I can’t believe it’s been five years since I had this hare-brained idea that people might resonate with and find comfort in a blog that focused on messy marriage. God has used this blog to not only minister to, hopefully you, our readers, but to my own marriage as well.

Sharing my story and other people’s real-life messy marriage stories has stretched  and grown me.

And …

[Tweet “Sharing the lessons God has taught me through my messy marriage has blessed me.”]

Honestly, though, it’s been the hardest five years—because I never dreamed how much this blog/ministry would require of me!

But also …

[Tweet “It’s been the BEST five years … and I’m looking forward to many more! #MM5blogiversary”]

Also, please pray for me and my husband as we begin to offer marriage workshops. We have one coming up this Friday (that’s all booked up! Yay!) and also next Friday that’s in Virginia (still have room). If you live in the Lynchburg, Virginia region, I’d love it if you’d check out our flyer by clicking on Connect U . Also if you have any friends who live in that region, please pass the info along to them as well!

I’m also guest posting over at my sweet friend Judith’s WholeHearted Wednesday this week. So if you have time, I’d love it if you’d check out my article, “Avoiding the Trap of Messy Motherhood” over at her place.

But since it is MM’s anniversary and a big one to boot … I’d like to do a BIG giveaway. So I’ve got five $10 Walmart gift cards that are burning a whole in my pocket! I’m planning on giving them to five randomly chosen people who comment below by Saturday, Oct. 17th at midnight (CDT). Please note you must live in either the continental U.S. or Canada to be eligible.

I wish I could also serve all of you some cake, but that might get a little “messy” if I tried to send it through the mail! So just make sure to eat some cake in honor of our big day! 😉

What’s ahead for MM? I plan on beginning a new series on “Men and Openness” next week that will be leading up to the big reveal of the survey results on that same subject in November (after I get back from my two week vacation in Virginia. Don’t worry, MM will be hosted by some great bloggy friends during those two weeks).

The results of the survey have been very interesting to see and I think it will be a really provocative and practical series, so I hope you’ll come on back to check it out!

Also, if you are a man in a committed relationship and haven’t completed my survey, please consider doing that for us as well! It’s just 8 mostly multiple choice questions, so it should only take a few minutes to complete. Thanks so much!

[Tweet “Enter to win one of 5 Walmart gift cards at our blogiversary! #messymarriage”]

What is one topic/question you’d like to see addressed or addressed in more depth on Messy Marriage?

What is one lesson God has taught you through the messiness of marriage?

Joining with my friends at Giving Up on Perfect, Wifey Wednesday, A Little R & R Wednesdays, Mondays @ Soul Survival, Coffee and Conversation, Coffee for Your Heart and Wholehearted Wednesday.

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Unfortunately, I’m moving into a very busy season and don’t have enough time to visit every blog that links up here. I will try to visit the blogs of those who comment here, but if I don’t, know that I appreciate the content you bring to the linkup! Thanks so much!

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