My little sailor, right before the wind blew him over.
It snowed our first Christmas! Jenkins, right before he made our neighbor's snowman yellow.
Our happy family at Christmas
Wife Tip: Men don't want a sip of crystal light when only lacking 10 more feet of mowing.
This weekend we celebrated our first anniversary! It was such a blessing. God has been so so so good to us. We owe everything to Him and are so grateful He chose us to be His. Let me try to sum up our first year as Mr. and Mrs. Winkler...
20 things we learned:
1. Women have to spend a good bit of time in the bathroom getting ready if they want to go anywhere. (at least me anyhow.)
2. Men do need at least 20 minutes of "no talking" time when they come home from work each day.
3. Men work really hard at work, so the most you can do for them when they get home, the more likely they are to say 'yes' to you getting a mani/pedi.
4. Pray, Pray, Pray, Pray. Pray constantly for your marriage and for your spouse. Pray verses and pray hard. A Christian couple is such a threat to the enemy and he is always looking to strike in areas that you don't expect.
5. Cleaning the floors twice a week just doesn't cut it anymore with those work boots and the dog.
6. She doesn't always look perfect when she wakes up. So please don't say, "Wow, are you feeling okay?"
7. Don't ever put a cold milk jug on her back at 6:00 am and expect her to laugh.
8. Don't throw his xbox out in the yard...but if you do, make sure to throw it far the first time so you don't have to walk out in the yard and throw it again because it didn't go far enough.
9. If you do throw the xbox out in the yard, check the weather channel and make sure it isn't suppose to rain that night. Go get it if it is suppose to rain.
10. He does need guy time. And he probably won't put his plate in the sink before he goes.
11. Don't giggle when hamburger meat splatters in his eye. That was so mean of me when he was trying to help cook.
12. If he says "Don't spend over $50." Then he means it.
13. She can snap at any second. And there is a good chance this will happen more than once.
14. Join a Bible Study together.
15. Don't fix Cottage Cheese Casserole and then go to your neighbors house. And if you do, don't start throwing up in their bushes when they open the door. And if you do, don't tell them it was because your wife made "Goat Cheese Surprise."
16. Find a church together and get involved.
17. Still make time for family.
18. Evening walks are what make the world go round.
19. Buy their favorite things at the grocery store, even if you don't have a coupon for it.
20. No matter how mad you are at him, don't take his beer and give it away at your company's Dirty Santa party. He won't like it.
But most importantly...
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37
"Glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together."
Psalm 34:3
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4
" A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good , not harm, all the days of her life....She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom , and faithful instruction is on her tongue....Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
Proverbs 31: 10-12, 25-26, 30
The Lord has blessed our first year. He has granted so many of our desires already this year. Here are some of the prayers He has answered:
1. He has given us so many Christian friends.
2. He has allowed me to be in Auburn, serving Him with children and others in the community.
3. He has given us such a sweet home that we can share with others when they come over.
4. He has allowed us to start leading a college bible study. We are very excited about this. Praise God! To Him be the glory!
5. He has given us precious time to spend together, each evening, and on the weekends.
6. He has blessed us with close family in Auburn, Montgomery, and Columbus. We love our family and are so glad everyone is near each other.
7. He has blessed Stuart with an amazing job. And given Stuart a great work ethic. My prayer for Stuart has always been for the Lord to bless the work of his hands. And God has been faithful.
8. Our health and safety, oh how the Lord has been good.
9. Bible studies: we have been blessed to be in a couples study right after we got married; I was able to do Daniel by Beth Moore with my best friend who would travel to come and do it with me. I am about to be able to do Esther with my mom, mother in law, Christian mentor, and my friends.
10. I was able to spend one on one time with my Christian mentor who has been such a blessing to me.
11. 2009 is our year that we are both reading the Bible all the way through. Seeing him read the Bible and have such a desire motivated me to and me and my best friend are encouraging ourselves through it! (Stu started before me and helps me if I don't understand something.) It is such a wonderful thing to do. I suggest doing it one year!
