Wolfhound

This is the final post in this current series. Please take a moment to review the previous posts allowing them to coalesce into a fluid guide to building a harmonious marriage. God bless you. Post #5 - Men want to be loved and accepted by their wives and families. (I Cor 13:4-7, I Pet 4:8) Everyone wants to be loved.  So it isn’t difficult to imagine how important it is to love your husband. It's presumably one of the primary reasons you got married. From my previous posts, I've highlighted the importance of love in our relationships from the scriptures.  I thought it would be helpful to examine some of the "complimentary fruits" of a loving relationship. I think when you observe these relational fruits in your life, it’s a litmus test of your relationship's health.  Sometimes, I am asked by younger women how have I remained married so long? Here are some of my thoughts. After all of these years, I love my husband more deeply than ever before. Love isn’t stagnant; it should continue to mature. As a couple, we are so blessed the Holy Spirit resides with us in our home. We prayed as a couple to warmly invite the Holy Spirit to dwell amongst us. ("Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20) This may sound weird or absurd to nonbelievers but I stand by it. There's a palpable peace in our home and we both constantly cultivate our home life to maintain this sense of well-being. It's an edifying benefit of your love worth protecting. Another cherished foundational fruit of our relationship is - we are friends, best friends. Most importantly, we were friends first before the romance blossomed. My husband is still my best friend - he is a principled man of faith, fiercely opinionated, loving, honorable, highly intelligent, kind, thoughtful, protective - suffice it to say I’m a woman in love. I deeply admire who he is - the person. We have different senses of humor but laugh a lot in our home. Laughter is a priceless fruit of our love (Proverbs 17:22). We share a common worldview with regards to politics - we have learned so much from each other. We are both committed, life-long learners - learning things together is another fruit of our relationship.  And finally, having common interests (another relational fruit) produces a compelling sense of connection that solidifies our relationship. So the scripture teaches us love isn’t a warm fuzzy feeling. Love is really a decision - a decision to commit yourself for a lifetime to walk with another person. You both should end up becoming someone else picking up new traits and shedding others along the way - the two become one and yet remain individuals as well. (I John 3:18) Love is more than that, of course, and also includes physical attraction, sex, and romantic love. I will unequivocally state there is nothing on this planet more intimate and reaffirming than a life tested in loving marriage. Here’s the thing, you don’t have to be rich, or famous, or an intellectual titan to experience a beautiful marriage. It's a gift available to anyone - God intended it to anchor the human being on the Earth. I’d like to close by addressing the topic of acceptance. I think it goes without saying, there are vicious, cruel people out there. When people are attacked they need a safe space - to regroup, recharge, and press forward. For example, when I come home from a tough day, I know whether I did something right or wrong I won’t be abandoned - I am still valued, loved, needed, filled with a sense of security. Your husband needs to believe no matter what happens, he will still be accepted and loved by his family. He doesn’t have to be perfect at work or at home. He needs loving reassurance, a trusted ear, honest and wise counsel, a faithful friend and physical affection. May God bless your marriage. Peace and be prepared.

🚨 Rep. Tim Burchett says “entities” may be coming from 5-6 deep-water sites on Earth. What’s really going on down there? @AskaPol_UAPs