I was not your typical little girl who dreamed of her fairy tale wedding and prince charming. In fact, I don’t recall even one memory of dreaming what marriage would be like. The memories I do have from childhood are me spending hours talking to God. I loved to be alone so I could talk out loud to him. I am still like that to this very day.

You would think that because I didn’t come into marriage with preconceived notions of it being a fairy tale that marriage would have been smooth sailing for me. But it was actually quite the opposite. Instead, I found myself surprised by marriage. 

I will never forget the week we got back from our honeymoon thinking “why won’t he leave?”. Don’t get me wrong, I was absolutely enthralled with this new husband of mine. He was a tall, muscular, handsome and a Godly man. He made me feel like a princess. As much as I loved being with him, I began to realize how incredibly selfish I was in the way I lived my life. I wanted to wake on my own time table, I wanted to spend money how I pleased and I wanted to go wherever my little heart desired. I found myself at the young age of 21 feeling tied down and locked into a commitment that I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be a part of.

Because I was quiet, I would tend to give my husband the silent treatment. He wanted to deal with problems head on and I wanted to retreat and be alone. I had thoughts of leaving. Again, not because my husband was lacking but because I had no idea what marriage meant or the sacrifice it would take to make it work. It would have been easier for me to run. To go back to a comfortable life of me calling all of my own shots.

But God. Have you ever had a but God moment? My but God moment occurred when we moved to Dallas for my husband to attend chiropractic school. I was terrified in this new, big city. My husband’s uncle had started a church in DFW, Gateway church, so he wanted to attend there. Again, I found myself overwhelmed in this huge church. I was ready to run. Until one day when the Lord met me in the church in a sea of thousands of people. It was as though he shown a spotlight directly on me and said: “I see you and you are exactly where you need to be!”  We began to attend Gateway 10 years ago and my life has never been the same. We discovered many ministries through our church that began to teach me the truth about God’s plans for marriage. We became rock solid partners with Marriage Today and began to grow in our relationship with the Lord and each other.

Fast forward 10 years, 3 kids and a business later….I know we would not have the marriage we have today had I not finally submitted to the Lord and then my husband. My husband has lead us through hell and back and we are both stronger for it.

While it took me years to figure out how to receive all the blessings God has in store for us as wives, I don’t believe it needs to take you that long. I recently had the honor of being on Jen Weaver’s book launch team and reading her new book on marriage. I wish Jen’s book “A Wife’s Secret to Happiness” would have been around 12 years ago when I got married. It would have saved so much heartache and missed blessings. But God is gracious to redeem what the enemy rips off.

As I’ve read Jen’s book, I have been challenged and inspired in my own life and marriage. Jen writes in such a way that is relatable, funny, engaging and applicable to real life. One of my favorite parts of the book is how she ends each chapter with a #wifestylin quiz and then practical ways to apply what has just been taught in that chapter. It’s not just a “how to” book but a “me too” real life stories application book.

The chapter on submission might quite possibly be the best explanation I have ever heard on this topic. Here is a quote that I love:

Jen goes on to say, “Your man can’t consider your feelings if you keep them bottled up inside. Withholding your gifts or insights promotes division, not unity”.

I could go on for several pages on quotes and take away points from my brightly highlighted book but, instead, I want to encourage you to buy the book, cuddle up in a cozy spot with your favorite drink and dig into the yummy goodness inside the pages of “A Wife’s Secret to Happiness”. Your marriage will thank you.

Would you like to win a FREE copy of “A Wife’s Secret to Happiness”? I have TWO copies to give away! Normally, I do a rafflecopter giveaway but this time I am doing something different. You can enter simply by:

1. Sharing this post on Facebook. Then leave a comment and let me know you shared it!
2. Sign-up for my blog newsletter. You can do so by going to the sidebar OR homepage and registering for the First Fruit Fitness daily log printable. You will then receive emails only when I have a new blog post up.
3. Follow me on Instagram OR Facebook
4. Be sure to leave a comment on this post when you have done any of those things. You get multiple entries for each item completed!
5. The contest will end Monday, April 3rd.

You can also grab your copy of Jen’s book on Amazon here: A Wife’s Secret to Happiness: Receiving, Honoring, and Celebrating God’s Role for You in Your Marriage

Can’t wait to hear what your #wifestyle is!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains an affiliate link.