Marriage

39 Things I Love About You

39 Things I Love About You

It’s that time of the year again when I celebrate my husband and get to tell the whole world (or at least those who read my blog) what a great guy I married!

Dear Binny,

  1. I love your passion to establish our family on the Rock.
  2. The patience you have to make plum cakes.
  3. Your love for the mountains… 🏔️
  4. …and that you tolerate my life for the beach.
  5. Your paintings that adorn our home. 🖼️
  6. The number of habits you’re tracking.
  7. The way you explain stuff to the kids in a way they understand.
  8. That you insist on explaining things to me even when it’s totally going over my head.
  9. That you’ll always, always make time for chai with friends. ☕️
  10. That you took the time to understand personality types just cos I asked you to.
  11. The way you can juggle multiple responsibilities at work, church, home, and football… I’m truly in awe! 🤹‍♂️
  12. The way you laugh at your own jokes.
  13. That you refer to me as Wonder Woman…
  14. …and reinforce it with appropriate gifs.
  15. Your raw physical strength. 🏋️‍♂️
  16. Listening to 90’s love songs in the car with you.
  17. Your restlessness when you know something’s just not right.
  18. Your drive to get back on your feet after surgery.
  19. The number of micro, mini and mega dates you’ve taken me on this year. 🍽️
  20. The way you answer the kids’ questions about life and spirituality.
  21. Your carefully curated fitness plan.
  22. Your sermon notes and doodles. ✏️
  23. Your personal Bible study takeaways that you share with me.
  24. Your love for deep teachings from the Bible.
  25. Your heart to equip those God has entrusted to you
  26. The impromptu excursions you take us on. 🚗
  27. That you sense my need for downtime.
  28. …and make room for it even before I ask for it.
  29. The special handshake you do with the kids. 🤝
  30. Your attention to detail.
  31. The number of times you’ve put our family’s best interest before something you really wanted to do.
  32. The way you kept pestering me to tell you what I wanted for my birthday. 🎁
  33. The long meaningful conversations about the things that really matter.
  34. The amazing fish fry you made. 🐟
  35. The fact that you’re budget-conscious.
  36. The way you capture beauty on camera. 📸
  37. Your determination to push past physical limits.
  38. The look in your eyes when you see babies, puppies, and plants! 🥰
  39. The way you always stick up for your team – whether it’s at work, church or the football field.

I’m forever grateful that you chose me to be your wife! 💕


Any married women out there?
Go ahead, write a note, a text, an email.
Let your husband know all that you love about him.
You’ll be glad you did!


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38 Things I Love About You

38 Things I Love About You

After a 2 year hiatus, I thought it would be fun to resume my annual tradition of celebrating my husband on his birthday!

This probably sounds cheesy, but my husband has been my best friend, closest companion and trusted confidant for the past 12 years… and this is how I get to tell the world what a great guy he is! 😉

Dear Binny,

  1. I love that you are serious about the stuff that matters…
  2. …and so casual about the ones that aren’t!
  3. Thank you for keeping me grounded when I feel overwhelmed.
  4. That you walk in after a long day at work and offer to help in the kitchen. 👨‍🍳
  5. The way you explain science stuff to the kids. ⚛️
  6. That you’ve taught the kids to question how things work. 🛠️
  7. Your amusement at my inability to question why things work the way they do!
  8. That time you held the elevator door open for me! 😘
  9. For being our very own Mr. Incredible! 🦸‍♂️
  10. The way you insist you’re the Hulk and not geeky Bruce Banner. 🤓
  11. Your concern and care when I fall sick… 🤒
  12. …and the numerous times you ask me, “Are you ok?”
  13. For training the kids to clean the house. 🏡
  14. Your commitment…
  15. …to family,
  16. …ministry, ⛪️
  17. …and work. 💻
  18. That you’ve made travel an integral part of our family culture. 🚗
  19. For saying yes to Zurich… 🏔️
  20. …and letting us experience Europe! 🌍
  21. Your determination to get back on your feet after major injuries. 👟
  22. The way you breeze through exercises that leave me huffing and puffing. 🏋️‍♂️
  23. That you’ll fight to keep the flame alive in our marriage. 🤵❤️👰
  24. Your innovative ideas for conflict resolution. 🥊
  25. The garden on our balcony… 🌱
  26. …and your excitement when flowers bloom. 🌸
  27. That you’ll make time for your friends…
  28. …and strive to be available for those in distress.
  29. For taking the kids out when I need some alone time. 🛋️
  30. For the pretty earrings you buy me on your travels.
  31. The way you push me to go out and meet my friends. 👭
  32. The pure joy on your face when you hear a complicated note in a song. 🎼
  33. That you let the kids follow their individual interests.
  34. Your short and sometimes annoying “Hmm”s.
  35. Your one word feedback comments. 😜
  36. The way you cover all our bases when we make important decisions.
  37. That you wait for me to be ok with something before you go ahead with it.
  38. For buying me my very own smartphone! 📱

