THE BEGINNING

I was talking to a real close friend of mine! We were discussing when a man really loves a woman he requires of her something from her. As we well discovered if he doesn't know how to properly receive or ask they tend to act out in a way that damages their own relationship with her. 
What I am talking about is the woman's heart. Ask yourself did he require it or did you automatically grant him you're heart? 
This was my question: How can you become one flesh when you're hearts don't beat as one? What am I saying? The songwriter was onto something with the words to a song was "if you're heart wasn't in it ....." the meaning is quite clear. We were talking about from engagement to marriage. 

Step 2: Premarital Jitters

Yeah!! You have set a date and now on your way to a happy ever after!!! I am going to say this once. Remain calm and think before you react, or say anything. Tempers flares at the crunch hour anywhere between 72 to 24 hours of the wedding. Why you ask, checking things off the check list and making last minute requesting or canceling to redo miracle working wedding. My absolute favorite is when the in laws and friends get involved and tell what they would if they were you. HOLD ON!!!

STEP 1 - Keep in mind this day belongs to the BRIDE and the GROOM!! NO ONE should tell you how to celebrate your day together that you are inviting them and others to enjoy your day with you.

                                STEP 2 - Make sure you have a comfortable budget to work with for your wedding day and keep in mind know who is paying for this event. (Traditionally the brides father pays for the wedding) Modernly the bride and groom both pay for the wedding together. All I am saying plan out how much you are going to spend on your day, and DO NOT go over your limit or go out and borrow money to help pay for your day. STAY ON TARGET!!!

                                 STEP 3 - Make a list of must haves and don't forget price out your must haves. If you can afford it all WOO HOO! If not oh well there are many ways to make it do create the things that you can create yourself or cut out the things you can do without. Plan and enjoy the planning together and communicate always with each other. Now go get it down.

Now let me ask you this how many people does it take to say I DO? That is who should plan out your big day everyone has a suggestion but at the end of day who is the celebration for? Now if they want to pay for their happiness in your day who's day does it become then?
True Story: A young couple asked the brides grandmother to help them plan their wedding with them. She agreed and took over the whole entire planning. The theme went from California Raisins to the Rainbow with the pot of gold at the end. The theme that won was the Rainbow wedding the brides maids all wore a pastel colored dress and the flowers were all forever flowers (artificial), and the wedding seemed like a wrong children's birthday party with a wedding in plant. Reception party had a thrown together feel not quite what the bride nor the groom wanted at all. Which created a fight almost everyday how he wasn't apart of the wedding planning and how their thoughts wasn't even considered and then the all time question WHY? That marriage lasted 6 months like I said true story my story and notice it ended in divorce sad as it sounded it made me grow up even more. Please hear me although your friends and family mean well but what price will your marriage suffer if you allow them to tell you what they would do? It's not up to them so OWN IT let that memory of that blessed day be of happy and proud moments of your day. You BOTH deserve it!

Keep in mind this is a big step that comes with duties for you both to fulfill unto God and each other.
Let's start with:

Marriage
Proverbs 18:22 Commended who so findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the LORD
1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
1 Timothy 5:14 I will therefore that the younger woman marry, bear children, guide the house given none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. (reproachfully - full of or expressing reproach, or censure. It is a look of shame)
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whore-mongers and adulterers God will judge. (undefiled - c 1300, undefylde, from un, (1) "not" + past participle of defile (v) Originally of morals, sexual sense is attested from mid- 15c. Physical sense of "not made dirty" is from 1580s.)

Obligation
 Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife: and they shall become one flesh.
Matthew 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultry, and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultry.
Mark 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together let no man put assunder. (assunder - into separate pieces or in marriage to separate)
Romans 7:2 For the woman which has an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband
1 Corinthians 7:10, 11 And unto the married I command, yet not I but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband; and let not the husband put away his wife.

I won't tell you that once you marry there is sweet peace; peace is something you have to work towards. I will get into more as we go on. I pray you are ready!



Michele Richardson
https://www.fromthedeskofevangmrichardson.webnode.com

https://www.siameserescue.org
Director Tami Manning

Step 1 Courting God's Way

Let me start off by saying this is what I have told my children and some of their friends. It all starts in how you want God to see you and the union you are trying to build together with God. Here is where you plan your lives together and it is very important that you both are on the same page if not big problems down the line.
Remember to be honest and considerate of each others responses. Bishop J. E. Tyson used to tell us to fight fair don't bring in trading stamps (trading stamps is last week you did this and the other tries to come up with something even bigger. While courting toward betrothed can turn real sour real quick. Soon to be family members telling you what I call horror stories of their own lives, although they mean well know who you are about to give your live to. Skids.......Do you trust that person enough to have your back, help in decision making or making medical choices when your not able. Do you love them enough to leave the people menu/ex-menu alone? Do you love them enough to continue to pray and read the bible together? What you establish together during the courting time you will increase during your marriage years.

Let’s Begin

A potential bride and groom must haves:  Attend the same church together set time for each other to really study together and pray. Know this without a foundation the house you build together will not stand. With a sound foundation your relationship can stand against the test and trials of life. Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 1Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

When getting to know each other there are no boundaries, but you do need to reassure that no matter what you find out about each other that you will learn to work it out and talk about things that maybe bothering you or just whatever may be on your mind. Keep in mind that it is the two of you for the rest of your lives together. Make the beginning able to be carried all the way till death do you part.

Warning****** DO NOT HAVE RELATIONS UNTIL AFTER THE WEDDING CEROMONEY!!