The Rock

Sometimes my husband overwhelms me with his love. It has been constant, regardless of my words, my actions or my state of being. He has never, never, not ever said a cruel, impatient word or lost his temper with me. He has never said that I was anything but beautiful in his eyes, regardless of how I looked. He has never made a nasty joke at my expense. He has patiently been by my side for over a quarter of a century, consistent, trustworthy, gentle and loving. My steady man.

My husband is my rock. I know, the bible clearly states that Jesus is our Rock. I don't mean to imply that my husband has become God to me. He's not that perfect. Here's what I mean: imagine a forest full of deep green pine trees. Then imagine a huge boulder sitting there in the midst of all those trees. It's larger than a minivan but not as big as a semi. Got the picture? Now imagine a curly haired, hyperactive, fearful, emotional poodle running pell mell around that boulder. It can't leave the vicinity of the rock because it's leash is stuck under it. It cannot get away from that rock. If that were our marriage? Well, let's just say I'm not the boulder. My husband has consistently been there, allowing me the freedom to be an emotional, fearful-at-times, typical female, while steadily keeping me in line with The Rock; with Jesus.

The other night we went to our son's house for dinner. I'd had a rough day pain-wise and was feeling weary of it. As we were driving home that night I asked my husband if he was getting sick of taking care of me; I asked him if he was sick of helping me with the mundane little things I can't do; I asked him how he'd feel if this turns out to be the new me. It still hurts to lift a wet blanket out of the washer to put it in the dryer, I still can't scrub the tub, (I learned that the hard way) it still hurts to clean the floor, and I can't climb up on a chair to put something away or dust "up there". I still need so much help.

When I asked my husband if he was getting sick of it all, he said, "What?? What are you talking about?? I love you. I married you and promised to love you in sickness or in health til death do we part. I'm not sick of it or you. This is how it is now and I love you no matter how you are because I love you." He said a lot of other sweet things and blew me away, really. He was truly dumbfounded that I could even imagine him being sick of helping me.

In turn I was dumbfounded that anyone can love like that. I'm not sure I could. If the tables were turned I'm not sure I'd be as patient, as unconditional, as selfless. I'd be so ready for "this" to be over...

Then my happy little thoughts turned to how deeply painful it is to be this vulnerable. To actually need constant help. I hate it-I have never liked being dependent on people and I sometimes wonder, what if this never changes? What if I'm never able to be independent again? What if this is the new me?

When I voiced those thoughts out loud, My husband said he wondered if that is why I'm still healing. He wonders if God is wanting to whittle down (even more than He has) my independence. My pride. He wonders if God is wanting me to learn to be vulnerable and allow myself to depend on others. (All I had to say to that idea was yuck which probably proves his point.)

And that's where the boulder/poodle thing comes in again. That poodle is vulnerable. It is so dependent on that rock to keep it safe and grounded.

And that's where The Rock comes in again too. God's love-it is perfect. It is even more consistent than my husband's. He is even more patient, more trustworthy, more steady.

Romans 8:38-39 says, For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Don't those verses take your breath away? Don't they make your heart skip a beat? Don't they make you want to fall on your face and lay there, worshiping, in awe of Him? Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from His consistent, trustworthy, patient love.

Psalm 48:14 ...for this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end.

He is faithful and He loves. He is our Rock. Our giant, consistent boulder.

i know you believe you understand what you think i said, but i'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what i meant

Do you have a favorite clothing item you wouldn't give up for all the fish 'n chips in England?

A few months ago my husband and I drove to town for some un-remembered, unrelated-to-this-story reason. As the miles passed under the tires I started thinking about the man sitting next to me and what he means to me.

"Mike, you are like a favorite, ratty old sweater, or my favorite pair of sneakers."

For some reason, he took that as an insult. I meant it as the highest compliment a wife could pay her husband and he took it wrong. He was so perturbed he wouldn't even listen to my explanation. So, since he won't listen to me, I've decided to explain it to you; maybe you'll understand?

Let's start with the favorite, ratty old sweater. I don't have one. But, I do have a favorite ratty old jacket. 19 years ago we went to Michigan for a family reunion/camping trip. We left here on a steamy hot July morning and headed north. The further north we drove the cooler it got. By the time we got to Michigan it was downright cold. And, guess what I hadn't packed? So, we stopped somewhere so I could pick up a jacket. It was soft, and big, and oh so comfortable. But the best part? It covered and protected me from the nasty elements.

