5 things I've learned to love about my husband...

I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.

~Rita Rudner

No, but seriously. Marriage is 24/7 and odds are at some point those "cute" habits that you fawned over while dating aren't so "cute" anymore. They're annoying. They grate at you....and the most important thing to realize about this is that God made it that way!

Or, let me phrase it differently....He put within each of us unique attributes that need the other. Those habits that just get at you, the ways your partner reacts to things that just drive you bonkers? They're signs. Signs that say "oooo I hit a button." And when that button's hit, instead of reacting, it's helpful to step back and say "what's beneath that? why'd that hurt so bad?" Odds are you'll find something lurking beneath the surface that God needs to deal with.

It makes sense. Your partner's flaws and issues will inevitably flag yours, and you can do two things with that--either let it destroy your relationship or use it as an opportunity to grow. I recommend the latter.

So without further adieu...my 5 things that I've had to learn to love about my husband.

• He never wears shoes--ever-- former source of contention in our household, especially when I'd think of sleeping next to the calluses this created. But this is indicative of his whimsically calm nature, his tendency to just be. He's laid back, while I have a tendency to plan everything (and I mean everything!) He chills me out. When I'm upset, he sits back and breathes, and he's slowly teaching me to trust God in deeper ways than I could have imagined. True, most of the time I want to flick him and ask "Aren't you WORRIED?!" But his nonchalant nature tells me what he thinks, "it'll all be okay, God's got this."

• His gift buying skills. He came from a poor family, so gifts weren't a bit deal. So, when our first Christmas came and all I got were tweety bird pants and a bath and body works (imitation) bath set, I was mortified. Looking back, I'm ashamed at my initial reaction, but I couldn't fathom a family where gift giving wasn't the point of the holidays. My husband taught me two things that season: materials aren't everything (actually they are nothing), and holidays are for so much more than gifts. His sense of family, love, and compassion still amaze me to this day.

• His love of guns. We live in Texas, and if there's one thing my husband likes more than chicken fried steak, it's guns. And yet, somehow I've become blissfully aware of how safe I'll be if there's ever a zombie apocalypse or foreign invasion. Seriously, we're set. If you feel unprepared, just come to my house.

• His fashion sense. I've heard ladies refer to their hubbys as ken dolls to dress up. Not mine. Nope. He goes out in flip-flops, a Hawaiian shirt, and a fedora. Yeah. But you know why I love that? He's original. No carbon copies. He's him, and he knows what he likes. And for the most part I think I like that better than someone who lacks authenticity. He's him and I love that.

• His mind. He and I think so very differently. But you know, there's nothing like his perspective when mine isn't quite fitting. I love having his input, even if I don't take it (sorry honey.) And I love his ability to connect everything to something else. ADD? Maybe a bit. Brilliant? Absolutely. I need his brain and hey, two brains are better than one (or something like that.)

I know this much. I am more patient, kinder, and more compassionate than I was six years ago. I plan less and enjoy more because I'm married to the one who balances me, even if he drives me completely and utterly nutty.

Oh, and don't worry. A guest post will come soon with what he's had to learn to "love" about me. I can't wait to hear it!

Alex is a set free, transformed, loved woman of God who enjoys writing, photography, and a good book when she has time to read. She loves her family which includes her amazing husband Kevin, her fiesty grandmother Nonna, and her two dogs and cats. She has a passion for community, and for seeing people set free to find who they're created to be. Alex attended the Boston Conservatory of music as well as Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, Mo. She currently serves on staff at Gateway Church in the role of administrative assistant within Compassion Ministries and is a wiz at typing, stapling, and all things office related but most of all she gets to serve alongside a team that is slowly changing the world!