Marriage from A to Z

“Together for 22 Years!”

On Saturday August 8th, my husband and I celebrated 22 years of marriage. I believe every year a husband and wife stays together should be celebrated. Marriage is honorable! (Hebrews 13:4). Make a big deal out of it because it is a BIG deal! I know we are in the midst of a pandemic and are limited, but you can do something to celebrate! We celebrated and enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided to continue our celebration throughout the month of August.

As we reflect on our twenty-two years, we can’t help but give God praise for keeping us. It truly is no goodness of our own. Marriage takes work and we started putting in the work before we were married with 6 months of pre-marital counseling. After the 6 months, we attended several marriage classes and conferences to learn how to do marriage God’s way. We still have not arrived and continue to work to make our marriage better. It’s funny, people will train and get equipped for every profession but want to get married with little or no training and preparation. There are so many things that we learned in counseling, conferences and classes that have helped to keep us happily together.

Here are 22 things that have helped to keep us happily together for 22 years.

1. Start each day with prayer as a couple.
2. Have your own individual devotional time (prayer, reading God’s Word) daily. Be devoted to loving God and loving each other.
3. Read scripture together as a couple and strive to apply it to your marriage. (Keep God in your marriage)
4. Kiss daily and touch daily (hold hands, back rub, foot massage, etc.)
5. FORGIVE one another.
6. Talk about everything: your day to day concerns, goals, desires, finances, etc. (Communication is key). Don’t go to bed angry, talk about it!
7. When you are away for hours at a time call or send a text.
8. Keep your house in such a way that it is inviting for you and your spouse to spend time there. (Make your bedroom inviting for rest, refreshing and for romance)
9. Regular intimacy and love making. Do not deprive one another.
10. Eat as many meals as you can together at the table (Decorate your table, light a candle, add color and make it a fun place to eat).
11. Make your spouse your number one human priority and keep your family at the top of your list. (Be physically present, train your children up in the ways of the Lord).
12. Take pictures frequently (Create memories).
13. Remember important dates and celebrate together.
14. When necessary, seek godly counsel and follow it. (Have an accountability couple, mentor couple and be willing to get counseling).
15. Keep up your outward appearance and your inward (spiritual appearance).
16. Wear your wedding rings daily. (It’s an outward sign of your covenant)
17. Practice chivalry! (Husbands be gentlemen and open the doors (car or building) for your wife, when you are together, fill her gas tank. Wives allow your husband to treat you like a queen and vice versa.
18. Learn when to say yes and when to say no. Watch your tone when speaking to each other.
19. Aim to please each other and to give your spouse what she/he wants.
20. Date each other on a regular basis. (Take rides together with just the two of you, be spontaneous, try different things)
21. Cherish your mate and the time that you get to spend together. Treat your spouse like he/she is special and your top priority.
22. Speak well of each other and to each other.

Until next time . . .

Carolyn