For all these and more… I love you, now and always! ❤️

To all the married women out there…
Go ahead, write a note, a text, an email.
Let your husband know all that you love about him.
You’ll be glad you did!


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35 Things I Love About You

I’ve come out of blog hibernation (a rather extended, unintended blog break) today, to pen down my annual post celebrating my husband on his birthday.

I know it probably sounds cheesy to many, but this is one way I get to tell my husband how much I love him. Also, people get to know what a great guy he is! 😉

Truth is, when I write thousands of words on a weekly basis for others as part of my job, I could certainly make time to write 500 words about the guy I love and admire at least once a year.

I thought it would be difficult to write a new post from scratch in less than an hour. But what do you know… once I got started, I couldn’t really stop!

So, here we go…

35 Things I Love About You

  1. That you plan to have fun, even though you’re not a planner by nature.
  2. When you use endearing terms on me that are usually reserved for luxury cars and bikes you admire 😉 .
  3. That you take time to play carrom with the kids.
  4. For buying me cake, flowers and a card for my birthday, which I didn’t quite want to celebrate.
  5. That you practically try to make life easier for our parents.
  6. Your insane workout sessions.
  7. That you are eager to learn new skills…
  8. …and improve existing ones.
  9. The way you’re cautious not to let your talents waste away.
  10. For being my mouse-terminator.
  11. For braving the Chennai floods…
  12. …and driving through high waters.
  13. For planning all the fun things we were supposed to do in Chennai.
  14. The way you made it up to the kids when we had to cut our Chennai trip short.
  15. The way you keep hounding me to get a dog.
  16. The times you taught the sons their Math lessons.
  17. For the Computer practical session you conducted for the boys.
  18. The way you get the kids to be reasonable in their requests.
  19. That you took the effort to handpick a birthday card for me.
  20. The way you invest in your own well-being.
  21. For getting me to think logically when i forget 😛 .
  22. The alarms you set on your phone that remind you to leave office on time.
  23. That the alarm reads “Time with Kids”.
  24. How you prioritize spending time with the kids over homework or chores.
  25. That you’ll sit up late with the kids and watch a superhero movie…
  26. …even if you have wake up early the next day to drive hundreds of kilometers.
  27. For the many selfies you’ve taken of us – with and without the kids.
  28. The way you were cautious to get a military cover for your phone before it could crack further.
  29. That you think my chappathis are better than others’. LOL!
  30. The way you genuinely believed the paneer I cooked was the best you’d ever tasted.
  31. The Rottikallu trip – our first real vacation in like, forever.
  32. The way you got your dad to play the keyboard after ages.
  33. That you support me when I tell you something God said.
  34. That you hired a part-time cook for me.
  35. That you actually taught the kids how to moonwalk today.

Love that I get to be your wife!

To all the married women out there…
Go ahead, write a note, a text, an email.
Let your husband know all that you love about him.
You’ll be glad you did!


Sign up here to have new blog posts delivered directly to your email inbox.
You can also follow along on Facebook and Twitter.


 

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34 Things I Love About You

It’s my husband’s birthday today… which means it’s that time of the year when I write a mushy blog post listing all the things I love about him 😉 .

