Dear Friends,
One thing that is difficult to find on the net is transparency. We all have experienced instances where we thought we knew someone well, only to be ghosted for no apparent reason. Thus, all our trust levels are set on various degrees of cautious. The good thing is, that despite of the inherent challenges of meeting someone online, nevertheless, we are here!
There are all kinds of reasons people are curious about the poly lifestyle and each one of those are valid in their own way. For us, we have been "called" to this lifestyle. Called to us, since we are Christian believers, means that we feel God wants us to live this type of family arrangement. It is a spiritual desire to love more than one person and create a loving family unit.
For some time, a few months, I felt like God wanted me to become a paying member of this site, however, I semi-resisted the notion, because we already have a very nice family situation. The more that I felt God goad me to join, the more I tried to understand why. The short answer to that is, "just because God said so." A somewhat longer explanation is that I believe there is someone here that we are supposed to meet. Obviously, that would be as a potential partner for our family, but maybe not. We are open to both.
I said this in order to be open and honest with everyone so that we might be transparent. One thing that I try to be is forthright with people so that there is less chance of misunderstanding or hurt feelings. In the end, our goal is to love and be caring for others and we hope that those we meet will have a similar heart.
The other thing I wanted to share is that we are not your typical Christian believers. I was looking at one profile where the woman seemed one way, but in my spirit I saw her differently. How people present themselves is not to say they are not open to know God if they really met Him.
If you are serious about learning more about our family, we would definitely like to meet you. Seeing if there is an opportunity for friendship is a great place to start. Like many, we are not primary looking for intimate relationships, we just assume that intimacy is a given at some point if a spiritual connection develops.
As I said, I am not disparaging anyone for how they feel or believe, I just wanted to open up a bit and let those who may be interested know a more about where we are coming from.
Big hugs and lots of love,
Michael
Dear Friends,
When we first began our journey into plural marriage, it seemed so mysterious. Coming from a Pentecostal background, you can imagine that we never came in contact with such a life style. Surprisingly, it was the practicalities that were the most difficult to manage.
What I have found is that each woman needs a certain amount of space. If at all possible, they need their own bedroom and their own bathroom. They can share, but never seem to like doing so. I thought at first, since they share a man, they would be willing to share everything else. However, that is not how our experience has gone.
For me, having everyone close is advantageous. I've done separate houses, but that is just a lot of work and travel. So, we've come to a compromise: I have everyone in a big enough house that they have their own spaces. I understand that that is not always possible, but I can tell you, at least for us, it has proved to be easier to live with.
Another thing, which seems obvious when you think of it, is that each woman should be encouraged to do what they do best. Everything, contrary to what people might assume in such a situation, is not same-same. People are just different, and it is wise to encourage each woman to excel in what they do best. While there needs to be some equitable division of chores and other responsibilities, some women love to cook more than others, while some like laundry better.
In the end, no matter what persuasion you are from, it comes down to practical matters that allow many people to live in harmony together. I cannot be a top down control, but rather a grass roots realization that we all work for the good of our family. When the women all believe that loving one another and helping where they can help best is a great idea, everything works out pretty well.
Big hugs and lots of love,
Michael
Nice to meet everyone,
I have looked at this site for a while and it is nicely done. Until now, I haven't felt to join. However, over the last couple of months I've felt that I should take a serious look. I feel like there is someone we ares supposed to meet here. So, we took the plunge!
What is most important in our lives is being Spirit led. That is we want to hear what God speaks to us personally, and do His will when he wants to do it. I mention this because it is an organizing principle of our entire family.
We have a lot of experience with this type of life choice and know pretty much what works and doesn't work for us. I believe that you first get to know a person, then meet them (fairly soon), and only after both people feel it is right, explore whether or not it is a good match.
Additionally, we call ourselves Divine Mates and not polygamists. We feel that marriage, as is commonly practiced, is not really what God intends. Therefore, to us anyway, polygamy is just a bigger, badder for of marriage. Therefore, what is most important in our estimation is a spiritual connection authored by God where everyone feels drawn together by His Spirit.