Here it is, 19 years later and I still have that jacket. The sleeves are freyed, the zipper's a tish worn, but it's still soft, and big, and oh so comfortable. It reminds me of so many things-my entire family gathered together to love and annoy the daylights out of each other, beautiful sunsets on Lake Michigan, sitting around a campfire eating burnt hot dogs...I've worn that jacket for a very long time and we know each other. We understand each other. I keep it clean and dry and it keeps me warm and snug. See? Just like my husband. He's a little frayed around the edges, maybe a tish worn, but he's still soft, and big and comfortable and he protects me from the elements...

Now, let's take my favorite pair of sneakers. I bought them right before my back did it's crazy thing. At first they were awkward and stiff and slightly uncomfortable. We had to walk past a lot of miles before I had them broken in, but now? Now they fit well and are very comfortable; they were there for me through all the pain, all the confusion, and all the miles of healing I've gone through in the last 16 months. They were there for me before, during and after one of the hardest times in my life.

Just like my husband-we've seen a lot of miles together and he's been there for me before, during, and after a lot of the hard things in my life.

I see no reason for his feeling injured. It makes perfect sense to me. How about you? Do you understand?

Are You Bored in the Bedroom?

Ha! That got your attention, didn't it? Wait!! Don't run off. I just couldn't resist being a bit ornery. I've been feeling mischievous for several days now and didn't want to stop here. This post is actually about strengthening your marriage. Bet you didn't think that from the title, did you?

OK. I'll get serious now.

I'm wondering if you've ever crawled into bed and thought about the person lying next to you, wondering, how on earth did I get stuck with him/her? We have nothing in common.

I did that the other night. I started out feeling pretty annoyed and just a bit trapped. Of course, thought I, we do have some things in common. We share the same house, the same children, the same TV and the same neighborhood. But after that? Hmmmm.

He likes fishing... I do too, IF it's not too sunny nor too cloudy, there are no bugs within a hundred miles of the water, it's not too hot nor too cold, not too windy but not too still, and, I actually. catch. fish. He'll sit out there no matter what and bake, freeze, soak and/or swat just for the fun of it.

His music? I was going to say it's for the birds, but I'm sure they hate it just as much as I do.

His food? Meat and grease. No thank you.

He likes strange reptiles for pets...I won't go there...

Anyway, you get the idea. I couldn't think of even 10 things we do have in common.

So, after a few minutes of this I had a brain storm.

"Mike? Let's play a game!"

"What?! Now??"

"Yes. You don't have to move or anything. Let's just take turns listing things we have in common until we can't think of anymore. It won't take but a minute or two, I'm sure."

Silence from the other side of the bed....

Then I hear: "We both love the mountains."

My turn: "Road trips."

"Hiking."

"Pizza."

"Camping." (That one was iffy, but I let him have it. The conditions have to be similar to those of fishing.)

"Going to the symphony."

"Old movies."

"Playing cards."

On and on we went. We listed so many things we actually do have in common we fell asleep before we'd finished. The next day it didn't feel like I was stuck, married to a stranger. It felt like I was stuck, married to my friend.

August 4, 1984-Another Reposted Post

Has it always been easy? No.

Do we deserve each other? Oh yeah.

Would I do it all again, with the same man? No doubt about it.

Do we still love each other? Need each other? Enjoy being together? Yes, yes, and yes!

I'm happy to be stuck with you lovey.

26 years and counting...

50 Ways to Love Your Lover

Not really, but that title did grab your attention, didn't it?
Actually this post is about just one way to love your lover. Or a friend. Or your kids. Or your parents. Or your nasty little brother....you get the point.

My husband and I have been married nearly 25 years. That's one quarter of a century! And after that many years of marriage it's become very easy for us to take each other for granted. Being married to my husband for that long is like having a very old, comfortable, cozy favorite pair of shoes. (No lovey, if you're reading this, you are not old. Our marriage just feels that comfortable. Honest.)

Anyway-I wanted to do something special for my husband for Valentine's Day, but I couldn't think of anything unique. It also had to be frugal. I could think of thousands of things that cost money, but I didn't want to spend any. Finally, last week I found this blog post and ran with it.