{If you’d rather go read something else, I wouldn’t blame you! How about some inspiration, links I love, parenting stuff or stories about the trio?}

Well, here goes…

34 Things I Love About You

To the one my heart loves, here are 34 things I love about you!

  1. The way you look in a suit.
  2. Wrestling with you for the remote.
  3. Your taste in music that has {slightly} influenced mine.
  4. For accepting my limitations.
  5. That you are a responsible son / son-in-law.
  6. For listening to me when I vent out my frustrations.
  7. The times you’ve cooked when I’ve had a work deadline.
  8. For being someone I can look up to for spiritual guidance.
  9. For ordering pizza on nights I’m too tired to cook.
  10. The Saturdays you took the kids with you to church.
  11. For bringing your friends (and their wives) into my life.
  12. The times you’ve sneaked ice-cream into the house just for me.
  13. For doing the dishes when I burn my hand cooking.
  14. For chipping in with the cooking after I’ve burnt myself.
  15. When you tearfully chop onions for me.
  16. For dressing up the kids’ wounds every time they fall.
  17. The way you delight in imitating my quirkiness.
  18. For taking us out to 3D movies the kids will enjoy.
  19. The way you talk about cars & bikes with the boys.
  20. For taking us to the super bike show on Mother’s Day this year.
  21. For teaching the kids to respect me.
  22. The time you walked to work because you didn’t want to disturb the puppies snuggled up under the car.
  23. That you can keep your cool, even when the kids are pushing all your buttons.
  24. Your eagerness to gift the kids something new, once in a while.
  25. Your commitment to stay where God has placed you.
  26. For listening to my ramblings about days past.
  27. That you care for me more than I care for myself.
  28. The cross-trainer you plotted beforehand to buy me.
  29. For being my cockroach-slayer.
  30. The hands-on computer lesson you gave the kids.
  31. The way you share what God’s been telling you lately.
  32. The brunch date you planned for my birthday.
  33. For keeping a listening ear to what God wants for our family.
  34. The way you make me fall in love with you all over again, even after 7+ years!

I’m definitely blessed to be your wife!

To all the married women out there…
Go ahead, write a note, a text, an email.
Let your husband know all that you love about him.
You’ll be glad you did!

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33 Things I Love about You

It’s my husband’s birthday today! And in keeping with what I wrote last year and the year before, here are 33 things I love about him :).

33 Things I Love

To my husband, my lover, my best friend… here’s what I love about you:

  1. Your eagerness to minister for God’s glory.
  2. The post-it love note you stuck on the showcase.
  3. The way you patiently say “Bye” to the kids over and over again.
  4. Your determination to balance family, church and work.
  5. The encouraging words you scribbled in my planner.
  6. The way you check on the kids after they’re asleep on Saturday nights.
  7. For taking the kids’ homework off my hands.
  8. Your dedication in training the choir.
  9. For using your talents to glorify God.
  10. The intensity with which you play the guitar (and keep breaking the strings!).
  11. For giving up Saturday morning football just for me.
  12. The way you discuss super heroes with the sons.
  13. For taking a day off to take us all out.
  14. The 2 movie dates you took me out on, this year.
  15. The joy on your face after you bought the kids Transformers.
  16. For being the primary bread-winner in our family.
  17. Watching late night movies with you.
  18. For setting aside what you want to do, for what you need to do.
  19. The 3D & 5D theater experience you took me to.
  20. For being a generous giver…
  21. …but a careful spender.
  22. For allowing me to take a day off once in a while.
  23. The way you hold me together when I’m falling apart.
  24. For patiently listening to the stories of my past.
  25. Your support as I began working from home.
  26. For taking over when I’m burnt out.
  27. For teaching the kids how to spell…
  28. …and what the different food groups are.
  29. For putting up with my emotional highs and lows.
  30. For being my best friend for the past 7 years.
  31. The ease with which you sing various parts.
  32. For attempting to be home early this evening :).
  33. For making sure our family is taken care of, in the midst of your commitments at work and church.

