The Cheerleader and the Drama Queen

So my friend Faith's baby turns 1 year old today! My friend Shae and I were honored to be asked to be in the room when little Aiden made his appearance. As I realized how close to a year it has been, I asked myself "Why haven't I wrote a blog about that experience yet?" Then I realized its because it has taken me almost a year to get over it! You will notice through reading this that Shae and I assumed two completely different roles during this blessedly horrible life changing amazing torturous event; the motivator and the pushover. I will let you figure out which one of us is which: 

Let me set this up for you:

I was ecstatic when Faith told me she was pregnant. I knew how badly they both wanted this child and was so happy their prayer had been answered. Then one day while doing my daily facebook scroll, I saw that she had "liked" a page about natural birth. I thought to myself, surely she hit the wrong button. So at lunch one day I asked "whats up with you liking natural birth facebook pages?" Granted she already has had two kids, one of which I was in the delivery room for and promptly left because I witnessed her slap the BeGeezus out of a poor girl and I knew then and there that I would never give birth if I stayed any longer. So surely she has enough sense to get the drugs right!?! Of course not. Now I will say she is by far the smartest person I know so when she said she had opted to take the natural route, I knew she had thoroughly researched it and knew what she was doing. I still thought she was nuts, but to each their own.

I was teaching my Sunday School Class one Sunday morning when I got "the text" I had been waiting on.... MY WATER JUST BROKE! My immediate response was alright let me teach this class, run home and change and get on the road. Then she said well we are going to wait it out at home as long as we can. So time ticked by, lunch came and went, and I was very impatiently waiting for her to say ok lets head the hospital. Finally around 5 that evening she finally agreed to head on to the hospital. I was sitting on GO! Surely its been this long since her water broke, this should go by quickly right!?! Oh how wrong I was. Shae and I got there at the same time and were so excited to experience this together.

It started out really slow. She pretty much laid in the bed and would have a contraction every once in while but nothing too bad. Shae and I sat on the couch watching "what does the fox say" ding ding ding ding ding ding ding and Justin Timberlakes  #hashtag skit from Jimmy Fallon on you tube. DDEEBBBRRRAAAAA We got a huge case of the giggles which I am sure sent Faith into overdrive. Then we hot glued diamonds on some tiaras for Maelyn's Birthday party. This birth party needed to hurry up and kick into gear!

Then the contractions started to get worse. We moved her to this huge yoga ball where she rocked back and forth for a little while. In all honesty, the curiosity in me almost got the better of me and made her get off the ball so that I could get on and play on it too.

 We then watched a movie. Yes a whole movie. Surely after watching A WHOLE MOVIE she would have dilated at least a few cm right.... of course not! By this point she was not only in pain, but homegirl was getting PISSED. We had tennis balls for her back, lotion for her feet and legs, anything to help relax her. She was getting the royal treatment of natural births ok. We all took a station and got to rubbing!

We exited the ball and moved her to the recliner after her contractions started to really get bad. We each found a new position and kept on massaging. Any sarcasm and humor she had at this point went out the window. Then stuff got real, real fast. It was time to move to the bed. At this point in time, my friend exited her own body, and this horrid demon came and possessed it.  I had one job, keep a damp washcloth on her forehead and hold her hand. This became quite difficult when she started levitating off the bed in hysterics everytime she had a contraction. I eventually started pulling the wash cloth away during the contractions to allow her more freedom to "move."

We were sad when midnight came and we knew we weren't seeing a baby anytime soon.

 During this time the nurse came in to check her progress. When she announced that she was still sitting still at 5 cm I thought someone was about to die. I made sure all sharp objects were out of reach and that I was holding her hand so that she couldn't slap someone. I hated seeing her in this kind of pain. I then thought it would be a good idea to have a little pep talk with this baby. I gave him some encouraging but stern words to hurry his rump up before his mom caused someone bodily harm and his favorite aunt had a nervous breakdown. Then suddenly the nurse started bringing in all the equipment. We all looked at each other, very confused because she was still at 5 cm. At this rate we were gonna be here another 48 hours! She checked her again, and AGAIN she was at 5 cm, but she assured us it was about to happen.


