Good morning, DearOne.

Today, Dale and I have been married 32 years.

I don’t mention Dale much in my writings. He is not a social media fan. So, it is intentional that I low-key him as I post, out of the purest respect.

He is an intentional soul.

He seldom even responds to a text message. When he does the answers are usually short and no nonsense (unless it’s to zinger back to our daughter-in-love, Dani Gayle because … those two 😂❤️). His mode of operation is face to face, or at the very least phone call, voice to voice. Another reason I don’t write much about him is simply that there are no words that can measure up to his loyalty or intensity

He’s a business-man.

Brought me a plan in our early 20’s on how we would buy 8 heifers and over the next 30 years grow a herd. He did it.

Told me about a truck driving operation at his school that was losing money, he was being given the opportunity to turn it from loss to a profit center.

He did it.

He starts with a plan each day. By the time he comes in about 30 minutes after dark,

He did it.

He is intense.

A wrestler mindset.

Wrestling people know what I mean. Successful wrestlers have a very unique frame of reference.

They win.

In a media-drenched world that calls us to move us further and further from our Holy core, Dale is a constant reminder that the most potent way to make an impact is face to face.

And, he makes an impact.

It is his nature.

We’ve shared enough battles and blessings to know that ‘together’ is a basic necessity of daily life . . . not just for new joys, new ventures, new projects, new jobs, our growing family, new babies/grands, and such, but for the problem times, too. For the changing direction times, the caregiver, and the caretaker times, the feelings hurt, and times of loss.

We’ve learned new blessings are released when we take the care of each another into our own heart. A certain challenge happens in that tiny space between a blessing and looking hardship in the face. No matter how dark alleyway, we’ve learned that standing together there’s a place where our losses will be made do-able,

where our blindness focuses to vision,

where damaged goods are made whole,

where the questions asked through clenched teeth and sliding tears open to a barn full of surprise,

where the travails of the seasons have a homecoming.

God shares with us people for the purpose of “together”, where His hand delivers exactly what we need in His perfect timing.

‘Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage’.(Ephesians 5:25 MSG)

Wake up.

Notice your intentional people.

Go.