BrauchTalk

Some people think that going to school while you are married is tough on your relationship. It seems like it has almost made ours better! Granted, it has been less than a week. B thinks it’s cute that I am her little school boy. She is equally excited that I am getting my Master’s Degree. She is really into letting me spend time online doing my homework. B also thinks it is cool how the online learning process works. It is a lot of work and a person definitely has to be on track and not slack off.

I had to read a Work-Life Problem solving matrix for one of my assigned readings and it really hit home. It was about a woman and a man who were engaged. She took a job in Boston for her Doctoral residency and he found a job out there also. They had all sorts of dislikes and likes about stuff out there and what they would decide on. It ranged form where they would live in relation to their jobs to where they would store their horses. I was reading it and totally enjoyed it! I found myself putting mine and B’s name in there as I read. It made me realize that we would have to make some decisions like this someday.

B finishes school next spring with a degree in Biomedical Science and then she is going to look for a job. I will finish my graduate program in early 2008. We don’t have any kids yet and we only have a puggat name Roogy. Roogy is easy going though! We will have some decisions to make when I am done with school and even when she is done with school. B also took on the joy of doing children’s ministry at our church part time until she is done with school. I just started to get more involved in running men’s ministry. Life seems so busy right now, but we know God has it all under control.

I am sure my posting here on BrauchTalk will slow down a bit due to the fact that I will be so busy with life. I know that God will guide us in what we decide to do with the direction he has given us. I hope to have a few posts up here soon that has to do with school and our new car and a few other things. B starts up school here in two days again. Life is busy but good! Enjoy Labor Day! God Bless!

It’s great being a newlywed. Even though M and I have been married just a little over a year, I still enjoy spending every spare minute with him, and I feel kind of lost when he is gone. Last night was a good example of this. M left right when he got off work to drive 2 hours to his school where he is starting his Master’s program. It was his first night at school, and he gave me a hug and kiss goodbye and he walked out the door.

Don’t get me wrong, because I am really excited about him working on his Master’s degree. He is one of the most hard-working and driven people that I know. But as soon as he walked out the door, a realization came over me that things are going to be a lot different for the next year. M is going to be spending a lot of time doing homework and discussions on the computer, and I’m going to have to keep from interrupting him. We aren’t going to be able to just take off for a few days since he will be so tied to his school work. And even though he will only be gone two nights every six weeks, I suddenly felt lonely.

I have become so accustomed to M always being home in the evenings that it seemed strange when he wasn’t there. It just made me realize how quickly I had adapted to married life. But at least I have our little puggat, Roogy, around. He kept me company. And I figured there were a lot of things I could do while he was gone, like getting things lined up for my last year of school. I printed off some papers for my Biochemistry class, and then tried to figure out my student loans and I got stumped. I couldn’t do it without M. So I hit a dead end. Continue reading ‘With Marriage Comes Change’

It seems that when you first start dating someone, everyone has their own opinion about your significant other and they are more than willing to share it with you, whether it is welcomed or not. Depending on your situation, you really need to carefully weigh out what the important people in your life are seeing in your relationship. I am not suggesting that you take someone else’s judgment over your own, but sometimes people can see from the outside what you cannot when you are lost in the haze of new love.

I had my own share of people giving me opinions during the three years while M and I were dating. My mother was one of them. Although she didn’t have any problems personally with M, she wanted me to date a lot of different people and get a feel for what was out there since that is what she did before she married my dad. I, however, thought much differently. Although M was the first person I had seriously dated, I had no desire whatsoever to scope out who else was out there.

I remember making a list in Sunday School when I was probably 12 years old. We listed the things we wanted in a spouse someday. I can still remember the top three on my list: a Christian, funny, and cute. My standards were set at a young age and I didn’t pointlessly date someone just for something to do. If my criteria wasn’t met, I knew it wasn’t worth my time.

And this is where M comes in. I knew him, though not in depth, for a few years before we even started dating. I knew he met my top three. And when we started dating, I knew he was exactly what I wanted for my life’s partner. I didn’t have to date twenty different guys to figure it out either. I’m not saying everyone will find their future mate on their first try. It’s not bad having to date a lot of different people. Just make sure you check your motive. Are you carrying out a long relationship just for something to do, or are they spouse material? Continue reading ‘Dating with a Purpose’