The next little bit was a tad blurry. At this point Faith came to her senses induced by her body ripping from the inside out and started pleading, begging, crying out for the epidural claiming she just didn't have it in her to finish naturally. She was exhausted, and the pain was only getting worse. Shae was her biggest cheerleader. She was holding her hand, telling her over and over again, "this is what you wanted, you can do this, you've got this, your doing great!" At this point I have excused myself to go cry in the corner and am working out a crazed induced Nancy Drew kind of plan to somehow get her the drugs. The nurse ever so politely tells her that she has progressed too far to have an epidural and my poor friend comes undone. My heart is breaking for her. I wanted to shout as loud as I could to someone to just give her the blasted epidural, knock her out, anything but watch her suffer like this. Shae remained her rock and her comforter and shot me a look that said suck it up Amanda and get with the program! I became a blubbery mess holding her hand. Her poor husband felt helpless and I think was a tad relieved to have us there to help him. He would kiss her on the forehead and tell her how much he loved her and I was slightly afraid for his life for getting that close to her after what I had already experienced. Her mom stayed at her feet, like a smart woman,  giving her an encouraging word and trying to make her laugh.


Suddenly she went from 5 cm to 8cm and instantly started pushing. I looked around and realized, um, there is no doctor in here. Then his little head was out, um....hello there is still no doctor in here!!!! The nurse stepped up like a BOSS! A few good pushes, profanities, and bone curling screams later, he was here. A few minutes later, the doctor walked in and realized there wasn't much left for her to actually do.

After we all oo'd and ahh'd over this precious life that had just caused so much upheaval, I looked at my friend and told her how beyond proud I was of her and how in awe I was that she pushed through that. Her loving response to me was, "I just couldn't figure out why you were taking the wet rag off my head during the contractions when I needed it the most!?!" I didn't bother to tell her then it was hard to chase a head that was spinning like something out of the exorcist!

Notice the time on that clock and do the math in your head.

Happy Birthday baby boy! You are blessed with two parents who love you very much and two Aunts who witnessed what your mother went through for you and have no problem grabbing you by the hair of your head and having an impromptu come to Jesus meeting with you at any given point in your life that you cause her grief!   

Love Aunt Man Man and Aunt Shae

Nails on a chalkboard

Do you remember when your child was a baby and you just could not wait for the moment they could say their first words? Then one day you found yourself imagining some sort of bionic earplugs? That's where I've been lately. I might need to put a disclaimer on my blog just to make sure everyone knows that I am madly deeply head over heels in love with my child but as any parent knows raising them is the hardest job you will ever have. Every season of their life comes with a different obstacle and it seems as if once you move past that one you get a whole new one to deal with. I am currently residing in the I am almost 8 years old so I know far more than you do syndrome that comes with the complete package of sarcasm, smart mouth, and the all too often eye roll. Here are five of his favorite phrases that he is currently using that are currently the equivalent of fingers on the chalkboard for me:

1- "who cares, I don't care". Yes that is all one fluent sentence. He is asking and answering a question all in one statement. 

Example: Colby if you do not brush your teeth they are going to rot out of your mouth!

"Who cares, I don't care"

Colby put your seatbelt on. You would not want mommy to have a wreck and you go through the windshield would you?

"Who cares, I don't care"

2- "It's my life, my rules". This one makes me want to, very lovingly, pinch his head straight off his shoulders. 

Ex: Colby you cannot eat pancakes on the couch

"It's my life, my rules"

Colby you cannot wear that, it doesn't match

"It's my life, my rules"

3- "ewwwwww you just got burned". I thought surely this phrase died in 1998. Apparently not being that it is his favorite thing to say these days. It also has a "cute" little hand motion that goes with it. The funny part about this one is he barely says it at a time when it actually applies. 

Ex: I catch a red light in the morning when we are already running late.

"Ewwwww mom you just got burned!"

I spill something, drop something, do anything that follows with an "oh crap"...Yes I say crap around my kid. I'm convicted of it every time, but it is better than other choice words. Just give me this one okay...

"Ewwwww mom you just got burned" 

4- "right now". It is my honor to provide for my child. He is a true gift and treasure from God, but when he tags the phrase "right now" to the end of a question it makes my horns spike right out of my head!

Ex: Mom can you bring me my chocolate milk,remote, plate, iPod,  red motorcycle with the white number plate with the blue guy with the yellow helmet "right now". 

"Mom can you come here." Five seconds later "mama I said can you come here…… " Five seconds after that "mom I said come here right now"

5- "you're the worst mom ever". I would love to admit that this one doesn't hurt my feelings because I know he loves me very much but it does poke at my heartstrings. Like every other man figures out in his lifetime, He knows exactly what to say to hurt my feelings and this is it. The decent thing about my child is even though it may take an hour for regret to set in, I generally do get an apology for this phrase. 