{I’m so proud to be your wife!}

To all the married women out there…
Go ahead, write a note, a text, an email.
Let your husband know all that you love about him.
You’ll be glad you did!

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You can also follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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32 Things I Love about You

Barely a month after I started blogging last year, I wrote a post on my husband’s 31st birthday listing 31 things I loved about him. Well, yesterday he turned 32. It was only fitting that I followed up this year with 32 things I love about him :). And maybe another 33 next year?!

Well, here goes… To the love of my life, here’s 32 things I love about you:

  1. Your obedience to God, even when it seems absurd.
  2. The way you wait on God before making major decisions.
  3. How you’ve set your priorities right.
  4. The way you hold on to a word God has given you.
  5. When you see I’m exhausted and you take up half my to-do list.
  6. Your commitment to work and provide for us.
  7. Your leadership – at home and at work.
  8. Your patience with the kids when i’m losing mine.
  9. The way you hair looks, naturally.
  10. Your constant encouragement with respect to my blog.
  11. The way you remind me of God’s promises when I am doubtful.
  12. Your simple answers to my complex questions.
  13. Your support when I’m an emotional mess.
  14. When you raise your eyebrows and give me that look.
  15. The two of us watching a movie in a theater for the first time together…
  16. … And walking out halfway through to pick up the kids.
  17. When you tried to get the kids to sing harmony.
  18. For making sure our finances are on track.
  19. The way you initiate family time – be it a movie or a trip to the beach.
  20. For fixing our laptop charger.
  21. The way you can straighten up our home in just 10 minutes.
  22. The laugh lines near your eyes.
  23. Rough boy fights with the kids.
  24. When you teach them to write…
  25. … Or learn a new Hindi rhyme.
  26. The way you answer the kids’ complex questions.
  27. For buying me running shoes…
  28. … And encouraging me to run.
  29. The way you sneak up on me and make me squeal.
  30. How you chide the kids when they disrespect me.
  31. The way you get excited when the kids love a toy you bought.
  32. The picture of you above – you are one good looking guy :).

{I’m so glad God chose me to be your wife.}

To all the married women out there… Go ahead, write a note, a text or an email… Let your husband know all that you love about him. You’ll be glad you did!

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The Excellent Wife: Chapters 5 & 6

We’re on Week 3 of the The Excellent Wife series. You can catch up on the older posts here. This week we’re diving into chapters 5 and 6.

Chapter 5: A Wife’s Understanding of Marriage

“Husbands and wives should have a biblical goal for their relationships and pursue it.”

Considering the fact that everything in our life is achieved better when we have a goal in mind, it makes sense that marriage relationships should have a goal as well. So, what is God’s purpose for marriage? According to this book, God wants the husband and wife to have a oneness, a loving bond that glorifies God and helps the other person grow spiritually.

I’ve learnt that the first step to achieve this goal is to faithfully pray that my marriage will glorify God. And then comes the tough part. I have to accept responsibility for my own failures as a wife and repent. As much as I’d like to blame my husband when things don’t go right, the truth is that I’m not perfect either. In accordance with what Jesus said in Matthew 7:5, I ought to take the plank out of my own eye, and then try to remove the speck in my husband’s eye.

When we’re determined to work on ourselves first, God helps us become better wives by convicting us through His Word or by letting our circumstances mold us. He also uses people around us to warn and guide us when we go off track.

“A biblical reproof is telling someone what they are doing wrong with the intent to restore them to a right relationship with God.”

The only person who tells me to my face when I lose my way, is my husband. Somehow it’s easier for me to accept reproof from the Bible, books and blogs rather than from my husband. But I need to humble myself, listen to my husband’s words and think about what God may be trying to convey to me through him. On days when it’s tough, it’s best to keep in mind that God wants the husband and wife to help each other become more like Jesus; and that’s exactly what my husband is trying to do.

