Lesson One

Here is my first lesson learned and piece of advice to those who can still learn from it!
In my first few months I went on quite the rollercoaster ride. I had an incredible wedding and know the Lord amazingly blessed my day. Even now, 9 months later I can look back at my wedding and get tears in my eyes and feel immense joy in my heart. It was a blessed and precious day to me, and other than the crazy picture lady (for those of you who know who this is), I couldn’t have asked for better. People talked about my wedding day to my parents for weeks after about how sweet the ceremony was and how beautiful it was. I know the Lord blessed it and my heart is flooded with gratitude when I think about it. I will maybe write more details on the wedding later.
So, I went from the amazing bliss of my wedding day to a wonderful, hot (I am referring to temperature here people), and unique honeymoon away from the world, and then…… right back to work.
For those who are anything like me and have a heart and desire to make your house a home and be a homemaker, this will set you up for great frustration and almost grief. In my first couple months of marriage my heart was to be at home. Finally a place all my own, with my new husband who my heart overflowed with love for, and all I wanted to do was just be at home to make it our home. Instead, I had to jump right back into the grind of work and all the stress that came with it.
If you have a non-taxing job, it might be fine. But for me, my job was stress and followed me wherever I went and working the weekend after I returned from my honeymoon. Not a great way to start your marriage. Rather than taking joy in my new marriage and what I had hoped and dreamed of for years, I became stressed, tired, angry, and overwhelmed. To make things worse, my employers are my family, so my anger was geared towards the ones I had treasured and been so close to for so many years.
So, needless to say, the first few months were extremely difficult on me. I knew this was supposed to be a time of enjoying the new season God had brought us to and our new lives together. I so treasured the fact that I was now a WIFE and had a HUSBAND, but couldn’t enjoy it. My heart wanted to be the best wife I could be and show my husband how much I treasured him, but I was too mentally, physically, and emotionally drained to feel I was doing a good job of being the kind of wife I felt the Lord called me to be. Because of the pull I felt between work, family, and my husband (my new family), I was a train wreck!
I am now 9 months into marriage. I still love it and things have become better thank the Lord. But it was only through His help that I got through. I am still working, but have figured out how to balance things a little better, but what I feel has helped the most is that I have become more comfortable in my role as a wife. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I am not frantic trying to figure things out like I was just a few months ago.
I say all that to say, if it is at all possible take time after your honeymoon away from work. Or even take a lesser load at work. This may not be reality for most people, as was my case, but if it is, do it! If you cant, then figure out a way to enjoy the learning process together with your husband or take your weekends to spend together and learn the new ways of married life. Turn work off when you leave (even if this means setting new boundaries with work). No matter the importance work once had in your life, don’t forget that your husband is now your first priority, after God, and make him first. Marriage is wonderful, but will completely change your routine, thinking, schedule, and so much more. Allow yourself some time to adjust and get used to it and don’t stress about getting it right all at once. Setting boundaries and giving yourself time will hopefully save you the immense stress that I had to struggle through in the beginning.

Pearls

I have created this blog not really wanting tons of people to view it, or caring what people think of what I put on here, but simply as an outlet and a way to share things I am learning in marriage. Some of those things will be lessons I have learned in marriage or my own personal revelations about marriage or being a wife. Other things will just simply be new hobbies I learn or things I create, because in creating you learn things.
I want to learn and grow through my marriage and enjoy it. I see being a wife as a blessing and treasure this role God has placed me in.
So the thoughts, lessons, ideas, revelations, or creations I share on here are my pearls and treasures and I can only hope they are valued and become something uplifting, encouraging, or eye-opening for those who might stop by. They may not be profound things, but they are my pearls nonetheless.