Marriage

Care about the types of flowers you want–AND the vases they'll be in. Care about the design of the napkins and spoons. Care about what shoes you'll be wearing when you and your new husband drive off together. Have fun with all of these things–they are, after all, an expression of YOU and the dreams you have for yourself! It is not wrong to get lost in the details.But then, and I can't emphasize this enough, let your expectations go

If you are anything like me, I have to summon all my willpower to ward off the itch to correct and redirect my husband. I have my own set of rules and way of doing things which are often very different from his.

Love is foundational. It’s like flour to a cake. Your marriage rises and falls depending on how much love is present. However, just as a cake needs other essential ingredients to be palatable and sustainable, so does marriage.

As an in-law, do not hold the married members of your family hostage. Set them free to make their own decisions.

Remind us that the rest of our lives are not determined by this day and this wedding ceremony. Today's success is not the point. The point is what comes after this ceremony - the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

Marriage is created for a bigger purpose than just itself. Marriage is a depiction of our relationship with God. We are called in this life to love, study, know and respect our God. That is also our calling for our spouse.

God promises strength to persevere, but we have to submit to His plan and learn acceptance with joy. Here are three “Scripture nuggets” for long-marrieds to revive the romance and survive the challenges.

Nothing hurts like a failing marriage, and there is no loneliness as intense as living with a stranger who used to be your friend.

Proverbs 3: 24 tells us that “When we lie down our sleep will be sweet.” But what happens when it isn’t?

When spouses share similar values, it creates cohesion and unity within the marriage, fostering a sense of common purpose and direction.

Is it possible to keep the marriage spark burning without leaving the house? Whether your kids are too young to stay with a sitter, money is too tight to afford the cost, or your child has special needs, you don’t need to write off date nights. Instead, create dates at home to nurture your marriage relationship.

These ways may seem insignificant, but they may be very significant to your wife. The last thing she wants to do on top of raising children is to have to care for the upkeep of her home and do all the chores on top of caring for her husband. Demonstrate these loving ways without expecting anything in return.

Every day we hear stories of marriages falling apart. These couples had the greatest intentions starting out, but life left their marriages broken.

When the family operates correctly and the husband, who is the head of the home, operates with integrity, sacrifice, and love for his wife, a marriage can demonstrate both a headship and a partnership as both people work together for the good of each other. They also give God glory by placing him at the head of their marriage.

In the physical, oneness is evidenced by reproductive fruitfulness. In the Spirit, oneness with Christ is evidenced by bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Within the body of Christ and within a marriage, the integrity and wholeness depend on the same thing: abiding in Christ and always allowing Him to be the head.