Other than our life style, we are very ordinary and middle class American family. We believe that people who are meant to be with us are a blessing and we will be a blessing to them. To us, love only multiplies, it does not divide.
I don't know if you can contact us or if we must contact you first. We plan to say hi to few people that seem like they have something in common with us. let's see where it goes from there.
Big hugs and lots of love,
Michael and family
History of Marriage Laws (Marriage Compact, part two)
Marriages are as old as mankind itself, and certainly predate government. We can find examples of both monogamy and polygamy in the King James Bible, and even much older, but that is not the point of this section.
Most state and federal statutes today
are a restatement of older laws that have been handed down over time.
You may already know that most western law is derived from English
commonlaw which, in turn, derived from Mosaic Law (Moses).
We tend to think of weddings as ceremony, but when you look at the elements of ceremony you often find solid reasons in law for those elements to be in there.
The first element of a lawful wedding has always been public notice. A weddingoften affects more than just those who marry, whether for good or ill. Others may have been interested in a particular man or woman; families may consider themselves joined by a marriage between two of their members; entire dynasties have been created through marriage. One or another may move to a different town, in which case one town may lose a blacksmith, or a teacher, or other craftsman, while another town gains one.
I’m sure we’ve all been to a wedding and heard the preacher say these words, “If anyone knows of a reason why these two should not be joined in the bonds of Holy Matrimony, let him speak now, or forever hold his peace!?”Consider that if prior notice is not given, how might someone who does know of a reasonhave the opportunity to speak up?
Proper notice has taken different forms over the years, from public announcements at church, to written notice posted at the general store or saloon, to printing a wedding announcement in the local newspaper of record. I suppose it might be considered lawful now to give notice on Facebook, although I would personally like to see Facebook decline in significance in western culture. For a very long time it has been considered proper to give at least thirty days notice prior to a wedding.
Certain marriages have been prohibited, at various times and places throughout history. Examples include marriages between close family members, different races or religions, same gender, and multiple (plural) partners.
Different locales have varying views on age, some younger than others. It has long been customary in most places that people younger than the usual minimum agecould still marry with parents’ permission.
When you look closely, a wedding
is very much like a contract. Vows are exchanged, in the presence
of witnesses. In most cases some kind of property changes hands
(lawful consideration),
even if it is only rings.
Traditionally it has been churches which managed and imposed all these rules. The idea of a marriage license was first thought up by the churches. Gradually, government began taking over this role. Today, when most people plana wedding, they also think theyneed to go down to city hall, or the county seat, and obtain a marriage license. I’ll write more about the marriage license in the next section, "Understanding Government Encroachment."
I’m a new member here, my name is Greg.
Just like everyone else using this site, I have my own particular way of looking at the world. I decided to write this blog because even though I’m sure there are folks here who have lived polygamy, and know much more about it than I, still, I may be able to contribute something of value.
I’ve never actually practiced polygamy, or personally known anyone who does, but I’ve been interested in the subject, and attracted to the lifestyle for many years; long before any of the TV shows came out.
I married for the first (so far the only) time when I was thirty-one. It was a monogamous marriage that lasted twenty-eight years, and we raised four children.
She was Mormon. I never joined the church, although I attended many times over the years. I like the Mormons; they are mostly good people who believe in self-reliance, as I do. They take care of their own, and in some ways I admire them, but I think a lot of their views are superficial. I didn’t realize until after we were married, how rabidly anti-polygamy the mainstream Mormons are. In spite of this, Big Love, and Sister Wives became two of my wife’s favorite shows. Of course any discussion that led to talk of bringing a sister wife into our family was quickly shot down.
I quietly accepted my family would never be plural, and never pushed the issue. Our marriage split, more than two years ago, in spite of my best efforts to keep it together. Now that I’m single again, I see an opportunity to do things differently this time around, which led me to join this site.
