Hey! It’s been awhile since my last post. 🙂
Antoine and I attended a wedding which I deemed the event of 2017. In my eyes, it was because their union was evident years before they started planning. To me, they looked like they belong together. More importantly, these two people were trying to please God while they were single for years before they got married. They’ll most likely try to please God individually in their union. That is a recipe for a successful marriage. Yes, of course, they are in love with each other, but they were in love with God first.
Often times, newlywed couples seek the advice of seasoned married couples. Like there’s a secret to marriage success. I personally don’t think there’s a secret and the advice people give based on their marriage is sometimes irrelevant. What works in one marriage may not work in another. Contrary to popular belief, we’re all different.
The one thing I would say to anyone thinking about marriage is to evaluate your desire to please the Lord. Why? Because you can’t expect to have a successful marriage without Jesus as your foundation. I’M NOT SAYING YOU WON’T HAVE CHALLENGES!! You’d have to be a frigging idiot to think there’s a such thing as a marriage without challenges. Oh, wait, I’m not supposed to say things like that because I’m a Christian. Let me rephrase. Nah, I think I like that statement just the way it is. LOL
What am I saying exactly? All marriages have situations that can develop into challenges and the way you handle those challenges will have an impact on your success. Naturally, you should try to handle situations before they become challenges. Unfortunately, no matter how proactive we are, sometimes stuff happens. All the more reason why we need JESUS!! Lol Without Him, there’s a great chance a marriage can end up in Kaputsville aka divorce.
Not sure why, but Type 2 Diabetes came to mind. If you get an annual check-up, your doctor will be able to warn you about your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. If your A1C shows signs of a risk, he or she will give you a referral to attend classes about diet, exercise, etc. to lower your risk of developing the disease. If you adhere, then you’ll most likely stay healthy. If you don’t, you’ll develop the disease, be put on a strict diet, and given meds. If you don’t change your diet and not take your meds, you’ll begin to have more complications like blindness, toe/limb amputations, and kidney problems/failure. Then eventually Kaputsville aka death. That’s a pretty serious comparison, but you get my drift.
Okay, back to the happy stuff. One of the main reasons why I agreed to marry Antoine besides love, is that I saw his genuine effort and desire to please the Lord. Notice I didn’t say he said he wanted to please the Lord. Actions speak louder than words.
So, if you’re dating someone you’re planning to marry or if you’re already engaged, evaluate your significant other’s and your desire and effort to please the Lord. Not by their or your words but by their and your actions. Be honest. It’s better to do this before you say “I do.” Having a desire and putting forth true effort to please the Lord should be prerequisites for marriage. The evidence should be pretty clear if you take off the googly eyes. LOL 
One more quick story before I go . . .
I’ve had several conversations regarding my marriage. People have said positive things and of course, negative. I ignore negativity, so I won’t give those people a platform by repeating their crap here. Lol The other day, I told someone I never regretted my decision to marry Antoine or thought about getting a divorce. This person was shocked and even pondered whether or not I am an anomaly. LOL I don’t think I’ve ever asked anyone that question, so I’m not sure how odd it is for someone to have never had those thoughts before. I also told the person if there were no Antoine Cook, born on September 15, 1971 at Ingalls Hospital in Harvey, IL to Alice Cook (At that time.), I wouldn’t be married. It’s true. How can I be so sure? I can’t explain it. I just know!! I also know Antoine feels the same about me. Ha! 🙂 Maybe this is a longshot, but I think the couple above feel the same way about each other.
CONGRATULATIONS, MR. & MRS. DUNN. Keep your eyes on Him and you’ll be just fine in His hands.
We should all desire and put forth effort to please the Lord in marriage and every area of our lives. I’m not exempt, I’m just . . .
Blogging It Out . . . Oh, and Happy Saturday Night!! 😀
blogging it out 