Can you believe that it is the last day of September?  Time just keeps marching on!  As we have said “Goodbye” to Summer and “Hello” to Fall, we feel it is time for a new journey.

Excitement is building all around the web as bloggers prepare to take part in 31 days of writing.  I first heard of this challenge issued annually by The Nester (more information is available by clicking here), and then our new host for Five Minute Friday, Kate, has added a twist (read about that here).   We hope you will join us as we all embark on a new journey together beginning tomorrow, October 1, 2014.

We are torn as to whether to write for 31 days straight on one particular subject matter, OR whether we would like to write for only five minutes a day to prompt words provided by Kate.  Hmmmm … we may end up doing a mixture of both!

I have this jewel of a book *(and you all know how I love a good book, right?!)* entitled When Couples Walk Together ~31 Days To A Closer Connection by Cindi & Hugh McMenamin.  I have had this little book for a while, and previously I asked my husband to go through the book with me.  The idea is that the couples are supposed to each read one chapter a day and apply it to their marriage and/or relationship.  At the time, though, I could not get my husband to commit to doing this.  It seemed like something always got in the way of staying on track with reading, even though the chapters are not very long at all.  Now, though, after a few hard, trying months (almost six to be exact, but who’s counting, right? ~weak smile~), I brought this little book back out and asked if he would read it with me now to apply it to our marriage.  It’s just 31 days, only a chapter a day.  It claims to provide information to help open our eyes and to help rekindle the intimacy and companionship that first brought us together.  Hugh & Cindi promise to provide simple, creative, and fun ways for us to draw closer together again, so we’re diving into this book and all it has to offer!  What a perfect time, too, since it’s 31 days … and we’re now accepting the challenge here on our blog of writing for 31 days.  Perfect timing with a perfect topic, and no, we did not plan this … but God did!

What marriage doesn’t need improving or a little help every now and then?  If there is someone out there that claims to have the perfect marriage, well, I applaud you.  In my experience, it takes work, lots of hard work and two willing partners striving to make it work daily, hourly even.  It takes devotion, dedication, loyalty, faith, commitment, trust, and a whole bunch of other things rolled together … not just simply love.  We need God in the mist of all of this within our marriages.

While my husband and I have already started reading this book, tomorrow I will begin summarizing what I’ve learned in the chapters … one post a day for 31 days.

We’re all in … will you join us?