I’m not an attorney, but I am interested in the law and have studied for many years. My real interest is in the basis of law, the fundamental underpinnings.
A few years after I was married, among other things, I learned about an instrument called a "Marriage Compact" (MC). The MC has been used by the educated and monied people of the world, for thousands of years. You could think of the MC as a kind of prenuptial agreement, although the scope of a true MC is much broader. Pre-nups deal almost exclusively with protecting the premarital assets of one or more parties, whereas an MC can be detailed enough to cover nearly every aspect of a marriage.
Very few people these days except, of course, the folks from the very old monied families, have ever heard of the MC. I believe if I had known about it, and used one with my first marriage, my ex-wife and I would still be happily married today. If we were not, then our divorce would have been considerably less expensive.
I’ve read enough of the blogs and forum posts here to see that this site tries, at least, to function as the glue to hold together a kind of loose-knit community. I’d like to be a part of that, so I’m writing to share what I know about the MC, in hopes it may help others here to have greater success in their marriages.
Monogamy vs. Polygamy
As I see it, Polygamy shares many social problems with Monogamy. These are really just people problems. Sometimes people don’t get along. Maybe they start with different, or even unrealistic expectations. In monogamy it can be maddeningly difficult sometimes to get two people to agree on the simplest of issues. Add a third, fourth, or more to the mix, and I’m sure it can be like trying to get a unanimous vote in Congress.
Where polygamy differs is in its limited acceptance. In most places in the United States, polygamy is illegal. This puts whole families in danger. Families who are peaceful, and otherwise law-abiding, must worry about the safety and freedom of every family member, for no other reason than how they choose to privately live their lives.
This worry goes beyond the fear of law enforcement. As I understand it, many plural families are made up of a husband and first-wife, who were married by virtue of a marriage license, followed by additional wives who have no protection under the law. Those additional wives have no claim on marital assets, no rights of inheritance, and little or no help from the courts in case of dispute, divorce, or abuse.
What’s more, families are potentially vulnerable to unscrupulous sister-wives who might bring a child into the marriage and then leave the family, taking with her the child, and a sizeable portion of the family’s wealth through child-support or other means.
Before I write about how the Marriage Compact can help with these issues, I’m going to try and give you a better understanding of how things got to be the way they are. The next segment will be titled, "History of Marriage Laws".
i'm not breaking any new ground when saying that this has been a very hard year. i won't even get into politics, i promise :). it's been hard because it's been isolating, and things like depression can take over. i was active here in the spring, when at least as we emerged from the hard times of April, i felt some sense of hope, but then we had waves of challenges here in FL and other southern states, and it honestly made me withdraw.
that was a hard thing to do, and not the right thing either. i could protect myself, but in doing so, i harmed myself by not allowing the exploration of the loving relationship with a Man and my sisters that i so deeply crave, and need, and that God has told me is the way to live. it was humbling to admit that alone i do not have the strength, but in partnership with a Man and my sisters, i can find strength.
And so, here i am again! i remain all the things i've come to know myself to be: smart and caring, humble and submissive, a believer in God and His way, and ready to be in service to my Husband.
Where
Can a Couple Seeking a Sister Wife Go?
Sister
wives aren’t really a common subject for discussion for people outside of the
polygamous scene, but thanks to various TV reality-shows and an expanding
internet database, they have started to become more accepted as a phenomenon.
Although the idea of having more than one wife might tempt some, when seeking a sister wife, one should understand that even though it might be a less than
traditional arrangement, certain rules still apply. That is why one is
recommended to do some serious research about what it means to have more than
one wife and how to handle such a relationship.
What
Are Sister Wives?
For
most people involved in traditional marriages, the idea of multiple spouses
might seem ridiculous, weird or even shameful to even discus. They might think
that being in a monogamous relationship is the only way things should be done
and any kind of alternative to this lifestyle is wrong. But what is for some
normal might not mean the same thing for somebody else. Thinking back to the
old days, arranged marriages were considered normal back then and parents
deciding their children faiths since birth was widely accepted. In some parts
of the world this is still the norm. But normality is relative to the
individual and his background, and that is why judging somebody for doing
things differently isn’t always the best course of action.