Ex: Colby I understand that you want to go to _______ house, but you can't go unless you're invited. You can't just show up to _____ house uninvited. 

"Your the worst mom ever"

Colby for the 10th time I said no candy at the checkout line!

"Your the worst mom ever" 

I tried a new tactic today that made him change his tune. As I was folding clothes earlier a song was on TV and I was doing myself a little happy dance folding my clothes. He was totally embarrassed and was pleading with me to stop. I then responded to him and said how embarrassed would you be if mommy did that dance in front of all of your friends? His jaw immediately dropped and he said you would never do that to me. With a simple smile I looked at him and said if you ever tell me I'm the worst mommy ever again I can promise you that every last one of your friends will see your mommy do that dance....repeatedly.....with hand motions and singing. Hopefully the idea of that mortified him enough that we can keep that last one at bay for a little while. 

When sleeping alone just won't do...

I gripe about my kid. A lot. Generally with good reason. Like last night when he decided it would be a FABULOUS idea to disappear at the sports plex with a few friends and come back soaking wet covered in mud literally from head to toe from venturing into the creek fishing for crawfish. Cue the audible sigh and eye roll. After I calmed down, HOURS later, I realized he was just being a boy. A disobedient boy none the less, but his adventurous, energetic usual self. And he had a messy yet great time making that memory. I can laugh about it today.

Tonight he asked to go to bed rather early for a weekend night. He hadn't acted like his usual self tonight. He was quiet, reserved and seemed to be pondering a lot. I put him a movie in and proceeded to my room to read a book. After hearing him toss and turn for an hour and a half, I heard his footsteps heading my way. He climbed in my bed, turned his back to me, demanded one word "snuggle" and said and sing me my song. I'm such a music junkie. I heard a Richard Marx song long before I ever met Jason and told myself if I ever have a child that will be our song. I sang it to him every night that I rocked him to sleep. The older he got, the fewer times I was allowed to rock him. There have only been a few times in the last few years that he has asked for it. So I quickly obliged and before I made it to the last verse he was snoring. I guess that's all he needed tonight to finally drift off to sleep. That's either a compliment to my awesome mothering skills or a complete disregard to my singing skills. Either way it did the trick. I decided to document it tonight because it's been one of those days that I needed to be reminded how much he needs me. One day when he really understands the words to this song, he will realize how much in reality I needed him.



I was never alive
'Til the day I was blessed with you.
When I hold you late at night,
I know what I was put here to do.
I turn off the world and listen to you sigh,
And I will sing my Angel's Lullaby.

Know I'm forever near,
The one you can always call.
Right now all you know to fear
Are the shadows on your wall.
I'm here close enough
To kiss the tears you cry,
And I will sing my Angel's Lullaby.

So tell me how to stop the years from racing.
Is there a secret someone knows?
I'll never catch all the memories I'm chasing.
I'll never be ready to let go.

And when the world seems cold,
And you feel that all of your strength is gone,
There may be one tiny voice,
Your reason to carry on,
And when I'm not close enough
To kiss the tears you cry,
You will sing your Angel's Lullaby.
Let this be our Angel's Lullaby.

And I thought Santa would be hard...

What started out as an ordinary day has ended in my household with a life-changing event. Colby loves television and movies, it's his vice so to speak. After watching something he will occasionally ask me "Mom did that really happen?" I thought I had given him a very thorough answer but apparently I had failed miserably at explaining to him that television is not real!

Tonight I had the Oscars on, not because I generally like to watch them (because half the movies I have never even heard of and the other half I don't really care about) but because Idina Menzel is performing "Let it Go" from Frozen. Colby and I have seen it four times. I'm a tad obsessed. Anyways, about half the way into the show, out walked Sally Field. Colby said "Mom look it's Forrest Gump's mom!!!" I said actually baby her name is Sally Field. "No mom, that's his mom, her last name is Gump!" This went back and forth for entirely too long. He kept asking was Forrest there as well. Finally I gave him the best explanation I could that this indeed was Sally Field. This realization had him full of questions and speechless at the same time. Was Sam and Cat not really real? Kevin didn't really get left by his parents twice at Christmas in Home Alone? I have often dreaded the day of telling Colby that Santa Claus is not real, but this I think was harder than that will be when the time comes.

