6 Things I Wish I Knew Before Marriage + GIVEAWAY

Morning lovelies!! Today I am sooo happy to co-host this posty-post with Cassie from True Agape. I loooove her blog, her heart, and the way she and her hubs seek Jesus in their marriage!

True Agape

So...let's get to chatting about things Cassie & I wish we'd known before we got married. I'll tell you my 3, and then she'll tell you hers. What comes after? A giveaway!! With the Gary Chapman book Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married plus some cutiepatootie festive bookmarks for your reading pleasure. :)

Here are my 3 things...

ONE : The purpose of marriage is to reflect God's image. That's right. Marriage was not made for me, nor was marriage made to be just for my spouse. Marriage should be about God. Our marriages should reflect His image, specifically the Trinity...3 persons in one. Just as God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit work together in perfect unity, we should strive to reflect that sort of union with our spouse.

If that doesn't make sense, think of it like this:

Source

The closer the husband and wife move toward the Lord, the closer they get to each other. I love this analogy!! Before we got married, I didn't realize what a high calling marriage is: to reflect HIS image in everything...for His glory! Can I get a HALLELUJAH AMEN!?

TWO : Repaying an insult with a blessing is the hardest thing ever. In 1 Peter 3:9, Scripture instructs us to repay an insult with a blessing. Sounds lovely, right?! Well, it's a lot easier said than done when you're irritated and you live with the person who knows how to push your buttons better than anyone else!! If your spouse hurts your feelings, try to bless him instead of hurt his feelings too. When he is driving you crazy, seek a blessing. When you're just in a bad mood and want to be grumpy, meditate on His will for you! This whole return-an-insult-with-a-blessing-thing is still so hard for me, but Scripture tells us we will inherit a blessing by doing so!

THREE : Purity DOES matter. [This is one of those..."eeeeek!-should-I-really-say-this?!" moments. But living boldly for Christ was one of my 2013 goals...so...doing it.] I used to think that by my husband and I not having sex till our wedding night...well, I thought I was basically doing everything right in the purity department. I waited until marriage! I did it all right! Right?!?! WRONG! Purity means a lot more than exclusively sexual intercourse. And it's SO EASY to think, "Times have changed! The world is different now." God didn't create His word to be transient or fleeting. Listen: I love my husband so immeasurably. Even without having sex before marriage, I still have a hard time thinking about different ways I could have honored God more rather than falling for looking more like the world. This is a topic I am super passionate about because it is all to rare that women push each other toward purity these days. Regardless of where you are/where you've been in your walk with the Lord, I would love to answer any questions or talk more about this with you! Not because I did it perfectly, but because I didn't do it perfectly!! Just shoot me an email! :)

Now back to Cassie, our wonderful co-host from True Agape!

Here is what she wishes she'd known before getting married...

FOUR : That we could be so similar and so different at the same time. Ryan and I clicked so well because we have the same core beliefs on many topics. After being married for just over two years now I realize that yes we are very similar in those aspects we also have areas that we are very different in. The way we work, organize and think often are very different.

FIVE : Sex is sometimes an act of service. There are times that sex is not necessarily on our mind, but it is on our spouses. We must learn to be servant lovers when it comes to intimacy.

SIX : That love is a verb. Often times love is considered a felling and that it is, but it is more than that. It is an action. We must choose to show love to our hubby every day. Be that with our words, actions or spending habits.

Along the journey of marriage, we are sure there will be even more things that make us think, "Why didn't I know that beforehand?" So today we are giving away a copy of Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman (who is well known for The 5 Love Languages) along with 3 handmade bookmarks! Don't want/need these for yourself?! They make for lovely, thoughtful holiday gifts!!

Now get your cutie booty on over to True Agape to take a look around and find out more about Cassie! She is a Christian wife who enjoys cooking and running and who blogs about marriage. Then...(of course!) enter our giveaway below. YAY!

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What is something you wish you knew before getting married?! We'd love to know!!