Marriage

I’m married to a really great man. And we have a good marriage. A really good marriage.

Sadly, I think really good marriages are becoming more uncommon. Actually, I think good marriages are common…but people don’t realize when they are already in a good marriage.

Our marriage is very good…but it is not easy. It is very good because it’s not easy.

In the last nine years, we have faced a lot of obstacles. We’re facing some pretty big ones right now. And we have disagreed on how to handle those obstacles – sometimes quite emotionally. And there have been plenty of times where one or both of us wanted to just throw up our hands and say FINE! Whatever YOU want. I don’t care! Just stop talking about it! We wanted to give in and give up, just to end the conflict.

But we didn’t. We don’t. We have always kept talking. Not without sometimes invoking the 10:00 rule (no more difficult discussions after 10:00 p.m., when we’re too tired to be reasonable) or the 24+ hour rule (I really can’t talk about this for awhile until I’ve had a chance to process my thoughts and feelings), but we always keep talking. And because of that, we have a great marriage.

We have sex (sorry parents, but yes, I’m going there…) and because of that, we have a great marriage. And I’m not talking about frequency or quality, because those can vary depending on so many factors. But even when we are stressed, or completely overwhelmed by life, or just generally not in the mood for sex, we don’t forget the need and desire for an intimate relationship. And sometimes that means one of us calling a “moral imperative”: acknowledging that neither of us has a strong desire at that moment to be intimate, but that for the health of our marriage, we are going to choose intimacy anyway. And that makes us stronger together.

And we pray. Which is the biggest reason why I believe our marriage is great. I’m not talking just about praying together, which we do, although not consistently. The prayers that more often shape our marriage are our individual prayers. When an issue seems impossible to overcome, I know that Scott is praying about it. And he knows that I am too. And eventually, God shapes us and changes our hearts so that we continue to grow together. And in growing together, we maintain our great marriage.

Easy/Quick: Summer Veggie Salad

This is a super easy, quick recipe that tastes yummy in the summertime. I especially love it because I can “dump” whatever veggies I have on hand into the salad without worrying about ruining it!

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Summer Veggie Salad

Mandatory Ingredients:
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 small bottle Italian Salad Dressing

Veggies — choose and mix whatever you like. Following are some of our favorites that I’ll toss in, depending on what I have on hand:
black olives
tomatoes
cucumbers
zucchini
yellow squash
bell peppers
carrots
asparagus
baby corn

Cut veggies and artichoke hearts into bite size pieces. Mix veggies, Italian salad dressing and artichoke hearts, including the juice from the marinade, in a large bowl. Toss to coat veggies. Refrigerate for 2-3 hrs before serving.
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Easy as pie. No wait…much easier!

Friday Jokes

Sadly, I am not a joke teller. I would like to be, but can never seem to remember any…except the banana, banana, orange joke. I have, however, recently read two great jokes, which I’m sharing below with the understanding that once you read them, and laugh, you will leave your favorite joke (clean, please) so that my kids will continue to think I’m super cool when they grow tired of hearing the banana, banana, orange joke!

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By email from Gram:

An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of church services, when she was startled by an intruder. She caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables and yelled: ‘Stop! Acts 2:38!’ (…Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…)

The burglar stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.

As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar: ‘Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture to you.’

‘Scripture?’ replied the burglar. ‘She said she had an Ax and Two 38’s!’

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Found on Rachelle Gardner’s blog, here:

A little girl asked her mother, “How did the human race appear?”

The mother answered, “God made Adam and Eve and they had children and then all mankind was made.”

Two days later the girl asked her father the same question.

The father answered, “Many years ago there were apes, which evolved into monkeys, from which the human race evolved.”

The confused girl returned to her mother and said, “Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from apes?”

The mother answered, “Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family, and your father told you about his.”

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What I’m Dwelling On…

Psalm 9:9-10 ESV

The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 7:10 ESV

My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.

What verse(s) are you dwelling on right now?
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If you would like to join a scripture memory challenge: