Wiebke and Paul

Wiebke’s at Encounter today. September 22, 2007

It’s been a lot of work since we’ve gotten married. Times have been tough and times have been really good. I just wanted to take the time out to say that I’m very proud of both of us for how much work we’ve put into this relationship.

Wiebke has been such an amazing partner. We’ve both come into our marriage with faults, (too many to count, really) but the one thing that has gotten us through it all is talking things out. It’s really tough when you’ve been living your life your own way and then putting yourself in a situation where that doesn’t really work anymore. You have to make changes to nearly everything you do.

Luckily, both Wiebke and I have adopted the biggest thing that will always keep us working on it, believing in each other, and truly wanting to see things better for the both of us. Our spiritual beliefs have had such an impact on us both, way more than just being married. It’s shaken up everything we believe in and very much changed what we hope for. So when we find each other stuck arguing about the wrong things or doing things that could be harmful to each other, we know that there’s a bigger reason to get things right. It’s not just for us or for each other.

And so Wiebke is at Encounter this weekend putting this all into practice. Wiebke is an amazing woman that any other woman (or person) could look up to. But she knows that she can do better and she’s out there with the belief that she can. And she will. Not by her own strength, but by the grace of God. He’s the one that has put more faith in us than we have ourselves. He’s put us in our place countless times and has seen us though many issues and it’s been an amazing trip to see all of this happen in real-time. I can see Him working in us both and I can’t imagine where we would be without Him. Wiebke’s out there matching her faith to His and I know that she’s going to come out on the other end in a better place for it.

So, good on ya’, Wiebke! I love you, babe!