What Marriage Has Taught Me.

Hey Finisher😀

On October 2nd, my husband and I celebrated 22 years of marriage. I described it as feeling accomplished. It may be an odd word choice to describe an anniversary, but for me it translated into endurance—the power to endure an unpleasant or difficult situation without giving way.

In twenty-two years, we have had some unpleasant and difficult days that resulted in anger, disappointments, miscommunication, or no communication that could have easily gave way to calling it quits, but we kept recommitting year after year through prayer and more prayer.

What Marriage Taught Me...

Marriage has taught me, and is teaching me, that you MUST die daily to selfishness. It’s not always about you. That doesn’t mean it’s never about you, but it is about sowing and reaping.

In HIS is HERS and In HERS is HIS.

Can you see the book sequel loading?

If only we as married couples could grasp and master that alone, marriages would flourish in unimaginable ways. Can you imagine the harvest that awaits when both aim to cultivate the ground of the other? Both planting patience, kindness, encouragement, and diligently discovering what makes the other grow and flourish? Oh my! The harvest of joy, laughter, and endless love that awaits.

My beautiful niece, Raquel, recently celebrated her 3rd wedding anniversary, and my advice to her was, “Keep a pulse on your marriage so that you recognize early when it’s not beating the same.”

In checking my own pulse, I have been challenged by what it means to love endlessly. It is so much more than emotional; it is sacrificial. Why? Because we battle with our own selfish desires. We insist on our way or no way at all. What God means by love can feel excruciating—just ask Jesus. It may require you to surrender that intense urge to retaliate, become resentful, stubborn or unwilling to yield, which can be “difficult and unpleasant.” So when I say I feel accomplished after celebrating 22 years of marriage now you know!

What Marriage Has Taught Me...

Marriage has also taught me that endurance is not simply about staying—it is about being willing to keep tending to what you have committed to. It is recognizing when the pulse changes and being determined enough to do something about it. Don’t just acknowledge it—respond to it. Because what you consistently cultivate has the potential to flourish.

If you’ve been following along lately, you may have noticed a thread weaving through these emails—starting, cultivating, and finishing. Think of these emails as a series—each one adds to the story, and you’ll have to keep watching to see what happens next!

So keep following along; there’s more to come. 😉

Until next time I will be praying yours and I hope you are praying mine.

See you at the finish line.

Tammy D,

Your Project Manager

Project Finish It™Believe It. Build It. Finish It.