One great thing about life is that many people have “already done it” and have experience we can learn from. In this series I’ve asked people about key lessons they’ve learned about marriage. I hope it helps you have an even better marriage.

A really short interview with Jackie Bledsoe

 

Chris Goodchild: How did you meet Stephana and when did you get married?

Jackie Bledsoe: We were introduced in high school by a mutual friend, I was a senior and she was a sophomore. We got married on June 16, 2001.

CG: Could you tell us about your background?

JB: We both grew up in Richmond, a small town of about 40k at the time, in Indiana, USA. Ironically enough our town had only one high school (where almost everybody knows everybody) and we both were members of the same church. Our maternal grandmothers were best friends (next door neighbours since childhood and sat next to each other in church etc.) but we never actually met until a few months before I graduated high school.

CG: So what have you been doing since leaving high school?

JB: I started out in insurance, then after we got married we started a real estate business. We stayed in real estate for 5+ years, then I went into commercial sales, direct selling, and then launched a blog, which led to my writing, blogging, speaking career. The focus of what I do now is helping people to improve their family life, work life, and the lives of those around them.

CG: What are some of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your married life?

JB: Finances were a real challenge for us at times. A lack of preparation for marriage and not building a solid foundation didn’t start us off in the best way. Then not truly connecting with each other at a deep level when we went years in our marriage without dating didn’t help us build a strong relationship either.

CG: What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned about being married?

JB: When both people make their focus on serving the other spouse, and putting God first, you can have a lasting and fulfilling marriage.

CG: Thanks Jackie for sharing this with us.

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Visit JackieBledsoe.com to discover more about Jackie and his mission to help men “lead and love the ones who matter most“. Jackie is also the creator of The 7 rings of marriage which is being produced as a book and training course by Lifeway Christian Resources.

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