For
instance, sister wives might seem like a difficult concept for many people to wrap their head around,
but for others it makes perfect sense. In the world of polygamy this is a
normal thing. It refers to at least two women sharing the same husband and
acting as if they are sisters. There is nothing sordid or unnatural about it.
Although it might offend some people and go against some civil laws that
doesn’t mean that the act itself is bad by nature.
Sharing
the same husband, and even the same household, has been a common happening in
many cultures around the world. The man would marry multiple wives and even
have children with more than one of them. The views would take care of the
household together and even raise their children together. This was their
“normal”. They would behave as any other family and the husband would take care
to give each wife the same amount of attention.
Common
Misconceptions About Sister Wives
One
of the biggest misconceptions about a polygamous relationship is that it is
nothing more than accepted cheating. Some might argue that as soon as there are
more than two partners in a relationship, that relationship seizes to exist
because there is nothing intimate anymore. This is not the case with polyamorous
relations and especially with marriages with multiple spouses. All the people
involved in such a relationship are consenting adults that understand that they
need to communicate and share their love and affection for one another.
Although the relationship usually involves sexual relations with multiple
partners, that doesn’t mean that the people involved are cheating on one
another.
Another
myth about marriages involving more than two partners is that they usually
break the family apart and end in divorce. Although some of these marriages
does end in divorce, that isn’t a rule. Traditional marriages end in divorce as
well, and usually even more frequently than polygamous ones. Whatever reasons
people might have to enter or exit a relationship don’t necessarily have
something to do with the nature of the relationship. Firstly, nobody is forcing
anyone else to enter that relationship in the first place. Secondly, divorcing
someone doesn’t necessarily mean that you cannot continue to have a relation
with that person.
When
people decide to get involved in polyamorous
relations they usually do so after careful consideration and
extensive talks with their partners. The whole idea of bringing other people
into a relationship is to improve one another through shared experiences and to
have somebody to help you and be beside you when need be. Aside from the sexual
part of the relation, polyamorous relations are about communication, being open
minded and trying to improve your understanding of others.
What
to Know When Seeking A Sister Wife?
Anybody
who is seeking a sister
wife should understand couple of things before they rush to the altar. Firstly,
anybody looking to bring another woman into a relationship should know that
some major adjustments have to be made. A second wife isn’t just a live-in
friend for your first wife, or a permission slip to have sex with somebody
else. It means that you truly understand one another, are accepting of all your
qualities and flaws and agree on sharing whatever life might throw at you.
Bringing another woman into a marriage is a subject that should be discussed at
length with your partner and everybody should understand what is about to
happen.
Another
thing that is very important to understand when talking about multiple wives is
that finding one isn’t as simple as placing an ad in a paper. Polygamy already
has a sort of a bad reputation with the more traditionalistic crowd. You might
need to do a bit of searching before you find somebody that wants the same
things as you do. But, as in any marriage, finding your second significant
other takes time and patience.
Where
to Go When Seeking A Sister Wife?
Although
the alternative lifestyle scene has been getting more and more mainstream
acceptance, it isn’t really there yet. People still need some help if they want
to meet like-minded men and women. Luckily for them, there are people working
on providing them with the necessary tools to do so. People like the ones over
at sisterwives.com, which are building a
dedicated platform in order to build and bring together a
community of people looking for something different. Just as Tinder or other
dating apps, people that practice an alternative lifestyle have their options
when it comes to meeting others just like them.
For
the ones that prefer a more traditional approach to finding another “ball and
chain” there are always the well-known meeting grounds. Special clubs or other
meeting spots that are dedicated to enabling people to come together, without
having to be in the public eye, and indulge in their passions.
Published By: Christopher Alesich & Robyn Alesich
Matchmakers, Inc: Sisterwives.com