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I love my wife.

Recently one of my kids friends was locked out of her house after school and my beautiful “always willing to go for it” 40-something wife went down to her house, climbed through the window, and got her in. I’m very glad I was away at the time and did not know about it, or that I did not drive by and see her dangling from the window!

This episode of the Whitlow Family Show reminds me of a few things that I love about my wife Dana:

• Dana loves to dangle. She loves adventure and is not afraid to go for it or to risk it all. I love that about her. She is more future minded than past or present minded.  As a teammate she helps me to be free, focused, and not bogged down with past regrets.
• Dana gives. She is one of the most giving human beings I have ever known. She will literally give you the food off of her plate (and has many times), and gives with no strings attached.
• Dana loves God’s Word. She keeps eternity in clear view. You can’t be around her very long without hearing about her faith. She stamps God’s truths into every area of her life. I love that about her.
• Dana makes life fun. She loves to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Laughing until we cry is commonplace. Because she loves to laugh one of my main goals in life is to give her lots of stuff to laugh about. As the years role forward Dana is laughing more and more. As her husband that really turns me on! So often as people grow older they laugh less, get bitter, and their personalities dry up. Not hers!

Dana is the greatest earthly gift God has ever given to me. Her life counts. To me. Our kids. And to others.

My wife of 26 years, who is more beautiful today inside and out than she ever has been, is 47 years old today.

I cannot even begin to say how awesome she is and how so very blessed I am to be called by her husband, boyfriend, lover, best friend, and “my man.”

Dana is a woman of virtue. She has incredible wisdom because she keeps her nose in the Book (God’s Word) every day. She speaks words of courage into my life, constantly. She makes me and the kids laugh, a lot. She loves, I mean loves, to aggravate us. She lives to cook great food, and along the way keeps us all pointed towards the positive.

If you sense that I love my wife, I do. Passionately. But to say that “I love her” is a HUGE understatement. I love her yes, more than any other human on this earth, but down the road from that I respect her. I know what she has endured, and overcome in life. We have overcome much together and managed by God’s love and grace to stay focused on each other, our six great kids and the vision that God has given to us.

Dana is the greatest gift God has ever given to me -and I am so SO blessed. She lifts me, challenges me, and distributes lots of fun along the way.

I LOVE YOU BABY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
:)

I posted on Facebook and Twitter about my trip to the dentist with Rose this morning (below). The dentist did a fantastic job, she was a brave little girl, and I was more nervous than anyone! Check it out below:

Barry Whitlow At dentist with my sweet Rose. Any pain in my kids life tugs at daddy’s heart. I expect the same is true with our heavenly Father. (*Special thanks to Howard’s Dentistry for a great visit!)

@BarryWhitlow | TweetPhoto

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On Sunday afternoon while traveling in a car to a family members house my family was literally inches from heaven. But there is a twist.

As we were traveling down a four lane city road in Nashville little did we know that there was an SUV traveling at a high rate of speed coming up behind us. I was in my normal mode of fun dialog with my wife and four kids and we were enjoying our leisurely drive to a family members house.

Out of the blue without warning the SUV went out of control just behind us, passed us on the left, crossed two lanes of oncoming traffic, split a very large telephone pole, flipped up into the air, and crashed onto its roof next to a building. All of the wires on the telephone pole came crashing down right in front of us. The good news is no other cars were hit and we believe the young driver and his passenger will live.

But here’s the twist. Unknowing to us other members of our family were traveling in another car in the opposite direction at the exact same moment in the exact same place. Amazingly, when the out of control SUV crossed through the lanes of oncoming traffic, it just missed slamming into their car by inches!

When we are inches from heaven our perspective changes. The important things in life come clearly into focus. As we continued our drive to our families house, my view in the rear-view mirror changed. I no longer saw just my family, I saw people I adore. People that I have the honor of hanging out with on this earth – for just a while.

I praise God for my inches from heaven experience. It  changed my view here on earth.

Question: What are some of the times in your life when you felt God was protecting you?