Happy Birthday, Sheila!
Today, July 13 is Sheila's Birthday. Today is also the anniversary of the day I asked Sheila to marry me. She said, "Yes."
Although not a day goes by that I don't think how fortunate I am that God brought Sheila into my life, I am especially mindful of it today.
A person could not have a better friend and a man could not have a better wife!
There is no question that I married up in life.
If you know Sheila, then you know how truly wonderful she is! She is loving, caring, compassionate! She is very wise and really smart! She is way funny, always quick to smile and laugh and a joy to be around.
Everyone loves Sheila, but nobody loves her more than I do!
Sheila is incredibly talented! She manages a good sized law firm. She handles all the financial stuff and all the HR stuff and everything else that makes a law firm run, so that the lawyers just have to worry about practicing law. On her job, she ministers to people and she is a constant witness to people, with her life and with her words.
Sheila plays keyboards. Took classical piano from age 4-19, winning many, many awards!
At age six, she started playing piano for and singing with her family, The Singing Hambricks, and did that for 30+ years. She turned down offers that would have made her both rich and famous, because she loved her family and she loved the Lord and those two things were far more important to her than personal fame or fortune. The Hambricks won many, many souls to Jesus!
She has a servant's heart!
Sheila is currently the Praise & Worship Pastor at God's Shining Light Church in Tulsa. OK. She has a band called Broken Yoke. I think I am being very objective when I say that I've heard many of the most renowned worship leaders of our time and Sheila is better than any of them. The Lord has placed an anointing upon Sheila to lead people into worship which is unmatched - and anyone who has been in a service she has lead with testify to that. I can barely make myself listen to Contemporary Christian radio, because Sheila and Broken Yoke do all the songs so much better!
Personally - Sheila is the love of my life. She always treats me with respect. She supports me in ministry, evangelistic work, our business, prison ministry - you name it! Sheila, to my knowledge, has never said anything about me to anyone, except to praise me. A man could not ask for a better wife!
Sheila is a wonderful mother to our two children, Houston and Savannah, that she brought to our marriage - and to Katie, who I brought to our marriage. She treats Katie like a mom treats a daughter, not like a step-mom treats a step-daughter. She gives wonderful and wise advice and is quick to show her love and support in so many ways.
When Solomon wrote in Proverbs 31:10 "A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (11) Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. (12) She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." I'm sure he must have been writing about someone exactly like Sheila! She is of noble character and worth far more to me than all the world's rubies.
It was 8 years ago today, that I asked Sheila to marry me. We didn't wait long. We were married on Sept. 5th. July 13th and September 5th of 2001 are two of the very best days of my life!
Our life has not always been roses - there have been a few thorns. There have been good times and tough times. Ups and downs. But, I would not trade one moment of life with Sheila for any moment of life without her! I know that she is a better wife then I am a husband - but she always loves me anyway!
All in all, I think we make a great team! An inseparable team!
I can't really remember what life was like without her - and most certainly, I don't every want to be in that position again!
On this, your birthday, Sheila - and on this day that is the anniversary of you agreeing to marry me - I say "Thank you! I love you - so very, very much! I hope this year is your best yet - and our best yet! And, I will do everything I can to be the husband you deserve!"
Because - (Proverbs 31:29) Many women do noble things, but you, Sheila, surpass them all!
To my wonderful, fantastic, incredible wife, Sheila - I love you! Happy Birthday! Thank you for being my wife!
Your very devoted husband!
Jim