So a little 7 year old boy has went to bed contemplating the world as he knew it and embracing the fact that Forrest Gump indeed is actually Tom Hanks and sadly enough his mom is not Sally Field.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Paying it forward

It's funny how God works sometimes. I could recount so many instances where He showed up through other peoples generosity right when I needed it.

A few weeks ago in a training union study, the author asked "what is something you look forward to doing one day when your priorities change?" Some people suggested they would love to travel and others had different things that they would love to do with their life. I looked at my page at what I had wrote and although it was extremely superficial, the one thing I looked forward too one day when I could make the time and have the money for myself was just simply to get my nails done. Nothing extravagant but it was something I used to do for myself that I no longer could. Our teacher (whom I adore more than she will ever know) suggested that one of the best things that you could do when you're feeling overwhelmed and depressed was to do something really nice for someone else.

The following week was one of the worst ones I have had in a very long time. I spent eight hours a day getting cursed, yelled and screamed at by people that I don't even know because apparently I, single-handedly, went into every single home in Jones county and the surrounding counties and caused everyone's power bill to go up. Then I came home to a child who I love more than my own life but spent the next few hours battling with him on every single thing we did. Then in the moments in between, I desperately missed my husband. The struggle was real folks. One day after getting the mail, putting it in my lap and putting my car in park I proceeded to have the world's biggest meltdown in my carport. I allowed all of the world's attacks and negativity to overwhelm me in that moment. Years ago I read a book that stated in any moment when you feel like you have lost control, all you need to do is whisper the name of Jesus. I Immediately began to say His name over and over and over until I had completely calmed myself. There really is power in the name of Jesus. I then looked in my lap at the mail and on the very top was a card addressed to me that simply stated " I hope this brings a smile to your face. Love your sister in Christ". When I opened it there sat a gift certificate for me to have my nails done. A small gesture on someone else's part was able to actually bring a smile to my face and in a moment where I felt like I was losing everything it reminded me of God's love and compassion, and renewed, refreshed and restored my faith in people. Although I would love nothing more than to thank the person who actually did this for me, I know that they would rather stay anonymous. So this is my thank you. God knew in that moment I would need to know I wasn't invisible. He saw me. He heard my cry. He knew my struggle. He loved me. He had not forgotten me.

Although it wasn't much, I was able to pay it forward for someone else today. It lifted my spirits in a way I'm sure it did for whomever did it for me. I encourage you to seek someone you can minister too and bless today. We are Gods hands and feet. I will forever be grateful for the one who chose to bless me.










- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Terms of Endearment

I have been thinking a lot lately about things that, at my age, I am having to come to terms with. Most of the time they come to me as I am going to sleep. Some give me a giggle, some are frustrating, and some just don't seem fair but nevertheless Its time to suck it up buttercup because its happening.

1) There are just some apologies that you completely deserve that you will sadly just never get.
 I am sure we all owe someone out there one as well, but at some point you just have to realize your not going to get the one due to you. Move on.

2)Wrinkles are signs of laughter, not imperfections.
One of the smells I distinctly remember as a child was my moms Noxzema. I learned at a very early age to take care of my skin and working in the cosmetics industry for 7 years definitely helped. I have never been one to stress over wrinkles but I swear one day I woke up and my eyes had grown whiskers. The way I feel about them now is I have earned each and every one of them. Next will be the random white hairs.

3) It is OK not to be an overachieving mom.
This one sometimes is hard to swallow. I'm your average stressed, tired, doing the best I can mom and I have had to let myself know here recently that its 100% OK. Every year as I see every ones precious elf on the shelf pictures I feel a sting of mommy guilt that I am too cheap to pay $30 for a stuffed elf that I have to move around and clean up after every day. Then I am reminded of my child and realize I'm parenting a professional troublemaker who's favorite movies are home alone and problem child, so an elf spelling his name in marshmallows or wrangling his toy ninja turtles are not going to inspire him to behave. Sometimes it is OK to say no and realize I cant do everything, be everywhere, buy everything or do everything I would love to do as a parent. 

4) Siri will never understand my accent.  Never.
I really have tried to do better about texting and driving. I use my handy dandy talk text most of the time but have come to the conclusion it doesn't interpret "southern."  The words Me and mine always come out "maine."

5) You cant please everyone
Its just not gonna happen. The task is exhausting and I have recently acquired a pretty bad case of the I don't give a rats behind.