Chapter 6: A Wife’s Understanding of Her Role

This chapter may not sit well with everybody, and I understand that all too well. Just a few years back, I too rebelled against the biblical role of the wife being a helper subject to her husband. But God has since opened my eyes. I realize now that by being submissive to my husband, I am indeed being submissive to God’s will for me as a wife.

God created man and then fashioned the woman to be a helper suitable to him. I was created for my husband. The ultimate purpose of my existence is to glorify God but a part of that entails accepting my role as my husband’s helper. This may seem old fashioned, but one glance at the Bible and we know it’s true.

“…He (Man) is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.” (1 Corinthians 11:7-9)

My takeaway from this chapter is that my husband is the one in charge, and he delegates some responsibilities to me. I ought to submit to my husband’s authority and fulfill my role as my husband’s helper.

The author includes 18 practical ways a wife can be the glory of her husband. These range from praying for our husbands to taking care of the household – really great tips. One that stood out for me, was that I should consider his work (job, goals, hobbies, ministry) as more important than my own. This is something I constantly struggle with. But I’m blessed to have an understanding husband who’s patient with me while I figure it all out.

The chapter ends with the story of how the author’s great-grandmother honored her husband even though he did not glorify Christ. That to me, is what God expects from Christian wives.

“A Christian woman can do the right thing and fulfill her God-given role regardless of whether her husband fulfills his or not.”

Other posts in this series:

If you are interested in this series and you don’t want to miss a future post, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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The Excellent Wife: Chapters 3 & 4

I’ve been reading through The Excellent Wife, and I now understand why this book is a highly recommended resources for wives. I’ve been learning so much; and I’m so excited to be able to share it with you. This week we’re diving into chapters 3 & 4.

Chapter 3: A Wife’s Understanding of Sin

I’m in complete agreement with the fact that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. I am a sinner, as are you. No matter how hard we try, as long as we live, we’ll be prone to sin. In this chapter, the author reminds us that sin cannot be hidden from God and a price has to be paid for our sins.

But a price has been paid. Jesus took my sins on Himself. He paid the price for my sins on the cross. And because of His sacrifice, I’m forgiven and free of the sins I’ve committed. I’ve done nothing to deserve this forgiveness. None of us can do anything to deserve complete pardon of our sins.

“The fact is that no one can be kind enough or good enough to merit God’s gift of salvation.”

But what we can do, is repent, accept Christ’s forgiveness and try (with God’s help) to live a life pleasing to Him.

Well, all that’s good; but what does this have to do with our marriages? According to this verse, we should strive to forgive others (especially our husbands) just as God has forgiven us. That means, the next time my husband inadvertently offends me, I have to forgive him; no matter how unfair it may seem. [Note: I’m not talking about physical or verbal abuse here. If you’re being abused by your husband, you should seek help.]

“Christians should graciously accept the forgiveness that they have in Christ and graciously bestow forgiveness upon their spouses.”

The second half of this chapter deals with the “put off” – “put on” dynamic. It explains how we can put off a self-honoring thought and put on a God-honoring thought. The book has a tabular column to help us recognize and replace our wrong, sinful thoughts with right, godly thoughts.

The next time I feel I can’t take the pressure any more, I will be reminded that God won’t allow things into my life that I can’t handle. And when I feel my husband should be more romantic towards me, I should remember that love does not seek its own way.

Chapter 4: A Wife’s Understanding of Relationships

“Only in Christ can the relationship of a husband and wife be godly, good, and righteously intimate.”

My husband and I have experienced (over and over again), that when our individual relationships with God are intact, our marriage blossoms. But when we’ve been inconsistent in our relationship with God, it shows on our marriage.

This chapter explains how God designed relationships to be. In order to improve our marriages, we must try to emulate Jesus and start living for Him, rather than for ourselves. Our focus in marriage must shift from “What can I get out of this?” to “What can I give?”.

Well, that is a hard pill to swallow. My selfish nature refuses to do something for my husband without expecting anything in return. And when I do something for him, I expect my work to be recognized and appreciated. But I know God expects me to serve my husband without expecting anything in return. That would be true love; that’s the kind of wife I want to be. A wife who seeks to please God by serving her husband. Obviously, I’ve got a long way to go :).

