Tuesday Tip #12: Remembering your first love

Why or how did you fall in love with ______? What made them so spectacular that you couldn't live without them? I remember why and how I fell in love with El. And it happened so fast that I wasn't ready nor expecting it. He made me laugh. He listened attentively. He made me a priority. He was helpful around the house. He wanted to please me. I remember how kind and gentle he was in the beginning our relationship. I wanted to be around him all the time. I wanted to spend all of my spare time with him. Then we got married. And some things changed. Life (our jobs, school, bills, life) seemed to get in the way and we didn't do a very good job at remembering our first love. Remembering why or how we fell in love. Remembering to laugh, to listen, to make each other a priority, to please each other. We didn't remember to be kind and gentle. Part of the issue was that we had a handicap - we didn't really know how to be a married couple. We didn't really know how to be ONE flesh. It took us almost losing our first love to wake up.

Remembering your first love may seem easy. But El and I have talked to several couples that seem to have forgotten why they fell in love in the first place. What made you want to marry that person? What was it about them that said 'forever'? Hopefully, you didn't just think that after "I do", you wouldn't have "to do" anything else because that's when the real work begins. Think about when you first met Christ? You were excited to go to church, read the Bible, pray, memorize scripture, volunteer, and help others. If you slowly drifted away from those things then you were slowly drifting away from Christ. Christ wants us in relationship with him. Relationship = the state of being connected, interdependent, a bond, alliance, linked. These things don't happen on their own. Our relationships aren't bonded by super glue. Meaning we didn't just set it and forget it. We have to stay connected. Just like the branch has to stay connected to the tree to produce good fruit; we must stay connected. This connection is the key. It's our link, our interdependence, our bond to our first love.

Remember why or how you fell in love with your spouse. And then get back to loving them just the way you did in the beginning. Make a list of things you used to do and do them again.

Tuesday Tip #11: Endless Love

From the outside, El and I appear to have it all put together. However, even though we've come a long way, we still have a long way to go. We have learned so much about being married through marriage conferences, books, podcasts, and teaching. Our marriage class lesson this past Sunday was based on Bill Elliff's 8 Lies that Destroy Marriage. One of the lies states, "If I don't love my spouse any longer, I should get a divorce." 

This lie resonated with me because I thought about the time period when I felt as if I no longer loved El because of infidelity and I wanted a divorce. But God! If I had not stayed, we would not have gotten to reap the wonderful benefits that we now enjoy. Sometimes it may seem that because you no longer love your spouse that divorce is inevitable. But love can be restored and renewed (read "Can my marriage be healed after infidelity"). We're living proof, our love has been restored and renewed! We have been through the fire and come out on the other side as pure gold. 

Our love is endless. El is my best friend and even though we don't always see eye to eye, one thing is for sure, I will always love him and he will always love me. And this isn't the kind of love that just says we love. This is the kind of love that shows we love! Is it perfect? Never. But it's real! 

Is your love endless? 

This week's tip is to look for those good qualities in your spouse and tell them how much they mean to you. Make your love endless. 




Check in with us and let us know how you did!

Tuesday Tip #10: Are you fleeing from temptation?

I just completed a 7 day devotion on temptation. I started the devotion to help me gain control over my food addiction and stray from the temptation of overeating. But what about the temptation we encounter as a married couple? Do we recognize the enemy's trickery? Do we know when we're being tempting? Do we know how to flee? Are we calling on Christ in times such as these? God has given us an escape route when we encounter temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). The success of your marriage relies on you being able to flee temptation. And don't think that this temptation is going to announce it's arrival or give you a loud trumpet's warning. No! Temptation comes slyly and many times we don't realize we've been hit until it is too late. 

How to flee temptation...
1. Pray diligently that God will keep you alert and that you will be able to recognize immediately when temptation presents itself.
2. Pray that you will flee instantly and not entertain any thoughts of the sweet nectar.
3. Stay in God's Word by devouring it daily.
4. Spend all of your free time with your spouse. Enjoy each other's company often to ward off temptation.
5. Repeat steps 1-4. 

Let me know how well you did this week in fleeing temptation. 

Are there any tips you'd like to see? Let me know. 

Tuesday Tip #9: Stop blaming your spouse...

"She won't talk to me!" "He never listens!" "She is always on the phone." "He is never on time." "I'm waiting on him to do that before I can do this." 

