life beyond the well…

Category Archives: Life


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Make Marriage Look Good

It’s hard to believe, but in a few days (like 8), Preacherman and I will have been married for six months.  This first half-year of our marriage has flown by, and it’s been an incredible experience learning and growing together.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit two places that I haven’t been in a while- my old high school and my former job.  Both were filled with people who haven’t seen me since Preacherman and I got married.  While it was great to catch up with people and see people who I haven’t seen in a bit, I heard variations of the following comments frequently:

“You look so happy!  Marriage really agrees with you!”

“It’s so good to see you!  You look great!  Marriage is treating you well!”

Now, I just smiled and said thank you, because I do agree that marriage agrees with me and is treating me well.  And while I am no marriage expert, I am happily married.  But I was so surprised that so many people were surprised that I look (and am) happily married.

Seriously.  What is this about?  Was I supposed to get married and just fall off?  Was I supposed to get married and become unhappy?  I’m so confused.

Not only am I confused, but I’m also sad that people have associated marriage with unhappiness (both in terms of looks and emotions).  Marriage isn’t supposed to be that way, and I don’t think that anyone enters marriage expecting to be unhappy.  No one agrees to be with someone for the rest of their life with the expectation that it will be horrible.

For those of you who are married, engaged, seriously dating, or plan to be married at SOME point- please do me a favor: MAKE MARRIAGE LOOK GOOD. Be happy.  Enjoy your spouse.  LIKE (and love) your spouse.  Be their FRIEND.  Speak well of them to others.  Do the work that it requires.  Remember and remind them why you love them.  Let us each do our part in promoting marriage as wonderful, fulfilling, engaging, lifelong relationship; instead of something that leads people down the path of despair.

Be encouraged!  Peace and blessings!


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Choosing to Be Healed

I’ve been fortunate to not have to deal with allergies.  When the spring comes and people are struggling to breathe, and are suffering through itchy eyes, I’m usually just annoyed by the way pollen desires to make itself known on my car.  However, over the past few years, I started to have sinus problems; having my first sinus infection in 2009, and some other ones since then.

On Monday, I woke up feeling kinda blah, and I attributed it to the change in weather.  I forced myself to go to the gym, and while there, I could feel my sinuses starting to bother me.  I pressed through my workout, and while I was on my way home, I was praying to the Lord to allow me to feel better, and asking Him to show me things that I could do so that my sinuses wouldn’t bother me anymore.  And then I heard this:

“Do you want to feel better or do you want to be healed?”

After thinking about it, and processing what I heard, I realized that what I really wanted was to be healed.  I want to be free from the issue altogether, and never have to worry about having to deal with it again.

I came to this conclusion after some thought, but I also began to think of how often I have chosen just to “feel better” instead of “be healed”.  It’s so easy to choose options that treat the symptoms but don’t cure the ailment.  While a treatment is good (and praise the Lord for treatments), what I want is to be healed.

Our society has become so medicated, and so into wanting a “quick fix” that we will often choose feeling better over being healed.  The truth is that being healed requires work.  And often times, we’d rather take the pill for the next 5 years instead of putting in the work over the next 5 months to be healed.  I’m determined to NOT live my life that way.  While the “quick fix” can temporarily make me feel better, I pray for the strength to always choose to be healed; despite the work that it may require.

I encourage you to choose to be healed over just feeling better.  Be willing to do the work that is required and press for your healing, instead of settling for a quick fix.  You’re worth it.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!