What do you see first in your spouse? Is it their imperfections? Do you then begin nitpicking their every flaw? If so, you won’t want to miss our featured article today. It might get you thinking twice about stopping this bad habit.
I am so guilty of doing this at times. It seems as though once you get started, staring at what isn’t so lovely, it is all you see in your spouse. Do you know what I mean?
After 31 years of marriage, believe it or not, I still need to clean up and quit my nitpicking. How about you? Click To Tweet
What will you choose to see first in your spouse?
Upon reading Carmen Brown’s post last week, it penetrated my heart and gave me the desire to try harder at not nitpicking. After all, I am so far from perfect myself. After sharing with such bravery, honesty, and vulnerability, she lists three ways to “clean up” and let go of nitpicking. You will not want to miss this post regardless if you are married or not.
You will find our featured post on a fabulous website called Messy Marriage where Beth Steffaniak is hosting a series on “Spring Clean Your Marriage.” Beth continually brings real, raw, & redemptive articles on marriage. Carmen Brown was her honored guest last week.
Now for Our Featured Post
“How to Clean Up Nitpicking Imperfections in Your Spouse”
By Carmen Brown
Click here to read our featured post.
I hope you hop back over here and share with us which step you are willing to try this week. Mine is #2.
Beth and Carmen, thank you for linking up with Grace & Truth. Grab a button and link back – I am sure your readers would love to celebrate with you!
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What a great series! I always enjoy your site and marriage is such an important subject!
Donna, You are so sweet. Thank you for your kind words. I too like your site. I always learn something new over there. Maree
Thank you so much for sharing! I loved this post. It was so needed for all marriages everywhere.
Yes, I agree we all most likely needed it. I sure did. Thank you for stopping by. Maree
Great question, Maree. I needed to see this today. Hubby and I just took two of our grandchildren to a water park this week. We allowed ourselves to get tired and hungry and our nerves were frayed. I need the reminder to try harder! 🙂
Tired, hungry, and husbands don’t mix well over here either. However, the water park sounds amazing. I can’t wait until the day I can do that again with grandchildren. For now, I have to settle for my grand doggies – one will be here in a minute to visit. Maree
I have learnt to just give it to God because I’m imperfect too! And all it does is keep the focus on the negatives rather then the positives of my husband 😉 And he’s a great guy!
Bless you Maree,
Jennifer
Jennifer – Yes, giving it to God is the best place. I am so glad you have a great guy. I have no doubt he has a great woman. Maree
super post – commented over there. thanks, maree (31 for us as well…)
Congratulations on 31 years. Isn’t it hard to believe how fast the time goes? Maree
Great post. laurensparks.net
Thanks for featuring Carmen’s post, Maree. I missed it last week, and I definitely needed to read it.
Heather – I agree one we probably all need to read. Thank you for stopping by. Maree
This is one thing that I used to do in my previous marriage and have learned from it. I don’t nitpick. It doesn’t solve anything, but honest, regular communication does. I’m blessed to have a husband who believes the same. I know it is a rarity – men aren’t normally communicators, but God blessed me with one who is. I wish I had read Carmen’s post twenty years ago, though! It was FANtastic!
Susan – Thank you for adding your wisdom to our conversation on marriage -“honest, regular communication.” I am so glad you are blessed with a man that agrees. Maree
Thank YOU, Maree Dee, for sharing about Carmen’s inspirational post! When she sent me the post, I was floored by her vulnerability, but so very grateful for her courage to tell this story. It’s so important to realize how our nitpicking can impact our marriages. We think it will help, but it slowly but surely destroys. Thanks for the linkup and the shout out, my friend!
Thank you for hosting a fantastic series. I need to make sure I don’t miss any. I love your website. This week I had an opportunity to poke around a bit more on your site, and I love it. Maree
I caught Carmen’s story earlier this week and was so convicted. It’s so easy to see others’ faults and miss our own. How we need to be as gracious and forgiving as God is to us – only by His grace.
Barbara, I agree with what you said; we do need to be “gracious and forgiving as God is to us.” It sounds so easy, yet sometimes it isn’t’. Maree
When I read Carmen’s post last week, the verse that came to mind was the one about the woman in Proverbs who is “tearing down her house” with both hands. Every so often we need a reminder that there is no such thing as an inconsequential word coming from our lips.
Michele. Yes, words sure can hurt. Maree