STOP! Stop blaming your spouse. When you go before God in the last days, He is not going to accept your excuses. It will not matter what your spouse did. God is only concerned about what you are doing. Are you reading His Word and abiding in Him? (John 15:4). Are you praying for your spouse to be man/woman of God? Are you exhibiting a godly mindset when dealing with your spouse? God wants to use your marriage to show the world His love for the church. Don't let Him down. 

This week's tip: Don't blame your spouse for anything this week. Be more understanding and listen to his/her complaints in a different way in which you hear a cry for what they need. Then try to meet that need. Treat your spouse with adoration and show him/her how much you love them. 

Let me know how well you did this week. Leave your comments below. 

Tuesday Tip #8: Marriage Ministry

El and I started a marriage ministry in our home in 2007. We had no idea that that very ministry would minister to our own marriage. Eight years later we are still learning how to be the best spouses we can be to each other. The secret -- we have to live what we preach. Not only do we have to study material before we present it, but we also have to live out what we're presenting. We don't get to stand in front of other couples and not practice what we preach. It's important to El and I to be living examples of God's love for the church and the church's reverence to God. Are we perfect? Hell no, far from it. Do we still argue? Yes, certainly. The difference now is that we know how to resolve conflict quicker and we're eager to forgive. We still don't have this marriage thing mastered. But we are working every day. We are working every day. We are working every day. We. Are. Working. Every. Day! Marriage is work! We never threaten divorce. We never stay angry longer than an hour. We never sleep in separate rooms or beds. We never hit below the belt (calling names, cussing, or talking about parents). We never physically hit each other (we have in the past, but we don't anymore). We never stop loving one another. We never stop caring. And most importantly, I think, we spend a bunch of time with each other. We spend so much time together that we don't have time for outside mess, outside threats, outside influences, or any other outsiders.  

Furthermore, the couples that come to us for mentoring are usually coming to us with issues we've just dealt with or are dealing with at that moment and so we are not just helping them but we are helping our marriage as well. We're learning a new way of looking at our issues. We often have an "aha" moment and realize that we could resolve an issue another way. God knows exactly what He is doing and He knows what we need. 

I'm not saying you have to do ministry together to have a great marriage. However, why not try studying the Word together or doing marriage devotions together and discussing them. It will enhance your marital relationship and you'll gain new insights on how to have a great marriage. In fact, there is a Lifelong Love Marriage Summit happening now. It's free and online! You and your spouse can watch the videos and discuss it in the privacy of your own home. And if you'd like to discuss publicly, you can do so by leaving a comment here or on our Facebook page. 

Tuesday Tip #7: Who's your BAE?

The Urban Dictionary defines bae as "before anyone else" or as the word baby, shortened. I call El "bae" all the time. I started calling him "bae" early this year instead of saying baby. I think I picked it up from hearing Jay Z and Beyonce use the term. It wasn't until a few months ago that I decided to look it up and see if there was some weird meaning and to make sure I wasn't insulting El. I was delighted to find the meaning as "before anyone else". 

I make a concerted effort to put El first. I don't just say I put him first. I actually do it. I make sure that my friends and family members know that I like spending time with El and any time he's off work and at home, I will be unavailable. I try to make sure that my schedule accommodates time for El. Most problems in marriage begin because we aren't spending enough time with our spouse or our spouse doesn't feel as if they are a priority. It's easy to say that you put your spouse first; however, to actually exemplify they are first, is difficult.

I'm glad to call El "bae". He is before anyone else (except Christ). And I don't just say he is "bae"; I make sure he knows it. I plan to spend time with him so he knows how important he is to me. There are days/hours that are carved out just for him. Your spouse should feel as if they are a priority in your life.

So who's your BAE?

FYI - Join us this Sunday, October 25, 2015 for marriage enrichment at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, 2237 S. Parkway East, 38114 at 5:30pm (room 143).

Tuesday Tip #6 (Early Release): The Lost Art of Dating Challenge!

**Please read below for the dating challenge**

When was the last time you and your spouse went on a date? ...If you are still thinking, then it's been too long! On your last date, did you and your spouse talk or sit in silence? Unless you went to the movies or a play, you should not have been sitting in silence. Today's tip will help you rediscover the art of dating.

