Dear Lord; Good evening Father.
Following the conversation we had last night Lord, I’ve been thinking about the lessons I’ve learned over the period Shannon and I have been married. We’ve had a staggering range of high and low points throughout our time as man and wife, and it dawned on me that on both sides of the spectrum we’ve learned valuable lessons about ourselves, and our bond with each other. Therefore Father, if You’ll indulge me I’d like to share some of those teachings we’ve acquired over the years:
Everything you do while married is a “Team Sport”, whether there’s obvious direct involvement by your spouse or not. Marriage is a partnership, so no matter what you do while a member of that union the other person is in some way involved or affected; Always take them into account when making decisions, period.
Keeping secrets from your spouse is a bad idea, and will eventually lead to trust issues. This is a big one, and actually goes back to my first point. Hiding things in your marriage not only erodes the foundation of trust that’s necessary to get through difficult times, but builds resentment over time as things come to the surface.
Never miss the opportunity to show your partner how much you care. Little things go a long way, whether it’s a text message in the middle of the day to let them know you’re thinking of them, or showing up at their office with flowers for no special reason; it’s the “out of the box” displays of affection that linger in their memory.
Intimacy is important. While this may seem obvious, it gets very easy in the course of the hectic lives we all seem to lead to put “quiet time” with our spouse on the backburner. One of the best ways to stay connected with each other emotionally is to make time on a very regular basis to spend reveling in each other’s presence.
It’s all about balance. In every relationship there are periods where the burdens fall much heavier on one partner than the other. Instead of dwelling on the added load we’re put under and being resentful, we need to place our strength behind the union as a whole and support our spouse with all we have.
Count your Blessings together regularly. There are days where the stress, anxieties and fears in our lives just seem to be completely overwhelming. Focusing on the amazing Blessings You’ve bestowed on us all, and most especially on the wondrous gift of our Ordained Union as man and wife helps to put all those other trials in proper perspective.
Pray for each other, and glorify God by being the best husband/wife you can be. Marriage is something You designed and blessed us with Father, and by making that partnership one of our highest priorities we in effect praise Your Gifts while emboldening our union at the same time.
And I’m still learning Lord, blissfully day by day. 🙂
Thank You so much for leading and guiding us along this journey Father. You’ve provided strength when we were fatigued, comfort when we faced despair and throughout it all You’ve kept us in Your Loving Embrace… together. Now that’s a truly wondrous union. Amen.
~Phather Phil
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
Always kiss goodnight, be BFF’s, no secrets (surprises are not secrets!), and remember that you are in a partnership….and each partner has different jobs at different times
LOVE YOU, Honey!
I have no doubt you could write far more than a blog posting about marriage Love… 🙂
I Love you too!
Marriage is hard sometimes, keeping God at the center is essential… His wisdom is all we need to get through and be blessed abundantly by it. Your tips are filled with His wisdom, so glad you shared them with us! Blessings!
It is hard sometimes Heidi, but sooo worth all the effort! And you’re right, keeping ourselves open to His Guidance is vital to a successful union.
Have a Blessed Day!
Phil, these are all such wonderful ideas and much needed for a marriage to suceed. Thank you for this wonderful reminder. I love the 1+1=3. Jenifer, Jeremy, God. Love it.
Thank you so much Jenifer! The picture I used was actually a stock photo I found, and it just ended up working beautifully with the article. 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
Great points, Phil! I do pray that I will be the wife that my husband deserves. I know I often fall short, but God (and my husband) and gracious and merciful. We must keep God as the center of our marriage.
Thank you Lisa. I have no doubt that God has Blessed your marriage and that You both reflect His Gifts to others.
Have a Blessed Day!
We’ve had to find a balance in our marriage as well; when we married I had two young sons, so there was some extra issues to deal with. The first few years were very difficult, but we worked hard and are in deeper love now, more than ever. He’s been my rock in this season of turbulence.
Thank you for these good reminders. We can never hear them enough!
peace~elaine
Thank you Elaine! With life changing around us constantly, it can be difficult to remain balanced but I believe it’s one of the keys to a happy and successful marriage. I can honestly and joyously say that Shannon and I are more in love now than we were when we were first married, and every trial simply proves that to us more and more.
Have a Blessed Day!