Our Anniversary

On Monday we celebrated our 7th anniversary. Since it was Memorial Day Anthony had the day off which was really nice. We ended up going to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner (thanks to Emily for watching Graham and a buy-one-get-one free coupon I found on the internet) and then to Chick Fil-A for oreo shakes. It was a fun, filling evening out and we definitely need to go out together more often!

I recently started reading the book Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. I thought this quote from the book (page 32-33) that discusses the reason for marriage was fitting:

Knowing why we are married and should stay married is crucial. This will lead us into a discussion brilliantly argued by Maryland pastor C.J. Mahaney in an audiotape series on marriage titled According to Plan. The key question is this: Will we approach marriage from a God-centered view or a man-centered view? In a man-centered view, we will maintain our marriage as long as our earthly comforts, desires, and expectations are met. In a God-centered view, we preserve our marriage because it brings glory to God and points a sinful world to a reconciling Creator.

More than seeing marriage as a mutual comfrot, we must see it as a word picture of the most important news humans have ever received- that there is a divine relationship between God and his people...

The first purpose in marriage- beyond happiness, sexual expression, the bearing of children, companionship, mutual care and provision, or anything else- is to please God. The challenge, of course, is that it is utterly selfless living; rather than asking, "What will make me happy?" we are told that we must ask, "What will make God happy?"

It's been my prayer ever since reading this that our marriage would be an example to others. Certainly not because we deserve the praise, but because He does. I pray that people would be able to see Christ's love for them and that above all God would be pleased through it. Now I just have to remember to make the choice to live the moment by moment selfless life that the author speaks of!