El and I have had a standing date night every Saturday for the past five years. We rarely cancel this night unless we have a wedding or some other event to attend (in which we usually attend together). We usually go out to eat (but there are a slew of other things you can do). We like to go out to eat because we like to talk and look at each other across the table. We also like to talk in the car on the way to the restaurant and on the way back home. So you may be asking, what is there to talk about or why are we doing so much talking? Communication is a way of building intimacy and also a way of staying connected to your spouse. Many couples allow days and months to go by without receiving or giving vital information about what is happening in their lives. How tragic is it to find out something about your spouse from someone else? Two people should not be living in the same house and not know what is going on with the other person unless you're just roommates. And God did intend for our marriages to be this way (Gen. 2:24-25). 

Furthermore, there's plenty to talk about. El and I talk about our love tanks and how we can improve our relationship. We talk about our sex life to make sure we are pleasing each other appropriately. We talk about things that may be bothering us; whether it is things we need to start doing or stop doing. We also dream together. For example, we may explore what life will be like in five years or if we won a million dollars-what we would do with the money. There is always something to talk about with your spouse. There is always something else to explore with your spouse. Never stop learning your spouse. Never stop dating your spouse. And women, your husband does not always have to plan the date (I know you may be shunning me). But you can plan the date and ask your husband out. You can even pick out his clothes and drive him to the restaurant (or date). Even if you feel your husband never plans the date, you can still continue to plan it and then at least you'll go out and you know it will be the date you want. Then pray that your husband will begin to start planning the dates. 

So your tip this week is to go on a date. It doesn't matter who plans it or where you go; just do it! And then your follow up challenge is to have a date at least 4 times a month (or more) this year. Let's make it interesting...post pictures from your dates on Instagram or Facebook and use the hashtag #ezdates 

If you need some date ideas, do a Google search for great dates. Here are a list of resources that might help as well:

• 10 Great Dates (there are a few series) by the Arps
• 40 Unforgettable Dates with your Mate by the Rosbergs
• thedatingdivas.com website

And remember - 

• it doesn't matter who plans the date
• it doesn't matter what you do or where you go
• don't kill the mood by being ungrateful (you may want to check the episode of Blackish "Big Night, Big Fight")
• don't criticize
• be kind and loving
• enjoy the time together and don't forget to share your pictures

Also, it's nice to go out with another couple. So occasionally, El and I will double date or go out with several couples. Find another couple(s) that you and your spouse can double date with on occasion.  

Enjoy your dates!

-El & Zina

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Tuesday Tip #5: Sexual healing, the art of touching

**Warning** this post may not be suitable for children. 

Halle Berry & Michael Ealy from Their Eyes Were Watching God

The post some of you have been waiting on...SEX! But before you get too excited and explode before time (pun intended - lol); let me talk about the lost art of touching. Touching your spouse can be so invigorating. A simple rub down the leg can send chills. A tight hug can ease ailments. A long kiss (with tongue included) can make you moist. Touching comes in many different forms. Think of all the places you can touch your spouse. **Pause** (Okay, I'm back). Think of all the places your spouse can touch you. **Long pause** (Okay, I'm here). 

This week's tip is simple: Touch your spouse and allow them to touch you! Touch your spouse every day!! Every. Day. Touch. Your. Spouse. Ask them what touches they enjoy the most and make an effort to touch them there often. Let your spouse know that you want them to touch you as well. All this touching should lead to something else. 

Coming soon - Video tips for single, engaged, and married people. 
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Tuesday Tip #4: Devotions: Not just written words anymore!

Ever wanted to start a good marriage devotion but weren't able to stick with it? Or maybe you didn't have the time to sit and read a devotion every morning or evening? Or maybe you haven't made the time. 

But there's good news! Devotions are not just written words anymore, so your devotion can go with you everywhere you go - in the car, at work, while grocery shopping, while waiting at the doctor's office, or wherever. Instead of reading your devotion, you can listen to it or view it. Since most of us have our phones everywhere we go, we'll always have access to our devotion. What a great way to use our time wisely!

This week, we just want to give you a list of some marriage resources to help you find a good marriage devotion and then challenge you to listen or view it every day this week and discuss it with your spouse.

