Marriage Recipe

In three days, just before "the kiss," I will pronounce a man and a woman "Husband and Wife."  After pronouncing such, in short order, I will send the couple down the aisle with a blessing, namely "Go now, and the grace of God go with you both." 

With those words, the newly proclaimed couple will join over 60 million ring-bearing couples in the United States.  One hundred and twenty million people live their everyday ordinary lives as married adults. 

I am one of those adults.  I have been, so far, for nearly twenty-two years. 

Healthy marriages certainly consist of generous gift giving, flower bouquet surprises, and exotic anniversary trips; but those things are the proverbial "icing on the cake."  How about the cake?  Since you asked, I'll share my not-so-secret recipe. 

Mark's Recipe for an Ordinary Life Marriage

Ingredients:
One Man
One Woman
Attraction
Love
Commitment
Faithfulness
Forgiveness

Optional (and highly encouraged) Ingredients:
2 rings
Shared Interests
Moving out of Parents' Basement
$ Set Aside for Fun
Children

Instructions:

1. Carefully choose a compatible man and woman and introduce them to each other.
2. Continue to stir as the mixture of attraction and love thickens into a firm commitment.
3. Engage the services of a pastor, priest, or willing and qualified friend to invite the couple to voice their commitment publicly.  [Optional (highly encouraged):  rings exchanged here.]
4. Encourage the couple (in most cases, very little applied pressure is needed) to slowly and steadily increase the temperature (aka - turn up the heat).  Warning:  Results may vary.  Any long-lasting results will fully appear in about nine months time.
5. Invite the happy couple to set goals in regard to their life.
   Suggested topics (along with words to say):
   God "Serve Him."
   Church "Choose, attend, and serve in one."
   Debt "Avoid it."
   Money "Save for the future."  "Buy memories."
   Conflict "Expect and deal with conflict."
   Fun "Have it."
6. Introduce the couple to passages from the Bible.
   Genesis 1:27
   Song of Songs
   Ephesians 5:21-33 (Make sure they start in verse 21.)
7. Remind the couple to pray for one another and encourage them to continually repeat steps 2 -6.
8. Ask the man and woman to commit to faithfulness and forgiveness.

Other notes:

1. If the first two ingredients begin to separate, introduce them to a trained recipe counselor.
2. If the first two ingredients, when mixed, create a child or children, remind them to continue to nurture their connection as they care for their offspring.
3. Remind the first two ingredients of Jesus' words in Mark 10:9 - "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." 
4. Add spices as necessary and desired.

Happy Cooking!