Tag Archives: spirituality

40 Is A Big Deal.

This guy is 40 today. FORTY. For his 38th birthday, I wrote 38 things I love about him. He thought I should do 40 now. When I suggested just adding 2 more to that old post, well, he thought it was tacky. Here is a brand new 40 reasons. I also enlisted the help the of the big kids.

Ready?

40 Reasons We Love Ivar Takle. I'll go first.

1) You love Bob Marley and John Denver. And, you sing their songs really loud.

2) You are the same person at home as you are everywhere else.

3) You never believe your blessings are just for you.

4) You make me want to be a better wife, because you are always a better husband.

5) I love how you make yourself trip just so I will laugh.

6) You make the best fried rice on the planet.

7) You bring me my coffee every single morning you are home. I feel like I am roughing it when you're gone.

8) You teach our daughter how a husband should treat his wife by setting an astounding example.

9) And, you may or may not spoil both of your girls.

10) You hear my heart and receive from me. You know, when I approach matters of the heart with grace instead of….that other way. 🙂

11) You are so stinking smart and answer all of my questions on what in the Sam Hill is going on in the world.

12) You can do anything a farmer can do. Drive any tractor. Plow any land. And, do that other farmer-type stuff. And, that's really sexy.

13) Flying an airplane is sexy, too.

14) You never, ever complain.

15) You never speak poorly of anyone. Ever. That is so amazing.

16) You are the hardest working man I know.

17) You teach John Henry how to be a man.

18) You play with our children. That's a big deal.

19) You are the epitome of patience.

20) You bring peace to our home.

 

Anna would like to take the next ten. Hit it, sister.

21) He loves me.

22) He is so much fun.

23) Sometimes, he gives me answers on my homework.

24) He is adventurous.

25) He is as crazy as me.

26) I love it that he fixes my breakfast every morning.

27) He is a really hard worker.

28) He's my favorite person to cuddle with.

29) I'm proud that he is my daddy.

30) He is handsome.

 

John Henry would like to add the next ten.

 

31) Because, he loves me.

32) He teaches me new things.

33) He gives me the chances to do things.

34) He provides me with a home and food.

35) Because, he will fly me around.

36) He doesn't freak out over things like mom does.

37) He loves my Daddy Bryan, and they get along.

38) He will tuck me into bed.

39) He will never give up on me.

40) He gives to others even if it's not a holiday.

 

I couldn't agree more with your big kids. And, number 40 might be my absolute favorite. Because, it is just so true. If Jett could add anything, I'm sure it would be, “He can always find my Super-Man cape” or “He lets me stay in my pjs” or “He lets me drive the tractor” or “My dad can fly an airplane. And, that's just cool.”

I have no idea how in the world you manage all that you manage. And, you are rarely a donkey on the edge. You continually amaze me.

You used to tell me you weren't as “spiritual” as me, because, you didn't have the foundation of scriptures that I had. But, I've seen people quote the entire New Testament and not live out what you live out on a daily basis. You are the most “spiritual” man I know because of how you love your family and how you love and give to others. You are always positive. Always. You always speak positively of others. THAT is spiritual. THAT is you.

You are such a great man. A great husband. A great father. A great friend.

You live out Ecclesiastes 9:10. Whatever you do, do well.

Happy 40th Birthday. Thank you for doing all things well.

I love you, Kris Takle. And, I thank God you were born.

 

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Filed under life, making an impact, Marriage, parenting

The Three Parts of Marriage (1 of 3)


A good friend of mine just celebrated her one year anniversary.  She commented that she made it through what people say is the hardest year.  I understand what she meant, but I would also argue that marriage should always be hard.  Not in a striving, miserable kind of way.  But in a way that you exert actual effort in making it what God intended. 

My dad once told me that three parts make up a marriage.  He said that marriage should be one-thirds spiritual, one-thirds emotional, and one-thirds physical.  In this little blog series, I’d like to share my views on the three, how they affect my marriage, where Kris and I get it right, and where we sometimes fall short.  “Fall short” is for you Uncle Ken.

Now, I do not claim to be an expert on the topic.  This is my second marriage, after all.  And, you might be reading this thinking, “I think marriage is four parts” or “I think marriage is this” or “I think marriage is that.”  Well, you might be right.  Share your thoughts with me, and maybe and we’ll both learn something new.

Today, I’m going to open up the dialogue with the spiritual part of marriage.

I believe when this part is done right, two individual people can come together in an extraordinary relationship.  When Kris and I first married, he didn’t feel he was a “spiritual” person since, in his mind, his spirituality was based on knowledge of the Bible.  As I began to share with him that his heart for other people, his simple acts of kindness, and the way he loved John Henry and I made him as spiritual as one can get, his understanding of it changed.

Kris and I don’t daily sit down and read God’s Word together.  So, perhaps, we fall short here.  But when I read a scripture that really grabs a hold of my heart, he is the first person I share it with.  When we pray together, it is always me praying out loud.  And, regardless of your thoughts on this, I am okay with it.  I’ll never forget in our first year of marriage we were lying in bed, and I wasn’t feeling well.  I leaned over and asked him to pray for me.  He said, “Okay.”  But after about 3 minutes of silence, I reacted, “Kris, pray for me!”

“I am!  You just interrupted me!”  He responded.

I couldn’t help but chuckle then, and I still get a kick out of that story today.  While, I am comfortable praying aloud, Kris would rather not.  However, he always prays aloud for our children.  And, that’s what matters most to me.

But, I know he prays.   He will often tell me what God is showing him about our family, about our business, and about our children.  And, I can’t tell you the number of times that we both came together and shared something we felt God was showing us to do, and it was the same thing.  That’s when the relationship becomes extraordinary – at least to me.

I respect Kris as the spiritual leader of our home.  And, he respects what God shows me.  And, while marriage offers the best place for raising children and offering companionship, it also offers the opportunity to learn valuable spiritual lessons of love, compassion, and commitment.  It provides a place to live as Christ-followers.  It is where God is considered in every decision.  It is where as individuals, we live as God has called us to live – and when we come together, God is glorified.

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Filed under Love, Relationships, Spiritual Journey