Every Valentine’s Day for the past five years has been different. Oh, I have the same Valentine but having her as my Valentine means a little more each year. In just five weeks we will celebrate four years as a cancer survivor for my bride. Walking with Joni through eleven long months of chemotherapy and radiation made my love and appreciation for her grow even deeper. I was listening to the old iPod and a song by the Turtles summed up the current state of the marital union. Cue booming announcer voice…

Let’s take you back forty years to the spring of 1967 when a California rock group hit number one with this song…Happy Together.

I think about you day and night, it’s only right
To think about the girl you love and hold her tight
So happy together

I can’t see me lovin’ nobody but you
For all my life
When you’re with me, baby the skies’ll be blue
For all my life

We are so happy to be together. More than ever. Solomon wrote a chapter in Proverbs that is most often used to warn about avoiding temptation and the dangers that lurk with unfaithfulness. But lost in the negatives of that chapter is this wonderful bit of positive advice.

Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
      Rejoice in the wife of your youth.  (Proverbs 5:18, NLT)

I have often joked that I married my trophy wife first and got it over with. But the truth is that I did not always appreciate the bride that God had given me. Thank God I slowed down long enough to realize that I am blessed beyond measure by this incredible woman. I have censored the first part of verse nineteen because the advice there is a bit personal…not that there is anything wrong with it. (I am pretty sure I just drove many of you to Proverbs).

I will pick up with last part of the verse…

      May you always be captivated by her love.

I intend to do just that. She makes it easy.