Mawage & Snow

Ok so this post is not really about snow at all, but on this beautiful Wednesday (made even more beautiful by a day off!) I'm enjoying the first real snow here at our casa:

And of course I'm adoring my little snow bunny!

Isn't he just so precious??


It's been a bit of a busy month, so I'm starting at the beginning (where all good stories start).


The second weekend in October Michael & I went to a marriage conference called "A Weekend to Remember" put on my a group called Family Life. Every time I hear the word "marriage" I think of the scene in The Princess Bride where the priest is officiating the wedding of Prince Humperdinck & Buttercup. "Mawage. Mawage is wat bwings us togeva tooday."


Ok that's not the point. I'd like to share a few brief highlights from our weekend away. (P.S. I finally made it to IKEA that weekend! Still incredibly busy & chaotic, but also inspiring & memorable! Sorry, again, that's not the point.) Here we go, for real this time:

• Our culture's pattern for mawage...ahem, marriage... is a 50/50 performance relationship. "You do your part, I'll do mine." This pattern is destined to self-destruct. What is 50% in a marriage? You think you do at least 50% all the time? So when you can't, your spouse shouldn't have to either. Both of you are disappointed, unhappy & you give up giving at all. Sounds fun. No, we need to have a 100/100 giving relationship. I give 100% of me, all the time, to the best of my ability, to my spouse, regardless of what he does for me.  I've found that the more of myself I give, the more Michael gives to me. Because he truly loves me and wants to do for me what I try to do for him.
• This next point was probably the most impacting argument I heard all weekend. Simply stated, our priorities are wrong. It was argued that your marriage should be your #1 priority, no exceptions. Hear my words: Children are not the most important thing in your family. Wow. Ok, so think about where you're at in reality compared to the ideal: God first, marriage relationship second, children third, everything else, last. So we obviously don't have kids yet, so I lucked out there. But I'll be honest, I can easily fall into an "extramarital affair" if I'm not careful. Activities (busyness!), friends, materialism, career, Facebook (shh), etc. can all easily slip quietly into first place in my life. When I got married I committed to my spouse being #1 in my book. It's convicting to consider how I'm doing with this commitment!
• The idea of being on a team with your spouse was also interesting. First, we have to realize that our spouse is not our enemy. We're on the same team! Why does it sometimes seem like all we're doing is battling each other?!? We need to get better at realizing the actual enemy- the one who wants your marriage to fail. I believe that one is the devil himself. Another point I loved that deals with being on a team is this idea that Eve came from Adam's rib. She didn't come from his feet to be stepped on or his head to rule over him. Instead, she came from under his arm to be protected, near his heart to be cherished, and from his side to walk through life alongside him.
• Lastly, there was a session called "Marriage After Dark." This was a great session. They talked about........ Oh my gosh I can't write about this! My family is reading this!!! I'm blushing! Excuse me I need a minute to compose myself................. Ok, all I'll say is that we learned that a satisfying sex life is build on a foundation of companionship, commitment, passion & spiritual intimacy. Done.

Overall, it was a great weekend & I'm so thankful Michael agreed to go with me. I must say he is a wonderful spouse and he makes it very easy for me to love him. Awwww.... I love my husband, and I love mawage. I hope you do to. xoxo

Long Slow Beautiful Dance

I've been a long time fan of Rascal Flatts, & have already seen them in concert like 3 times. I had come across a Groupon for 2 tickets for $50, got really excited and presented the idea to Mike. Let's just say his excitement for Rascal Flatts is a little... lacking compared to mine. He calls them the "boy band of country music." So what if the lead singer wears white pants with a sparkly black stripe down the side?? So what if they sing mainly love songs? So what if 95% of their fans are girls?? Ok, ok, so maybe he's right. But still, I like them, so he agreed to go.

After waiting for months, finally the concert was last night. I knew I had to do something to bring Mike's excitement level up a little (as you could guess mine was running high already), so we went out to eat at Qdoba. That's a surefire way to make him happy. =) After dinner we headed to Fiddler's Green. Here are some pictures from our evening:

Justin Moore (very country! had the whole outfit & twang workin for him!)

Sara Evans (love her because she spells her name without an 'h'!

Here they are! Now why would you think they are boy band-ish??

Needless to say, I thought the whole show was awesome! Justin Moore wasn't my favorite, but he was the first opening band so luckily he didn't get in much time. =) Sara Evans sang all her well known songs and put on a great performance. Of course Rascal Flatts was awesome! I was singing along, dancing, clapping, etc. Having a great time in my own little world! I had an absolutely great night.

Me? Happy Wifey!!!

So I got to thinking. I know that this was something that Mike wouldn't have necessarily chosen to do, nor was it something he was incredibly excited about (or, excited at all, I should say). But you know what? He did it for me. He sacrificed a little of himself so that I could be happy. Isn't that what makes love beautiful? When you put aside what you want, what makes you happy, what you like, and give yourself up for the other?

This reminds me of Galatians 5:13, which says, "You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers & sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love." We all have the freedom to do or not do what we want. Mike didn't have to come with me. But he chose to. And you know what? In the end, he didn't think it was all that bad. He might have actually enjoyed himself a little. But you don't have to do anything sacrificial. You can just be selfish. Do what you want, think of yourself first, live your life the way that feels good to you. Fine. But tell me that at the end of your life that you feel satisfied.

Let's do a test this week. I dare you to find ways to serve those you love this week. It might be a spouse, a child, a friend, a boss, a leader, etc. Think of their needs, wants, and what would make them feel special. Then do it. Do it every day. Do it especially when you don't feel like it. Then tell me how you feel at the end of the week. Who knows, you might not think it's all that bad... You might actually enjoy yourself a little...

The giving of yourself to serve others is freedom. You are no longer trapped by your own selfishness. You are free to be a loving and giving individual, with no strings attached. And freedom is the only satisfying way to live. Thank you Michael for serving me and showing me so much love!

"But you weather a few storms, and pull out a few thorns. And together, the garden grows & grows."
~Rascal Flatts, "Long Slow Beautiful Dance"