Marrying the right person makes it harder for me to socialize with others. LOL ~Tanya M. Saldana
The above quote is funny and absolutely TRUE!!
Antoine and I just celebrated our nineteenth wedding anniversary on October 16th. That’s right, folks. NINETEEN YEARS!! We thank God every day for blessing us with each other. 🙂 To celebrate, we went camping, one of our favorite activities. RV style, of course, along with our pooch, Scout. 
Besides getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we enjoyed hiking, eating, playing games, and listening to hungry coyotes howling right outside our camp. Okay, the howling coyotes part was a bit eerie, but it comes with the territory. 🙂
Toine and I also like to reflect on the previous year and set goals for the next. I think one of the biggest things we noticed about our 18th year of marriage is that we took a lot of time to enjoy our lives. More time than usual I guess because I’m writing about it. LOL We slowed down and made lots of necessary changes. God has truly blessed us for it! You have to get rid of the old to make room for the new. #focuscheck
On another note, my nephew, Brian, called me a few weeks ago to tell me he’s getting married next year. I’m not sure when it happened, but my nephew is a grown man. <sigh> He’s currently in the Navy and living in Honolulu which is where his wedding is going to be. I’m looking forward to it! Anyway, like most married people, I asked if I could give him some unsolicited advice. He quickly said yes, and so I offered him the following three tips:
- Don’t ever lie to each other and if either of you has lied, come clean now. If you can’t be 100% with the person you’re planning to be with forever, then you shouldn’t get married.
- And speaking of lies–It isn’t your spouse’s responsibility to make you happy and vice versa. That’s a lie straight out of the pit Hell. (I can say Hell in this context because it’s a place. :)) Going into a marriage with that expectation will land you in a vicious cycle of misery. If you please the Lord and seek Him, your spouse will reap the benefits. Of course, you should love your spouse, be kind, grow closer, etc. But your happiness should not depend on whether or not your spouse is giving gifts or stroking your ego. They’re not God, and neither are you. I know some people may have an issue with this one. Lol
- Get comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations. I know this is a bit of an oxymoron and may cause you to clench your cheeks, but hear me out. Ha! Things happen that aren’t so pleasant, and we make mistakes. We’re human. Ignoring issues don’t make them disappear. No one likes the tough times, but they sure make us stronger if we stay focused on the Lord. Remember, it’s just a season, not permanent.
Welp, that was it. Yes, I could’ve gone on and on, but the above is what popped into my mind. He’s got a whole lot of married folks in his life who will offer advice. I’m proud of him and will continue to pray for him and his fiancee.
Get a load of this picture of him. It’s part of my refrigerator decor.
Now back to our anniversary. We thank God for our life together and look forward to every minute He gives us. I’m so grateful for the bond we have that is locked solid with Jesus. People often wonder if true love exists. We say, of course. We’re Living It!
Just blogging it out!
P.S. I hope you’re still praying for the world.
blogging it out 