Lessons from 16 years of marriage!

Chelsea and I just celebrated 16 years of marriage. I know it's crazy. We got married in college and were both 20 and it was the best thing that ever happened to this dude. The past 16 years have been an amazing journey as we have grown up together. We spent 7 years without kids and enjoyed every minute of that time. We also have 2 amazing daughters now that amaze us every day. We have survived college and grad school and at least one of us hopes to never go back (me of course). We have experienced amazing highs and unbearable lows as we have tried to honor Christ with our lives. On top of all of that we have had the privilege of serving 5 churches filled with incredible people. I am so blessed to have been given 16 years with Chelsea Bayne! After 16 years even a man can learn a few things so here are a few lessons I have learned...

• Communication is the secret sauce in marriage. / Communication leads to intimacy and trust. Guys you better learn to communicate if you want a marriage that works for the long haul. 
• Marriage is better when I do my part around the house. / This took a few years but our marriage is better when we partner with work around the house. This is our home, we need to make it the best it can be together.
• Enjoy every moment, there are no guarantees. / I have watched too many of my friends watch their spouse face sickness, military deployments, and crazy accidents that turned everything upside down. Every day is a gift. 
• Have fun. / dates matter, vacations matter, laughing matters, accomplishing goals matters...have fun being married. Life is too short. 
• Pursue Christ together. / Jesus....chasing after Jesus solves so many issues that come up in marriage. Serving together, praying for each other, studying the Bible, living out the teachings of Jesus...that makes a difference in marriage. 
• Parent as a team. / Working together to parent makes sure your kids get the best of both of you. Parents who unite have a better shot of raising healthy kids. 
• Dream big dreams. / Goals put some adventure into the ordinary. Goals also helps us maximize our time and resources. We want to make sure we accomplish great things together. 
• Drop the American dream. / New cars, bigger houses, and more stuff don't lead to a better marriage. We are trying to work hard to not fall into that normal trap...it's happening all around us so it's hard to avoid.