Marriage is...

...crazy hard great!

For instance, a couple can fight about, oh pretty much anything.  Does the toilet paper go over or under?  Is HE required to put the toilet seat down?  Is SHE expected to do all the household chores IN ADDITION to working full-time and caring for ALL of the children?  Now, fortunately, Kris and I don't fight about ANY of those things.  Oh, we have stupid, pointless arguments for sure, just like everyone else!  For the most part though, Kris and I don't fight about the usuals: money, sex, discipline, etc...

However...we did have an interesting conversation (NOT an argument) last night about GIVING, which I won't go into much detail on because I want to stay married for reasons that will remain nameless.

I have to preface this by saying that the only way you are reading this post to begin with is if my awesome husband has read and agreed to its content...he is my filter...and since this post exposes him a little, he gets to approve it.

Let me back up a bit and say, as I have said a million times, Kris is SUPER SMART.  We're not talking Doogie Howser smart (then again, that was JUST a show), but he's extremely intelligent.  For instance, he slept breezed through college, having to put in little effort to make straight A's.  Me, on the other hand?  I had to stay awake and study and work hard to get some A's, B's and maybe a C here or there!  I'm not dumb, but my husband is WAY smarter than I am!

I'm horrible with managing our money.  When I was in charge, we were um...royally screwed in a little deep. With Kris in charge, we are doing MUCH better and have paid off some of our debt quicker than I ever imagined possible.

Marriage is all about balance and compromise and Kris and I balance each other out beautifully. He's super smart and logical; I have common sense.  He's good with money and I can't be trusted with it.  He has a dry sense of humor and I'm hilarious legitimately funny some of the time.  And approaching the topic at hand, I'm generous without reserve and he is sometimes a little on the frugal side.  If a friend needs money to pay a bill or take care of something, I'm ready to give them any spare money we might have.  Kris is there to remind me that we don't have spare money!

I love what the Bible has to say about giving.  These passages need to be seen in their full context, however, I think the principle still holds true for us today.

Deuteronomy 15:10
"Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord  your God will bless you in everything you do."

Deuteronomy 16:17
"All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God."

2 Corinthians 9:7-8
"You must each decide in your heart how much to give.  And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure.  'For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.  And God will generously provide all you need.  Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others."

That last verse really sticks with me, though it doesn't explain how you balance that out within a marriage.  Especially the part about each one deciding how much to give.  If you have two different viewpoints, how do you decide who is right?  How do you find a compromise?