Last week I spent Tuesday through Friday with my wife because last Wednesday was our 20th wedding anniversary and it was absolutely fantastic time that I will always cherish. We drove to just outside of Charleston South Carolina to a place called the Middleton Inn and I owe a debt of thanks to Dusty Rayburn for the suggestion of staying on the Middleton plantation. It was an absolutely gorgeous place! We got to take a carriage ride around the plantation, walk through the gardens, sit and reflect over our years together on the grounds and at the lodge. We also spent time in Charleston walking through the market, taking a carriage ride, and just spending time together in the city. We ate at the Middleton Inn Restaurant which was a lot of fun because it is such a beautiful place and it is also an expensive type place that we normally do not eat in. We simply had an awesome time together!
I have been blessed with a wonderful and godly wife. In reality we were young and immature kids when we got married. I have been blessed to watch my wife grow into a beautiful and godly woman. She has honestly got more beautiful over the years! She has grown so much over the years in her relationship with Jesus and truly is one of the godliest women I know. She has a heart for others and desires to see them grow in their relationship with Jesus. She has a deep love for her family and is a great mother! She is honestly a fantastic Pastor’s wife! I am blessed to have married her!
In the past twenty years we have had many great times and a few rough times but through it all God has been so very good to us! We have been blessed with two great kids and we have great family and friends. We live in a culture where when things get rough we just throw in the towel and to honest when we got married we made the commitment that divorce was not an option and because of that we have forced ourselves to work through the hard times. While we were on this trip and we would tell people that we were celebrating 20 years and they would respond by how amazing it was to be married that long. A number of times we heard – “You do not see that too much these days”. How sad this is because just a generation or so ago it was not uncommon at all.
I love my wife and my life.
When I counsel couples getting married I always tell them to never make divorce an option and work through whatever the issues are and keep Christ in the center of their marriage. I want young couples to be forced to work out their problems and to do it with Christ.
What advice would you give to a young couple getting married?
So good to hear that you had a good time jim. Congrats on the 20 years.
thanks bill
You don’t owe me anything Jim! I’m just glad you and your wife were able to get away and enjoy it.
May the blessings continue to rain down on you and your family.
thanks dusty
Congratulations on the 20 years.
thanks dan
I will be celebrating my 23 with my wife on July 8th. Like you, we have had our ups and downs; fortunately many more ups. We also have made a commitment to stay together through the thick and thin.
What I would tell young couples wanting to get married is, “Marriage is not for the faint of heart or for selfish people. It is about giving and putting the other first. If you both put the other first, they both will always feel important and special”. Also, never let the sun go down on your anger.
Thanks Mike for reading and commenting. Great commitment and great advice.