{"id":33274,"date":"2024-08-02T11:43:26","date_gmt":"2024-08-02T15:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=33274"},"modified":"2024-08-02T11:46:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T15:46:53","slug":"anniversary-milestone-40-years-married-a-walk-with-god-and-each-other","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=33274","title":{"rendered":"Anniversary Milestone \u2013 40 Years Married \u2013 a Walk with God and Each Other"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"2009<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

[Adapted from <\/a>the Archives<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.<\/em><\/strong>  \u2013 Colossians 3:15-20<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 4, we will be 40 years married! Whew! Thanks be to God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The flight of years shows in our bodies and minds, but for us, it is most apparent in the launch of adult children into their own lives, work, and marriages. Then\u2026it comes back to just the two of us\u2026and I am grateful for his company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"IMG_0009<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our marriage has always been of a quiet steady sort . My husband and I married best friends. We were polar opposites in most ways, except our faith and being raised in Southern families, with Godly, praying mamas. He was \u201cread and follow directions\u201d marrying \u201cfly by the seat of her pants.\u201d It was definitely a match made in Heaven because we would need the God of Heaven to keep us on course as we figured marriage out\u2026both without and, later, with children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, those of you who know us well know the struggles we have had figuring out parenting (both young children and then adult children). Also the challenges of having very different ideas and giftings on doing life. I\u2019ve written so much about this in my journals over the years, wrestling with God and my own heart in these areas. Should our kids read those journals one day, I trust them to handle the pages of angst about our marriage with gentleness and understanding. Hopefully they have always seen us pull together more than pull apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve often quoted Elisabeth Elliot<\/a> on love and marriage. Two thoughts come to mind. She speaks of love as being \u201ca laid-down life.\u201d<\/strong> She also talks of marriage as being good for Christians to mature in their walk with God, because [in marriage] \u201cthere\u2019s so much scope for sinning.\u201d My husband has taught me a lot in both of these areas, and I, him \u2013 hopefully more on the lines of laying down our lives for each other, rather than the scope for sinning part\u2026sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"2005<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whatever these nearing forty years have produced with us together, the best of it has been 3 great young people (and the 2 beautiful extra children who\u2019ve joined our family through them, so far)\u2026and GRANDCHILDREN! Alongside those treasures is the unalterable way the Lord has knit us together, my husband and me, with each other and with Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I have some idea what is ahead, given our ages and the world around us (we\u2019ve already been through a cancer diagnosis, big job changes, losses of dear parents, and sickness in our children and grandchildren). The hard is softened by what is promised (and proven) through God\u2019s Word. Whatever is ahead, I am so grateful for what I\u2019ve learned through this man who married me 40 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He has given me the face of a man who does not give up, of one who never leaves the room, of one who fights for what is right, of one who is tender toward the weak, of one who loves no matter what. I have been both the recipient of this and the one by his side as he extends himself to others.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, we are two again\u2026as in the beginning of our relationship.  Yet we are at a very different place. God has shown Himself to be ever-present in all these years of our lives. For many years I didn\u2019t think marriage was to be mine\u2026then Dave came into my life quite providentially. God gave me exactly what I needed in this husband of mine \u2013 a man as true as steel in his walk with God and with his family. We count on him; he counts on God.<\/strong> Whatever happens out there in front of us\u2026I have peace, on this 40th anniversary, that God will be there for each of us, to show us how to live\u2026as He has in all these years thus far.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the Years \u2013 YouTube video of Kenny Rogers Ballad<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

YouTube Video \u2013 Jesus and You<\/em> \u2013 Matthew West<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

YouTube Video \u2013 You\u2019re Still the One<\/em> \u2013 Shania Twain<\/a> [Twain\u2019s \u201cstill the one\u201d is no longer her one, but the song is beautiful. So I wanted to keep it in this list since Dave\u2019s still my one.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

YouTube Video – Brandon Lake – NOTHING NEW (I DO)<\/em> – Wedding Version ft. Brittany Lake<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sacred Marriage \u2013 What if God Designed Marriage to Make us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy<\/em> \u2013 by Gary Thomas \u2013 Such a great book!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example of Elisabeth Elliot\u2019s counsel to one marrying \u2013 Always forgive.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elisabeth Elliot Quotes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Adapted from the Archives] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts … Continue reading Anniversary Milestone \u2013 40 Years Married \u2013 a Walk with God and Each Other<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2763,810,690,371,34,1070,1628,4343,7027,3395,794,147,1436,3208,5253,50,5221,903,1435,18,2819,317,1103,795,337,888,432,31,433,719,789,887,610,32],"tags":[423,10535,97,418,7,40,1836,275,959,7443,3530,42,448,10779,594,492,10781,3531,10780],"class_list":["post-33274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aging","category-all-good-gifts","category-babies-children","category-bookmarked-summer","category-books","category-cancer","category-character","category-daughters-and-sons","category-decision-making","category-disciplines","category-faithfulness","category-family-2","category-fathers","category-finishing-strong","category-forgiveness","category-god","category-god-the-father","category-grace","category-growing-up","category-jesus","category-kindness","category-lessons-learned","category-lifelong-learning","category-love-2","category-marriage-2","category-memories","category-music","category-parenting","category-pray","category-reconciliationforgiveness","category-relationships","category-remembering","category-thanksgiving-or-gratefulness","category-walk-with-god","tag-anniversary","tag-brandon-lake","tag-children","tag-elisabeth-elliot","tag-family","tag-gary-thomas","tag-god","tag-grace","tag-grandchildren","tag-jesus-and-you","tag-kenny-rogers","tag-marriage","tag-matthew-west","tag-nothing-new-i-do","tag-parenting-2","tag-sacred-marriage","tag-shania-tawin","tag-through-the-years","tag-youre-still-the-one-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauPAB-8EG","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33274"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33279,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33274\/revisions\/33279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}