10 Years Down!

So, today marks the 10 year anniversary of my coo in getting Traci to be my wife. So many things have happened during our time together that I'd have to write a novel the size of War & Peace to get it all down on paper. But, instead I'd like to share with you some of the things that I've learned while being married so long. (These are in no order as I'm not really big on ranking things, etc.)

#1 - If you keep Christ the center of your marriage then you're gonna be held together. Sure today we mark a great milestone that is worthy of the happiness that I have in my heart, but it's not like we haven't had hard times during this time. Yet, here we still stand together hand in hand thanks to God's grace. He has been the glue in our marriage through the easy and the tough times.

#2 - Kinda goes along with #1 there - I'm not all that important in the long run. What I mean by that is that the world doesn't revolve around me. The same can be said for Traci as a matter of fact. Instead, the world revolved around God and HIS plan for our lives. Once we figured that out I think we became even stronger as a unit. It was hard at first as we both had our own goals and desires, and with every kid it's been harder and harder to fit in time for our own stuff. Now, if one or both of us still focused on ourselves all the time the other person would feel slighted or worse not loved at all. By keeping him at the forefront we've learned how to work together towards HIS goals, which many times end up going along with ours anyway! So, keep that focus on him and he'll reward both you, your spouse, and the marriage as a whole!

#3 - Each kid you have will drain some of your energy. My goodness, I think about what I use to be able to do before we had kids and I wonder how I was every able to do any of it! We use to have no problem staying up all night and still working on no sleep. We use to work out together, do puzzles, watch movies, etc. and still get the house clean etc. Now days we're lucky to have clean clothes, dishes, or stay up past 10 PM! I've figured out that the kids took the energy, as they always have more than I ever want them to have. Yes, this and the changing of the date are God's little pokes of fun at us! I tell you, every time I figure out what today's date is it changes to the next day! How rude!

#4 - Back to seriousness (as serious as I ever get on here): It's NOT going to be easy. Yes, we've been married 10 years now, but I tell you that we both work at this marriage thing all the time. I don't have all the answers on how to make our marriage better just yet. In fact I never will! We continue to evolve as people, and so does our marriage. The minute we stop working at it, that is when we stop caring if you ask me. You have to talk with one another and keep getting to know what makes each other tick. Don't just assume that your wife likes French Vanilla creamer in her coffee, as she may have discovered that some new flavor is now her favorite. Some times she doesn't want the radio on during the car ride but instead wants to spend time with you without the distractions! Pay attention, and if you don't know ask! I don't think there has been a time that I've asked Traci a question about her that she just laughed at me for asking when I asked in a serious manner. She appreciates that I care ,and I'm sure if you are reading this and are married, your spouse will feel the same way!

#5 - Praying together works! In the past Traci and I have done devotionals together, read the same books separately and talked about it, etc. But, I think the thing that we've done that helps us the most is praying together. Sure, this goes back to #1 again and where we are focused. Every Sunday we review the upcoming week and what is happening each night. We talk about things that have happened or will be happening, etc. Then after that we pray together, giving it all to God to do with as He will. We know that He's in control of our schedule, and of all the tasks that we have to do. By turning this all over to Him we aren't burdened with trying to do it all on our own. We've found that our weeks go by much easier with Him leading us through them. Who controls your week?

So, that is us in a nutshell. Marriage, money, and parenting are some of my favorite subjects to discuss, so if you are reading this and want any advice in those kind of areas please let me know. I thank you for reading and I look forward to what else God gives me to write to you about in the near future. I hope you've enjoyed just a few things I've learned about being married. Put God in control of your marriage people, you'll be a stronger unit because of it!