A Love Story

I've spent most of the day today trying to remember what I was doing each hour on this day 7 years ago. I remember waking up on my wedding day so excited about marrying the man that I had wanted to marry since age 5 that I could hardly stand it. While my mom, sister, best friends and everybody else were nervous about everything going perfect....I was only anticipating the moment when the pastor pronounced us man and wife.

When I was 5 years old (which would be 21 years ago), I had a gigantic crush on Matthew Noe. The cool thing is that he had a crush on me too. My mother in law still has the first love letter he ever wrote me and that's a true story!!! It goes something like this:

Ashley,

Do you like me? I like you. Circle yes or no.

Love,

Matthew Noe

I'll be honest and say that me and Matthew probably set the record for break ups when we were teenagers. Every time we would break up we would go in search of finding God's will and sometimes made some "weird" choices. But when it was God's time, He put us together for the final time. On February 7th, 2004, Matthew Noe became my husband. I still remember the first time I introduced him as my "husband" and not merely my "boyfriend" and also the first time he introduced me as his wife. I was so proud that I probably didn't stop grinning for months!

I think the most exciting thing about this anniversary is celebrating the miracle that God gave us. I was reminded once again today just how far God has brought Matthew and I. Tomorrow is 4 months exactly that God saved Matthew's soul and 3 months since He put our home back together!

The weekend after Matthew got saved, my father in law preached a message about God making things brand new. Not patched up. Not merely mended. Not halfway put back together. But BRAND NEW. He gave an example of a mommy and daddy bird that have worked so hard to build a nest for themselves and their babies. A terrible storm comes along and destroys everything they've built and worked hard for. Unlike most of us humans, the birds don't stoop to the ground and pick up the pieces to rebuild the nest. Instead, they get BRAND NEW material to rebuild. They build a home stronger and better than it EVER WAS BEFORE.

How many people told me that even though God had saved Matthew that our marriage and home would never be like it was before??? They were SOOO right but not in the way they thought. Our home and marriage are nothing like they were before because God made it brand new. A brand new marriage, a brand new home....BETTER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN.

Shouting ground there, friends!!! God is able to do ABOVE anything we could ask or even think and I'm living proof of that. I wish I could just stand with a megaphone to the world and tell them just how awesome and powerful God is!!! Just to be able to give them the hope that things can change, that their situations can be turned completely around with GOD'S help.

So, as Matthew and I celebrate 7 years of marriage on Monday, we have so much to be thankful for! I thank God that He gave me such a love for my husband. I think he's the best thing EVER and, of course, I think he's the most handsome man in the world. Not to mention the fact that he's such a good daddy! If he's been gone longer than an hour the kids are already asking where Daddy is. I've graduated to rank #2 in their eyes and I'm not complaining at all! Not to be mushy here, but I am so in love with this man that God has blessed me with!! The better part is that Hubs is in love with me too!! He tells me every single day that he's in love with me and that I'm the most beautiful woman in the world. That takes love, folks. Bless his heart, not only did God give him a wife but blinders on his eyes too! Ha ha!!

Please join us in thanking God for a unified home and another year to serve the Lord together! We are going on a small trip together the weekend after Valentine's Day so our actual anniversary day will probably be spent at home with the kids. Our babies...a whole other post in itself. We are two very blessed people! :)