Eight years ago today, I did something risky: I got married. To most people, it probably seemed particularly risky in light of the fact that, when my wife and I tied the knot, we had only known each other for nine months.

It was the best decision of my life.

If you know me, you realize that complimenting my wife comes far too easily for me, and I often have to restrain myself for her sake (she gets embarrassed by it). But it’s our anniversary, so I’m just going to assume I get a pass today and share eight things I love about her.

1. She’s perceptive. If you’re trying to hide something, don’t get around my wife. She will figure it out very quickly. On our second date, there was some barbecue sauce on my plate and I wanted to rake it with my finger and lick it. In a split second, I looked down at my plate and looked back up at her. She said, “Go ahead and lick the barbecue sauce if you want.” She has been reading my mind ever since.

2. She likes me. You know, it’s one thing to say that you love your spouse – even that you would die for them – but there’s nothing that compares to being liked by the person whose opinion means the most. My wife gets my sense of the humor (most of the time), respectfully considers my point of view, and talks about me positively behind my back. That’s the kind of thing a friend would do, and that’s part of the reason for the strength of our relationship.

3. She’s my favorite verbal processor. There’s nobody I’d rather beat a dead horse with than my wife. Whenever we’re trying to think through an issue, we can just sit there and talk for hours until we’ve finally figured it out. I particularly appreciate the fact that she doesn’t try to arm-twist me into communicating the same way she does (I tend to think with my head, and she tends to think with her heart). The freedom to be myself helps me feel more comfortable being honest about what’s actually going on in my head.

4. She’s forgiving. All my life, people have said, “I can forgive, but I can’t forget.” Well, my wife actually can forgive and forget. It’s crazy. You have no idea how many times I’ve been a bonehead her, and she has gotten really annoyed, called me out, and then moved on. She just doesn’t seem to get any emotional fuel from being resentful, and her kindness only makes me want to love her more.

5. She likes to have fun. My wife needs her beauty rest, believe me, but that woman will run herself ragged to have a good time. Maybe it’s taking the kids to the park, going on dates, or simply jumping on her spin bike and riding the heck out of it. Whatever it is, if there’s something fun to be done, she will squeeze in a little extra time for it.

6. She’s romantic. Eight years into marriage, my wife still gives me that look – the one she gave me on the dance floor the night we first kissed. It’s the look that says, You’re it, man. You still turn my head. And believe me, she still turns mine.

7. She’s not afraid to call me out. Before I got married, I thought I did not want a wife who saw my weaknesses or called them out. I’m glad the Lord ignored that and gave me a wife who would love me enough to tell me the truth in love. As a result, there is no person in my adult life who has been more effective at helping me grow as a man.

8. She loves Jesus. My wife reminds me of Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and simply listened to Him, despite all the activity going on around her. My wife has made it her life’s mission to draw near to Him and teach others to do the same. And because she loves Him well, she’s even better at loving me.

I could keep going, but Raquel is probably embarrassed enough as it is at this point, so I’ll wrap up here by saying something I’ve noted many times before: If I ever question how much Jesus loves me, all I have to do is look at my wife. I’m a grateful and blessed husband.

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