All the single ladies!

This is a song my husband would sing to our daughter when she was 4months old. He would sing, "All the single babies, all the single babies..." It was a bit ridiculous, but completely entertaining. This has now proven to be her favorite song and she starts dancing and bouncing every time her brothers sing it to her. Huge smile on her face.

This also describes a lot of my really close friends. When I take inventory, I'm pretty surprised to know how many amazing single women I know. (and men, but this isn't about them) Isn't it usually the other way around? Everyone knows only married people? Well, not for me. I think to myself, I have incredible women in my life and they are all single. Until recently.

Its been fun to hear the excitement in their voices about a boy. A really cute boy. A boy that likes and in some cases, loves them back. A boy that sees the beauty, intelligence, kindness, soul and spirit of these gals.

I love the beginning of a relationship. Its SO much fun. Completely scary, but SO much fun. Its new. You want to talk to this person all the time. When they say you are beautiful, its like you've never heard that before and you believe for the first time. You get all dolled up to go out and feel special. You care about everything they say. And in almost every case, they only know the good stuff about you. It's like all the stupid stuff you do they don't know yet, so you are the best version of yourself, which is awesome!

I was talking to a friend of mine who is in this situation and I tried to encourage her to just live in this place because it doesn't last. The excitement, the feelings, the nervousness, the giddiness, the feeling of cloud nine. The beginning of a relationship is just that, the beginning. It made me think of what happens in relationships.

I don't want to go back to the beginning. I LOVE my husband. The beginning of our relationship was filled with all these things, and it was so much fun. It was exciting. But I wouldn't go back there. We may not be giddy every time we see each other anymore, though it still does happen. We know quite a lot about each other, definitely all the junk, so there's no hiding from each other. But the depth of love we have for each other, is irreplaceable. To have someone in your life who knows you better than you know yourself. Who knows ALL your junk, weaknesses, bad habits, tendencies, sins of past and present, and looks at you and says, I love you. Every morning. I see you for who you are and I don't want anyone else. You're it. I love you and think you are incredible. To have someone think you are still amazing and know everything about you? That's love. That's depth. I'll take that any day.

But you need the beginning to get to the middle to finish at the end. You need the beginning to lay the foundation for all that will come. I am excited for my friends. I can't wait to watch the joy and the pain of them learning about love. And now we can talk about it together. I love that even more.

Thank you God for seeing me for all that I am. For all the promises broken. For all those I will make and break in the future. For all my failed attempts of loving you and others. Thank you for the depth of your love for me.

Thank you Paul for being God's representative in my life. To see me for who I am. Know me like you do, and still want to be with me. I have tested you and us, and still you remain. You are my every day reminder of Jesus and God's love and forgiveness in my life. I love you, and you are still the cutest guy in the room. Any room.