Antoine and I celebrated our twenty-second year of marriage on Saturday, October 16th. I took the featured pic the morning of our anniversary. Very early in the morning, hence the rawness. It’s not the best photo of us, but it’s 100% real. (I never know where to look in the camera, which is why I look a bit cockeyed while Antoine gets it exactly right almost every time.) I considered posting a cuter picture of us, but I thought this would be funnier. And if you know us at all, you know we love to laugh.

We’ve picked up a few running jokes over the years, but our favorite involves a fifteen-year-old (or older) petrified Fiber One bar. (See the pic below.) I’m not sure why we think it’s funny to taunt each other by writing notes in the voice of the neglected snack bar begging to be eaten. The notes attached to the stale treat are hidden by us all over the house with a common plea, “Eat me!” I’m giggling at the thought of it now. There’s a lot of laughter between us. A LOT!

As always, we reflected on the years prior with a straightforward question: What’s the most significant change you’ve noticed about me over the years? We had the same answer–our relationship with Christ keeps on gettin’ betta and betta. We are determined to keep the Lord first in our lives. What’s the alternative? A life without peace. We don’t like that option.

One of the most important things to realize and remember is that we’re a team in marriage. Disagreements are inevitable and uncomfortable conversations are a must. If we want peace, we have to keep God first and trust Him completely. Antoine and I have gotten on each other’s nerves a few times. Okay, okay, a bunch of times, but the common goal is to live in peace. That doesn’t mean ignoring our feelings or pretending like everything is fine when it isn’t. We have to face issues head-on with prayer, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and good old communication with the ultimate goal of peace.

Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (KJV)

Notice it says peacemaker and not a peacekeeper. A peacekeeper avoids conflict or ignores problems to keep what appears to be peace. I say it appears because you can’t have true peace without facing conflict. A peacemaker pursues peace by following God’s Word in every situation.

No matter how much Antoine gets on my nerves ( I rarely get on his. LOL I’m joking.), we are determined to trust God and pursue peace. We’re grateful for every minute the Lord allows us to be together and look forward to our relationship with each other and Him gettin’ betta and betta.

Happy Anniversary! Let’s Keep On Laughing!!