A Marriage Recipe

On Monday, July 20, Tom and I celebrated our SEVENTH wedding anniversary! I believe this year meant more to us than the previous 6 combined. Seven years can be a little or a lot, depending on how you look at it. When I think of people who have been married for 30, 40, 50 years...our 7 is just a drop in the bucket. However, if I think of how much Tom and I have grown, what we have experienced, what we have accomplished and what mistakes we have made, we've done A LOT in these 7 years!

Everybody has their own recipe for a successful marriage. I happen to like this one.

1 cup consideration

1 cup courtesy

2 cupfuls flattery carefully concealed

1 gallon faith and trust in each other

2 cupfuls praise

1 small pinch of in-laws

1 reasonable budget, a generous dash of cooperation

3 teaspoon pure extract of "I'm sorry"

1 cup contentment

1 cup each confidence and encouragement

1 large or several small hobbies

1 cup blindness to the other's faults

Flavor with frequent portions of recreation and a dash of happy memories. Stir well and remove any specks of jealousy, temper or criticism. Sweeten well with generous portions of love and keep warm with a steady flame of devotion. Never serve with cold shoulder.

If I could sum up my words of wisdom for any new couple starting out. I would tell them to always communicate, always encourage, always pray and never give up! God led you to one another and He alone knows the true recipe. Because He is the Chef! And a very good one at that!

Tom, I love you more today than I did seven years ago. And I know in another seven years, I'll love you even more.