6) It is important to be independent
There are things like checking the oil in my car, changing a tire, making sure my safety sticker is current (which I'm completely embarrassed to say how urgently past due it is) and things of that masculine nature that I wish I had paid attention to over the years. I always ask my daddy who to vote for and the only tool I own is a cordless drill I won as a door prize that has never been taken out of the box and was almost re gifted a time or two. 

7) Change isn't always bad
Change can be scary but at the same time change can be exciting, liberating and fulfilling!

8) Freedom of speech is a one way street
I'm not gonna ruffle peoples feathers with this one but its sad to me not just as a Christian but as an American that so many men died for my freedoms that are still found punishable by some. Words will always offend but the beauty is we are still at liberty to say them.

9) I will never have curly hair
I tried to make it happen. It just isn't meant to be.

10) It's OK to completely lose it in the bath tub
Some people spread their crazy all throughout the day. I on the other hand tend to bottle mine up and save it for that hour in between Colby going to sleep and me doing the same. I have had many a well deserved emotional breakdown in the bathtub. Once I closed my eyes to relax for "just a minute" and woke up freezing 3 hours later. It's my happy place.

11) Life is not a Cosby Show episode
Name anything you have gone through or experienced before and there was more than likely a Cosby Show episode that correlates.  Sometimes when I see things or people are telling me a story my mind immediately goes to "well this one time on the Cosby show..."  The ending may not always  be the same though, although how fun would life be if it was?!?

12) It is clearly impossible for me to watch what I eat from Halloween to New Years
This doesn't need explaining. It is what it is.  I will resolve it in January. Until then, eat up buttercup!

I'd love to hear something you are having to come to terms with as well.
Merry Christmas and much love!

Before you let him buy the farm.....

I have been approached several times and been asked "so when are you going to write a book?" It is something I have toyed with the idea of  before, but even spell check would have a tough time correcting my grammar mistakes. I have awoken suddenly many a night with an idea only to drift back off to sleep and forget the genius idea that had came to me. If I were to write a book though, it would be a book directed to the bride about to embark on the journey of being a WIFE. Although it is directed just to her, it really could apply to either party. Some friends and I were talking one day and realized that no one honestly sits you down and gives you the low down before you get married. Sure people jump on board to gush over your ring, advise you on where to honeymoon, help you pick your dress, tell you which caterer to use, and sign your cards Best Wishes!,  but no one tells you that you are about to embark on the hardest journey of your life. Instead of a book, I opted to write a letter to those Brides to Be. Feel free to share it with someone you know about to take that plunge!  I know there are going to be a few haters out there that will think due to my current marital status I don't have a valuable take on marriage. My answer to those few are, through every experience comes knowledge and sometimes life gives you a lemon in the process and regardless what life has dealt me, my experiences have dealt me a wealth of knowledge so go suck on my lemon!

 Dear Bride,
       Here you are! You have finally found your prince charming, the love of your life, your soul mate, your piece that completes you, your Romeo (although you do realize he dies at the end right), and last but certainly not least, the wind beneath your wings. First off let me say congratulations! I've been in your shoes. I was so madly deeply in love, I gave up on finishing college and entered marital bliss in full force. I couldn't wait to be a wife. Regardless of my sarcastic undertone and complete disregard for the love bubble that you currently reside in, I do have a fully firm rooted faith in marriage, love and commitment. I am truly happy for you.  I am merely here to tell you the things I wish someone would have told me. It's not pretty so prepare yourself. I want you to clear your mind for a minute and imagine your fiance (had to add that in there since newly engaged people cant seem to say it enough) and I want you to concentrate on how much you love this man. Now I want you to imagine yourself slowly suffocating him with a pillow or gauging his eyeballs out with a spoon. What?!? No way!! I love him more than my own life, I could never imagine hurting him. We are different from other couples!!! Our love is stronger than anyone else. I guarantee within the first year of marriage, one of those two options will cross your mind at some point. It may be over something as juvenile as dirty laundry on the floor or him snoring, but yes at some point you will want to chunk Romeo over there off of a cliff.  Only married people will understand this phrase, but you will learn what it means to love your spouse even when you hate them.  So here are a few tips and pieces of advice I want to pass down to you before you take this step into till death do you part. Most are followed with a scripture I encourage you to look up. I also encourage you to have an open mind, exit your love bubble for a fraction of a minute I promise not to keep you out for long, and think seriously about forever, because marriage is indeed intended to be forever.

