I am excited to announce that I am adding marriage help on Meaningful Mama. This site has been primarily about parenting and home making, but I am now expanding to marriage. I want to start this series on marriage with an explanation as to why this is a topic on my heart and why I believe I might be able to add to the conversation.
Why talk marriage on a mom blog? I believe that you will be a more effective parent if you get your relationship with your spouse right first. I am an advocate for marriage, and I believe the health of your marriage greatly impacts your children. Focus on the Family wrote a compelling post addressing the question, “How Could Divorce Affect My Kids?” Your children thrive when they see their parents united. I am all about supporting the health of your family, and I believe I can have a voice in this area. I am creating this blog primarily to make a difference in the lives of others. I’m hoping this is one area I can be used to have a greater impact on our world.
What makes me an expert? I’ll disclose right now that I am not an expert. I have a degree in education, not marriage counseling. Further, I’m only ten years into marriage. For some reading, that might seem like a long time. For others, it seems like the blink of an eye. I would say I’m still relatively young on this marriage journey. Another confession is that I’m a pretty selfish person. I haven’t always been the most grace filled and sacrificial person as I live with my best friend. Now that I have full disclosure, let me tell you why I might be qualified.
Since the onset of marriage, my husband and I have been students. We have read many great books including but not limited to: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert
, Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy
, For Women Only, Revised and Updated Edition: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men
, For Men Only, Revised and Updated Edition: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women
, and Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs
(affiliate links). We have also taken courses like Family Life’s Weekend to Remember. Further, our church has a huge emphasis on supporting marriage and families, and we have done many weekend or evening events provided through our church. David and Kelli Pritchard of Pritchard Ministries (soon to be Axis ministries) are big mentors in our lives as we walk this journey. My husband and I also have great examples in the committed marriages of our parents. Further, we are part of the marriage ministry team where we are walking alongside other married couples every week and journeying with them to grow in their relationships. Many of the couples that come to us are in very hurting situations that need quite a bit of repentance, forgiveness and healing. We have watched some pretty ugly situations be redeemed. I have a lot of hope for what can happen within the covenant you made with your spouse. So while I can’t claim expert status, I still know I have a voice and experience in this area that can help others.
I also know that we all have different experiences as we travel down the road of marriage. I have never been in your shoes or married to your spouse. I’m not sure how gracefully I could handle some of the situations I know people are facing. That said, I have seen people recover from incredible hardships by following basic principals and truths. It’s not going to be easy for you, but I believe you can experience healing and what God would want for your marriage. This is a sensitive topic that I am going to navigate in love and truth. I hope you are excited to join me on this path of being an advocate for marriage.
