Weekly Magazine | Bonus Issue on Marriage
Your weekly magazine is here—real stories, real faith, real encouragement. Just for you!
Does your marriage need a little TLC? God wants your marriage to flourish in every area. So often; however, between juggling kids, work, household chores, and demanding schedules, our marriages can be put on the back burner of neglect, and pretty soon, without even realizing it, we’ve drifted apart. That’s why we want to encourage you through this compilation of articles on marriage from different authors in different seasons of marriage.
With a little TLC and wisdom from others doing marriage like you, you will rediscover what you loved about each other from the beginning, and move toward a marriage that is not only on the front burner again but is flourishing!
Enjoy!
* Note: This is a complimentary bonus issue for all paid mini-magazine subscribers.
From “Me” to “We”
By: Arlene Pellicane
Before getting married, my idea of camping was sitting in a casual cafe overlooking a lake before returning to a rustic motel. My husband, James’, camping experience was vastly different. He remembers carrying his tent and food in his backpack and finding a different spot under the stars every night. Yikes!
As you might imagine, our first camping trip had its share of tears, conflict, and compromise. We were newlyweds living in Dallas. The young couples’ group at church was going on a camping trip. While we drove toward the campsite, I was sullen, quiet, and irritable. It was painfully obvious that this camping trip was not my idea. We had packed the tent (which James had put on our wedding registry), but I had left my smile back at our cozy apartment.
James pulled the car over before we entered the campground. Turning off the engine, he looked at me sternly, “Are you going to act like this all weekend long? Because if you are, we can just turn around and go home.” He wisely understood that a weekend with miserable me was no vacation.
I mumbled through tears, “You mean I didn’t have to come?”
I still laugh today when I think of that moment! I collected myself and realized I was being selfish. I promised to have a better attitude. When all the camping-loving wives greeted me, I hugged them back and smiled weakly. Although the weekend didn’t make me a camper, I did survive and made some funny memories with my outdoorsy husband.
“You” have become a “we.” And to be a happy “me” in the “we,” you must learn to adapt according to what’s best for your marriage, not just for yourself.
I was discovering that in a happy two-way street marriage, you have to be willing to budge. Being able to adapt to your spouse (and vice versa) is a valuable skill that pays to learn. The words adjustments and modifications may sound like they come from a manual for robots or a computer. But, as human beings, we could all use some occasional tweaking and minor changes. We must learn to adapt to our ever-changing circumstances and to the needs of others.
