The Love Dare

In the wake of our upcoming attempt to extend our family, Justin and I have decided to complete The Love Dare.  I had heard about this book and the movie that is linked with it (Fireproof) before, but never really thought about completing this dare.  Then the other night while finishing up my internship in the ICU, I found a website that supports the wives of firemen and they recommended this program to strengthen your marriage against the difficulties of being married to someone in this line of work.  We are fast approaching our two-year wedding anniversary and many people have told us that the first two years of marriage are the hardest.  I don't know that I would say these first two years have necessarily been hard, but we have certainly been through a lot together in this short amount of time.  I felt that we could use this book as an opportunity to learn what exactly we need from each other and how we can strengthen and create a union that is God-centered and ready to be a marriage that our future children will want to emulate.  I find myself meeting elderly couples in the hospital that have been married for many decades and whenever I meet couples like this, I always ask how they do it.  I want to know what it takes to be in it for the long haul in a society where marriages and relationships are thrown by the wayside so easily and without much effort to maintain them.  In two short years, I have learned that marriage is more than just the wedding and is something to work for.  I want my children to be able to look at me and their father and say to themselves, "That's the kind of relationship I want to have and that I deserve."

During our first two years of marriage, I have gone through nursing school and have one semester remaining,  which is trying for anyone's sanity much less a fledgling marriage.  Also, I was forced to take a pay cut to complete my nursing degree and Justin was forced to sell his beloved pick-up truck and take on even more shifts at his part-time job which not only keeps us away from each other more, but adds the stress of not seeing each other to an already heavily stressed environment.  Justin also became a full-time student and has been working toward his degree as well.  We have been tight in the finance department and had to work paycheck-to-paycheck to keep our bills paid on time and maintain the lifestyle that we enjoy.  However, during this time, I have been able to hold down a full-time job as well as be a full-time student and we have made some significant progress in getting rid of our consumer debt with the help of Dave Ramsey.  I couldn't have done any of this without Justin and although we drive each other completely nuts sometimes, we are perfect together and are able to lift each other up when the other is down.  After I read about this Love Dare and how it is meant not only for couples on the rocks but also for those looking to strengthen their relationships, I decided this would be great for us.  We are taking the opportunity to build strong the fortress of our vows to one another so that we may bring a child into this world with two parents who love and respect each other fully and unconditionally.

So, as we begin our journey through the Love Dare together, stay tuned for updates on our progress and on the life lessons we are learning that will help bolster the ties that bind us together.  I am truly looking forward to this journey and am excited to learn how to love my husband on a much deeper level before we bring a new member into this family.