Fifteen Things We Know about Marriage!

Our African themed celebration. See social media for more pics!


On July 21st at 11:30am we were officially celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary. It has been a rollercoaster in many ways. We wanted to share with our readers just a few words of advice from one couple to another and pray that it encourages you to your 15th year and beyond! 
  1. Laughing together is important. We have learned to laugh in good and bad times. We realized that we both have this nervous giggle...and we think it's funny. Laughter is like medicine for your marriage! Proverbs 17:22
  2. Be your spouse's biggest cheerleader. When we do well at something, we congratulate each other. We also spur each other on to do even more. Hebrews 10:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:11
  3. Have a grace space. Let your spouse talk to you and you talk to them. We all need to listen and give each other time to share what is on our hearts. We try to do this weekly and going to bed furious with your spouse never works well. James 4:7-10, Ephesians 4:26
  4. Forgive quickly. It really does heal your heart and that of your mate. James 5:16
  5. Pray with and for each other. You will not meet all of the needs of your spouse, only God can do that; so ask for His wisdom in how to love them best in a way they understand. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
  6. Children are a blessing, but not your first priority. Your marriage relationship requires time and effort. Make sure the kids understand this and they will be better prepared for marriage as well. Amos 3:3
  7. Eat together. There is nothing like the bond formed over a shared meal. The Church ate together and marriage is a picture of Christ and His Church. You have to eat, so eat together at least once a day! Acts 2:46
  8. Date whenever and however you can! Get creative. It is important that you keep the flame lit. You are not dating to get to know each other per se, but it is to have fun together & make memories. 
  9. Find at least 2 things in common that you both enjoy. Lots of couples are opposites, but when the kids are gone, you do not want to be strangers. Find a new hobby or gain some mutual interests.
  10. Keep folks out of your business. We learned that not everyone has our best interests at heart. Keep your marriage between the two of you unless you are speaking with a Godly marriage mentor (like us) or a counselor.
  11. Be the peacemaker. When we argue (yes, it happens), we try to be the first one to make peace. Matthew 5:9
  12. Have LOTS of sex and touch often. Intimacy happens all day every day even if you don't actually do the deed. Touching like hugs, kisses and a slap on the butt or holding hands keep you "in the mood". Proverbs 5:19, Song of Solomon
  13. Common courtesy goes a long way. Don't treat strangers better than your spouse. Saying thank you and excuse me go a long way when you live with someone. Love is not rude. 1 Corinthians 13
  14. Learn how to help in sickness. It is important to take care of each other even if one of you is not a nurse...lol. We have learned to serve each other and comfort in sickness. It is seldom discussed regarding marriage, but important! Jeremiah 31:4
  15. Encourage other couples. Wherever you are in your marriage, you can edify another couple. Let's decrease the rate of divorce by being open and willing to share our hardships and our victories. No marriage is an island!


Comments

  1. Walking TogetherJuly 25, 2016 at 10:25 AM

    What other things would you add?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Add To LIfeAugust 3, 2016 at 3:19 AM

    I love this list. I hope one day to be lucky enough to put it into action with someone :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Chloe ArnoldAugust 3, 2016 at 11:44 AM

    Absolutely adore this!!! Such a beautiful reminder. My husband and I go over our weekly questions every Sunday and we have found that helps a lot too!

    http://beyondblessedblog.com/weekly-questions/

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Becoming a Mother

Image
There was a time that I wondered if I would ever be a mother at all. After we got married in 2001, we waited for a few years and then we were pregnant with our first child in the spring of 2005. We were elated because we had finally saved enough to move out of our 1 bedroom apartment and become real homeowners!  Our happiness quickly took a turn for the worse just a few short months later when I began to have periods of cramping, then spotting. I had been working full-time throughout my pregnancy in rehab. It was heavy work, but I thought nothing of it. I was also very ignorant about heavy lifting while pregnant and monitoring my out-of-control mood swings. I took a lot of my frustration out on my husband. We had told our families and then we lost the baby to a miscarriage. Incompatible genes they told us. Incompatible?? Bind the Devil!! Now, I was no midwife or OB/GYN nurse, but I figured two healthy people could have a healthy baby together without complications. It's b
Read more

Building marriages with Date Night In Box!

Image
We were so excited to be gifted our first date box from Date Night In!! Ours was a date night in faith box too! It is so fabulous when people recognize the beauty of marriage and encouraging that union and that is exactly what this box did for us! *This blogpost contains information from our affiliate sponsor and prize eligibility* The box topic was FOUNDATION. It came with straws, candy lego blocks, jelly bellies, sticky popsicle sticks and instructions. We had three projects to complete together. We also had an amazing pre-prepared playlist to listen to as we worked together. Our favorite song was Winter Wonderland by Earth, Wind and Fire! Project #1 - Build a candle-holder from the popsicle sticks provided and place the candle in it. Project #2 - Build a foundation or structure to support the box that the date came in. Project #3 - Build a tower to support one jellybelly on top and then place it on top. This was no easy feat for us! First of all it was mad
Read more

Why celebrate?

Image
There are so many holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and special occassions. We are given a new reason to party almost every day. As Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for every purpose under heaven. Not taking time to love, appreciate  and remember your loved ones can cause you to be discontent, ungrateful and eben bitter. Just as we need to recall God's blessings in the past, we need to recognize the people in our lives who have helped, shared and encouraged us to be who we are today. Time is moving faster now more than ever. We are tempted to complain and work ourselves to death instead of taking the time to rest, reflect and admire the people, places and things that make our lives as comfortable as they are. So for every birthday, every Mother's or Father's Day, anniversary and graduation, i want my loved ones to know that my life has been made more fulfilling by their presence, encouragement and smile. Celebrate! Party! Encourage someone in your life on their special
Read more