Mate Picking

Lately, I have been completely humbled by how wonderful of a man that the Lord gave me in my husband. I know that he is only human and makes mistakes, but I am incredibly thankful that I married Derek Cash Diffendaffer. I knew I was marrying a wonderful man, but I wasn't even completely aware of what I was getting myself into.

I was thinking about what I would tell my children one day what to look for in a mate and I thought it would be fun to compile a list for "mate picking". So here are the results:

1. Choose someone who loves the Lord with his whole heart and who knows and loves His Word.

2. Choose someone who rejoices in your successes. Someone that can be excited for you and not so competetive that they are always comparing themselves to you or having a hard time with you being succecssful.

3. Choose someone who makes you laugh and who you make laugh. Someone who you think is the funniest person alive and who thinks you are the funniest person alive.

4. Choose someone who is "smarter" than you. True, there are different kinds of intelligence, but it is important to be with someone whose decisions you will respect and trust. As mom always said, "Marry a nerd. They make the best husbands".

5. Choose someone with quality friends. Chances are, they are a lot like their closest friends.

6. Choose someone who is patient with you. Someone who doesn't force things on you.

7. Choose someone who encourages you to make your own decisions. Someone who is not trying to make your desicions for you.

8. Choose someone who is optimistic. Someone who loves today and can't wait for tomorrow. Someone who sees life as an adventure and can't wait to take you along with him.

9. Choose someone who can relax you. Someone whose arms you can fall into at the end of a long day and suddenly everything is okay. Someone who makes your heart at rest. A safety net.

10. Choose someone with dreams and ambitions for you and your family one day. Someone who will pursue his dreams and goals and lead your family in the pursuit of collective dreams and goals.

11. Choose someone who is honest. Someone who is a man of his word. Always. Someone you can trust.

12. Choose someone who can't get over how amazing you are and lets you know. Someone who expresses how beautiful, smart, all around wonderful he (and God) thinks you are.