Hello World!
Yay! It’s still summer! 
About a year ago, I said on this blog I would feature different Christian couples who have been married 10 years or more so that they can share the secrets of their success. I actually don’t think we have enough positive examples of happy and whole marriages out there so I want to showcase them here on my blog…And so I am finally making good on my intention….Presenting the first installment of “Soul Mates…”( Note: This is simply an introduction to this couple not a public display of all their bizness…lol…)
Jessie Henry, 39, musician, social media strategist, blogger, no children
Tangie Henry, 38, registered nurse, certified life coach, no children
Anniversary: June 24, 1995—Married 15 years.
1. Please describe how the two of you met.
Jessie: We were at Ft. Stewart, and we were introduced by a mutual friend.
Tangie: (Shaking my head…LOL!) Yes, we were at Ft. Stewart. (We both were in the Army stationed there; Ft. Stewart, GA) But we were not initially introduced by the friend he is speaking of. We had another mutual friend that initially introduced us, but we never really interacted because he told me that he didn’t like “Army girls” and I had “another interest” as well. Anyway, one night after I had gotten out of the Army, one of my friends(the mutual friend) and I were on post and we ran into Jessie. She stopped him and asked him about his keyboard-playing skills at church (Jessie is an excellent piano, keyboard and organ player), and he said, “Prayer & practice.” I was smitten! I, then, began to see him in a whole new light! LOL! I was thinking, “This brother has those kinds of skills and he acknowledged the Lord.”
After that night, I couldn’t get him out of my head, so several weeks later I went back on post to talk to him by myself…and the rest is history! We were 21 and 22 years old at the time…WOW!
2. Were you Christians when you met?
Jessie: Yes. My parents are pastors. I grew up in the church, but I had to ultimately make the decision for myself.
Tangie: Yes. I’d given my life to the Lord about 2 years prior. We had a few different beliefs, though, that we had to work through…
3. Share a happy time in your marriage. 
Jessie: When we took a vacation to California. I enjoyed the scenery and the activities. Oh, and I enjoyed being with my baby, too. LOL!
Tangie: I would have to say a “happy time” in our marriage is now. We have matured as individuals and as couples, and I’m enjoying the groove we’re in now.
4. Please share a difficult time & how you coped.
Jessie: In the summer of 2001 we had been doing a lot of arguing, and neither one of us wanted to give in. I was scheduled to go work out of town, and I left with us being on bad terms. Things started to get better after September 11th.
Tangie: I agree about the time period, but I don’t feel like we really reconciled after September 11th. As a matter of a fact, I was very hurt, angry and upset well into the following year. The turning point for me was when Jessie began to show me that he wanted to stay in the marriage and that he was committed. I also prayed a lot, and I really wanted to do the right thing from a Christian perspective because I know that God hates divorce. I kept asking myself, “If I get a divorce, then am I saying that God can’t heal my marriage?”
5. What are the secrets of success to your marriage?
Jessie: I would say maturity and communication. Advice: People should have some type of pre-marital counseling before getting married. Whatever little things that may be concerning you now, go ahead and get it out on the table so that it won’t show up again in the marriage. People don’t get to drive a car without some type of training, and you shouldn’t get married without being trained either.
Tangie: I would say that we are committed to the marriage. Having realistic expectations of your mate and marriage, in general, cuts down on half of the problems. Oftentimes, we create a fantasy of what we think marriage is supposed to be like and when it doesn’t play out like it does in the movies, we want out. But understanding that marriage is a covenant and knowing the significance of that puts things into perspective. So then you’re more focused on the things that really matter and not worried about who didn’t put their dishes in the dishwasher. LOL!
Jessie and Tangie Henry work diligently in pursuing their purpose both collectively and individually. He is the founder and president of Tangible Concepts, LLC a multi-media education and entertainment company whose mission is to educate, inspire and empower, featuring products and services of the highest standards. Visit him online at www.TangibleConceptsLLC.com. Tangie is the founder and president of InspiredSistah, LLC a company dedicated to “inspiring women to live on top of the world” through personal development coaching, inspirational workshops and inspirational literature. You can visit her online at www.InspiredSistah.com or www.MarriageAintforWimps.com.
Any thoughts? (If you know of any married couples that need to be featured in “Soul Mates,” please comment and let me know.)