This week, we celebrate 22 years of marriage – two decades and a little more of laughter and passion, listening and learning, late night talks, answered prayers, confusion and understanding, and plenty of humbling moments. In honor of this milestone, we’re sharing 22 ways we’ve grown, changed, and strengthened our relationship. 

Whether you’re newly married or decades in, we hope you find something here that encourages you in your own journey in this great mystery called marriage. 

1. Encouragement! Encourage each other often and be each other’s biggest cheerleader. Encouragement always goes farther than criticism.
2. Pursue each other forever and ever. The pursuit doesn’t stop when you say I do. It truly begins.
3. Stay curious. There’s always something new to learn about your spouse, so keep inquiring and discovering their hidden gems.
4. Hug long, hug often. Hugs aren’t the answer for everything, but they should be.
5. Date your mate. Prioritize date night and getaways. Keep that youthful passion alive and exciting. It doesn’t have to end when the honeymoon phase does.
6. Say thank you, and say it often. Let your spouse know that you see the big and the little things they do and that you appreciate every one of them.
7. Pray together! Pray about everything and be open, honest, and grateful before the Lord together. Prayer never does nothing.
8. Read and study God’s Word together, sharing what you glean and learn. The Word of God is supernatural fertilizer to the soil of marriage.
9. Pray for your spouse daily. And let them know that you pray for them. 
10. Ask each other questions like, “Have I been a good spouse?” “How can I love you better?” Or “what’s it like being married to me? And be a safe person to humbly receive what they say.
11.  Make your relationship with God your number one priority. Allow the Lord to help you become the best spouse you can be.
12. Admit when you’re wrong. 
13. Admit when they’re right.
14. With Jesus as your example, strive to be selfless and serving of your spouse. Watching two people serve one another in loving humility is like watching a beautiful dance. 
15. Instead of asking “How can I improve my marriage”? Ask “How can I be a better husband/wife”?
16. Say I love you. Say it often. Say it like you mean it. And say why you love them. Trust me, they will never get tired of it.
17. Find the ways that make your spouse feel the most loved, and do those things.
18. Brag on your spouse to others. Be their biggest advocate.
19. Surrender your marriage to the Lord. In true Kingdom fashion, the key to victory is through surrender. 
20. Be playful and silly; have fun and laugh together! Don’t take yourself so seriously.
21. “Make allowance for each other’s faults.” Have patience while the Lord matures and works in you individually. Remember, your spouse is your teammate, not your competitor.
22. Celebrate all your wins, big and small. Wins keep us going, regardless of their significance.