My Better Half

I've had clients tell me it was worth hiring me just to get to deal with my wife, Becky.  I know what they mean!  She is consistently sweet, encouraging and cheerful, not just to all of my clients and piano students but to us (her family) as well.  She somehow manages to homeschool our five children (all born the "natural" therefore painful way and without pain meds - wow!), handle my scheduling/bookkeeping, design and maintain my website (which she learned how to do one week before it was up), and through it all somehow increase in beauty (inner and outer) through 19 years of marriage!  Any helpful material on this blog or my website has come through at least her incredible editing, and very possibly was mostly written by her (she often says, "Honey, I've heard you talking about this lately, so I put some of your thoughts down on paper - is this what you'd say?"). 

And on top of all that, she keeps reading/studying so she's growing and interesting to talk to (see, if she was editing this I probably wouldn't have a dangling preposition here :-).  Becky is still my best friend, the one I can't wait to go over new ideas with - I know she'll be encouraging and yet still provoke me to dig deeper and refine my thinking. 

Oh, and because it was hurting my wrists (therefore my livelihood), she mustered the kids and managed to install new flooring (which she got at an INCREDIBLE discount) and repaint most of the house interior.  AND, because she loves the products and helping people and wanted to help with the family budget she's recently become an independent Mary Kay consultant (shameless plug - www.marykay.com/becky.redmond).  Did I mention her smile that lights up the entire room (with or without Mary Kay makeup :-)?? 

WOW!  Can you tell I'm impressed by my wife?!  As always, God says it better in His Word than I ever could:

Proverbs 31:10-12, 26-29 (ESV) -
"An excellent wife who can find?  She is far more precious than jewels.  The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.  She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.  ... She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.'" 

And I say YES to all that about Becky!

Happy Mother's Day, sweetie!