Happy Birthday!

Today is the 54th birthday of the man I love most in all the world!

(Yes, of course, that would be Frank! Smile.)

And I'm so thankful to report that, in spite of the trials of living with me for thirty-one years, he still loves God passionately and serves Him with all his heart. (I heard what you thought, "Maybe she's caused him to live closer to God because he's needed the help?!" Hmmm, I don't know; that could be. Smile.)

At any rate, I thought I'd take today to share with you some of the reasons I admire this guy and why we still like each other after all these years.

1. He has a relationship with Christ and there isn't a "religious" bone in his body! Frank Hawley can be the most unorthodox person I've ever known. He's always dreaming and some of his ideas can be pretty outlandish. But at the end of the day (or the planning time) there is no doubt in anyone's mind that his dreams almost always draw someone else to Jesus.
2. He loves his wife (that would be ME!) and his family more than he loves himself. Our dating time involved a lot of long walks around the campus of Southeastern University. One evening we passed a tangerine tree absolutely loaded with ripe fruit. I made some comment about how cool that was and how much I loved tangerines. When I opened my dorm room door the next morning, I tripped over a grocery bag full of beautiful orange citrus. Frank had gone back, carefully climbed the skinny tree and plucked a gift. I now know that it was probably "illegal" but it went a long way toward winning my heart!
3. He makes every effort to live as a man of his word. Even when it has been uncomfortable or embarrassing, this guy has diligently tried to fulfill promises and honor commitments. Very important in a world like ours - where faithfulness and loyalty are portrayed as archaic concepts.
4. Frank Hawley thoroughly enjoys what he does! One of his favorite quotes expresses this, "Love what you do for a living and you'll never work a day in your life." Pastoring could be considered a rough occupation; unless you genuinely feel called and honestly love people. Frank has chosen this view which sure makes him easier to live with! And the congregation of Garden Grove Church experience it daily.

Actually, my list could go on but I've run out of time this morning. I just wanted to highlight something for the brides and brides-to-be. Please notice that none of these important character traits have anything to do with how he looks, how much money he has, or even how he smells. Smile.

It's the internal things that matter most!

If you're searching for the perfect man or if you're looking at your own young husband snoring loudly on the couch, think about character qualities not facial features and romantic encounters. Those are nice, but they seldom last through the normal storms of life.

Search out and celebrate CHARACTER in the man you love. Then you're guaranteed to still be content after many, many turns in the road.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!