February 06, 2013

Best Marriage Advice Ever


Best love advice 
 In my last post, Showing the Love, I eluded to ingredients that have true staying power in a relationship. Today I thought I'd share a piece of "love advice"given to my husband and me that has cemented our 30 +year  marriage. Like most great truths in life, it's really simple but it's application is  often challenging but profound. Are you ready?

Raise and Lower
"Raise your appreciation and lower your expectations." There's something about our human nature that gravitates to the baseness of self-centeredness. But when we can insert the helium of consciously LOOKING outside ourselves to see the good in our spouse, we can be lifted up over a lot of rough terrain.

Count Your Blessings
In my sketchbook/prayer journal, I often download my thoughts using pastels and paints. It's cheap therapy! Below is a sketch I did in response to the meditation of thankfulness.


What about you? Have you had any pearls of advice? I'd love to hear! If you share, I'll do a sketch about it!

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5 comments:

Wow - a sketch if I share?! Can't pass that up!

I'd say one of the fundamental things in our marriage has been that we always trust the other has our best in mind. This thought has saved us from many emotional train wrecks. When we choose to believe the best about someone, we don't get cynical or bitter towards them, we grow closer to them despite their shortcomings.

In my experience, one of the best pieces of advice I've received is "pace yourself". In work, in life, and even in marriage, there can be an immense pressure to try to fix everything at once, or just to be "all fixed" today. "Rome wasn't built in a day" is the common expression, but it's true. Strong marriages don't happen overnight. They have to be built in time. I love sitting at the feet of couples like you and Brian who have been married for decades and gleaning from the life experience. My hope is not that I can be there tomorrow, but that decades from now (we're about to cross our first - 10 years in May), since we keep working and walking together, we can be in a similar position.

These are wonderful words of wisdom! I am not married but they all seem applicable to friendships as well :)
Thanks for stopping by my blog via the blogfest!

So grateful that you and Brian gave us that same advice!!! The other piece that you guys shared with us is.."he will never think like you and you will never think like him". Love you guys so much and so, so thankful for all your love and advice in our life!!! We definitely wouldn't be who we are without you and Brian!!

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