Things we've learned...

David & Angelina Dunkerton – What we learn together:

It’s nearly May 2007; we’ve been married 1 year & 9 months. We could’ve been better prepared for our future together than we were—it was my error. At the time I was so set on being married (in my thinking I’d wanted to get married at age 20 or 21, & 24 seemed way too old, so we had to hurry up …).
Everybody I had known got married in college or right after, so I didn’t know anything else. My problem was that I had no idea how expensive life was, & I didn’t listen to Angie about it. Still, sometimes God uses our poor decisions to put us where He wants us, & I believe it was God’s will for us to get married when we did. I have so much to learn about life that Angie has already learned, & I need to be with her to learn these things. But we will still make sure our kids are better prepared than we were!
This is a song that, while it doesn’t completely describe Angie, makes me think of her, especially certain lines:

"She's Everything" (Brad Paisley)


She's a yellow pair of running shoes
A holey pair of jeans
She looks great in cheap sunglasses
She looks great in anything
She's “I want a piece of chocolate
Take me to a movie”
She's “I can't find a thing to wear”
Now & then she's moody

[Chorus]
& she's everything I ever wanted
& everything I need
I talk about her, I go on & on & on
'Cause she's everything to me

She's a Saturday out on the town
& a church girl on Sunday
She's a cross around her neck
& a cuss word 'cause its Monday
She's a bubble bath & candles
”Baby come & kiss me”
She's a one glass of wine
& she's feeling kinda tipsy

She's the giver I wish I could be
& the stealer of the covers
She's a picture in my wallet
Of my unborn children's mother
She's the hand that I'm holding
When I'm on my knees & praying
She's the answer to my prayer
& she's the song that I'm playing

She's the voice I love to hear
Someday when I'm ninety
She's that wooden rocking chair
I want rocking right beside me
Everyday that passes
I only love her more
Yeah, she's the one
That I'd lay down my own life for


And she's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
She's everything to me
Yeah she's everything to me


There are a lot of things that we both have learned since we’ve been married, mostly from mistakes we’ve made:
I’ve learned that over the course of time, a couple can’t live on $7 or $8 an hour. A “Health Plan” is not the same as insurance, & it’s most likely a scam. Insurance is important, but it’s not always available.
Angie knows how to do things, & I need to go along with her plan instead of always insisting on mine. You need to look ahead & count the cost before you make a big commitment!
God has different ways of providing for you than the obvious ones you would prefer. When it comes down to it, for myself, I know God has a plan for us, & I need to not be so hard on myself. We can get what we need (& clothes & vacation can count as needs sometimes), trusting God to provide for it in His timing. We’re doing the best we know how—keeping in tune with God’s will & setting godly priorities—& that’s all the Lord expects from us. We can just be grateful that He’s in control!