Marriage Resources

Getting married was my biggest dream, I can remember playing with my first Barbie and Ken who were a Bride and Groom when I was little. I read teen romance novels when I was in high school and longed for the time when my Prince Charming would show up. When I finally met Prince Charming and got married, the reality of marriage didn't match up with my dreams. My husband and I weren’t exactly Barbie and Ken or the characters from my romance novels. We were imperfect people who couldn’t complete each other. It was a bumpy first year for us, but thankfully we had some great friends and resources that helped us get to where we are today (a healthy marriage!). If you find yourself realizing that you aren’t Barbie and your husband isn’t Ken, here are some things that can help: 

-Talk to a friend or married couple who has been married longer than you. One of the best things we did was talk to a couple who had been married for a few years more than us and they were able to give us some perspective and share things that helped them. 

-Join a married couples life group/community group/bible study/ whatever your church calls it. This was seriously a game changer. We were a part of an awesome lifegroup who shared honestly about their marriages and we prayed for each other. I really don’t know where our marriage would be if we hadn’t been a part of this group (Shoutout to the Pullen lifegroup, love you guys!) 

-Read some books about marriage or do a small group study on them. These are my favorite ones. They have shaped what I think about marriage and have been a great reference throughout the years. You & Me Forever, The Power of a Praying Wife, Sacred Marriage, The Art of Marriage, The Gift of Sex. 

-A weekly date night where you actually talk to each other. I found this awesome blog, Today's Letters, that is a great resource on marriage. On her blog, she shares 5 Questions to ask each other each week and they have sparked some great conversations between us. Here are the questions:

1. How did you feel loved this past week?

2. What does your upcoming week look like?

3. How would you feel most loved & encouraged in the days ahead?

4. How would you best feel pursued in sex/intimacy this week?

5. How can I pray for you this week? 

-PRAY. Not just prayers for your husband/wife to change, but pray for you to be changed, for you to be more loving. 

I am definitely not an expert on marriage by any means, I just love sharing resources! What are some things that have helped you in your marriage? I would love to know!