Extra Extra! My husband rocks!

    If you, like many, happen to be married to a human being, your spouse probably has some flaws. Whether it's his annoying habit of leaving his dirty clothes right beside the hamper, or her impressive ability to spend just BEYOND the grocery budget every week, your partner does things that make you cringe. You bite your tongue, trying not to start another fight, but what happens when you get to work, the salon, lunch with the girls? Do you let it all out? Do you go on and on about how frustrating it is to be married to them?

    It is natural to want to dump our marital stresses out on the closest victim outside of our marriage, but this is so dangerous! Why? You are painting the picture for yourself and others on a regular basis of what your marriage looks like. You are either reminding yourself of why you are married to them, or advertising their weaknesses and flaws, selling yourself and others on why you shouldn't have to deal with them. The truth is, your spouse has some great qualities, or you wouldn't have married them. Have you ever thought to brag on them in public rather than jump on the bandwagon of complaining about your marriage? With the divorce rate as high as it is, I would guess you don't want an average marriage. If that is the case, we need to do some things that average people don't do, and we need to STOP doing some things also.

   Whether you know it or not, the things you say about your spouse when they are not around really affect your marriage. Need proof? I recently went to the dentist. I had never been to this office, and honestly was not looking forward to it, but Justin had made the appointment, so I went. He had recently had a good experience there, and recommended I go. After being poked and prodded on, my sore mouth and I headed to the check out to see how much the torture would cost. The friendly woman at the desk said, "How is Justin doing?" Impressed with her memory, and said "Great, he thinks pretty highly of you guys." She then went on to tell me how she just thinks the world of my husband, and wishes he would teach HER husband a few things. Let me just say this is not the first time I have heard something like this, and from a generation ahead of us. When I got home, I asked what he says to get these women to think he is the best thing since sliced bread. You know what he said? "All I do is brag on you honey."

   Pretty powerful huh? You see it is rare to find someone bragging on their spouse. Everyone knows marriage is difficult. Nobody has the perfect marriage, or the perfect partner, but when you decide to focus on your spouses good qualities, the world notices there is something a little different about YOU. So let's make it a habit to spread the good news about our marriage. In the process, we will encourage others, strengthen our relationship, and remind ourselves why we're married. Then, when life hits, and we need encouragement, the people around you can remind you of your spouse's good qualities and empower you to stay the course. Who knows, maybe this one habit could prevent thousands of divorces, getting married couples everywhere through those tough times we all face. Give it a try; I look forward to hearing your stories!