Just in case you don't pop over there, I'll tell you what I did. I cut out over 50 little hearts from scraps of construction paper and scrapbook paper I had laying around. Then on each one I wrote one thing I love or appreciate about my husband. I scattered them all over the house; my husband had to search high and low to find all of them, but he did.

Some of the things I listed were:
-you keep me in chocolate
-you pray with me in the middle of the night when I can't sleep
-you're willing to rearrange furniture again and again and again....
-you listen to me
-you want to grow in your friendship with the Lord
-you encourage my creative efforts
-you never complain about the strange things I cook
-you let me warm my icy feet on you
-you let me take up more than half the bed
-you forgive me when I hurt you
-you have never lost your temper with me
-you watch chick flicks with me, and seem to even enjoy them

You get the idea. I'm glad I took the time to do this. It meant so much to my husband, but it also blessed me. It helped me slow down and think about, and appreciate, what a wonderful, giving, loving, tenderhearted man I'm stuck with.

Like I said before, this would be something you could do, not only on Valentine's Day for your husband, but maybe as a gift for a friend on her birthday. Or your toady little brother's birthday. Or any old day you feel like blessing someone......

24 Years and Counting

On August 4, 1984 two kids got married. Here's their story to date:

We are from New Mexico and Chicago
meeting in the middle;
from a girl afraid of marriage
and a very patient boy.

We’re from “I am afraid to trust.”
and “I. Won’t. Leave. You.”
From "Don't trust men." and
"When your husband buys new underwear it means he's having an affair."

We are from years of pulling hard to make ends meet
and at least 2 babies waiting for us in heaven.
(Are they our daughters?)
From a girl who couldn’t cook,
furniture lovingly built by a patient man,
and whisker-roughened kisses on my not-so-whiskered cheeks.

We’re from a house full of boys, camo, dirt, sweat, and noise;
from gallons of Tide Laundry Soap,
mountains of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,
and Haines socks X 5.
We've lived through financial stresses,
a concussion, car problems,
emergency surgery, stitches, strange and numerous pets,
and 4 pregnancies.

We’re from fishing trips on hot, sweaty days,
camping trips where we thought we’d freeze to death
and hiking nearly every weekend every fall.

There are few traditions in our household
but love and laughter
still bounce around the rooms.

We are from
wrestling with daddy and hugging mom;
from a man who taught his sons to be gentle with
the only female in the house
and to treat her with respect.

We're from wondering if we've put too much into "them"
and not enough into "us".
By God's grace we've survived and our marriage has thrived.
I've had to learn how to respect him and he's learned to listen:
She doesn't always want things fixed?

We are from mistakes, bumbling along, prayer,
forgiveness, and determination.
The road has been filled with all the usual stuff:
joys, heartaches, stress, weariness, surprises, and
blessings beyond count.

Even though at times we drive each other crazy,
we're happy to be stuck with each other.

(This is my 3rd or 4th "Where I'm From" poem. See the December 10,2007 post if you're interested in trying one for yourself. For some reason I cannot remember how to "link" tonight and I'm too tired to try and figure it out.:-) )

A Fieldtrip to the Symphony

Over the course of 17 plus years of homeschooling, I had to establish some rules regarding field trips. There were the usual rules like, "Use your manners."
"Don't fight with your brothers."
"Don't run out into traffic."
"Don't pick your nose in public."
"Wear clean clothes." etc. etc.

We did have 1 rule that not too many other families had however. If the boys wanted the field trip to count for school in any way, shape or form, they had to tell me 3 things they had learned while on the field trip. (I'm not at all sure they retained what they "learned", but the rule at least helped them pay attention to the tour guide or the lecture or...... while we were there.)
In keeping with that tradition, I thought I'd tell you the things I learned during my recent field trip to the Symphony.

1. Pantyhose could be used as a substitute for torture-by-rack.

2. High heeled shoes could be used as a substitute for water torture.

3. I now know what a French Horn looks like.

4. I do not like modern classical music. (Thankfully they only played one piece of modern music.)

5. Pantyhose could be used as a substitute for being dunked in boiling oil.

6. Every person on earth should have the privilege of seeing/hearing Bolero by Ravel performed live. To me that was the highlight of the evening!

