Guest Blogger: Penny Zeller


Good marriages don’t just happen, they take work! Not the arduous, labor intensive kind of work, but the mental and emotional kind of dying to self and figuring him out kind of work. They also take time. Not the “you’ve just got on my last nerve and it’s over” kind of time, but the for better or for worse, til death do us part kind of time

Today, guest blogger Penny Zeller, gives us a glimpse of her heart and her life as she shares some encouraging advice on how to enjoy a lifetime of love with the one to whom you said, “I do.”

Draw closer to your spouse with these suggestions:

Take time alone with your spouse. You hear this all the time, but do you realize how important it is? Even if it’s lunch once a week or a weekend getaway, time alone without kids is crucial. Swap babysitting days with your closest friends. Be creative!

Take time to forgive. Lon and I have been married 17 years and there have been a few times when we’ve gotten on each other’s last nerve. Are there things that bother you about your spouse? Pray God will help you to forgive. Pray not that God will change your spouse, but that He would change the way you respond to the things your spouse does. Pray you would respond in a God-honoring way and draw upon His grace to do just that!

Take time to be thoughtful. One of Lon’s favorite meals is Stovetop Stuffing. Knowing this, I routinely make it for him. As a writer of Christian romance, Lon shows his love for me by listening to the latest chapter, even if he’d rather be watching a football game! Leave each other notes in the morning or send each other emails in the middle of the day.

Take time for humor. Lon and I love to write humor blogs together about silly happenings in our everyday lives. We also love to save all the clean joke emails we receive then sit and peruse them together. Another idea? Rent a DVD of one of your favorite Christian comedians and enjoy it – just the two of you.

What a precious gift the Lord has given you in your spouse. Take the time to relish your time together – something that will only further cement the love that binds together what God created – marriage.

Do you consider your marriage a close one? Do you have any advice you could share to help strengthen marriages?

You can learn more about Penny by visiting her blog at http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/

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