1 | Don't stay awake angry.
Everyone always said "don't go to sleep angry". Right-thats important- but what about the other 16 hours you're awake?! You have to handle your issues right away and don't let them last too long! Josh and I always make it a point to settle disagreements ASAP. When we feel it coming on-we stop everything, grab the icing & graham crackers (this really happened once), and figure it out. Time is so important in a marriage and its such a waste to be upset with each other for longer than the argument itself. This has been such a freeing thing for us. We don't spend our days angry, upset, hurt, or confused. Life is too short to be angry. Kiss and make up. Quickly.
2 | Do finances together.
Yes. Together. Josh and I took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University together this year (more on that later). The big underlining principle is to do finances TOGETHER each month. I tend to be the math geek in the relationship but Josh is very much apart of our monthly budget. Making this a team effort, we have been able to pay off thousands of student loans and live comfortably. You hear it all the time-money is what people fight over most. If you do it together and everyone is on the same page-that completely removes you from the possibility of constant argument over spending and budgets. It ain't rocket science, y'all.
3 | Give and you shall receive
One of the most important lessons I learned as a newlywed is to let go of my own desires and focus on caring for Josh. WHAT. Yes. When you let go of yourself and your husband/wife takes over caring for your dreams, your goals, your needs, its such a beautiful thing. We simply focus on making each other happy and our home is filled with happiness!
No-Josh and I don't have it all together and we don't have it all figured out. But, our first year wasn't hard & it wasn't full of anger or loneliness. It was spent together-making memories. When God is the foundation of your life and your marriage-he blesses you in ways you didn't know existed.
I married up. I hope you will too! (:
