Love and War

My wife and I are coming up on 20 years of marriage. It's crazy to think that we have been married for more than half my life! I am not sure what the magic formula is or anything like that - what I do know is that it a lot of hard work and dedication.

I can honestly say that I love Tammy more today than ever. We have been through several rough valley's over the years. We were almost divorced twice, once right after Josh was born and I returned from sea (I was in the Navy at the time) and another time about 7 years in. Crazy to think where we would be today if we had followed through. I will tell you that in both instances, it was marriage counseling that got us through.

As you probably know if you have read other parts of my blog, I am a huge John Eldredge fan. Both Tammy and I have been to the Ransomed Heart Camps in Colorado. The message at these camps (Wild at Heart for men and Captivating for woman) has created a strong connection for us within our marriage. As a result of being in this message, our marriage is stronger and we understand the fact that we are at WAR and must fight for one another and our marriage.

So, we were delighted when we heard that John and his wife Stasi were releasing a book on marriage that carried the "Wild at Heart / Captivating" message. Tammy and I both read book as soon as it came out. We LOVED it. The book did a good job of uncovering the buried gemstones that make a marriage work. John and Stasi do a great job of bringing to life those "ah ha" moments that expose the reality of the situations be commonly find ourselves in. Those time when a simple argument over something really stupid can lead to thoughts of divorce and anger.

Love and War not only defines the critical issues that surround marriage, but it also provides the solutions to overcome every barrier that may exist. Even after 20 years of marriage, Tammy and I learned a lot from this book. Its amazing.

Tammy and I are so happy with the message of Love and War that we are considering starting a small group to go through the study. I have already purchased all the materials - we just need to find the time to get it started :)

I have really only touched the surface on what Love and War has to offer. If you have not read it yet, I highly recommend picking up a copy and getting started today.