Praise her at the city gates

My wife is taking advantage of the kids' spring break to visit family and has been bravely trekking east. Things have been going extremely well until this morning when my oldest son pulled a major 'what-were-you-thinking???!' maneuver. Dawn is pretty frustrated at the moment; his timing just could not have been any worse - right as they pull into the parking lot of a ski lodge for what is supposed to be the big adventure of the trip. I love Dawn! She takes thinks viscerally. She's a great mom, and her hopes, dreams, and moods soar (or dive) frequently along with their activities. An old quote I saw recently in Mark Batterson's blog pointed out this subtle difference between the two of us...

"A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house."

Back in Old Testament times, when the men would meet in the city gates they would talk about the pressing issues of the day. Since there was no Monday Night football, on occasion they had to talk about their family. Would they say good things or bad? Well, today the internet has joined the realm of the city gates, a place where men can talk about their wives and families. Today I just want to shout out in public and say I think my wife is the best, and I love her very very much!!

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." (Proverbs 31:28-31 NIV)