Plutarch once said, “That state of life is most happy when superfluities are not required and the necessities are not wanting.” Well, I can say with all sincerity, that my necessities have been met and met well. All I ever needed in life was a good wife, respect of my children and the Love of God.

Sunday, September 7, 2008 marks our thirty-ninth wedding anniversary and we where told by all but two of our freinds that it would not last six months. When people ask me how long I’ve been married I often answer with “All my life because my life began when I married Colleen.”

Even when I did not know God (or Jesus Christ), I knew that we were supposed to be together, and when my bad behavior threatened this relationship, it was God that pulled us back.

Because my love for my wife and family was so important to me, I was forced to seek out God to save our marriage. In the process, I came to the saving, redeeming Grace of Christ. Now, even today I can not imagine how my life would be without my wife beside me. Even when she is away for even one night, I have trouble getting a good night’s sleep.

God has blessed me with Colleen and our two children. To Him, I give thanks. And I renew my pledge to the God I did not know, I will stand by my wife, faithful in all things, until the day I die and I pray to God that we are not separated by death for many years to come. I jokingly say that I promise to be faithful until we celebrate our seventy-fifth anniversary and that is still a long way off.

So I say to the world, I LOVE COLLEEN SHIRAS even more this day than ever before, and I will LOVE HER MORE TOMORROW than today. Thank you Jesus for putting her in my life.