1. Podcasts - If you have an iPhone, you can download podcasts directly to your phone via iTunes. Here are a few that El and I listen to:

• Marriage Today (Jimmy & Karen Evans) - approximately 25 minutes/episode [also on YouTube]
• Your Marriage Coaches (Gary & Barb Rosberg) - 10 minutes/episode [also on the OnePlace app]
• The Love and Respect Podcast (Emerson & Jonathan Eggerichs) - about 45 minutes/episode
• Life, Love, & Family - about 30 minutes/episode [also online]
• A Love Language Minute (Gary Chapman) - 1 minute/episode
• God's Union Marriage Ministry (El & Zina Henry) - 5 minutes/episode
• Focus on Marriage (from Focus on the Family) - about 7 minutes/episode
• Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman - 45 minutes/episode (airs on Saturdays)

If you do not have an iPhone, you may be able to listen to most of these online or via iTunes on the computer. 

2. Videos - Here are a few videos that we watch and discuss:

• GUMM - Our own channel (#gummytc)
• Marriage Today - on YouTube and Cable TV
• Heather Lindsey - YouTube 
• Cornelius Lindsey - YouTube 
• Oasis Church - YouTube (not always about marriage)

We also want to give you some written resources or links that offer information about marriage conferences or other resources you may find helpful. 

1. God's Union Website (El & Zina) - Events page

2. 5 Love Languages website 
3. Start Marriage Right
4. You Version Bible app (has several marriage & other devotions)
5. The Marriage Coaches (just came across this one)
6. Black and Married with Kids 


These are just to name a few...however, there is a wealth of knowledge to gain about marriage and not just marriage, but Christian marriage. Enjoy! 

We hope that you will find something this week that you will enjoy together or separately and discuss together. Just as we attend workshops to improve performance on our jobs; we need to brush up on marriage tips to improve our marriages. 

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Tuesday Tip #3: Is your spouse your BFF?

Who is your BFF? Is it your spouse or your high school friend? Did you and your spouse cultivate a friendship while or before you started dating? And if so, what did that relationship look like? And if not, why? 

Let's look at some of the definitions of friend from Google: 
1. a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations. Now let's examine the first part of this definition...whom one knows and has a bond of mutual affection. How well do you know your spouse and is there a close mutual bond of affection? Do you touch your spouse often throughout the day? El and I touch all the time (and it is usually non-sexual touch; meaning it is not leading to anything sexually). We just want to be close and touch each other. Now what's interesting is I wasn't always a touchy-feely person; but I have become that person over the years. I like to rub my hands over El's biceps or his thighs. I like having him hold me at night and I like to feel his hands on my back. Touch your spouse often and cuddle with him/her. Make your spouse feel as if they are important by touching them. Your spouse needs to be touched by you. Now the second part of this definition states that this bond may be exclusive of sexual or family relations. When you're first getting to know your spouse (before marriage), yes this developing friendship should be without sexual relations; however, after marriage this is the bonus! To have cultivated a friendship and then be able to take that friendship to the next level by knowing your spouse sexually is a wonderful thang. "And Adam knew Eve, his wife..." (Genesis 4:1). The times that I feel closest to El are the times when we just connect through conversation - when he is really in tune with what I'm saying and I'm interested in what he is saying and we're just vibing. Those are the times I want to know him. He's my best friend! 

2. a person who acts as a supporter of a cause, organization, or country by giving financial or other help. Do you support your spouse? Are you supporting them financially or in some other way? I may not agree with all of El's choices, but I support him. I am his cheerleader! If he has something he wants to do, I listen and support him even if I don't agree. I may offer other suggestions, but ultimately he is the head of our household and has the last say. I pray for him (that God will give him wisdom and help him make wise choices) and then I trust that God will lead him in the right direction. El does his best to provide financial support for our family. He cares about our family's welfare. He also cares about my happiness - he worked 3 jobs when we first married, so I could finish school without working. How are you supporting your spouse? Do they feel your support? Ask him/her how you can be a better supporter. 

3. a person who is not an enemy or who is on the same side. Your spouse is not your enemy. They are on your team (...and they become one flesh. Gen 2:24). The enemy is Satan - he wants to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10a). Together, you and your spouse can defeat the enemy with God's power. Allow God's presence to permeate your marriage and draw closer to your spouse by becoming his/her friend. 

