10 Keys to a Lasting Marriage

When Wives Pray Excerpt: Submission

Submitting to our husband is God's best for us. It is a protection system that is designed to cover us and allow us the freedom to flow in our God-Given gifts. But too often the principle of submission is misconstrued and used as a vice of control and manipulation. I believe a mindset shift needs to take place so that we fully understand the beauty and the power of submission. The beauty is that when we

completely give ourselves to our husband, allow him to take the lead and submit to his authority, it empowers him to fully walk in the Kingship God ordained and endorses and he will be confident in his ability to be all God has called him to be.  But when we micro-manage, nit-pick and boss our husband, it emasculates him, causing resentment and disrespect, which eventually leads to another set of issues down the line. Let me share something with you I learned long ago, “Submission is Power.” Let that sink deep in your spirit.  When you willingly and lovingly submit to your husband, your marriage will be empowered to succeed on every level.

Excerpt from, “When Wives Pray.” Copyright © 2016 by Tangie Henry. All Rights Reserved.

Available Summer 2016. Pre-Order your copy today: www.WhenWivesPray.com

The Mature Wife

I got married at the tender age of 23. With almost no counseling & even fewer examples, I embarked upon the life of being my husband's "good thing." However, very soon thereafter I learned that being a wife is harder than it looks. And being a mature wife? Well, let's just say that it has taken me many years, almost 20 to be exact, to mature into a wife worthy to be called "A Good Thing." (Prov. 18:22)

Over the next several weeks I'm going to do a blog series called, "The Mature Wife." I came up with this idea as I was thinking about the days leading up to my 20th year wedding anniversary. Although my marital fantasy dictated that my husband and I take a long, romantic trip to Fiji or Europe for our anniversary, our priorities and other goals suggested a more modest celebration. At any rate, I started thinking about how I had matured over the years. There was a time when I would have been really bratty and insisted on some type of pomp and circumstance "just because." Don't get me wrong, I am, by no means, downplaying the amazing accomplishment of being married for 20 years. But what I am saying is that, if both my husband and I agree to work toward certain goals that would possibly be deferred because of a certain purchase or activity, then we need to re-evaluate some things. And in my maturity, I have learned this.

The bible says that the older women are to teach the younger women to love their husbands (Titus 2:4). That scripture always intrigued me because one would think loving their husband would be a natural, organic process that did not need instruction. Right?  But I found out the contrary. And when I would seek wisdom from "older" women early in my marriage, they had very little to offer because they were struggling themselves. So it is my hope that you will be able to glean some nuggets of wisdom from the things I will be sharing in the coming weeks. Whether you're single, engaged, married or otherwise, I believe we can never amass enough tools in our "Marriage Box."

Stay tuned for my blog series, "The Mature Wife."

To Marriage With Love,

Tangie

#MarriageAintforWimps

20 Years Strong!

He Encouraged Me To:

Eat asparagus.

Try yoga.

Do pushups.

Write a book.

Start a business.

Become a personal trainer.

Go after my dreams.

Pray.

Mr. & Mrs. Jessie Henry. Established June 24th, 1995

Wait.

Keep Going.

Run a half marathon.

Run a full marathon.

He supports my dreams (real & imagined).

He loves me without judgement, pretense or fault.

We laugh.

We fuss.

We love.

He's my Boo, My Smookie, My Husband.

He covers me, respects me & honors me.

And I'm better because of his presence in my life.

Twenty years strong.

Yep! That's us.

Easy? Nope! Worth it? Absolutely!

#MarriageAintForWimps

Marriage Tip: Learn to Discern

There will be many instances in your relationship where you have something important that you need to share with your spouse.  And because of its perceived importance, you may blurt out the information without carefully assessing their mood, mental state or disposition.  If you want the information that you're sharing to take precedence and spur action, you've got to learn to discern the right timing to share that information.  Bombarding your spouse with details about the kitchen sink overflowing when he first walks into the door after a long day at work is probably not a good idea.  And asking your wife where the ketchup is when she's having some "she time" will probably not be received well.  My point is that if we want to increase the effectiveness of our communication with our spouse, we have to convey our messages when they will be best received.  I'm not giving you a license to withhold vital information.  I'm just admonishing you to use wisdom when sharing that information.  Our goal is to increase the value of our communication, thus increasing our intimacy. After all, marriage is a skilled sport and it definitely ain't for wimps!

To Marriage With Love,

Tangie