When Sinners Say I Do

I mentioned earlier that Mike and I would be doing some of our pre-marital counseling with a couple in our church. We are so blessed to be able to meet with Scott and Nicole Stonehouse. They have been married 12 years and have 3 adorable children. Check out how cute this sweet family is:

We have been excited about meeting with Scott and Nicole, and last night was our first official "session" with them. (I feel like that sounds weird and way more formal than it really is, but I can't think of a better word right now). Scott and Nicole are so fun, and I really enjoy our time with them. One of the reasons we chose them was because of how real and down-to-earth they both are. They have so much to offer, and I am really looking forward to gleaning from their wisdom.

For some discussion points, we chose to read through a book by Dave Harvey called When Sinners Say "I Do:" Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage. We discussed the first chapter last night, and I think I am going to like this book. The author started off with an overview of the foundations of marriage, and I like what he has to say so far.

I really liked this quote from the first chapter:

When we begin to orient our marriages around biblical truth, we see something amazing. Marriage is not just invented by God – it belongs to God.  He has unique claim over its design, purpose, and goals.  It actually exists for Him more than is exists for you and me and our spouses...Marriage is for our good, but it is first for God's glory.

I pray that Mike and I can live this as much as possible in our marriage. I can imagine how easy it would be to make our marriage about us. Don't misunderstand me- we should be working to love and serve each other well, in a way that honors and glorifies Christ. But I think living under the reality that the whole purpose of our marriage is for God's glory is a little different than just making God's glory a goal of our marriage. It seems like a simple enough "duh" thought, but I think this will be a good reminder for me as we start to look practically at what our lives together will look like.

We plan to meet with once a month, both before our wedding and even through the first months of married life. I think being able to talk with both before and after our wedding will be so beneficial. I am so thankful for Scott and Nicole, and their willingness to take time out of their busy schedule to meet with us. It is so encouraging to see a couple strive to make Christ the center of their marriage, while loving each other well and serving others around them. I am so excited to develop deeper relationships with this sweet couple!