4. a familiar or helpful thing. How well do you know your spouse? Do you know their likes and dislikes? Do you know their favorite color, favorite food, shoe size, dress/pant size, etc? Are they so familiar that you take them for granted? Or are you still trying to get to know things about them? Are you still studying them? Are you still learning them? Are you still dating? One of things El and I do is make sure we have a weekly date night. A time for just us two; no kids, no phones, no one else. We usually go out to eat, but most importantly, we talk. We get to know each other a little more with each date and after 18 years of marriage, we are still learning each other. We usually talk about our dreams or aspirations and where we'll be in five years or how we can improve our relationship. We take time to ask "how's the love tank" or "is anything we can do to make our relationship better". Never stop learning your spouse. Never stop trying to please your spouse. Never take the familiar for granted. 

5. a contact associated with a social networking website. So this definition (which I'm sure has been added within the last few years), is interesting: a contact associated with a social networking website. Some of us treat our spouse as a Facebook or Twitter friend - we ignore him/her while we scroll the pages of FB and post pictures/comments to a world of people who could care less about us. We spend more time exploring social network sites than we do exploring our spouse. Or we communicate in short "ttyl" phrases; not really making time for clear effective communication. Not really trying to find out more about our spouse. Not really being interested in your spouse or what interests them. Who is your spouse? Are they your BFF or just a FB contact? Do you spend time making your marriage intentional or do you just expect that because you said "I do" that your marriage "will"? If you just periodically checked or updated your status on FB, you'll find that things can get out of control quickly with friend requests, comments, and notifications. Just as if you were to periodically check or update your marital status, eventually it will become neglected and when you try to get things back on track, it will seem overwhelming. The garden of your marriage has to be pruned. You have to constantly make sure the unwanted parts are removed from your garden such as bad attitudes, negative thoughts, unloving feelings and replace them with good attitudes, positive thoughts, and love. 

Think about how you treated your best friend in high school. You probably talked on the phone everyday, hung out after school, helped each other with relationship problems, etc. What kind of friend are you to your spouse? Is your spouse your BFF (Best Friend Forever)? If not, make him/her your BFF today! And if they are your BFF, enhance that relationship by continually learning new ways to please them. 

Spend time with your spouse this week learning new things about them. Ask them about their favorite color, the scar on their knee or head, favorite foods or restaurants, their dreams or aspirations, and keep asking questions. Become an investigator by learning about your spouse this week, but don't stop learning after this week - keep learning! 

Share your experiences and insights! 

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Tuesday Tip #2: Can we talk? I don't know...are you listening?

Many couples struggle with communication in their relationship. Either one person talks too much and the other doesn't talk at all or both people try to talk at the same time and no one is listening. Effective communication doesn't just happen. We have to take the time to listen attentively and communicate so that our mate understands exactly what we are saying. So how do you communicate effectively?

El and I have learned several different ways to communicate effectively over the years. Gary Chapman talks about many different methods of effective communication. Here are a few from him and some of our own...
1. Tell three things you did today and how that made you feel. When you and your spouse sit down to talk (every day), discuss three things you did. These can be anything from getting up for work to going shopping. And then discuss how those things made you feel. Did you feel good, depressed, discouraged, sad, disrespected, encouraged, etc? Each of you will share three things and how those things made you feel. The point is to get you both talking and listening and hopefully you will begin to have more conversations without prompting.
2. Scaling questions (This is also a counseling technique). Asking your spouse how strongly they feel about something on a scale of 1-10. For example: My husband may ask me if I want to go to J. Alexander's for dinner. I do not appear to be real excited about going but because he can't gauge how I feel, he may ask me on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being I really want to go and 1 being I don't have to go. So if I say 9, then chances are we will probably go because the 9 suggests that I really want to go. You can use scaling for just about any question.
3. Transparency. Being open and honest with your spouse. El and I are able to talk about any and everything. We're able to talk about past relationships as well as our feelings. We don't hide our feelings because the other may get hurt; instead we just discuss our feelings in a kind manner. It's important to be transparent with your spouse. True intimacy is developed as you continue to be vulnerable with your mate and allow the walls to come down. (Make sure you don't take advantage of your spouse when they are being vulnerable and that you don't abuse their trust).
4. Informing your spouse. El and I keep each other "in the loop". We talk all throughout the day via text or IM and sometimes by phone. We let each other know of our whereabouts and any upcoming plans. Your spouse should know what is going on with you. It doesn't look good for someone else to know what's going on with you before your spouse does. Keep your spouse informed. It may be a good idea to discuss your schedules every morning or at night (for the upcoming day) so that you both know about appointments, meetings, practices, kid pickups, etc.
5. Just talk and just listen. Sometimes it just takes you talking to your spouse and your spouse listening. Even if you don't want to hear what your spouse has to say, just listen. You may be surprised at what you hear. It's possible that you'll learn something new about your spouse. You want to be the person they can come to about anything (just like your children - if you listen, really listen, they'll talk to you more). And if you don't talk much, start talking more. Share your feelings, thoughts, ideas, etc. with your spouse. Let them inside of your heart.

