So, um, Heaven Fest is 8.08.09 – you know, if you’re in the area…H E L P ! ! Pretty please?
(1) I love you. (2) I respect you. (3) I was lost before I found you. (4) I loved the thought of you before we met. (5) I am happiest when I am with you. (6) Your touch heals me. (7) Your look thrills me. (8) Having you choose me changed my life. (9) Every day before you was lonely. (10) Every day before you, you were the one I was looking for. (11) You were the whole package for me. (12) You ARE the whole package for me. (13) I am a better person because you saw something in me and shined a light on it. (14) I am a better person because you believed in me. (15) You know me better than I know myself. (16) You showed me what could be, in spite of what was. (17) I would go anywhere with you – including Japan for 5 weeks! (18) I would live anywhere with you – even an RV! I think. (19) I can hear your voice in a crowd. (20) When I can find your face in a sea of strangers, my head stays above water. (21) I thank God for you. (22) I thank God because you are my proof that He was thinking ahead to me. (23) No matter how many days we have together on this earth-it will never be enough for me. (24) I will want more. (25) I treasure all the times you have made me laugh.
(26) I treasure the songs you have sung to me. (27) Your hands-I love the touch of your hands. (28) You’re as cool as the other side of the pillow. (29) You’re as warm as the sunshine at the beach. (30) You’re as strong as the waves of the ocean. (31) You’re as beautiful as the sunrise on my garden. (32) You light up my life. (33) You’re the inspiration. (34) I will always love you. (35) I won’t last a day without you. (36) I’m keeping you forever and for always… We will be together all of our days…Wanna wake every morning to your sweet face…Always. (37) I need you to know that I know you are a good man. (38) I know you are an honest man. (39) I know how deeply you care about people. (40) I know all you have sacrificed over the years to provide for our family. (41) I have seen the sacrifices for other people, too. (42) I can vouch for your total integrity in every area of your life. (43) I know you have always, when you could, chosen peace. (44) You have brought peace into my life. (45) I haven’t always made that easy. (46) But you kept doing it anyway. (47) I am so honored to be married to you. (48) I am so honored that you wanted me to be the mother of your children. (49) You are the best friend I have ever had. (50) In spite of the hard knocks, I wouldn’t have missed this for the world… (51) And I want you to know how valuable you are to me, my love, my birthday boy. You are. And if I had it all to do again? I would. I do.
I have to quit because you are only turning 50 – and I could keep going! Love you, babe…Jeanie
David Allen Rhoades will turn 50 on Monday. Wish him well here if you want. Or at dave@daverhoades.com
pictured: Dave with his 5 grandkids (one for each decade!) at his family birthday party a few days ago; Gavin and Hunter, Gemma, Guini and Averi
Dave’s 50th birthday is Monday. This is the 4th in a week-long series of love-tributes to my Dave. The previous posts are 50 Things I Love about Dave, 50 Words that Describe Dave, and 50 Reasons Dave was born.
We thought every song was about us and our love for the first, oh, 26 or 27 years (we’ll celebrate 28 years of marriage this summer)…Below are a few of the early ones that ignite some memories.
Now you’re my whole life
Now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than its ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then
I can just see you
When you’re hair is turning gray
What I can’t see
is how I’m gonna love you more
But I’ve said that beforeNow you’re my whole life
Now you’re my whole world
We’ll look back someday at this moment that we’re in
And I’ll look at you and say
And I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then…
Keep singing to me, babe and I’ll keep singing to you!…Jeanie
Happy 50th Birthday, Dave!
This is installment #3 of Dave’s birthday blogs. See 50 Things I Love about Dave here. See 50 Words that Describe Dave here.
Dave turns 50 on the 23rd. You can leave him a birthday comment here or send one to: dave@daverhoades.com
pictured: Dave and I at a backyard soiree last fall (yes, I cut Bryan out of the picture!). I love Dave in his Latino-lover Western-Mexican snap shirt (from Stormie), though he is always timid wearing it, fearing people will really think he is trying to be a Latino-lover, which…he is. Really one. Not ‘trying’. *smile…
Dave’s 50th birthday is March 23. You can tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY here at the blog or here: dave@daverhoades.com
Pictured: from the family party we had early (we’re out of town right now, when we get home, a bunch of the fam will be out of town – so we had it 8 days ahead of schedule!). Stormie and Elise provided pies at the birthday boy’s request. Steph headed up decor: quotes about writing and books and from his favorite authors (Tara included actual quotes from Dave like, “Who is burning something?” which was usually Tara burning candles in her room. And “Jiggle the handle.”); candles and books, tree branches on which to hang photos of family and the kids with their dad. The kids gave him things like: 50 cans of Diet Pepsi, $50 to Auto Zone, 50 Little Debbies, etc. Tara got a Mexican meal together. The boys arranged a laser tag event. We ate. We sang. We enjoyed pie. We did presents. We played Movie Charades because Dave loves movies! Then we had a fire on the patio and roasted marshmallows. We got to do all of this because David Allen Rhoades was born.
I got a spam on this blog. It was entitled “Vicodin for the Soul.” It made me laugh. Sometimes it probably is preferable to chicken soup.
Dave turns 50 on March 23. You can tell him HAPPY BIRTHDAY here at the blog, or here: dave@daverhoades.com
When did You start to love me, Father? When I made my first confession of faith? Or the thirty-second one? Was it when I got seriously committed to my Bible-reading plan or more regular in my times of extended prayer?
