a guest post by my husband, Josh Mitchael
®Sarah Kay Crawford
September 17th, of 2011 was an incredible day- the day I committed to loving, caring for, and cherishing my best friend for the rest of my life. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about their wedding day and, honestly, I’ve come to find that too many of them say something like, “it was all a blur” and “it was the most stressful experience of my life” or my favorite, “oh, I don’t remember it at all”. Well...for a few of significant reasons, I remember our wedding day very well.
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® Sarah Kay Crawford
® Becca Pascoe
The first reason had to do with something Andrea and I decided when we got engaged- we wanted to remember our wedding day! I know...crazy right? We had seen a lot of our friends get married and shared I likes and dislikes of the ceremony, music, reception, cake, etc. The more we talked the more we started to see how much work goes into a wedding. Now, I’m not at all suggesting that we didn’t want to put a lot of work into our wedding. After all, Andrea and I spent most of our engagement apart. Communication was hard. Thank heavens for technology. We planned the wedding over Skype dates and sporadic phone calls. We worked hard to keep things simple, affordable, and enjoyable.
® Heather Charise Foley
The second reason I can recall much of my wedding day is because IT WAS A BLAST! I’m not sure how many dudes can actually say they had a good time at their wedding. It’s not because I love weddings either (confession- there are many things I would choose to do before attending a wedding...shocking). I had my best friends for groomsmen and so many of our friends and family (over 300 people) came out to support and witness our marriage. We had fun, laughed, cried a little, and all because we wanted to make it a day to remember, not one that was so insane we would be unable to process it.
® Heather Charise Foley
The final reason I can recall my wedding day is most essential- we centered our marriage on Christ’s love for his people. Andrea and I are committed to loving God, loving each other, loving people, and showing it so we can see can help as many people as possible become totally committed to Jesus Christ. We figured why not make our wedding all about the crazy love of God.
® Becca Pascoe
I’m crazy in love with Andrea because she is a reflection of Jesus. She is compassionate, an exhorter, and an incredible servant. She is so intelligent it’s embarrassing for me sometimes. She is healthy not only when it comes to physical food, but she continually fills herself through prayer, reading the Word, and investing in people. I couldn’t have found a better friend and hotter wife to marry...Yes she is very hot.
If you’re getting engaged and getting married soon, I have wisdom to share with you:
1. Love God, love each other, love people, and show it.
2. Nurture and cherish your relationship with your wife. Marry her everyday.
3. Pray, read scripture, and serve together. God honoring couples are unstoppable.
® Becca Pascoe
Here’s some practical reminders and advice once you tie the knot:
1. You’re on the same team. Work together to resolve conflict.
2. Do not talk about money after 9pm. At that point there’s nothing you can do about it.
3. Have sex. You’re married. It’s worship :)
4. Go on dates often. Make your spouse feel like they’re just as hot if not hotter than when you first started dating and couldn’t keep your eyes off of each other.
5. Talk about your finances. Give at least 10% to God. Create margin in your finances. Spend money on things that actually matter. Save money all the time.
6. Set aside at least 15 minutes each day to talk. We call this FaceTime. Makes sense- time in each other’s faces. Be open and honest. Put down your freaking smart phone. Listen. It matters.
I love you, Andrea!
-Josh
