Cruising towards year seven and humbly practicing a few wise teachings that have come our way over the years: 1: Prioritize one another. Even with 5 kids in the equation, we manage to set aside alone time or something akin to a date night at least twice a month. (We’re currently attempting 15 minutes daily as well.) 2. Forgive. Even when things are tough, we’ve come to understand that the difficulties offer us an opportunity to grow. For me, this has been crucial. I never realized how judgmental and unforgiving I could be until marriage. 3. “Outdo one another in love.” May sound simple but if you’ve been married, exhausted with kids or in a stalemate with your partner, you know how difficult it can be to physically perform acts of love without the “loving feelings”. It can feel impossible to offer a back rub, make them a cup of coffee, even offer a smile, but in my opinion this is the ultimate flex- Learning to compartmentalize and set things aside in the name of peace and love. 🕊️ And not to say that I always or even close to always do this all correctly. There were 4 months where Luke and I didn’t even have a chance to converse alone, nonetheless book a date-night . Things grew tense between us though and my belief in maintaining connection was reinforced tenfold. Just this last week I had to make a repair after blowing up and sharing a boatload of unloving words. But life is about moving forward in the general, same direction of peace. Forgiveness is an act we take toward ourselves as well. The quicker we can recover and offer a genuine apology, the better. It’s been a blessing to have Godly counsel and insight poured into our lives, even in the midst of excruciating setbacks and struggles. I hope we can someday inspire and pass on wisdom as our mentors have done with us. One date-night at a time. 🤪 #portlandblogger #lavendalately #christiancouple #traveloregon #lukeandlavenda