Give Me This Mountain

I have realized this week that in marriage hopes and dreams are greatly different than the dreams we have as children. When we are young we have dreams like eating ice cream for every meal, and never having to go to school again and just play all day. When we are in marriages we have dreams that we may not sometimes realize we have. For example, I could not wait to have my own place so that I could live how I wanted and not be told to do anything. After I got married I realized that my husband likes things a little more tidy than I do. I didn't think of it as a big deal. Then it came to the point where my husband was frustrated that things weren't staying clean and so we talked about it. I came to know and understand that my husband grew up with a cluttered house and didn't want to have that when he had his own place because it made his anxiety spike. When I came to know this, my whole attitude and demeanor changed. I decided that I needed to help him in his dreams as he...

This week I was thinking about my marriage and how blessed I am to have my husband. It has been almost six months since we got married (clearly we are veterans), and I reflected on our relationship. Of course we have had little disagreements and such, but it has never escalated. I actually just watched our wedding video and cried the whole time thinking about him and how grateful I am for my husband. I think one of the many blessings of marriage is the companionship. Husband and wife together to lift and support one another. If there is one thing that my husband does very well at, he is a fantastic listener. He always makes me feel like my thoughts and opinions matter, that I am valued and that he cares.  Although it is amazing to have him in my life, it made me wonder how  I  am to  him.  Do I make  him  feel the same way? Do I encourage  him  in a way that strengthens and uplifts him? Do I sincerely listen to  him  in a way t...

Since the beginning of time we have seen families as such, first the father then the mother and then the children follow suit in order of age from eldest to youngest. At least that is how my mind always worked. As I have gotten older and carefully observed my parents and their relationship, I have found that in a way I was wrong in how I viewed a family. Yes, the father is the head of the household and the patriarch, however that does not make the role or place of the mother to only be second in command. They are a partnership and deserve to treat each other as such. This means that the man should be as considerate as the woman in the marriage and her input in their relationship and their family. Men who choose to follow this counsel will not only have a longer and more successful marriage but will find themselves to be much happier. When the husband yields his need for complete control in his relationship he finds happiness and balance in his marriage. When he doesn't, there is mo...

I have seen this movie  Fireproof   and I found this clip where the husband and wife are in a fight and the husband gets roses for his wife with a note saying he was sorry. The problem is, it wasn't meaningful or helpful to the situation. This reminded me that it is so important that issues or conflicts are resolved in a manner that are sincere and constructive. They are called repairs for a reason. The main one being that our spouses are humans with feelings and needs. Sometimes that means giving in a little more and there being a compromise. Disagreements happen, but it is how we react to those situations that is important if we want to build the marriage positively and not negatively.