I Said "Yes" - Now What?

That is a good question and not too many ask it before marriage. Pre-martial counseling is so important, but sometimes it is neglected or not taken seriously. You need to spend more time preparing for marriage then you do for your wedding. The engagement period is not about planning a wedding, it is about planning a future marriage. Instead of a wedding checklist here is a marriage checklist:

Pray for him. You need to spend time praying for your future husband. I have found a book that helps me when I am praying for my husband, "Praying God's Will for My Husband" by Lee Roberts. I like it because it is praying scripture over my husband. I'm praying according to the Word and will of God.

Study the Word. I can not stress enough how important this is. If you want to understand God's plan for marriage and the Christan family you have to study the Word. Start with these verses: Genesis 2:18-25, Proverbs 31:9-31, I Corinthians 7, and Ephesians 5:22-33.

Talk about how your family will work. This is an important discussion, because both of you come from different family dynamics. The backgrounds you come from influences the marriage you will have. There will be things that you and he will have to change and compromise on. You need to be able to safely discuss these. For example, How will you discipline your kids? Will you work outside the home? If you work outside the home, how will the home jobs be divided? When children come, will you stay home or still work outside the home? The list could go on, but you get the point. The engagement period is the time to discuss these items.

Take time to dream. You have dreamed about your wedding day since you were a little girl. Now it is here and God has given you someone to dream with. Take the time to dream with your fiancée about the future, because when you say, "I do" he becomes your future and you become his. Be sure to include God in those dreams.

Discuss communication obstacles. Now is the time to talk about any concerns with communications. You have been dating and getting to know each other. Is there anything about the way you or he communicates that is a concern? Now is the time to talk about it. For example, My husband knew when we were dating I struggled with telling him what I thought and felt about situations. But we never talked it through while dating and it caused some issues early in our marriage. Now I have learned that he wants to hear my thoughts and feelings. He also knows that he has to ask questions sometimes to find out how I feel.

I would love for others to add to this marriage checklist. Please just add your comments. God Bless all the future marriages and keep safe the current ones.