Saturday, October 24, 2015

Jonathan’s 32nd Birthday & Some Reasons I LOVE Him.

Jonathan turned 32 on October 17th.

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He didn’t want to go to Gold Rush (I mean, what’s NOT to love about a Fall festival?,) so we kept it low key and spent the day at home playing outside with the boys. It was a GORGEOUS day! His dad stopped by and him, Jase, & Jon worked on the trucks. We ate dinner at one of our favorite places- The Diner in Buford.

I have really wanted to type up some things about Jonathan for a while, and his birthday is a perfect reason to celebrate some of my favorite things about him.

I was reading through a book I gave him at our wedding called “The Reasons I Love You,” and honestly, I was almost ashamed at how shallow most of my responses were. They were so surface and all about me, really. (I love that you give me my way and take me to the movies ….blah blah blah.) The only thing that was encouraging was to realize how much DEEPER & more intimate our love is now. It’s not perfect. He’s not perfect & neither am I (I’m sure I’m getting some Amen’s on that one), and we have definitely had to work through some stuff in our marriage. But man, I am so, so thankful for the man that Jonathan Butler is & that I get to do life with him.

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These are just a few of the many things I love, respect, and appreciate about Jon. (Here is a similar post I wrote back in 2010.)

  • He loves the Lord. His desire is to serve Him and raise a family that glorifies God. He prays over me and our boys every.single.day.

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  • He has a great discerning spirit and is one of the best judges of character I’ve ever met. Seriously, he can read people like a book! There have been so many times throughout our relationship that he has warned me about someone (if someone was  fake or two-faced, for example) & I would blow it off and try to convince him they were okay. He would still be polite to that person and just let me learn my lesson the hard way, but he was & is always spot on. Looking back, he has proven to be right EVERY SINGLE TIME & I can’t think of a single time he has misjudged someone.
  • He is thoughtful & cautious. He really thinks long and hard about something before making a decision and he thinks long term. Sometimes it annoys me, but I have learned to appreciate that he doesn’t just hump into things that could leave us in a mess. He is thorough and considerate of details.
  • Speaking of being thoughtful, he always does his due diligence and researches everything for us. For example, he reads all the reviews to make sure we have the safest car seat, that it’s installed properly, and that everyone knows how to use it the right way. It’s not about always having the best of everything, but he will spend time to make sure we have the best option for our family.
  • He takes exceptional care of everything we have so it lasts, so I know he’ll teach our boys to be good stewards too.

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  • And that willingness to research brings up another fave. He is a learner and a problem solver. He is SMART! Don’t let that southern accent fool ya, friends. He knows a lot about a lot, but if he doesn’t know how to do something, he learns. If there isn’t an obvious solution, he takes time to figure it out. He overcomes obstacles and finds solutions.
  • He finishes what he starts.

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  • He is humble. You’ll NEVER hear him boast about the fact that he is so talented, he can build anything, can play guitar, is extremely athletic, is strong as an ox, is HANDSOME as can be, and will work most men under the table. I can’t think of a single time I’ve ever really heard him brag about anything. Being so humble, he has no problem serving either. He will change diapers, help around the house, just whatever needs to be done. He helps other people out all the time because he has such a big skill set, and he definitely uses that to serve others.

  • He is a super nice guy, but he won’t let anybody run over him. He is a manly man (with a good beard! ha!) & stands up for what he believes in.
  • He teaches me what he knows. He helps keep me informed on current events, politics, etc.
  • He is the best dad I’ve ever seen. I mean that, and there are lots of reasons. He is intentional in his parenting. He thinks about what message our actions are sending our kids. He thinks long-term. He spends tons of TIME with them. He models for them what a godly man/husband looks like. He is actively involved with them. He teaches them. He disciplines them with love & explains why we do that. He is patient with them. He prays with them every single night. He laughs with them, wrestles with them, imagines with them, sings with them. He is never too busy. He hugs them, tells them he loves them, tells them he is proud of them, and speaks life over them every single day. He helps me feed them healthy food. We work together to make decisions that will affect them. He guards them and protects them (by doing his best to control their influences). He recognizes that they are a blessing from the Lord.

  • He always has the best interest of his family at heart. Me and the boys are his top priority, and he considers us above everything else. He could have a ton of hobbies because he’s really great at a lot of things (golf, guitar, hunting, etc.), but he CHOOSES to spend more time with us instead.

  • He is our protector and makes us feel safe.
  • He is so logical and has a common sense approach to everything. Sometimes this is what we disagree over, but I am so thankful for his perspective and that he views things differently than me. He helps me think of things in a way I wouldn’t, and it always benefits me to hear his thoughts and opinions. Like I said earlier, I am learning to trust his judgment and follow him more readily. He is wise for 32.
  • He calls me on my crap. Now to be honest, I don’t really “like” this one. Actually, I really dislike it. But, it’s necessary and something I appreciate about him because he helps me grow and be a better version of myself.
  • He is genuine- what you see is what you get. He is who he says he is. All the time.

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  • He is a man worth following. He is the type of man I hope our sons grow up to be and that our (future, maybe?) daughters grow up to marry. He is a good man. A godly man. And praise the Lord, he is MY man!!
  • Oh, and this one is still true….I mean, just look at him! Some things get better with age. Jonathan Butler is one of ‘em.

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We love you, Jonathan! I can’t wait to see how this list continues to evolve over the years. Thank you for being you. Happy birthday, babe!

2 comments:

Always Learning said...

The Lord has blessed you, Danielle! Oh happy day!

Unknown said...

It's so refreshing to read your blog Danielle! I have been reading it for about 5 years (is that weird?) - and I always feel positive & inspired after reading it! Thank you for sharing your thoughts for all these years!!