five years ago yesterday—august 16, 2003—christen and i began our life together as a married couple. in a society where the divorce rate is over 50%, it’s good to know that christen and i are more in love and more deeply committed to each other than we were 5 years ago when we walked down the aisle. undoubtedly, relationships change as marriage goes along. the infatuation lessens and the newness wears off, but something much deeper emerges that i value much more now. christen isn’t only my wife, but she’s the mother of my children, my best friend and my unparalleled partner in ministry.