Is it everything you thought it would be?  I hope so.  After 34 or 35 or 36,  let me see,  we were born in 1950 something,  got hitched in my teen something or another,  yeah that makes it around,  yeah thats it,  many years of marital  bliss not blistors!!!

Its something to get married after you graduate college, got your career all in balance,  figure out exactly what kind of spouse you want, her measurements, hair color, weight requirements,  eye color, does she smell right,  eat right,  politically right, does she tie her own shoes, cook,  wash dishes,  makes at least $15.00 per hour, can be the belle of the ball, stand on her own two feet and not mine.

And its entirely something else to get married at 17, with runny noses,  no money, no carreer or even a carreer thought,  don’t know if she smells or does smelly things????  Don’t know what she believes or what a politician is nor do we still care!

But at 17  pimples and all we got married!!   Oh wedded bliss!!

Although we were young, dumb,  but in love, we trekked out together not knowing what tomorrow will bring,  but after so many years, allot of mistakes,  and I don’t want to minimize the mistake part either,  I grew more in love with her as the years went by.

Now I’m hundreds of miles away from her every week, and my heart aches when we’re apart.

How does a marriage stay together from the age of 17 which some say is impossible to becoming even greater years later?

Some would ask what was your secret?   You want to know what it was?

I’ll tell you,  we chose to love each other, come hell or high water,  we’ve been through both,  but when you chose to love each other, divorce is not an option.  We agreed early on, killing each other was an option,  but divorce wasn’t.

Second of all, placing Christ in the center of your lives is the glue that binds you,  its not the rings,  its Christ.

& Thirdly, being faithful to each other.

It use to be men were guilty of roaming through fields that they thought were greener,  but today, women are roaming as much as men.

To us, there would be no roaming,  no matter how great the temptation might be.  I thank God, we both roamed in our own fields and never went outside our fences!

What makes a great marriage?  Is it a woman who knows her place, to be submissive to her husband and a man who rules with an iron fist?

I tell my wife that She can BOW at my throne, & she crowned me a few times!!!

Lets get a few things right,  a submissive wife is one who will say (as my wife does)  he can make those decisions, and he can answer to God for them!!

But she lets me make decisions, good or bad, she’s stood next to me.

In the same manner, a great husband will also allow his wife to make her decisions good or bad and let God be the Judge

But heres what is key:  those decisions that we both make should not be decisions that will harm each other!!

I have done many jobs,  some dangerous,  we’ve moved over 30 times, and she allowed it because she knew I was trying it for the betterment of our family.  Sometimes it didn’t work out, but she never said I told you so.  She stood by me.

Same is true of her, I know when she makes a decision, she has me and our kids in her decisions.

Is our marriage perfect?  I’ve met couples who think theirs are,  but we’re not that blind,  you can always improve in areas, we men sometimes and foolishly don’t take the time to consider what our wives might need and we miss opportunities to bless them.

I know our marriage isn’t perfect, but what I’ve seen go on in other homes, I wouldn’t trade mine for anything in this world.  And because she’s hot!!

Let me end with this also,  if you want a great marriage with what I’ve already stated,  theres one more thing, before you get married,  become best friends.

Best friends really do make great lovers,  best friends do things together,  we shop together, its not the same going to a store without her.  Its not that you have to be together 24/7  but I sure miss her when she’s not with me.