My beloved, my friend...

I have been doing a Nancy Rolinger study on my own of Titus 2. This last session was on loving your husband and she had some excellent points. I've now been married almost 9 years and I am still learning each and every day how much work marriage requires. I've learned lots from this study and want to apply it to my own life. Here's some highlights that I thought were great and hope they encourage you too:

• The definition of love in Titus 2:4 means "friends." This is something the enemy doesn't want married couples to be.
• Why would the Lord have to command the woman, the relational one to have a friendship with her husband? Because SELF comes in and she wants to live her own life, do her own thing. It's costly to have a relationship with your husband. What things do you put before your husband...hobbies, girlfriends, children? Being best friends isn't natural, you have to learn it, work at it.
• People say marriage should be a 50/50 relationship. Instead it's a 0/100 relationship. You expect nothing and give everything! It's the small things that ruin your relationship. Don't give for what you will receive back. 
• Strive to be best friends. Protect your oneness. Refuse to do things that take away from your relationship. Attack life TOGETHER!
• STOP criticizing your husband, give the guy a break. Instead pray about the things that irritate you. The Lord may start changing you instead. You can either make something of your man or tear him down."The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish woman tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1
• Respect him and praise him especially in public. There are things about him that you like (you did marry the guy), TELL him.
• The bottom line is giving up yourself. When Christ died, He gave us the opportunity to live a new quality of life when we die to self. He died for us so that we don't have to live for ourselves.

We have scheduled a date for Friday night so we can work on our friendship by doing something fun together. We even have a sitter lined up already!