7. I'd rather be hung upside-down by my ankles in a dungeon than to have to ever, ever, wear pantyhose again.

8. In order to get a POW to talk, all they'd have to do is force him into a pair of pantyhose and high heels and not let him sit down. His tongue would start wagging in 34 seconds flat.


By the way, it seems that I was worried about the wrong end of things. While I was fretting over my ability to walk in high heels I completely forgot about my head. I had a Bad Hair Day on Saturday and was able to walk quite well in those heels. By the end of the evening I had even mastered stairs.

Seriously, we did have a wonderful evening and thoroughly enjoyed the music. I can see now why season tickets to the symphony were recommended as a way of "rekindling romance" in one marriage book I read.

One other by-the-way, I'm in the market for a pair of sequined Mukluks for our next date. Just name the price and I'll pay it.

Marriage Matters Part 3

Well, Good Morning! I'm not at all sure what kind of writing this will be. Our 2 older sons kept us up until 11pm talking and laughing and our youngest woke me up this morning at 4:30 sounding croupy. At this point I am feeling "woozy"!

However, I would like to try and write something today. Just bear with me, OK?
The article my friend showed me was truly stunning. At least to me it was, and here's why. I think the author has at some point spent considerable time with Mike. She knew him better than I did. She wrote all about him! Described him to a "T". I just couldn't believe it!

(Before I go on I'll give you some info about the article. It was an excerpt from a book called Created to be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl. Have any of you read that book? If so, then you'll know what I'm going to say. I have not read the entire book-just this excerpt.)

I think what I'll do is very loosely paraphrase a bit of the article and then tell you to go beg, borrow, or steal a copy of the book and read what Debi actually says.

The article starts by saying that there are basically 3 types of men:

-Mr. Command Man
-Mr. Visionary
-Mr. Steady

They all have strengths that mirror God's character.

Mr. Command Man: They are born leaders. Military commanders, politicians, preachers, heads of corporations and managers of businesses. He sees the bigger picture and strives to help the greatest number regardless of the cost.

Mr. Visionary: Debi's description of this kind of guy was funny so I'm going to copy the first bit completely-Some of you are married to men who are movers and shakers, changers, and dreamers. These men get the entire family upset about peripheral issues, such as: Do we believe in Christmas, should we use state marriage licenses, why a Christian should opt out of the Social Security System etc....these men have tunnel vision...they will easily pick up and relocate without any idea of what they are going to do for a living at their new location.
This kind of man might be an inventor, street preacher or a political activist. He's spontaneous. He may be consumed with a need to communicate through music, writing, voice, or actions. He knows how to do nearly everything and is readily willing to advise others.

Mr. Steady: This is who I'm married to. Caring, faithful, avoids controversy. A servant. Wise. Gentle and thoughtful.
He's the guy who will quietly raise his family, content to let his wife do it her way. He will give his wife a sense of peace and safety. Debi said that there are more "Mr. Steadys" than there are any other type of man.

The article goes into way more detail on the strengths and weaknesses each type of man has and talks about the blessings and trials of being married to any one of them. It is a 17 page article and needless to say I haven't gone into a whole lot of detail. The encouraging thing was seeing that Mike was "normal". The convicting thing for me was seeing that all of his strengths were the things I'd been praying for in husband-I'd just started taking him for granted. Debi even talks about the frustrations and reactions a wife might have being married to any one of these types and what her attitude should be in order to love and support her particular husband.
I saw myself in the article too. As I read it I realized I mirrored every mistake and bad attitude a wife can have in regard to her spouse. The Lord used it to teach me so much about Mike and who he is, as well as renewing an appreciation for all of his many strengths. It really helped me see the "uglies" in my heart and showed me that I'm not the only one in our marriage who has needs.
I should also add that I have a very hard head. Reading the article did not revolutionize our marriage. I sometimes forget what I read and start to get annoyed and frustrated with Mike and pick up my blankety-blank attitude all over again. I keep the article in my bible and when I notice I'm slipping back into confusion over who I'm married to, or I feel a lack of respect toward him I go back and read it again. It helps every single time. It was/is wonderful to have Mike explained. :-)

If you don't want to buy, borrow, beg or steal a copy of the book I would be more than happy to do any one of the following:

-Write more info here

-Make a copy of the article and mail it to you for FREE!

