Marriage Mission Statement

      Two months ago, I started contributing to a blog called Today's Housewife, writing about the home once a month.  It has been great fun.  Today, that blog is hosting a link-up about marriage mission statements, and I thought I would share ours.  We have been married 6 years, which you can read about in this post, and on that day, we signed a paper that we have framed and hung in the entrance to our bedroom.



It has served as a great reminder of what we want to be doing - basically a target to aim at, which is so helpful in a life that quickly gets crowded with activity and influence.  When we married, we were right in the middle of our masters program.



      Little known fact: John and I actually have matching degrees - a Bachelors of Science in Family and Human Services and a Masters of Science in Leadership and Ethics, all from John Brown University.  Just the winning combination that every restaurant owner needs.  In all seriousness, they both have been such a blessing, and it is so fun to have shared education.  Maybe another day, I will have to tell the story of how God brought John and I together during and after undergrad - He is so good to take care of us like that.
      Anyway, for our Masters, we took classes like "Mission, Vision, Values" and "Building Teams," so as we approached our marriage, we wanted to outline the purpose of our marriage from the get go.  We actually incorporated it into our ceremony by signing it on stage.  Here it is:

On our wedding day, April 16, 2005, we stand before God and men to commit our married life to God and His purposes.  Through prayer and consideration, we have defined our life values and mission as a couple.  We choose to willingly enter into covenant with God and one another in regard to these things.

Life Values

* We will love one another better by seeking to love God more and to glorify Him.
* We will care for ourselves by establishing times of rest and celebrating the Sabbath.
* We will take care of our bodies through a healthy diet, regular sleep and consistent exercise.
* We will view our lives as gifts from God.
* We will look for opportunities to touch the lives of others both intentionally and circumstantially.
* We will tithe and give sacrificially of our money, time and emotions.
* We will trust God with our future, both immediate and long term, and we will seek Him, not answers.
* We will make our gifts and talents readily available to God's calling and uses.
* We will maintain and cherish our friendships with people that we love.

Mission

In response to God's great love, we, as one flesh, will tend His lambs and shepherd His sheep.

(Based on John 21:15-19)

For us, this has been a great tool.  We have tried to run all major decisions through this gauntlet - will this  ________ allow us to live out what we have committed to?  And though we regularly fail - like all the time - it has been a very defined way to view our life together, and I am so thankful for it.