Conflict and Challenges
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Discouragement
This past Sunday I went with my daughter to her church for the first time. When we walked in, I felt comfortable right away. I enjoyed the worship immensely, but it was the sermon that truly had me near tears. The pastor* spoke about being discouraged, especially if you’re a perfectionist and disappointed because things…
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Called to Wait
Waiting. It’s the one thing we all are called to do at some point in our faith journeys and most likely, more than once. Sometimes these are small blips on the radar-waiting to see if God will open the door to a new job, ministry, or relationship. Other times these periods define our very existence,…
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On the Personal Side…
Something pretty amazing happened to me this weekend. I thought I’d share a slice of “my life according to me” with the intent of showing how awesome God is. Frankly, I’m still blown away by it all. So from the beginning… The backstory… My sweet hubby is an avid disc golf player. Absolutely loves the…
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More about John…
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the…
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Weekend Devotion-What about John?
They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan-the one you testified about-well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that…
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When Your Best Isn’t Good Enough
I had concluded I was a hindrance to my husband. I was not serving the Lord with all of my heart because I was torn between honoring my husband and obeying the Holy Spirit moving with in me. Simple choice? Sounds simple, but wasn’t. You see my husband and me were like fire and kerosene…EXPLOSIVE.…
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Weekend Devotion-Letting Go
“But the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” -the words of Jesus, John 14:31 Let me tell you about a story I heard years ago. I can’t remember where, so if the author (or songwriter) is out there somewhere and reads this,…
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Sacrificial Giving
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I’m wracking my brain about what to give my dear hubby. I’d love to surprise him with something special, something out of the ordinary. The usuals, like chocolates and a romantic card are always great fallbacks. I like those myself, but could I do something more? Maybe something…
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A Final Word on Thankfulness
I know, I know. You’re most likely tired of the subject by now. Thanksgiving is over. We’ve seen plenty of posts about it, but I want to bring one more dish to the table before it’s cleared. Thankfulness for our unbelieving spouses. Sometimes this is incredibly difficult, or nearly impossible, but I do believe it…
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He Just Doesn’t Get It!
“Honey, please tell me you have noticed this.” I point to the water on the floor in the bathroom. “You are practically stepping in it.” He looks down, “Oh. Ya, I guess I did see that earlier.” It is at this point I can mentally blow a gasket. I don’t get it. How could he…
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A Fine Linen Belt
In Jeremiah 13, God tells Jeremiah to purchase a linen belt and tie it around his waist. Jeremiah does as God instructs him. Then God speaks a second time, telling Jeremiah to bury the belt in a crevice. Many days later, Jeremiah unearths the belt at God’s direction and finds it ruined and completely useless.…
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How Did We Get Here?
It’s the question we all dance around. The one we sometimes want to ask but don’t. The one we dread being asked. The one we know the person’s dying to ask us when we tell them why our spouse doesn’t share our faith. “Did you know he wasn’t a Christian when you married him?” (I…
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The Devil and the Angel
I screwed up again. And amazingly, I felt entitled to. (Insert yucky “ew” sound here, please.) So here’s how it played out. Months ago I agreed to let go of our cleaning service, because we had to cut costs. Now if you’re a busy mom (If? Yeah, I heard that snicker.), sometimes that can be…
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The Marks of Marriage
Time again, I run across some interesting patterns in marriage. Just recently I spoke to a woman whose marriage suddenly ended after 14 years to her surprise. My heart broke for her and my alert bells went off as I found another piece to the pattern. I’m not an expert, but I put my observations…
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A Confession
Just a few nights ago, I went out to dinner with my husband. And as I’m sitting there, I suddenly have this deep desire to confess something to him. Ever been in that place where the words are coming out and, in your mind, you’re wondering what in the world is going on. What possessed…
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Ephesians Chapter Six. Are we at War?
About two weeks ago the Lord brought before me Ephesians, chapter six. For the first time I heard the words written there expressed in a way that was different, new understanding. I was moved by the real power residing in those living words. I began to think about all of the readers who stop in…
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Pity-Party? You have Permission!
A few days ago I had the chance to visit with Rebecca Saville, who is a contributor here at Spiritually Unequal Marriage. Rebecca has a Masters in Social Work and has been a counselor for 12 years. She is a deeply committed Christian and a mother of three. She has been married to a Navy…
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Spiritual Battle for the Soul
Recently my friends at 1Peter3Living were discussing the fact that our spouses would lash out at us verbally. Many of us have endured a personal attack on our beliefs or character or a number of things. I believe it is important to remember that our unsaved spouses are susceptible to the enemy attacks. Our spouses…
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Pray Like Crazy
Ephesians 6:12 (New International Version)12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.