After almost 4 years of blogging, we feel that it is time to let new voices share their insights into living Christian marriage. We want to thank all who have taken the time to read our posts and we ask for your prayers for our family. It has been our great pleasure and privilege to share the gift of our family with all of you.

For our last post, we want to share a few simple thoughts…

Mary Jo: In our first post for this blog, we wrote about the difference between a promise and a vow. Promises come and go, some are fulfilled, and some are broken.

But a vow, especially a sacred vow comes with a gift that assures us that we have God’s help to live it out. On our wedding day, we receive the sacramental grace to faithfully fulfill our vows.

Trust in the power and sacredness of those vows and believe in the mission that you are living with your marriage and family. God will give you the strength to withstand the trials and tribulations of life and use those very difficulties to shape your marriage into something beautiful – a beacon of light in a time of darkness. That is your happily ever after.

And finally, laugh and enjoy your family. Our busy lives often get in the way of us truly savoring the boundless joy that is right in front of us. Make time to ponder in your hearts as Our Lady did and you will receive all the insight needed to properly care for the little souls God chooses to place in your care.

Dennis: I will start by echoing what Mary Jo stated, that trusting in the grace of your wedding vows is one of the greatest gifts that you have to strengthen and transform your marriage into something that is truly beautiful. God desires this beauty for every marriage. He will surely answer our calls for assistance; we only need to turn to Him whenever we face the difficulties and challenges that come to every family.

I, too, encourage you to make time to enjoy your children. They really do grow up so quickly. Do not lose out on a single moment to spend time with your children. Go for a family hike in God’s wonderful creation. Sit and read a book together. Those simple moments, once passed, are lost forever.

As we are now grandparents to three beautiful young boys, we continue to treasure each of the special moments we have with them and hope to have with all of our grandchildren yet to come.

Finally, as a husband and father, I offer one last piece of advice to all the married men out there: trust in your wife, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. I believe that God gifted women with hearts that are especially attuned to the matters that deal with the heart and emotions. At least in my experience, I have found that Mary Jo is most often the one who will notice when something is not quite right, whether it be in our communication, the raising of the children, or any other area of our life.

So, while it may sound very simple, men, just “trust your wife.”

God bless you all!

Our love and best wishes,
Dennis and Mary Jo