Lessons From the Fall: A Holiday Update from the Newlyweds

Hello Newlyweds, Engaged, and Married Friends!

The journey God has led my husband and me through during the Fall season has been one that was very challenging and yet very fruitful! I've slowed down on writing to focus on the lessons God has been teaching me in this season. It's interesting to step back and see how much of a blessing it is when God doesn't give you exactly what YOU want the way you want it right away, but allows tough situations to build your character and lead you to seek him with a pure heart. We've learned so much about ourselves, our relationship with God and how important that is, along with a heart to be obedient, patient, long suffering, and kind to God and each other. I've personally made many mistakes and have sinned many times against God and my husband, and through their loving correction I continue to grow stronger. I have a long way to go. It has been so amazing to watch the gradual way God is polishing my husband as an incredible leader and husband throughout it all!

We've both been working hard in Los Angeles and keeping focused on career goals and financial goals. Nick's been doing some incredible production and songwriting work, as well as continuing to serve as a Minister of Music at the local church we attend and thoroughly managing the business of our home. I'm still working on the business side of music in public relations, pursuing the final stretch of my bachelor degree in Business Marketing (I should be graduating this time next year!), and looking into local volunteer ministry and speaking opportunities. It's been a busy year!

It would be such a BLESSING to hear an update from all of our friends and family about how you're doing in your marriages and what God has been showing you this last fall, summer, and now into the winter holidays! Whether you're engaged, newlywed, or going on 40 years, we love to hear from you! Please comment and share with your friends!

You can leave your comments below, and please use the share link to Facebook!

Blessings,

Crystal A. Blount

P.S. Here a photo of Nick and me on thanksgiving at our Pastor's house! Wishing you all a great Christmas!

Confession: The Greatest Lesson I Learned As A Newlywed

Confessions and Lessons of Year One

by Crystal A. Blount

Hello Newlyweds, Soon-to-Be's, and Married Folk!

It's truly a blessing and honor to be able to share my reflections with you in this blog. This blog was initially my idea of a way to join with my husband in a hobby that we might both take interest in. I'm more of the blogging type, and for reasons mentioned below...you've heard mainly from me. However, my husband Nick's leadership and guidance has been an undercurrent throughout this process, and I am grateful to have his support as I express myself through the written word. 

The Lord led me to a quiet place of soul-searching, and so I have not blogged in almost 2 months. The last two months have been life-changing, full of hard work, and yet very healing for me as I've begun to allow God to go deeper into my heart in my efforts to trust Him fully. I can see promises of God being fulfilled now and in the future for my wonderful Husband and me as we approach our ONE-year Anniversary! 

But before I can really get excited about our 25 year anniversary, or any others, I have to come clean about my struggles so you all can truly see my heart in this blog and be blessed by God. We bring our pain and sin to God, and he can make it something beautiful.

The Confession:

I have never fully trusted God, my Husband, or any man in my entire life.

Ready To Call it Quits? Encouragement For Newlyweds

Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God. —Psalm 42:5

Marriage is the most challenging experience I have ever had in my life, and may ever have. Now, don't get me wrong. I love being married, and I am crazy about my Husband, really. I have never been more motivated in all my life to go after the fullness God has for me. I have a wonderfully compassionate and patient Husband. Still, this is no dating game. I can't check out, hang up, storm out, break up then make up when things get rough. The rose-colored goggles are gone and we both get tired. Making a vow to God at the altar to love, honor, and cherish someone and to honor that commitment until death, is not the same as saying, "I love you and I want to spend my life with you". Becoming one is an art to be mastered, and we are beginners picking the strings out of tune while our fingers become raw and callused.

What's The Point? How Marriage Teaches You To Forgive

Loving and Forgiving Even When I Don't Feel Like It?

During times of stress in marriage, I've begun to find myself wondering "God, what is the point in all of this?" What motivation do I have to continue to give of myself in this when it doesn't seem like what I'm doing is producing any fruit or change? Whether I'm feeling guilty of my own confessed shortcomings, pointlessly dwelling on the flaws of my spouse, or just frustrated with the entire process of becoming one, God must have a plan.

THE TRUTH! The First Step To Having A Healthy Relationship

Before being married, I was given some advice by an acquaintance. He said to me, "Your wife ain't gotta know everything". This may most definitely work for his marriage, but as for mine, WRONG!! I am convinced that most marriages are lacking the happiness and joy that they should have and ultimately end up in failure because of the lack of TRUTH! Both men and women keep feelings and thoughts from each other in an attempt to shield the feelings of their mate. This type of thinking will always lead down a road that could be avoided if the truth was and ALWAYS is spoken in LOVE!

Getting Your Way By Doing Absolutely Nothing

Bitterness over countless disappointments in people both personally and professionally caused me to be one of those people that believed “If you want a job done right, do it yourself!” When things didn’t turn out right, I constantly justified my wrong actions by denying them and defending them, and placing the blame on everyone else. After all, if you and everyone else has done me this way, or everything always turns out the same, I have to protect my self! I have a tendency to want to be very outspoken.

Being in a healthy relationship is teaching me that my way isn’t always the best way, and that, as the saying goes, “you can attract a lot more bees with honey than vinegar”. I am learning to be a much better LISTENER.  Being able to back down for sake of peacemaking, be kind, and consider others before yourself, is a skill that requires a great deal of virtue and strength, and can’t be perceived as weak (unless of course you are allowing someone to blatantly wrong you or abuse you- then run!).