Love
-
It Had to be Him…
I love my husband. No, I really, really love my husband. And it’s not the same as when I married him. It’s better. I can’t take credit for it either. At all. It’s totally God. I started praying years ago that God would help me love my husband the way Jesus did, to love him with…
-
An Open Letter to Celia
My Friend Celia, Dearest Celia, Romans 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. God is a mystery and we will never fully understand or know everything about him. Even in heaven, we will continually discover new…
-
I Hate Hallmark
Sometimes I hate Hallmark. Well, not really. Sorta…. I don’t hate the store but I sincerely “dislike” what I call “Hallmark Holidays.” You know these days, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, Ground Hog Day (well maybe not this one) and the sometimes dreaded….. Join me at One Plus, The Internet Cafe today for the…
-
Our Place of Influence (Part 2): What does that look like?
Last week I wrote about our place of influence in our marriage. How do we get there and what does it look like? Let’s start where I ended last week. 1. Pray for wisdom and guidance. It starts right here. Without God’s wisdom and guidance, none of this is possible. It’s like groping in the…
-
Our Place of Influence: Where do we choose to stand?
When I try to explain to someone the role of influence we hold in our husband’s lives, it’s almost too difficult to put into words what I sense so deeply in my heart. I will say it is something I feel very passionate about. As women, we hold a very important place in the lives…
-
He Came Upon a Midnight Clear-For YOU!
My Bible study group completed our study yesterday. We’d walked the past 11 weeks through the story of David with Beth Moore. On this last day she shared a powerful visual of a staff that had once been a vine. The bottom was straight but about half way up, the thick stalk rose upward in…
-
A Change in Perspective
I sat in my favorite chair, devotional in hand and Bible open. Tears began streaming down my face. I sat before God, grieving over a hope that felt thin at best. The evening before, my husband and I were on our way out to grab a bite to eat. I thanked him again for the…
-
And the Walls Came A-Tumbling Down
Lynn’s post yesterday talked about the walls we erect that keep our guys on the outside. I want to share with you how this translated into my life. I walked into my marriage with the expectations I’d leaned from the pages of romance novels and movies. I’d bought into the fairytale. Everything was fine in…
-
Spouse-Based or God-Based?
What is the difference between a spouse-based marriage and a God-based marriage? This is the question my Sunday school leader asked our group this past weekend. We’re currently doing Gary Thomas’ video series, Sacred Marriage, which goes with his book by the same title. It’s a great course, and I have loved hearing different perspectives…
-
Loving God Helps Me Love My Husband
I will tell you, in all honesty, that I cannot love my husband in my own strength. It’s not possible. I tried to for a many years and would do fine for a while, but inevitably I would run out of steam. Resentment would seep back in and these feelings and thoughts that had to…
-
The Proposal
Last week I attended a writer’s conference in St. Louis. On one of the evenings a bunch of us went on a cruise down the Mississippi. We had a spectacular view of the skyline and Arch as dusk fell. And an even more spectacular view as we returned to our hotel. We trekked up the…
-
Bittersweet Blessings and Letting Go of Idols
Yesterday I said goodbye to my husband and daughter. They are at this very moment driving cross-country to reach my baby girl's new home. It's the start of a new chapter in her life. This is the bittersweet part-letting her go. But in that mix of sadness and missing her is this amazing joy. God…
-
Keeping Eternity in Our Sites
Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of my father’s death. I will admit I am affected by this more than I thought I would be. Sunday I was down right cranky (my daughter will confirm that) and yesterday I was sad. I kept I reminding myself that death didn’t win. I know where Dad is and…
-
Lavish Love
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. – John 6:12-13 I read this piece of…
-
Prince Charming Is…. The Average Joe
Good Morning Everyone. Today’s post is just for the ladies. Sorry guys but if you read on I hope you feel affirmed. Girls, yesterday I was listening to a radio program where the host was interviewing an author of a book titled, Average Joe. This interview brought into sharp focus some facts that we, as…
-
10 Valentines Day Ideas to Rock His World
I hope you all are having as much fun with our husband-to-boyfriend theme as Lynn and I are. We put our heads together and created a list of 10 ideas (you know how we love lists of 10!) to WOW your spouse on Monday. Many of these turned out to really bless our hubbies and…
-
My Married Boyfriend
On Monday I told you about my new boyfriend. How my chance orneriness created a fun exchange between my husband and me. So, let me continue the story. After the impetuous hand-holding in the car, (yes, I can drive with one hand especially if my boyfriend wants to hold the other) I was delightfully surprised…