20 things we learned:
1. Women have to spend a good bit of time in the bathroom getting ready if they want to go anywhere. (at least me anyhow.)
2. Men do need at least 20 minutes of "no talking" time when they come home from work each day.
3. Men work really hard at work, so the most you can do for them when they get home, the more likely they are to say 'yes' to you getting a mani/pedi.
4. Pray, Pray, Pray, Pray. Pray constantly for your marriage and for your spouse. Pray verses and pray hard. A Christian couple is such a threat to the enemy and he is always looking to strike in areas that you don't expect.
5. Cleaning the floors twice a week just doesn't cut it anymore with those work boots and the dog.
6. She doesn't always look perfect when she wakes up. So please don't say, "Wow, are you feeling okay?"
7. Don't ever put a cold milk jug on her back at 6:00 am and expect her to laugh.
8. Don't throw his xbox out in the yard...but if you do, make sure to throw it far the first time so you don't have to walk out in the yard and throw it again because it didn't go far enough.
9. If you do throw the xbox out in the yard, check the weather channel and make sure it isn't suppose to rain that night. Go get it if it is suppose to rain.
10. He does need guy time. And he probably won't put his plate in the sink before he goes.
11. Don't giggle when hamburger meat splatters in his eye. That was so mean of me when he was trying to help cook.
12. If he says "Don't spend over $50." Then he means it.
13. She can snap at any second. And there is a good chance this will happen more than once.
14. Join a Bible Study together.
15. Don't fix Cottage Cheese Casserole and then go to your neighbors house. And if you do, don't start throwing up in their bushes when they open the door. And if you do, don't tell them it was because your wife made "Goat Cheese Surprise."
16. Find a church together and get involved.
17. Still make time for family.
18. Evening walks are what make the world go round.
19. Buy their favorite things at the grocery store, even if you don't have a coupon for it.
20. No matter how mad you are at him, don't take his beer and give it away at your company's Dirty Santa party. He won't like it.
But most importantly...
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37
"Glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together."
Psalm 34:3
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4
" A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good , not harm, all the days of her life....She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom , and faithful instruction is on her tongue....Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
Proverbs 31: 10-12, 25-26, 30
The Lord has blessed our first year. He has granted so many of our desires already this year. Here are some of the prayers He has answered:
1. He has given us so many Christian friends.
2. He has allowed me to be in Auburn, serving Him with children and others in the community.
3. He has given us such a sweet home that we can share with others when they come over.
4. He has allowed us to start leading a college bible study. We are very excited about this. Praise God! To Him be the glory!
5. He has given us precious time to spend together, each evening, and on the weekends.
6. He has blessed us with close family in Auburn, Montgomery, and Columbus. We love our family and are so glad everyone is near each other.
7. He has blessed Stuart with an amazing job. And given Stuart a great work ethic. My prayer for Stuart has always been for the Lord to bless the work of his hands. And God has been faithful.
8. Our health and safety, oh how the Lord has been good.
9. Bible studies: we have been blessed to be in a couples study right after we got married; I was able to do Daniel by Beth Moore with my best friend who would travel to come and do it with me. I am about to be able to do Esther with my mom, mother in law, Christian mentor, and my friends.
10. I was able to spend one on one time with my Christian mentor who has been such a blessing to me.
11. 2009 is our year that we are both reading the Bible all the way through. Seeing him read the Bible and have such a desire motivated me to and me and my best friend are encouraging ourselves through it! (Stu started before me and helps me if I don't understand something.) It is such a wonderful thing to do. I suggest doing it one year!
12. The Lord provided the means for me to go on a mission trip to Guatemala with my dad and sister. We were able to build houses for many families that had nothing. It was so amazing.
There is so much that happened in one year! Lord, thank you for this wonderful year. You are so good.
"For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord, "plans to prsper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
We can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for Year #2!
There is so much that happened in one year! Lord, thank you for this wonderful year. You are so good.
"For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord, "plans to prsper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
We can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for Year #2!
