First ninety Days of Marriage

Chapter One ; How to have the perfect marriage ; - Eric - ; "Great marriages aren't stumbled upon, they are fought for." ;I woke up this morning, like I do every morning, with the desire to have the greatest marriage in the history of the world. Aiming to have the perfect marriage is my mission, it's my quest; it's my Mt Everest. And yes, I'm fully aware of how great a masterpiece I am attempting to paint. ;Where others aim to become the world's fastest human or the next American Idol, my ambition is a bit misunderstood by the mainstream mentality. I know great marriage doesn't come cheap -- I know how much such a lofty ambition will cost me. It will take my pride and flush it down the toilet; it will tax every millimeter of my soul and ruthlessly expose my every selfish tendency; it will renovate my entire existence. ;And I say, "bring it on!" ;Great marriage is like an Olympic event. To compete at a world-class level in the arena of love demands extreme dedication, the focus of your entire being, and a staggering expenditure of heart, mind, and body. Marriage is certainly not life under a shade tree -- it's an emotional, physical, and psychological obstacle course in which only the fortified survive. Great marriages are the stuff of the heartiest and stoutest souls. Marriage inevitably weeds out the serious lovers from the casual holiday-ers seeking a short-term thrill and a few wedding gifts. Marriage is boot camp for the soul, the testing of the fiber of the heart, and the proving ground for the true substance of one's love. ;And I say, "bring it on!" ;Great marriages aren't stumbled upon, they are fought for. And if you achieve this impossible goal, there is no gold medal awaiting you on a podium in the end, no screaming crowd to applaud your many efforts, and no Wheaties box photo op to authenticate your sacrifice for posterity. No one outside of your God, your spouse, and your children may ever know what you have achieved. ;And I say, "bring it on!" ;Great marriage garners a much greater reward than mere human accolades. It wins the applause of heaven, the utter delight and total affection of your spouse for a lifetime, the purest and most perfect intimate pleasure a human can possibly know, and as a final bonus -- the lifelong admiration and respect of your children. A great marriage may cost you everything, but it also will unlock your heart to know the depths of God Almighty. In short, a great marriage gives back ten thousand times more than it takes. ;So I say, "bring it on!" ; ~~ ;What did you wake up this morning desiring to pursue? A cup of Starbucks? A few more hours sleep? An available bathroom? In the first ninety days of your new life together as a couple, you have an opportunity to establish a larger vision for your life as newly-weds. You too can share in my wake up routine, desiring to make your marriage into the world's very best. In fact, it's my desire that you will enter into a little bit of healthy competition with me and say, "Eric, your love story with Leslie is not even going to compare to mine!" As Paul encouraged the Romans, "Outdo one another in showing honor (Rom 12:10b). (1) I want you to look at my desire as a threat. I want your competitive juices to flow and I want your heart to burn with a clear sense of purpose. I want you to give me a run for my money! I want you to try and "outdo" me. After all, what's the challenge in it if no one else tries? Imagine God saying to me, "WellLudy, Eric is the author of 'First ninety Days of Marriage ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780849905247 and ISBN 0849905249.