The Blessing

Last year I read The Blessing by Gary Smalley. This book has helped me to recognize the importance of blessing my husband and my children. Smalley provides tips for doing this daily but also suggests having a celebration each year to bless the individual. Since Chase and I just celebrated our five year anniversary, I decided to use it as an opportunity to bless him. The basic idea is to plan an evening for your spouse that will be memorable as he experiences the love and value you have for him. Here are some ideas that Smalley gives:

• If money is available, consider hiring a sitter and getting away even if "away" is just across town at a hotel
• Plan a special meal based on what your spouse requests
• Communicate your love by expressing your commitment to your marriage and by pointing out several of your spouse's endearing qualities
• Write a story of your marriage recapturing some of the drama and excitement of courtship and each season of marriage
• Include photographs of special times together that bring back memories
• Select everyday objects to communicate things about your spouse through word pictures
• Picture a special future for your spouse by repeating your marriage vows or write new vows to express your love and commitment
• List 10 reasons why you would choose your spouse again as your life partner
• Take extended time to pray together, thanking God for each other and asking Him to keep your love fresh

Considering we are in the whirlwind process of building a house, I wasn't sure how much of this would be feasible - for one day! Chase had to work, oversee construction at the lot, and we had to go shopping at Lowe's (taking advantage of the tax-free weekend!). However, I was able to plan a sitter for the girls so that we could go out for a special dinner date. At dinner, I gave Chase an album of some of our wedding pictures that I edited and had bound into a book.

When we returned home, I presented him with a basket of ordinary household objects that represented Chase. For example, a flashlight because he always guides are family in the right direction, coffee creamer because he makes the ordinary extraordinary, a book because being married to him is like re-reading a favorite book and continuing to learn new things, and....I think you get the idea :)

I then shared my top 10 list of reasons I would marry him again (five years and two children later means the reasons have evolved a little). I also re-read the personal wedding vows that I had shared with Chase on our wedding day and how I see our future together. It was such a fun day and I enjoyed planning every bit of it!