Miss Rebecca, I hope you and the Hubs are having a bee-u-tee-full time together celebrating your wedding anniversary ..... BIG HUGS! 

Hey there, Cake Fans! I'm Nicole, a 20-something Kentucky girl telling tales about life in Texas on my blog, Three 31. I love Jesus, sweet tea, country music, reading and cooking. When I'm not blogging or teaching middle school language arts, I'm spending time with this handsome guy: appropriately named Husband.

Our Wedding Day March 31, 2007

When Rebecca asked me about providing a guest post on marriage, I knew immediately what I wanted to share. Now, before you get your bloomers in a twist, I am not professing to know any perfect formula. I can tell you from experience, though, that I believe these six ideas are helpful and true about marriage. Let's get started!

Say what? Yep, you read that correctly. Never date someone you wouldn't marry. My great-grandmother said this a LOOOOONG time ago. She was talking to my older cousins, but I was always nosy and listened to others' conversations! Nannie always told young people to have high expectations and know what you want.

Husband and I met using an unconventional method: the Internet. Before the days of online match-making sites, we had Divine Providence and instant messaging. Despite the challenges and unfortunate "catfishing" events in recent media stories, honest communication is crucial. Whether by email, telephone, or a handwritten note, Husband and I were transparent about everything: who we were, what we wanted in a relationship, and what we expected from each other. Thanks to our mutual respect and commitment, our relationship was stronger than the 900 miles that separated us for a year.

I'm grinning right now because I know, without a doubt, Husband is my biggest fan and I am the same for him. We make a really great team.

Husband often says, "just nod and smile" and that's my cue that he simply wants me to listen. He's a verbal processor and very detailed-oriented. Because I'm interested, I pay attention and actively listen. In the same way, I bounce ideas off of Husband and seek his advice too. Even though he's a very private person, he supports me having a blog and completed this Q&A session for a post.

As mentioned earlier, the recent "catfishing" that has surfaced from online relationships blossoming from dishonesty is really unfortunate. I don't want to discount those of us who have successfully found love online, but I want to caution everyone out there to be extremely careful when taking the virtual route. Just because it worked for me, doesn't mean it'll work for everybody else. No matter what, you have to be careful. And, for goodness sakes, be authentic. Be true about who you are *AND* be honest to the other person. Last, but not least ...

This is probably my favorite and most cherished piece of marital advice because it is so true. While I've never considered my marriage to be a job, it requires attention, energy, and commitment. When I'm having a rough day or just not feeling the passion, I look at pictures of us before we were married, our wedding day, and other photos. I have some framed in our home, plus others saved on my computer. Husband keeps me smiling and laughing. We're always being flirtatious and silly and act like goobers. 

Husband and I are very blessed.

 

Now it's your turn. What's your best relationship or marital advice?

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