In 17 years, Bill and I have weathered two moves, adding 6 children to our family, a debt-free journey, being on WIC and food stamps, 2 kids graduating high school, 20 different jobs between us, my journey through seminary and ordination, several private family struggles (which aren’t open for internet disclosure), 3 grandparent deaths, about 6 car accidents, the planning and execution of a 16 day family camping trip with 8 of us in a 30′ travel trailer, 17 years of NASCAR racing travel (9 of those in the exhausting Cup Series), countless sports practices and events, 6 different public schools with our kids, and more dead fish than we can count.
Tag Archives: Marriage
After a Bad Day
Too often, I think we married folks take out our bad days on our spouse. We yell at him, ignore her, demand this, whine about that and overall just act unpleasant and un-graced-filled.
11 things
We’ve worked hard. We’ve loved hard. We’ve had friends praying hard. And we’ve laughed a little along the way.
Marriage Monday: 36 Questions
I have a confession. I listen to Ted Talk podcasts. There are fascinating stories, interesting tidbits of information and for a preacher, interesting thoughts about public speaking. A couple of months ago, I listed to a Tedx Talk by Mandy Len Catron. She explained how she used 36 questions to fall in love. Sounds odd doesn’t it?
Wild Daisies
Perhaps today you are struggling and wishing for a past time. A time when things were easier. A time when love seemed grander. A time when your spouse used to do little things just because. A time when making up was worth the fight. Maybe today you are struggling to recapture, to remember, to feel the love that once was, the sweetness that came so easily.
We need our differences
We need those differences in our life. Yes, core values should be the same. Yes, basic ways of understanding life should have some similarities. But how you go about it? It’s okay to be different.
Marriage Monday: Laundry
Maybe it’s not washing clothes for you, but we all have some mundane chore we do for our spouse. Maybe you pick up her dirty socks up off the floor every. single. night. (Thanks Racer!) Maybe you clean out the fast food bags from the car. Maybe you collect the coffee cup that was left on the bathroom sink as your spouse got ready in the morning. Maybe you make the bed that your spouse left unmade.
A Heart of Giving
When I opened the mail and saw 2 gas cards, my spirit leapt and I knew what I needed to do. So I called Racer, explained the situation with a woman he’d never met and immediately, he said yes.
Laughing together
And for Racer and I to laugh together, there is something magical in the sound of our laughs mingling in the same space.
Sometimes You Need To Say It
On Friday, Racer and I had the opportunity to see the movie War Room. If you haven’t seen it, GO! It was amazing and I’ll admit, I was teary eyed at the end (ahem… and at several other points too). The movie helped spur me to thinking about a lot of things – being intentionalContinue reading “Sometimes You Need To Say It”
Rev. Kris Mares 