I cannot believe today marks ONE YEAR since I walked down the aisle to such an incredible man. I am blown away by God’s goodness and faithfulness! Our first year truly flew by! We got to spend the first 8 months together 24/7 while studying the Word and I would not trade that time with him for the world. I am blown away by God’s goodness and faithfulness. My husband chose Philippians 1:9 to be the verse that guides our marriage. (read more about why here).  “My prayer is that your love may abound more and more…” Our prayer was that we would fall more in love with our Heavenly Father and each other daily. That prayer has been answered more than I could have imagined! I can’t believe it’s already been one year since I married such an amazing, loving, Godly, selfless man. This year has reminded me not only how blessed I am, but it has also reminded me how much continual and undeserved grace The Lord has poured out over me.

Below are 6 things the Lord has taught me about marriage this year.
{Do you have any tips or things you wish you had learned earlier in your marriage? I love hearing others wisdom!}

1. Marriage is fun

You know that quote ‘Life is better when shared’- well it is true. Marriage is fun. Who wouldn’t want to have a sleepover every night, random dance sessions at breakfast (or anytime/anywhere), and go on adventures with their best friend every day? We sure do- you can follow some of our adventures here. Marriage is fun. You just have to keep dating!

2. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. Life is a beautiful & fleeting gift. I don’t want to miss the blessings because I am too focused on the small stuff.

3. It’s okay to go to bed flustered

My husband is the best husband in the world- seriously, he rocks. I on the other hand, can be a big time stinker. Prior to getting married I kept hearing people say ‘never go to bed angry.’ Honestly, I kind of disagree. Usually if we get in a disagreement it is because it is late, I’m tired, and I’m being selfish. Sometimes I just need a good sleep to realize how ridiculous my frustration was. I say kind of because if the disagreement is earlier in the day then we need to take time, think on our own, then come together and talk. But we never let a disagreement last longer than 24 hours. If the situation happened over 24 hours ago and it has not been brought to the others attention, we can’t bring it up. Why waste time being angry when we can focus on the blessings? (side note- people often use Ephesians 4:26 as a reason not to go to bed angry, but in reality that is taken out of context. When written in Greek it has a different meaning- but that is a rabbit trail for another time!)

4. Conversation is crucial

I tend to be one of those people who bottles up my frustrations then let them all out at one time. Worst. Idea. Ever. But with the help of our weekly questions (HIGHLY recommend them) we have wonderful, open communication. Every Sunday we go over our weekly questions and sit down and go over our budget- thank you Dave Ramsey & Financial Peace University! (Again, a definite recommendation!) These dates may sound mundane but we truly treasure these times. These dates are really fun and stimulate great conversations!

5. Always build each other up

My husband is seriously the best at this. Words of affirmation are incredibly important. Always make a point to encourage your spouse. Never tear them down- to their face or behind their back.

6. You need Jesus

Seriously. As incredible as my husband is, we are both broken sinners. We need Jesus to lead us and to be our example. Just as the Lord shows us grace & agape love (even when we don’t deserve it), we must show our spouse grace & agape love. Christ must remain the center of our relationship. We cannot make our marriage about us and our feelings but rather we must make our marriage about Him and bringing Him glory.

 Honey- I am so thankful to be your wife! Thank you for loving me with not only your words, but your actions as well. The Lord uses you to tangibly show me His love for me daily. I love you so much and can’t wait for every year of marriage to come! xox

Thank you to my family for putting countless hours into preparing for the wedding day and for the years of prayers preparing us for one another. My heart still overflows with extreme gratitude when I think about our wedding, it was truly like a dream. Thank you a million times over to everyone who celebrated with us! We appreciate the countless prayers and love that has been poured out onto us through out the past year! Marriage is such a precious gift from God!

The Wedding in Review

{highlights & photos}

The Proposal

Invitations

The White Dress(es)

Rehearsal Dinner

Getting Ready

Daddy’s First Look

Our First Look

Pre Ceremony

Ceremony

Reception

Details

The Video