He said/She said: Happy FIRST Anniversary

This was the most special day!

This week Nyasha and I celebrate the fact that we made it through the entire first year of marriage!  I hope you guys got a kick out of our different versions of our pre-wedding journey, here is our different versions of this past year!

She Said:

This year has gone by SO quickly.  I can’t believe that it has already been a year!  Being married to Nyasha is the greatest thing.  Honestly.  Everything I knew to be true about him before we were married has been even truer this year.  He is kind, gracious, generous, steady and so handsome!  And he loves me.  I don’t know when I will stop reminding myself of that, but it seems like every day I get a little bit more understanding of what that means.

This year has not been easy.  Anyone who has been married will tell you that learning to live together and be married is challenging.  It has been for us.  We have BOTH transitioned our work, we have moved TWICE, we are 23 weeks pregnant.  That’s a lot of change!  Throughout it all we have been assured of two things, that: #1 God is for us and #2 We are on the same team.

The way our wedding happened was such evidence to us that God is for us.  It was an absolute miraculous team effort that made us feel so loved and so special.  We talk about that Tuesday night so often and we love to pray for each person that showered us in love with that amazing surprise wedding!

A few years ago I sat with Bonnie and Dale, dear friends of mine, and asked them what advice they had about marriage.  One of the things they said was, “Remember that you are on the same team.  He is not your enemy no matter how tough things seem.”

I loved that and it has stuck with me.  This year we have been blessed to be a part of leading a few groups that require us to be VERY vulnerable. Our histories, marriage and parenting approaches have been laid open with these groups of people and we have learned so much.  We have laughed and cried and learned so much about each other working together in this way and it has been really healing.  We have become partners in so much: our marriage, our family, our ministry.  He makes me stronger, he helps me to be brave and he is not afraid to tell me when I get it wrong—but he does it in a way that makes me feel so protected. 

I guess all I can say about this year is that I love him more than ever.  I am grateful for everything we have been through together and I am excited for the future.  This man is truly my friend, my husband, my lover. He knows me: the good, the bad and the worse and he LOVES me.  What more can a girl ask for?  I get to be completely me and he loves me. The greatest love story will always be the story of Jesus and the church, marriage is meant to reflect that story--in a more flawed and human way.  That is not an easy thing to live out, but here we go- heading into year number two! 

PS.  He walks around the house singing “All of Me” by John Legend all the time.  That is our song and I have to say that it sums up how he loves me so perfectly.

PPS.  I love the little smirk he gets on his face when he talks about the baby.  Not much gets Nyasha excited and I can’t wait to see him hold this little baby! 

I still feel like this EVERYDAY!  And... this is the SAME smirk he gets when he talks about the baby!!! 

Oh that KISS!!!!!

He Said:

The first year has been an exciting journey and like most things in life it's happened so fast. It is hard to believe it has been a year. I thank God for everyday as we celebrate this milestone in our lives.

I'm not much of a writer, but my wife is big on informing others about what God has been doing for and with us.  God has been so good and it's such a testimony to wake up everyday realizing we truly do not live for ourselves. I think marriage reflects this to the fullest. I know we are only 12 months into it, but like breathing I feel it becomes part of your existence once you begin. You breathe throughout life without really putting too much thought to it unless you experience moments that threaten that ability and then you realize how important it is. I am learning to go beyond just doing marriage but becoming a husband.

Oh his handsomeness is too much!!

Regina and I have had our challenges in this first year--like any two people trying to co exist. It's crazy how every challenge brings us closer once it's resolved and keeps us disconnected if it's not brought in the open. I suppose the same is true with God and each of  us.  Our issues have to be resolved with love for there to be true peace.

If you know my wife, she is a fighter -for what she believes in and for those who can't defend themselves. Most of our year has taken this approach to life, it has become part of my existence too, fighting FOR those who need us.  We are finding out how we are meant to direct our energies together.  We have moved house and live in a smaller place than we did before.  I don't love the place, but Regina does and she tells me it makes her feel loved to be living here. We are also about to have a baby.  The first fruits of our marriage.  We have decided not to find out the sex of the baby, mainly because I am old fashioned (Regina has been trying to sneak a peak at every appointment, of course!) I like the old way of finding out because I believe in the double package--meeting the baby and knowing his sex at the same time.  We can't wait to meet this little baby, I know it will be a beautiful child.

I thank all who have supported us in this early part of our journey. Support is a crucial part of growth. We are learning so much from each of you and are grateful for your input in our lives.

We all start to count with the number one and I pray the numbers will keep adding up in the years we are married, until we are set apart. I pray that as the numbers increase each year we also grow in love, favor, grace and peace.

This is our prayer, that as a family we will always try our best to serve God.