There's this thought I have every few days or so, and today I thought I'd share it.

I win.

Ha! In the midst of all the frustration and worries of life and career choices, friendships, family, whatever else... I win!

Why, you ask? Because I'm marrying Samantha, of course!

Ok, so this is pretty sappy, I know. But I really am excited. Think about it. Wouldn't you be? You wait your whole life to find out if you can be that special to someone, to find out if you have what it takes. You dream about what they'll be like... and then one day, you realize someone even better than that cares about you too.

Samantha is the yin to my yang (or is it the other way around?), the sweet jam to my sticky peanut butter, the offensive line to my quarterback, the smile when I frown, the infastructure to my society (ok, so that impresses only me, but hey, it's my blog). She's a warm spot in front of the fire, a strong shoulder to lean against, a big hug when you're lonely, and (most importantly) a person who will bring you closer to God whether you want to know Him better or not. Heh, metaphors are fun.

She's adorable, and you know what? I win, cause she's mine (and I'm hers, for all you PC junkies out there).

Now, I'm not saying other people CAN'T win. Dave and Lindsay, Stevo and Jan, Brian and Sara, etc... these people all won, as well.

So did Aunt Ellen and Big Bob, two of my favorite single people in the world.

"Winning", really, isn't so much about getting the great girl, though I did do that. Winning is about becoming who God wants you to be. What's MOST exciting about Samantha, besides her heart-stealing smile, is that she represents a milestone in my life of choosing to follow God. Only a few times in my life have I been absolutely, 100% certain about God's will for a non-moral question in my life. High School choice, tennis vs. Bible study, college choice, fellowship choice, ending a relationship... these are the few times I've known without a doubt. Samantha is the most recent (and biggest) of these decisions.

A lot of times, we're afraid of seeking God's will, because we think he'll give us something we don't want, or that we'll be unhappy if we lose control. However, time and time again I've found that regardless of the material impact of our choices, choosing God's way always is the happier decision.

Follow God. You, too, can win.