So I’ve been debating what to write lately! I mean, after writing about the wedding, the honeymoon, flying back to Australia, etc., there hasn’t been any major events in our lives in the past three weeks except the fact that we’re newlyweds!
Which isn’t a bad thing, I’m pretty sure we needed to relax and catch up with everything. We’ve definitely enjoyed being married the past seven weeks…we hang out at our new flat quite often! Lately we’ve been watching episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond which, it really is quite humorous.
We’ve started to settle into a routine; I’ve gotten involved in a women’s study group on Tuesday nights and we both attend Leadership Night on Thursday which is challenging yet fun. Josiah started getting a group together on Wednesday night to play rugby (the Australian version of football) down at Strand Park. The Strand Park is a small field right on the beach; the men play footy while some of the ladies sit and chat and listen to the waves. Saturdays and Sundays we clean the house together and then usually go to the Riverway and listen to the Chronicles of Narnia. I know, I know…we still haven’t finished The Silver Chair. It’s one of the best books in the series and we just don’t want it to be over!
I remember the first time we cleaned the house together, I thought “Man, it’s taking half the time to do this when someone helps you!” One of the things we’ve enjoyed most is working together as a team…no matter how hard of a day we’ve had, we get to come home to our best friend. And I’m training myself to remember and realize that when I get irritated with silly things I need to remember that God created me to be a help-meet, which means we’re on the same team, we’re both for each other–not against each other. Marriage is definitely a blessing, yet in the midst of it I’m continuously convicted of how selfish I can be in the smallest situations. Learning what it means to serve each other is taken to a whole another level when you start living with someone else.
Thanks to some friends who suggested we read NightLight, a six-month devotional designed for newlyweds, we’ve discovered small ways to deliberately appreciate, honor and love each other through everyday life. I love the evenings when we take turns reading the devotional out-loud and discussing different perspectives on various topics such as true love, servanthood, values, and many more (each week is a different topic).
If you really think about it, it’s kind of funny when you throw two different value systems of 20 years together to immediately become one. I mean, no wonder they say the first year is the hardest! We’re trying to figure out whether to pull the comforter over the pillows or put the pillows ontop of the comforter! And everyone knows, the toilet paper goes under and not over. Some people just haven’t gotten the memo!! 
But it’s been good; we’ve been challenged to the core and are learning compromise; what it means and how to do it. My pastor and his wife reminded us it’s 100/100%, not just 50/50% and that’s the truth! We’ve enjoyed it becuase we love challenges, and through it God’s using us as tools in each others lives and if we’re careful to be positive instead of complaining, then we catch the beauty of it and see the big picture.
Anyways…that’s a little bit on us. We’ll start taking more pictures to post so we’ll have something to post! Please email us or comment us; we still want to be a part of everyone’s life! We’re working on a newsletter (even though I don’t know what to write about besides the wedding and honeymoon! If you have suggestions or would like to know more about something in our life PLEASE email me your suggestion at josiahandcrissa@gmail.com, or just to be added to our mailing list) so let us know if would like to receive a newsletter and haven’t before.
Love you all and talk to you soon (hopefully)!
