Welcome to my new Blog!

This website is dedicated to our Lord and to men and women who live every day in a spiritually mismatched marriage. It is my prayer that this forum will be the place where Christians can find support, encouragement, and practical resources to thrive in their unequal marriage.

I pray that when you visit this site you will be inspired and offer your own insights into God’s design for a healthy marriage in the midst of different viewpoints.

Wow, I wrote these words exactly three years ago today, May 1, 2006. I wonder, as you have visited over the years have you found these words to be true?

As Dineen and I head into the next year of writing, I pray these words all over again. I am deeply humbled that the Lord has allowed me to share the hope I have in Him and in my marriage.

Thank you for allowing me to be part of your life. More than that - thanks for being a part of my life. I am a better woman and wife because of your friendship.

With that said, I now want to turn to a subject we have yet to explore here at Spiritually Unequal Marriage.

WHAT IF YOUR MARRIAGE NEVER CHANGES!

I have written about change often. I have shared how Jesus has changed me and how my spouse has changed. However, there are many of us who in a weak moment allow a tiny thought to penetrate our mind…. What if….

What if he never has a change of heart? What if she never finds Christ? What if she never grows up? What if he never really “knows” the real me?

Tough stuff. For a certain number of marriages, these scenarios are reality. I want to visit these questions in the weeks ahead.

I am reading a great book right now, Thriving Despite A Difficult Marriage by Michael Misja, PhD and Chuck Misja, PhD. They are Christian counselors who practice in Akron, Ohio. In many regards what they have written is what I have been sharing here at SUM. You can thrive, you can have hope, and you can live a fulfilling life even in a challenging marriage.

I know that not all of you who visit SUM find yourself in a long marriage today with little hope for change so this topic may not apply. However, the principals in this book offer all of us hope to enjoy living while we are waiting. The book puts forth three models of a difficult marriage. Where do you see your marriage in these descriptions?

The “Happily Ever After” marriage is for personal fulfillment and pleasant circumstances. In the “Nobel Misery” model the hope is that God will provide enough strength to survive the mess. In the “Thriving Despite” model, the concept of hope looks like…..

….. This is the model we will look at. I plan to post about this kind of marriage in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned.

Have a wonderful weekend. Be Blessed, Lynn

Thriving Despite a Difficult Marriage By Michael Misja & Chuck Misja