Because it seems earlier. I have known Your love as I have received each grandchild into my arms for the first time. I have understood Your devotion in raising my children from the first to the last, all the way until it was finished. When they were birthed from my body into the world, I grasped the glorious moment of man’s creation as “heaven and earth” passed through me. At the altar of marriage I sensed the abiding gift of Your love over my life – mine to receive.
So when did You begin to love me?
Zechariah 12.1 Was it when You stretched out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth, could You already comprehend the spirit You would form in me?
Ecclesiastes 11.5 Was it when you were forming my body in my mother’s womb – just as surely as You created the paths for the winds?
Psalm 139.13-16 Or was it when You created my inmost being, as You were knitting me together in my mother’s womb?
Could it have been before that, even? Did You already “get” me, decide to love me when I was being made in the ‘secret place,’ woven together in the depths of the earth, where already, You understood the look, the frame of me?
Before even one of my days had come to be, You had already written the book, told the story of my life – every single day of it. Did You like what You had written? Could You see me as a character You loved and wanted to follow? You are my Author. Are You finishing my story in a way that brings You joy?
Job 10.8-12 You gave me life and watched over my spirit, the soul of me, even as Your hands touched me, shaped me like clay and molded and made me. When You were knitting me together and clothing me with skin and flesh – is that when You began to love me?
Isaiah 49.1-2 Before I was even born You called me and at my birth You named me. You gave me unmistakeable characteristics. Why?
Jeremiah 1.4-5 Before I was even born, You set me apart and made an appointment for my life. Before I was born You knew me. You knew me. How? How did You know?
When did You start to love me?
Galatians 1.15-16 Was it when you set me apart from birth, calling me by Your grace? Is this when You started loving me?
I don’t know when. I cannot comprehend how. But I am so thankful for Your love. That You – so loved – even me.
“How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered. I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me.” Psalm 139. 17-18 NLT
That was the title of the article in my HGTV e-newsletter, “Closet Organizing Made Easy.” THIS was the accompanying picture. Seriously? If I only owned two skirts, one pair of pants, 2 weird hats and 5 shirts I would NOT NEED their help organizing my closet. What the heck are they trying to pull here?
It does look nice, though. Except for those hats and the clothing colors. So maybe it doesn’t.
Elise Rachelle, my gorgeous, delightful niece (brother Joe’s daughter), moved to Lakewood about a year ago (her family lives in Aberdeen, but she’d been YWAMming for a few years in Hawaii). It has been so good to have her near – clear on the other side of the metro area. She brings a lot of laughter and joy to family gatherings.
Elise rooms with 4 early-twenty-something-college girls. She sent these to give us a look inside. I love her style because it has been influenced by her missions travels around the world to places like Venezuela, Thailand, China, Bangladesh, Mexico and Honduras. Here is her tour in her own words:
This is my corner of the bedroom I share. I love maps and both of these were found at antique/thrift stores. The small flag patches represent all the countries I’ve been to. The ‘night stands’ are cute little benches I bought at a yard sale right after I moved to CO. I was so proud of my purchase that I called my mom telling her what a great deal it was :)
This is our bathroom (below, left). With two people in the room, it’s kind of crowded and leaving the bathroom door open and just having the beads there helps open the room up. Below right: The little tin that I just covered with cool patterned magazine pages. The script reads Pen and Ink… I keep my writing utensils in it :)
This is a make-shift table for extra junk made from two stools with a slab of red painted wood across them. We covered the lower part with a cool piece of scrap material. My roommies bed is on the right. She loves pillows! Her bed is raised and she has a desk underneath it for extra storage.
We have a large open window, so we’ve used the ledge for pictures, and of course the famous Robin Moslander hand-made chalk board. I got mine for Christmas :)…Also in my little corner – I found this little bookshelf thing in our shed. I intend to paint it someday. (please ignore the huge orange extension cord).
The top of the bookshelf with lamps I bought in Thailand. The small mirror bought at Walmart- great for putting on the necklaces hanging from it :) The bulletin/write-on, wipe-off board I found in a trash pile. And the bulletin board up close.
These are just dried flowers still in a vase. They held their color pretty well, so I kept them…This is in our living room. I live with four other girls, so our “decorating” is not really exsistent. However, we own a mannequin named Dorkus.
Our very full bookshelf and a lamp. Our house is older and there isn’t a lot of lighting other than the lamps we have. Our fireplace mantel. A red and yellow flower match our green walls well, and the painting was actually done by Lou (one of the roommates).
These are the pillows on my bed. I love mis-matching patterns. Big lamps help give our room light at night.
From Aunt Jeanie: But what really says Elise? Coffee. Lots and lots of good coffee. When she comes over, there is always a fresh pot on (to go with all those homebaked cookies for which she is so famous). She is a sweetheart. We’ll miss her when she leaves in a couple of months to accept a ministry position at her parents’ church. I don’t think Aberdeen is big enough for the brightness and massiveness of this girl’s smile and giftings, but they are getting her anyway. :{
Thanks for letting us take a peek inside your home-for-now, Elise! I am not a bit surprised at the color and texture and playfulness of it – because that is you!
Still loving the home tours…Jeanie