mawage

so my journal's in the car and i'm lazy bones in bed reading a book on marriage, just left my life group on marriage, drinking a pacifico and thinking about....mawage.

pastor lou and laurie heusman said some good things tonight in our q & a lifegroup time.

conflict:
from ephesians 4
1. act, don't react. rather than feeling angry and retaliating, chose love, forgiveness and understanding. instead of doing what is most natural (reacting) chose to move toward the other by the power of the spirit.
2. keep it current, never let the sun go down on your wrath...or at least set up an appointment for the next day to discuss it, so you're not forced to settle things when you're tired and emotional late at night.
3. attack the problem, not the person
4. speak the truth in love

closing words:
open yourself up to be changed by your marriage. it is a golden opportunity to be changed.

read paul tripp's words on expectations in marriage.

in marriage, our goal is to see the other flourish. if i'm living my life outside of myself and my (and my spouse's) happiness as the goal, then my purpose and goal is to see flourishing, and when i can be an agent of that flourishing. rather than seeing the personality and character flaws in our spouse and pointing them out, we should study them, learn them and help them to grow in their strengths. catch them being wonderful people and tell them.

also learned his first home with his wife was a motor home he bought in seminary for $5G's. makes my little love shack not seem like such a teeny space for two newlyweds.

about 26 days to go i think....and i'll be a wifey.
nancy and i were carting around costco today grocery shopping while ryan and tim made a commercial for their new business "long beach production company". i couldn't stop giggling at how married i felt. it made me happy. i bet that's a good thing.