{Marriage} The first six months...

I feel blessed to be married to my best friend and I feel like

it was yesterday we got married.

It was only six months ago, not long I know but I can't believe half a year has already gone by.

I have found true the popular wedding day quote,

"I love you the least today, because

I'll love you more tomorrow."

Upon the start of our marriage we decided to join a small group with our church.

Our small group is composed of mainly couples whom have been married less than five years.

We study different topics and books within the Bible when we meet each week.

I must be honest, when we were first on our way to a strangers house to eat and study the Bible together I was very nervous. And nervous is not something I'm familiar with!

I was worried I wouldn't know much compared to them and not bring much to the group at discussion.

I couldn't have been more wrong!

Small group has been wonderful and it is a special two hours that I look forward to each week.

The other couples and us hit off and we know share all our personal concerns, triumphs, and everyday life together. Like a mini marriage support group. I feel this has been monumental to our marriage and has built (and helping us continue building) a stronger faith and connection to one another.

Once we returned from our honeymoon it was time to start a new series of study in our small group and we decided to do a marriage study. This was something totally new to me and once again wasn't sure what to expect. Since all of us were in different places within our marriage it gave us all an opportunity to grow.

I feel marriage has been made a mockery of in our country and divorce has become widely accepted as a back-up plan in the event we can't quite make it work. Don't get me wrong, I know some situations are absolutely different and some even life threatening without a divorce. That's not what I'm talking about.

Over 50% of marriages fail and that terrifies me. Drew and I have dedicated ourselves to our marriage and part of that has been with the growing in our faith with our small group.

 In our study we had great emphasis that love is a choice, agape love.

Agape love meaning we make the commitment, the choice to love and accept our spouse. Truly for better and for worse knowing that both times will be had. 

Love is not an emotion. It isn't a mood or a feeling, it is a choice.

We studied the importance of intimacy on many levels in the marriage.

As a spouse we know longer chose to please ourselves and make decisions to better "me" we make choices to better the other that will ultimately lead to a stronger bond with each other and strong faith within ourselves. 

One part of our study was "divorce proof your marriage" and here are the support verses:

~ I Corinthians 15:33

~Proverbs 18: 20-22

~John 4:11

~Ephesians 4:26

~Matthew 19:1-10

I know even without kids our daily routines can get pretty crazy and just that, "routine."

Making a point to hug or say something nice can make all the difference.

Drew and I make a point to sit down, t.v. off, and have dinner together every night with the occasional date night. We learned that 2% of couples that pray together get divorced.

Being a submissive wife I feel will be an ongoing process. I feel this is a term that gets a bad rap and is considered old fashion in our modern sin filled culture. 

The husband is the spiritual leader of the house and the wife is essentially the #1 cheerleader of his decisions. That is why it is important to grow in faith together.

God calls on husbands to love and cherish the wife and lead the family while the wife is to be the support and love while having a faith filled heart.

I know six months isn't long.

But it is a start and I feel the choice to have a growing faith together will lead to a stronger marriage.

I look forward to what the next six months, six years, and sixty years look like for us. 

I know two things that will be forever changing and that is the amount of love we have for one another as we grow and the amount of faith we have.