Stepping Stones: Bridge-Building 101

Transformational Tip
Today is a special day, more special than most I am blessed to have. Today is my 18th wedding anniversary. Yes honey, I did remember. Marriage is an amazing institution, yes institution, as it and we tend to drive each other crazy at times. Crazy in love alternating with crazy from anger, hurt, or feeling overwhelmed. Thankfully, God brought the best person I could ever imagine into my life. Way better than I ever deserved or could "get" on my own. Our whole story is filled with unbelievable, one in million kind of occurrences...it is so cool to reminisce and think about even now. We are almost total opposites, which really attracted us to each other in the beginning. Our differences though, have been challenging to navigate. She has become my best friend and has taught me so much about myself and life that I would never have understood on my own.
Life is hard at times, and she is such a great help and support, I can't imagine doing life without her, her love, her smile, and her unconditional acceptance of me with all my shortcomings and me-centeredness. She was God's catalyst to open my eyes to follow God's will and not my will.
God really understood the importance of spouse to each other in a marriage, and a mother and a father's role, differently but complementary, in raising children. It is neat how we have learned to draw on each other's strengths better and cover for each other's weaknesses.
I just wish my learning curve was quicker...I could be the man I vowed to be 18 years ago...the man my wife deserves. I finally realized my wife isn't the enemy, Satan is the enemy and we need to huddle to battle against Satan, not squaring off against each other. Put Jesus in the center, quarterback of our team, and Martine and I are taking our direction from Him to combat Satan.
Today, if you are married, think of what you could do differently to really put your focus on Christ and what He wants as you relate to your spouse. If you are divorced or separated, take ownership of what you did and ask God and your spouse for forgiveness. If you are single, learn from the lessons of me and many. Marriage is incredibly rewarding, but also very trying and challenging.
Martine, I love you!

Prayer
Dear God,
Thank You so much for Your love for me and for Your amazing grace. Your son's incredible love and sacrifice for me and the church is the greatest model of how I should be obedient to You and love and sacrifice for my wife. Thanks for your forgiveness of my shortcomings. I ask for more openness to the Holy Spirit guiding me toward listening to Martine's needs, and a sacrificial spirit to serve her needs. And thank you for Martine, after Jesus' sacrifice for me, is the greatest thing that ever happened to me! In the unconditionally loving name of Jesus- AMEN!

The Truth
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
Genesis 2:18
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
Mark 2:19-20