-Get together and discuss it over coffee. (Especially if you live in the Bahamas)

-If you don't like any of those options I know how to email too! :-)

Marriage Matters Part 2

Things didn't actually change for our marriage one dark and stormy night. It was a subtle shift in my attitude that took place during hot, sunny days, snowy winters, rainy nights and warm, muddy springs. Over time I gradually started comparing Mike to other men and he just didn't match up.

I guess I took the gift Jesus had given me and said, "Hmmm. You could've done better, you know." All the reasons I fell in love with Mike, all of his strengths, over time became his weaknesses. I would look at his stability and think, "What's the matter with you? You are so wishy-washy." Most of the time I could/can do no wrong in his eyes, and that annoyed me. I wanted some hills and valleys in our relationship. Some explosions. A good yelling match would've been fun, and they say making up from one of those is ....well, I won't go there. Anyway, our relationship was just plain old steady. His unconditional love even irritated me. He is always willing to give up his time to help me with a project or rearrange the furniture or run to town for something we need. He very rarely takes a day just for "Mike". To me, at that time, I stupidly looked at Mike and thought, "Are you a wimp? You let me walk all over you. You always let me have my way." I didn't see his love for what it was and deep inside I didn't feel safe with the safety of Mike.

I guess I just didn't understand him. He'd always been my best friend but the longer we were married the more he confused me. I wanted someone who would take charge. Be aggressive. I wanted him to set goals-be a mover and a shaker. I didn't appreciate who I'd married and I started treating him with less and less respect.

Eventually my attitude started to leak out into conversations I had with my friends. I'd whine and complain about Mike, or cut him down. Most of them just looked at me, mute. But I did have one friend who was willing to step in and help. She knew Mike and was even married to a man similar in nature. One afternoon as we were visiting together she mentioned an article she'd just run across in a magazine. She told me it was an incredible article that had really helped her understand and appreciate the man she'd married and she just knew it would help me. Sure it will. Right....

Pardon me? What did you say? This post is getting too long and you have to clean your toilet? Oh. OK. I'll finish this some other time.

Marriage Matters- Part 1

A few months ago a friend of mine asked me if I was ever going to write about our marriage problems. I've been thinking about that question ever since.
We are well into our twenty fourth year of marriage and I guess we have had our share of problems. I am not going to discuss the 2 that marriage experts say are the main causes of stress in every marriage. You know what I'm talking about.
(sse....cough..... and mmon..splutter, cough) Those 2 issues are things Mike and I will only discuss with our probation officers and our psychiatrists. *

So, moving on. Strangely enough, we have discovered other areas of our relationship that weren't perfect. We thought, on our absolutely wonderful, romantic, smooth-sailing-saying-your-vows day that our marriage would run pretty much along the same course as the wedding day itself. However, 24 hours after Mike said, "I do.", he was probably saying, "What on earth have I done?"
I blubbered my way through the first day of our honeymoon. So far I'm the only female I know who has done that. By the following day I had regrouped. Things progressed nicely from there and for the next few years there was peace in our valley. The Lord used Mike to bring huge amounts of stability and healing to my wounded heart.

I grew up in a very unstable atmosphere.

-My parents divorced when I was 7.

-Our country was experiencing horrendous change. (60's and 70's) America was changing politically, morally, and spiritually.

-2 of my brothers went marching down the hippie trail-drugs, Eastern religions, etc.

-One of my brothers died in a motorcycle/car crash when I was 12.

-Schools were experimenting with how to educate kids. "New math", open classrooms, etc. etc. That means if you were not a "motivated" student, it was very easy to get lost in the system and not learn a thing.

-My mom was a Real Estate agent, but not really. I think all in all she only sold 1 1/2 houses. As a result, money was something that I knew very little about.

- Visits with my dad were few and far between, and he had a new family he was trying to raise. I felt lost in the shuffle.

When I was old enough to start dreaming about marriage, I made a list of qualities I wanted in a husband and then proceeded to ask the Lord to please bring "him" along. In His time He did. Mike is solid and dependable. He's stable. He loves me unconditionally. He's funny and sweet. He is quiet and safe and gentle. He is my best friend and everything I never experienced growing up.

But then, one dark and stormy night.........