Okay, now we've given you five tips that you can use this week. Choose one or all of them to practice this week. Don't forget to share how well prayer worked for you and keep praying together. Practice makes perfect.

Now go talk to spouse.

Tuesday Tip #1 - Plug into the Power of Prayer

My husband and I have made a habit of praying together and praying for our marriage. We pray for each other as well as for ourselves to be better spouses to one another. We have asked couples (over the years) do they pray for their marriage, and many of them said no. Most of them have never thought to pray for their marriage. We tend to go to God about everything in life except our marriages. We pray for our health, finances, children, etc. but we fail to include our marriages. Maybe we think it is selfish or that God can't help us with our marriage. Maybe we secretly think we're the problem and praying about it would cause us to change - when we want our spouse to do the changing.

This week's tip is prayer. Sounds simple? Well it is. You can pray together every night or day. And below is a list of things we want you to pray for. You can pray these prayers every night or just on the designated day. You and your spouse may pray silently together, one praying aloud, or in conversational prayer (one prays aloud and then pauses and the other spouse prays aloud and pauses and that continues until you're both finished).

Prayers
1. Today - Pray that God will make your marriage what He would have it to be. That God will give your marriage a purpose.
2. Wednesday - Pray that God will keep temptation away from your marriage and if either of you are tempted that God will offer a quick escape that you will immediately take.
3. Thursday - Pray that your sex life will be fulfilling and joyous to both you and your spouse. Ask God to forgive you of past sexual sins and that you can release those past sins to enjoy sexual intimacy with your spouse.
4. Friday - Pray that you will share effective communication with one another. That God will help you listen attentively to each other and respond in love.
5. Saturday - Pray that you will have a better relationship with Christ. That both of you will yearn for a closer relationship with Christ.
6. Sunday - Pray that God will make you good stewards over your finances and other things that He has allowed you to borrow during your stay on earth. Being a good steward, keeps you from fighting over money.
7. Monday - Pray that prayer brings you closer as a couple and that you will continue to pray together even after this week; making this a priority.

Pray with the expectation that something will happen! 
El & Zina

Let us know how this week went and share any blessings you receive. Don't forget to subscribe to the blog to receive future emails about blog posts.

Flawless or Nah?

I woke up like this... Did you wake up with a spirit of meanness and not wanting to be bothered by your spouse? Or did you wake up praising God for another day and thanking Him that you and your spouse have another chance to get it right? How did you wake up? How do you plan to wake up from here on out?

God is not asking us to be flawless; however, He is expecting us to strive for perfection. Are you really doing the very best you can or are you squeaking by; doing just enough? Your marriage doesn't have to imitate the Johnson's, but it should show the world God's love for the church (Ephesians 5:21-33). What does your marriage say to world? Are you putting on a facade, pretending to be a happy couple? Or is your love real and can others actually feel the realness so much that they want to know God? God calls us to be an example of His love for the church so that others will come to Christ. If you don't have the right relationship with Christ, you won't have the right relationship with your spouse.

It's a new year! Why not get it right this time? We'll help you along the way. Tuesdays will be our designated Tuesday Tips. Every Tuesday we'll share a tip that we've learned and/or practiced to help make our marriage "flawless". The only thing you have to do is put it into practice. You'll have a whole week until the next tip to practice. We really want to hear from you on whether or not a tip worked for you or if you need more practice. The tips won't work if you don't put them into practice. That is key!

So this weekend, we want you to pray and ask God for wisdom and courage to walk boldly into a new season and into a new marriage. To make your marriage intentional and stop playing house, but have a joyful home.

Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy. Thank you for those reading this blog and wanting a better marriage. Thank you for their diligence and patience and guide their footsteps in the direction you would have them go so that they do not stray from your presence or your word. Allow them to hear the Holy Spirit and be obedient to His voice. We are asking for radical changes in marriages around the world. That they will be joyous and filled with contentment. That marriages around the world will be an example of your love for the church. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

Is your marriage flawless or nah?