Why I Read & Thoughts on Marriage

I was never a reader. My mom would tell you. I would rather be doing something else. I always wished I could love it like my sister & my mom. Just sit with a good book in my lap and devour it happily. The reason for this is probably that my comprehension of what I read is pretty poor, so I have to slow down and really focus. Otherwise I end up reading the same paragraph over & over again. As I grew older I learned how to cope. In PA school I learned how to skim my medical books and highlite the important info I would need to learn for the test & actually was very successful doing this.
After I became a Christian and began reading the bible I realized that I had been missing out on alot of wisdom. The bible was full of it. Other books too. So now when I read I really want it to count. A good fictional book that has a great life lesson in it or one that makes me cry in the end...I love those. But mostly I read books that I can use to encourage me along as a Christian. To help me be a better wife to Bill and a mom to Mad, A, and Matthew. I want to grow & learn. I hate feeling complacent and stuck...so I read.
My girlfriend Barb gave me a wonderful book on marriage called Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. The title says this, "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than happy?" Interesting concept huh?
In Ch. 2 the author says this: "Strong Christian marriages will still be struck by lightning- sexual temptation, communication problems, frustrations, unrealized expectations- but if marriages are heavily watered with an unwavering commitment to please God above everything else, the conditions won't be ripe for a devastating fire to follow the lightning strike. If I'm married only for happiness, and my happiness wanes for whatever reason, one little spark will burn the entire forest of my relationship. But if my aim is to proclaim and model God's ministry of reconciliation, my endurance will be fireproof."
Some really important pieces of wisdom right there. I'm grateful for the little reminders God gives me when I read. And here's the amazing thing. As I strive to become more holy as God calls me to...in His strength & grace...He gives me JOY!!! WOW...pretty amazing!