me for him.

Lately I have been learning what it means to be Tim's "help meet". I had never even heard of this term until this past year. I'm currently going through a bible study with Kari titled "The Excellent Wife", by Kay Arthur, based on Proverbs 31. I was a little scared of this book, but I have found so much peace, strength, reassurance, freedom, and truth in this study. I highly recommend this study for every woman...married or not. You may not like what you hear at first, but God's Word does NOT fail. I cannot possibly say enough about how this study has changed me and helped me to be the wife that God designed me to be.