To say the least, this year has been incredible and full of surprise and blessings.
I would say the biggest event was Jessie’s and my wedding and honeymoon. The day was refreshing, my best man [my brother] and groomsmen were outrageously photogenic, my bride was beautiful, the ceremony was flawless [I really would not change one thing], and the reception was a scene right out of “the best of Pintrest.”
I cannot help but to pause and reflect on the time that Jessie and I were able to share during our wedding and after. We even took a trip to our local Marsh with Jessie still in her dress!
Since we returned from our honeymoon, everything has been a blur. Jess officially moving into the apartment, new opportunities with work and private practice, new connections at our church, my beautiful niece being born, family gatherings, and so much more! With all that occurs in and around our lives, it is pretty easy to mindlessly go through the motions and get caught in an unfulfilled routine.
If this blog continues, I am sure I will have more than enough time to talk about the work that I do and the goals correlated along with my work. My focus right now is not on my dreams for a career, but my heart within my marriage. As Jess and I were going through pre-marital counseling, we discovered that there was a lot more to marriage and a lot more to Jess and myself. June 27th came around quickly and we entered into our marriage and boy… has it been fun! I continually learn more and more about Jess and she continually learns about me. Now I won’t speak for Jess, but the idea of spending the rest of my life with Jessie seems unfathomable, however, God has given me the opportunity (for life) to learn about my bride, to unconditionally love, serve, cherish, argue, and glorify Him throughout this covenant relationship called marriage.
The idea of my career that helps individuals, couples and families shouldn’t mean anything unless my integrity is intact and my therapy reflects my own thoughts, beliefs, values, etc. John Gottman, a successful researcher and clinician was told, “John, you can either have a marriage or study them.” Dr. Gottman spent decades studying individuals and couples and the science of what made a marriage successful. As I read those words in his book, The Science of Trust, I immediately began to think about my own approach to counseling and my own marriage and even other relationships around me.
Yes, I have would say I have big dreams when it comes to helping those around me and my community, but my marriage and my vows to my wife need to take precedence over anything else in this life. I have missed the mark a few times and I still may miss the mark, however, my wife is blessed with a heart of forgiveness and joy bringing meaning to the covenant we share. To say, “I will be who I need to be regardless if you are who you need to be.” This servant attitude is the toughest thing we are learning to do, but it is incredibly rewarding.
While having a successful private practice would be a great thing, a great marriage is absolutely priceless. My parents continue to be an example of a marriage to strive for and for that, I am so grateful.
I am sure that goals, dreams and desires will continue to grow, but I pray that those aspirations continue to fall within God’s will for Jessie and me. After [nearly] 6 months of marriage, I cannot wait to see what God has in store for 2015.
