Marriage (part 1)

I've been thinking a lot about marriage lately since WHM is putting on a conference for couples in ministry next week that I'll be leading and on the speaking team for. And I'd like to ask you to pray for me.

BUT... as small inducement and for your added enjoyment, I'm going to include both a few specific prayer requests, and a Top Ten List about marriage that I had originally wrote to send to a childhood friend who was tying the knot. I'll post it in two parts so check back in a few days.

Big Prayer Requests for Marriage in Ministry Conference:

1) That my material will come together. I've really been struggling over this last year to figure out how to become a more effective conference speaker. But one of the hardest things I've had to deal with is not being able to just teach through a passage of scripture from beginning to end. Most of my talks need to do something a little different than that. So I am again trying something new in an effort to get better.

2) That the Holy Spirit would really, really work in my life. There is almost nothing that is going to be taught that I don't need to have in my own life a lot more. So pray that my heart would continue to be broken over my sin and hardness toward Jennifer.

If you are going to pray for me, then feel free to keep reading. (If you aren't going to pray for me, you can still keep reading, but know that I'll be giving you the stink eye as you do.)

Patric’s Top Ten Tips for Enjoying the Marital State:

10) There is one and only one proper response to the question, “Does this make my butt look big?” Said with feeling and a straight face: “By all that is holy and right in the world, not at all!!” I know that saying, “Yes, but I love you anyway” really seems like a winner, but trust me it isn’t.

9) Despite early appearances, it is possible for a married man to find complete satisfaction in only having 1/100th the closet space that his wife does. She'd going to throw away all of your favorite jeans and sweatshirts anyway, so you'll probably need a lot less space than you think you do.

8) Flush.

7) “If you are going to the fridge could you get me another beer,” does not in fact count as meaningful conversation. (Who knew?)

6) Your mother-in-law is a wonderful person. (Keep saying this until you start to believe it. Just kidding folks!! MY mother-in-law is truly a wonderful person! [Nudge, Nudge. Wink, Wink. See how easy it is.])

If you'd like to see the rest of the list, tune in again in the next few days to get a few more of my "I'm both nuts and needy" prayer requests.

Thanks for praying~