Thanks for your input, Robert and Ed. I really appreciate, not only the knife-making instruction I get here from guys like you, but also (especially) the Christian fellowship here.
I'm not sure about my progress either, but hey, any progress is better than no progress, right? And, I have to thank the Lord for what progress I do attain. I have at least figured out (at some point) that the type of love He envisions for us involves more than just getting along with my wife; fixing the screen door, changing the oil in her Tahoe, or giving her favorite perfume at Christmas (although those sure don't hurt).
According to the Strong's Concordance, 'nourish' in Ephesians 5:29 comes from the Greek word 'ektephro'. The 'tephro' part of that word means to "cherish, pamper, rear". The only other place that 'ektephro' is used in the Bible is in 6:4, where Paul is instructing fathers how to bring up their children. It seems these scriptures, at least to some degree, make us responsible for our mates spiritual growth. Early on, I recognized my responsibility for my children's spiritual growth, but it was many years later before I understood that my wife needs me to provide that same type of nourishment for her to grow into a Godly wife and mother.
And even though I often drop the ball, I have to admit that (as you guys said), the more I lift my wife up, the more I am blessed. After all, as verse 28 says, "he who loves his wife loves himself".
