Happy February 14th Day

I don't celebrate Valentine's Day, with Holly or Rylie. I am not a fan...never have been except when I was single, that is. That's who Valentine's Day is for...singles. This may come out wrong but oh well if it does...Valentine's Day is not like an anniversary...and it better not be the only time in February you romance your spouse (or date I guess). Yes, I said February. Sadly enough many people need a holiday marked on the calendar to be extravagant towards their spouse. That doesn't fly with me, and it probably doesn't fly with your spouse either. Everyone loves to be pursued, everyone. Even the person who acts as if they have no need to be pursued is acting that way to get people to chase them because EVERYONE loves to be pursued.

Why is it that when I say that I don't celebrate Valentine's Day that people say sarcastically, "Oh, because you're romantic everyday and don't need Valentine's Day?" Well, yes, at least I hope so. Obviously I am not on my game everyday, but I try to be. Oh, and I've learned that any woman with the sarcasm wishes their boyfriend/husband treated them the way I treat Holly and any man with the sarcasm is embarassed because he knows his girlfriend/wife wishes for more romantic pursuit than he's probably giving. This is not arrogance, it's honest observation.

Listen, I have been called to love Holly the way Christ loved the church...I don't take that lightly. I love the church. In fact, the only things I love more than the church are my wife, Rylie, Tyler, Preston, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I love the church. But He loves the church infinitely more than I do. I try to love Holly the way He loves the church.

Let me say, I am no where near perfect! Not even close. This is one of the reasons that I pursue Holly the way I do...it's because I am such an idiot. I can't control how stupid I am sometimes...it just happens. I can though, control my pursuit of Holly. Romance is simply effort. You just have to want to try. Anyone can be romantic. Romance is not a gift God gives to some and not others. It's not even something you have to come up with...you simply watch God do it and re-enact what you see.

My desire is to treat Holly in such a way that it gives her the ability to say that no man has ever treated her even close to the way I treat her.

My desire is to give Holly things that she has never been given by any man, even her own father.

My desire is to give Holly things that she would never even give herself.

My desire is to be there when she needs me, or even when she doesn't, to chase her, woo her, cover her, encourage her, flatter her, give up for her, help her, serve her, focus on her, catch her, push her, need her, cry with her, laugh with her, grow for her, try for her, and the list could go on.

My desire is for Holly to be so overwhelmed by my love for her and gifts for her that they reveal more about how God loves her than anything on the planet except God himself.

I'm not gonna lie...it's a competition thing in some ways. No one is ever going to be able to say that they treat Holly better than I do. NO ONE. No ex-boyfriend, no family member, no man who may try in the future. You are not going to beat me. You can't beat me when it comes to her. You might be able to woo her for a moment, but I will woo her for a lifetime. You don't know what I know, you haven't seen what I have seen, you haven't done what I have done...you cannot beat me at loving her...and she knows it. :)

I have hesitated ever writing about this because some may think this is arrogant. It's not. It's just something God has helped me get better at everyday if my life.

Besides, everyone should love their spouse like this, even better than this, because this is the way God loves you. No one will beat him. Ever.

God help me to love her the way you love me all the days of her life.