The bigger commitment??

What takes the bigger committment and why? Having kids or marriage?

Hal (Andy's step-dad) brought this question up to us when we were on vacation. Some radio producer they listen to had a segment of call-ins on this question. Their point was that many people won't commit to marriage, yet they'll have a baby and they thought that having kids was a much bigger committment to marriage. At first I agreed with them...you have kids and they're in your life at a minimum of 18 years where you're responsible for them, but in today's day and age some kids are living at home a lot longer. Then, after I had a day to really think about it, my viewpoint changed. If you truly want to make a marriage work (and work it truly can be at times), I think if you want to be that old couple that's 80 years old and still holding hands and celebrating their golden anniversaries...it's marriage. I guess it's just one of those questions where YMMV. But, I thought it was an interesting question, so I thought I'd pose it. I'd love to hear anyone else's opinions on the subject. I'll be looking at your blogs.... ;-)

Even yet, the thought that just crept into my mind was what my mom always taught me while I was growing up. You put God first, your spouse second, and children third. You have to have a happy marriage to make it through the hardships that you experience with one another and your children and God has to be the center of it all...your focus has to be on Him and He'll see you through. That just came to me...yet I see how easy it is at times to totally focus on your children when you don't have babysitters and whatnot to still remember to date your spouse and whatnot every now and then. Then again, it's something you can still do without a sitter if you get creative as well having been there before too. I had always heard people say that time really flies once you begin having kids and then especially once they start school. I never truly believed it until Deidra started kindergarten...we're always on the go and I myself had to learn to slow down and make time for Andy and I as well as make sure that we were spending some quality family time as we're always busy with something around here.