I believe your relationship with your spouse is the most important earthly relationship you will ever have.
This year I am choosing to be intentional with this message with the hope of encouraging couples to make their spouse a priority!
I will feature a couple choosing to have an intentional marriage!
If you would like information about how to be featured in the Intentional Marriage: Blog Series, please email me jamiekphotography (at) gmail.com
Today’s featured couple is Brittney and John from South Carolina!
1) Please introduce yourself and your spouse! Who you are, what you do… My name is Brittney Naylor & my husband is John. We met 4 years ago on an international mission trip to Honduras. I actually lived in Florida at the time, while John lived in South Carolina. We ended up on the same mission trip through my former youth minister who was now working at his church. We began a long distance relationship shortly after returning to the states. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit John about once a month, but it was still hard to be away from each other. We actually broke up at one point, but thankfully we started dating again after about a year a part. After we were married, I moved to South Carolina. John is a manager at Chick-fil-A and is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree so that he may have the opportunity to operate his own store one day. I decided to focus on my photography business, after working together didn’t turn out to be all it was cracked up to be. I believe God gave me the gift of photography to share with others and capture their memories.
2) What qualities/character traits did you look for in a spouse when dating? Why? Brittney: Since I grew up in a Christian home, I really sought a man who had a relationship with God and who was saving himself for marriage. I was also seeking someone who shared the same interests as me, but who also complimented my weaknesses. I think that’s why I was immediately drawn to John. He was patient, kind, and has the heart of a servant. He also makes me laugh and encourages me to pursue my dreams. John: I was looking for a lady that was saved and showed it. I also needed her to genuinely want to take care of me. I am capable of doing a lot of things, but when I met Brittney she didn’t make me do it all. She does a lot of small things for me that really add up. She is a sweet, thoughtful, and she really cares and those things really set her a part.
3) How long have you been married? We will be married for one year on April 20th.
4) Over the years, has your marriage faced a rough sea or season? If so, how did you get through that together? I think we would both agree that we’ve faced some rough times in our marriage. In the beginning of our marriage, we worked together at Chick-fil-A. Since I had worked at one in Florida, I thought it would be great to work with John. Since John was a manager and I was just a team member, it was hard for him to tell me when I was doing something wrong. He wanted to support me working at Chick-fil-A, but at the same time, it wasn’t healthy for our relationship. When we would come home, John didn’t really want to be around me since he spent most of the day with me at work. This made me feel neglected and we would usually end up arguing. Ultimately, I decided that my marriage was more important than a job and I quit. Since I did have my photography business, I wanted to put all of my focus into building that up and really pursuing my passion. Our marriage has been so much better since then. I’m able to encourage John daily and really push him to reach his goals and he does the same for me.
5) The best thing my spouse has done for me is ___________________. Brittney: The best thing John has done for me has been supporting my photography business. He shares my business with everyone he meets and he really believes in me. John: The best thing my wife has done for me would be taking care of me. She keeps me looking good and I never go hungry and that means a lot to me.
6) My perfect date night would be ____________. Brittney: When it comes to dates, I’m really simple. My perfect date would be a little picnic in downtown Greenville at Reedy River Falls. We would eat our meal, have a devotion, and if was windy, fly a kite! John: My perfect date would be anything outdoors. I love hiking and getting out on the water, but don’t forget the food because I love to eat.
7) How do you keep a healthy work/life balance? Since John holds a high title at work, he has a lot of responsibilities. One of which is creating the weekly schedule for employees, which can take up a lot of quality time. We finally decided that when John got home from work, he would spend at least 30 minutes with me before hopping on the computer to do work. Since doing this, I’ve felt more valued. Typically after we spend a little time together, it’s time to start dinner, so we’re able to work separately. We really try to talk about work less and more about us, our walk with God, and our future plans.
8) What is one thing you wish someone would have told you before you got married? Brittney: As an only child and having lived in Florida with my parents my entire life, I always had an idea of marriage and how it would be, but having to move to South Carolina right after our honeymoon, I never expected to miss home so much. Things I relied on my mother to do, I now had to do for myself. I never really expected marriage to be so tiring. I mean growing up my mom worked 8 hour days, came home to cook, and then cleaned the house. I guess I consider her to be a superhero because most of the time, I’m too tired to cook or clean. I just want to relax and take a nap! Marriage is really thinking about your spouse and not so much about yourself anymore. John: I wish someone would have set us down and asked us what we like to do for fun that doesn’t involve each other. That way if one of us is busy the other person has something to do that can keep them occupied because you are around each other a lot and sometimes you need some space.
9) In marriage, everyone talks about the “honeymoon” period. (Some say it ends 2 years into marriage.) How do you keep the “honeymoon” from ending? I think the way to keep the honeymoon from ending is to not fall into a routine. I’ve found that by being spontaneous and changing up our daily routine, it really keeps things alive! Since we are young, we try new things, go outdoors, and aren’t afraid to be silly! I also think it’s important to encourage and use positive words towards each other. We both feel more valued, loved, and significant when the other can support and encourage us.
10) Anything else you’d like to share about marriage, your walk with God…
Since John was still relatively new to South Carolina (he moved here shortly before we met, from North Carolina) and I was certainly new to the area, we had yet to become part of a church. John and I visited many churches and many times, we didn’t feel like we fit in. It became tiring and sometimes we didn’t even feel like going to church. Recently, however, we have found a church that we enjoy going to and hope to become more involved in their activities. It’s helped not only our marriage, but also our walk with God. I really think as a dating couple, you should go ahead and establish yourself in a church if you haven’t already. Church is an important aspect in marriage, especially if you’re wanting to create a loving, Christian home for your family. Just as much as a church family is important, I also think it’s important to surround yourself with people who love you and who will hold you accountable in your marriage. I think too many married couples split because they simply lose their walk with God. John & I are very thankful for the people God has placed in our life. We are both very excited to see what God has in store for our futures.
John and Brittney, thank you for sharing your time and story! I pray God continues to bless you and your marriage!
– Jamie K!
Click here to view the Brittney Naylor Photography website.
Photo by Danny Gorman with Danny Gorman Photography provided by the couple.
