Happy Valentine's Day

In honor of Valentine's Day, I've decided to list 10 reasons I love my husband:

1. The man is a genius! Seriously, he is one of the smartest people I know. People always say that he has wisdom and knowledge WAY beyond his years, and that is so true!

2. His eyes. I love them! His eyelashes are SO long and gorgeous.

3. His involvement in our family. I think it is so easy for pastors to get caught up in ministry and their family ends up getting short changed. I really appreciate Chuck's commitment to spending quality time with me and the boys. I never doubt that we are his first priority.

4. How easygoing he is. Chuck is so flexible. I've seen marriages where husbands or wives have to walk on eggshells to make sure their spouse doesn't become angry. That is not the case with Chuck. He is so quick to put other's first, and it is rare that he asserts his own desires. He is so relaxed which makes everyone around him relaxed.

5. His commitment to our marriage. Bottom line- marriage takes work and effort, no matter how much you love each other. I am grateful that Chuck puts as much effort into our marriage now as he did 7 years ago. I never doubt that he loves me. I never worry that there are underlying issues that haven't been dealt with. I never go through a day without him telling me that I'm the most beautiful woman in the world. He truly is an awesome husband.

6. He is a blast! I always give him a hard time and tell him that he's a "stick in the mud," but the truth is that there is no one else I'd rather hang out with. I so look forward to going out on dates nights because I love spending time with him. He really is my best friend.

7. He is a Godly man. I live with the guy and know him better than anyone else. I see when he is frustrated, weak, and having bad days. I can say that I've never seen anyone strive so hard to please God. I hear him praying, I see him studying his Bible, and he is constantly reading to grow and become a better person. He is not a pastor that doesn't practice what he preaches. I am thankful to be married to man with integrity who is not fake.

8. Speaking of preaching, Chuck Barrineau is one of the best! We have been senior pastors for 5 of the 7 years we've been married (the other two, we were youth pastors). That means I've heard him preach A LOT. I honestly never get tired of listening to him. Not only that, but I usually hear his messages throughout the week as he develops his thoughts and runs ideas by me. So, by Sunday, I usually have a pretty good idea what the sermon is. Even with that, I enjoy listening to him. I learn so much from him every week, and I think he is hilarious. The only problem is when he uses embarrassing stories about me for illustrations (like me talking in my sleep). Oh, well... I guess it's good that I'm not easily embarrassed.

9. HE CAN COOK!! HALLELUJAH! As everyone pretty much knows, I HATE cooking. I love to clean- it's therapeutic to me, but I despise cooking. I have no desire to learn how to cook... I don't want to be anywhere near the kitchen unless I'm cleaning it. Thankfully, God gave me a man that enjoys cooking and is good at it. I just wish he had more time for it.

10. He puts up with me. That is not an easy task! I am a very quirky, random, hyper person. And I'm noticing how obsessive I can be about things. I will jump from thought to thought and have 10 different conversation in a span of 5 minutes. I will stop in the middle of one conversation and go back to a conversation we had 3 days ago as if we were still talking about it. I have a hard time relaxing if my house is not clean. I am loud. I am emotional. If I get upset, it takes me a while to get over it. Are you worn out yet? Despite all that, Chuck loves me as I am- with no make-up and my hair in an afro! I never feel like I'm not good enough or that he wants me to change. It's nice be able to rest assured that you're loved even with all your flaws.



There are many more reasons, but I'll leave it at 10... I wouldn't want anyone to start gagging! I cannot really do justice to how wonderful Chuck is. I wish everyone could know him like I do. He is amazing.

Happy Valentine's Day, Chuck. I love you infinity times infinity in Jesus' name to the 37th power, and that's the highest you can go in Jesus name!