1) The very first and most important thing you need to embed in your beautiful brain dear sister right this very minute is this simple yet profound statement: YOU CAN NOT CHANGE A MAN. Many enter marriage knowing there are flaws there but for some God given reason we don't understand, we women think we can fix it. The fights and arguments you have now do not go away when that ring is placed and the paper is signed. They intensify sweet darling and you get a whole new set of problems. His parents have lived with him the majority of his life. I am sure they will hold nothing back on filling you in on his day to day true self.  If you can't live for forever with the exact way he is right now, chances are you are in for a very disappointing future. Looks fade, charm is fleeting and the real everyday HIM is what awaits you. Make 100% sure you are in love with WHO he is and not the IDEA of who he is. If you are sure of that, congrats. You can move on to the next step.

2) Money will destroy your marriage quicker than an affair will. I can not stress this enough. There is an old saying that says marriage always consists of a spender and a saver. I have seen every equivalent of that equation and regardless if you have two spenders, two savers or two dreamers living on a prayer, money will test your marriage very quickly and very abrasively. Most pastors encourage marriage counseling before you tie the knot but most married people would also highly suggest financial counseling as well. That applies to the young lovebirds just getting out of school getting married as well as the independent middle aged person finding love later in life. Money is truly the root of all evil. Use it wisely.  Luke 16:13, Hebrews 13:5

3) Contrary to popular belief, Marriage is not a circle. Marriage should always be a triangle. God should take His rightful seat at the top, and the two of you at the bottom on each side. Everything that flows through you and your marriage should flow from the top. Trust me you are going to need Him because life has a very funny way of throwing chaos, catastrophes, and calamity your way. If you build your relationship this way, you have a fighting chance when these things test your marriage. Matthew 7:24-27

4) Get out of your barbie doll dream house because marriage is not a fairy tale. You will have wants, dreams, desires and hopes that sadly will never come true. As harsh as that may sound my dear one, you must realize that marriage often times teaches us two very important things: humility and contentment. This is a realization you need to really allow to rock you to your core before saying I do. Its completely ok to continue to have those desires, but always realize that the needs of your family should always outweigh your wants. Failure to do so breeds an evil monster of resentment, greed, selfishness and very poor decisions. Philippians 4:11-13

5) Not only can you not change a man, but you also can not change who YOU are. If you are already having to do that sweet sister, you are in trouble. I am not talking about amending nasty habits or bettering yourself physically and spiritually, but having to change who God made you to be. Make sure your soon to be spouse knows all the desires of your heart and find a common ground before entering into marriage rather than finding these things out the hard way.  I knew a woman who entered into a marriage knowing her husband didn't want children. Like I stated before, she willingly entered that marriage thinking she could change his mind. To no ones surprise but her own, she has never been able to have a child and harbors a terrible resentment towards her husband for robbing her of the opportunity to be a mother. Most people would look at her husband and say shame on him for doing that to her. The brutal truth is she knew this going in but inside her love bubble she couldn't see past her deep love for this man. Get your hopes and dreams in check sister. Decide before you make that commitment what you can and what you cant live without. Even if it is ceramic tile or hardwood floors, discuss it!  Hebrews 13:5-6

6) Scripture commands us to be submissive, not to be a doormat. If your already being trampled on, chances are that will get worse. Marriage is 50 - 50. Make sure you are giving your share, but also be sure you are receiving yours as well. When you carry your load as well as someone elses you will tire out very easily.

(7) His family is his family. Short and simple. You can't change it. Don't try.

8) I will end with this one: Enter your marriage meaning your vows, every single word of them. I don't think anyone would ever admit that there is one vow that they didn't take seriously, but if everyone entered into marriage with this frame of mind, divorce would not exist. Although they would never admit it, some people these days approach marriage as "well if it doesn't work out then we can always divorce." This should not be dear sister. And although I know you are sitting there agreeing with me, when the going gets tough, and trust me it will, you will have to look at that man and say I made a promise to you and I intend to see it through. Unfortunately we don't always get this one in return. I pray this never happens to you. It isn't a fun place to be. Nevertheless, as long as you approach it with this attitude, you will have fulfilled God's will for your marriage.

My prayer for you is that admist the trials marriage throws your way, you will have lots of laughter, make a ton of memories, and marry your best friend.  Oh and by the way, Best Wishes!