Come back next week to read about the next two chapters. So now, it’s your turn to share… How has God been teaching you to be an excellent wife?

Other posts in this series:

If you are interested in this series and you don’t want to miss a future post, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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The Excellent Wife: Chapters 1 & 2

I’ve started reading The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace, and I’m amazed at how God is using the book to open my eyes to a whole lot of biblical marriage principles. Something I particularly like is that the book is loaded with scripture, with every section and sub-section backed by verses from the Bible. This week, I’m sharing what I learnt from the first two chapters of the book. Let’s dig in, shall we?!

Chapter 1: The Excellent Wife

The author begins the book with her own testimony – a remarkable transformation of her life and marriage through God’s intervention. I could well relate to that. Although my husband and I were both believers when we got married, I struggled with the real-life dynamics of marriage. It is God who taught me (and is still teaching me) how to be a better wife.

“God wants every Christian woman to be a godly wife – an excellent wife.”

Ms. Peace writes that “an excellent wife reflects God’s glory by her attitudes and actions”. Ouch, that hurt! I have to admit that although I try to do the right things, my attitude isn’t always stellar. I wince as God reminds me of the countless times I’ve grumbled or snapped at my husband while serving him. If I want to be an excellent wife, my attitude (especially towards my husband) should reflect God’s presence in me.

Addressing the question of whether a woman can ever be a good wife, the book reminds us that God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us obey His Word and submit to His will. Well, considering that Jesus Himself said the Holy Spirit will teach us all things; it’s safe to say that the Holy Spirit will teach me to be an excellent wife.

And what happens when we fail at being a godly wife? Despite my best intentions, I will fall short. But when I do, God is faithful to forgive me and He gives me grace to try again.

Chapter 2: A Wife’s Understanding of God

“Our view of life is to be God-centered, not self-centered.”

God has planned a ministry for each of us. I believed my primary ministry was at home, to raise children who will love God and walk in His ways. I realized through this chapter, that my primary ministry is at home alright… but it is to be a helper suitable for my husband! My job of raising kids who’ll glorify God comes a close second.

Another thing that stood out for me in this chapter was the reminder that God will use all my life experiences (including the bad ones), for my good. And two ways good can come out of adversity: (1) Better character, and (2) God will be glorified if I respond biblically.

I always knew God had pre-planned the good works I ought to do in my life. But then comes the hard question… Am I doing them with a cheerful heart? If my good work for today is to keep my home clean for my family, do I do it with a joyful spirit or do I complain about how the kids keep messing up the house?

“In spite of the husband’s imperfections, God has chosen to place the wife under the authority of her husband.”

I’m someone who long rebelled against submitting to my husband. I now realize that by submitting to my husband, I am actually submitting to God’s will for me as a wife. And that’s the safest place to be – right in the center of God’s will.

That’s it for this week. Come back next week to read about the next two chapters. So now, it’s your turn to share… How has God been teaching you to be an excellent wife?

Other posts in this series:

If you are interested in this series and you don’t want to miss a future post, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email, or in a reader.

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The Excellent Wife: Book Review – Introduction

“An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.” (Proverbs 31:10)

A little over 5 years ago, when my husband and I got married, my mother gifted us a set of books – The Excellent Wife and The Exemplary Husband. With all the excitement and uncertainty of a pregnancy that followed soon after, I shelved the books and promptly forgot about them.

Fast forward 5 years… I recently came across several bloggers recommending The Excellent Wife as a good resource for women interested in improving their marriage. Needless to say, I dug out my copy of the book and dusted it off. I decided to read through the book and implement what I learn in my own marriage.

I’m planning to read (and blog) through the book, two chapters a week for the next couple of months. I will be sharing with you my insights from the book and how I’m implementing them in my life. I’m hoping this series will benefit your marriage as well :). If all goes well, I will be blogging through this book every Wednesday until Christmas. Will you join me in learning how to be an excellent wife?

Other posts in this series:

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The Excellent Wife: Book Review – Introduction Read More »