When I tell people my wife and I have been married 41 years, I always get two responses. The first is “Whoa – you don’t look that old!”  I always reply with:  “Good answer!  You said the right thing!”  And we both chuckle.  Then they say something about how rare this seems today – and sadly, I tell them that that is my experience as well as I work with the couples in my marriage counseling practice or really, talk with people anywhere.

When Zerrin and I did the video short for this week, we talked about being “Better Together.”

What was going through my mind is this: I have spent 41 years of my life with this woman. There is no way in the world I would want to lose her! We have too much invested in each other, in our marriage, in our family, and in life to let anything come between us!  In actuality, we have been saying that to each other for a long time!

It’s why we:

• have gone to 14 marriage conferences over the course of time
• have read over 20 books on marriage
• written a book about marriage
• sought counsel for our marriage
• spent time purposefully with other couples who have been further down the road of marriage than we were at the time
• pray together daily
• live missionally in our neighborhood (i.e. seek to love our neighbors together like Jesus said to do)
• spent literally countless hours talking and working through conflicts
• work HARD to use all the principles of PLEDGEtalk so we don’t hurt each other with our words but endeavor constantly to create a stronger connection between us
• and more!

Why?

Because we are BETTER TOGETHER!

I am a better person with her.

She is a better person with me.

WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER!

You are too!  Or you can be if you work at it! Too many people today are calling it quits on relationships far too easily and far too quickly. Relationships are hard. They take work. Marriage is hard. It takes work! But it is so worth it!

If you are reading this in a newsletter or through social media, I SO STRONGLY want to invite you to be a part of growing together with me and others in the PLEDGEtalk Learning Community. You will learn SO MUCH of what you need to improve your marriage, your relationships with your kids, your friends, co-workers, and really everyone,

To join, go to:  Learnpledgetalk.com

WHY DO THIS?

BECAUSE YOU AND I ARE BETTER TOGETHER!

Mark Oelze, Author/Creator of PLEDGEtalk