(*This is a joke. While Mike and I may have contemplated murdering one another, we've never actually attempted it. And, the closest we've ever come to employing a psychiatrist was when our boys hit puberty - and that was for them. )

A to Z He He

A few weeks ago I asked my husband what I should write about. "Me" he answered. So, I decided to come up with a "He He" instead of a "Me Me". Mike is up there at the top of my list of "things" I'm thankful for and it wasn't too difficult to come up with 26 reasons why. "X" did pose a bit of a problem-but I managed to come up with something. So, without further ado, here's to Mikey!

A=Accepting. He has always loved me unconditionally and accepted me no matter what frame of mind (or body) I've been in.

B= Bible. Mike loves the bible and its Author. He continually points me to the truths found there whenever I'm struggling with anything.

C=Comforting. His hugs, snuggles, and words of encouragement comfort me continually.

D=Deserve. When we were engaged and newly married my mom kept saying, "Judy, you deserve better than "that". (Meaning Mike.) By the time she died, she'd reversed her judgement. "Mike deserves better than you. He could've done better...." I agree with her, to a point. Although, there are times when I think we deserve each other. (You can take that any way you'd like)

E=Easy to be with. No explanation necessary. (Well, there is allergy season. He is most definitely NOT easy to be with during allergy season. He's grumpy, defensive, tired, spacey....but that's only for a quarter of the year, which leaves 3/4 of a year where he is easy to be with.)

F=Funny. I love his sense of humor. He's pretty quiet, and sometimes I don't even think he's listening, but then he'll pop out with something unexpected, sarcastic and hilarious.

G=Gentle. My husband is one of the most gentle people I know. He treats me with respect and great care. He's taught our sons to treat girls the same way.

H=Handy. Mike can fix just about anything. As far as I can remember, we've never had to call a repair man to fix anything around here.

I=Incredible. I still find it incredible that Mike chose to marry me. I was such a mess as a young girl. He saw my potential and gave me a chance. I should put "Risk Taker" for the letter "R".

J=Journey. Our life together, marriage, raising 4 boys, the ups and downs of life-it's all been an amazing, God blessed journey.

K=Keeping On. I'm so thankful Mike does that. He keeps on keeping on-no matter what difficult thing we've gone through his trust in the Lord and love for me are consistent.

L=Loves the Lord. See "K"

M=Murder. I'm so thankful he hasn't murdered me yet. Even though I've given him plenty of chances: nagging, niggling, hen pecking, criticizing him, misunderstanding him, 4 pregnancies, etc. etc.

N=Nidification (to build a nest). Mike has been the perfect partner in building a safe nest for our sons. (Isn't "nidification" a cool word? I just found it in the dictionary yesterday. I think it's my new favorite word. Nidification. Nidification....It tickles my funny bone for some reason....)

Overtime=As a husband and father, my husband puts in plenty of hours. He is ALWAYS available to us, willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to meet a need any one of us has.

Patient=People talk about the patience of Job. Well, Mike has almost as much patience as that old saint did. He's put up with so much from me....

Q=Quiet. I'm sooooooooo thankful for that. I've met some men who just talk and talk and talk. Mike is restful. He doesn't need sound to constantly fill the airwaves......

R=Rock. While Jesus is my anchor and Rock, Mike is also my rock. I tend to be very fearful and emotional. I have a picture in my head of a rock the size of a bus, just sitting in the forest. Coming out from under the rock is a leash. Attached to the leash is me. A hiper-active poodle yipping and having nervous breakdowns over every noise in the woods. Mike keeps me from running pell mell into the neverworld.

S=Supportive. That is what he excels at.....

T=Tender hearted. My husband is tender hearted toward his family and the Lord.

U=Understanding. My goodness, is he understanding! He tries very hard to put himself in either my shoes or the shoes of one of our sons to see what life looks like from their perspective.

V=Voice. I love, love, love my husband's voice. Many's the time I've begged him to remember to read to me when I'm on my death bed. It would mean so much to me to go to my maker listening to his voice reading the Psalms.

W=Wise. (See "B")

X=eXtra sweet. eXtra nice. eXtra giving. eXtra helpful. (Get the point?)

Y=Yell. I can't recall one time Mike yelled at me. Or shouted at me. Or shrieked, screamed, or squawked. He hasn't even barked, bellowed, hooted, hollered, or roared in my direction. What a guy!

Z=Zillion. I could come up with a zillion more things to say about him....