True Love Stories Never Have Endings

I love fairy tales. I am a huge Disney fan. No seriously...I LOVE Disney. The princesses (Rapunzel and Belle are my favorite), the handsome prince as their knight in shining armor fighting evil to save them. I love a good fairy tale story. Have you ever viewed yourself as a knight in shining armor? Me either. I always saw myself as the beautiful princess. But God calls us to be knights. And that is where we will begin our devotional. Ephesians 6: 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Let's talk bluntly...this world is evil. It has corrupted what God created beautiful. As His children, we are called in Romans 12:2 not to conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. In order to fight against the evils of this world, we are to be knights and put on our armor of God.  But what does this have to do with our marriages? I...

This is one of my favorite bible verses, yet it is probably one of the hardest to live by. And this is where we will camp out today for our devotional. This devotional, Wife After God, has really spoken to me on different levels. But today's reading really got to me. She tells of a story of a woman who has been struggling with anxiety after having her baby. A friend who God has blessed with the gift of hospitality, reaches out to the new mom and shows God's call to us of displaying joy and sacrifice to her friend in need. The reason this spoke to me is because I can relate to the new mom. I am the one struggling with anxiety. Before I knew what was happening to me, I let it steal precious moments and completely became consumed by it. God helps me through it and gives me strength to overcome the anxiety every day. But, the truth is I want to be like the friend who reached out to her. I want the joy to be seen on my face for doing God's work. I want to reach out to som...

For me, It's rolling my eyes. Or giving a sarcastic remark. That's how I respond with my attitude when K does something I don't like. In fact, I can be very sarcastic sometimes. What are some ways you respond with your attitude? Do you put your hands on your hips? Cross your arms over your chest? In today's devotion, the author, Jennifer Smith, states that "attitude is the posture of your heart". (51) We can convey our attitude through many ways like the way we pose our bodies, speech, and tone. The perfect example of attitude is Jesus. No matter what He endured, He expressed the right attitude. When He was tempted, He quoted scripture. When He was mocked and spit on, He was silent instead of exploding and firing back. When He was faced with fear of what was ahead of him, He prayed. He carried the weight of the world literally on His shoulders when He carried the cross, yet He never uttered a complaint. In the devotion she mentions that we can use our body...

What makes a good wife? I will be honest, I have been struggling with this one lately. My problem has been finding balance and routine with an infant. I only have one...I can't imagine what you go through if you have more than one! And putting our spouse first (under God) is essential to a successful and happy marriage. I know this...but can I whine a little...It's hard!! But God didn't say it would be easy. That it would be all "smooth sailing" in this life. And of course we have heard anything worth having is going to take hard work. So what is the biblical definition of a good wife? In the devotional Wife After God, she focuses on several bible verses but we will camp at Proverbs 31:11-31. This woman is the perfect example of a good wife. Let's break this down together. The makings of a good wife based on the Proverbs 31 woman: 1) Her husband trusts her (v.11) 2) She provides him with good (v 12) 3) She works with her hands (v 13) 4...

Where do you get your worthiness? Or let me ask you this, where do you try to get your worthiness? Is it from your job? From your spouse? From how you parent your children? You know who sees us as worthy? God. No matter what I have done, God loves me and I am worthy. God is worthy of our trust, love, devotion, and worship. That is the topic of the devotional today. Sorry it took me so long to get back to it...it's been a little crazy and I am finally getting back to a good groove with Remy. To let you in on my world for a minute before we dive into the devotional: my sister, brother-in-law, and their two children moved 8 hours away from us. My sister and I spent a lot of time together before she left, which I am so thankful for. We are very close and we won't let distance stop us from that. I am excited about what God has in store for them.  I have to admit to you...I struggle with my worth. It's hard sometimes to view myself as worthy. But I am. To my ...

I am going to take a small break from the devotional to talk to you about expectations. Have you ever had high expectations of something? Did you plan something down to the last detail and expect it to turn out exactly like you planned? Does it ever meet those expectations? I am learning a lot about expectations with having a child. My sister and I recently adventured to our favorite city to shop at our favorite mall. It was the first time I took Remy on an hour and a half car ride and I figured it would be a good experiment. She has two children; a boy who is 6 and a little girl who is 2. I love those kids. Anyway, we got there and went to our favorite Christian bookstore and headed to the mall.  Well, we didn't get started actually shopping until an hour and a half after we got there! Both of our girls had to be changed, fed, and then changed again. Fun times!! It didn't go exactly like we planned, but honestly, it was a fun time. It taught me a lot about expectation...

" Therefore , as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord , walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude."  Colossians 2:6-7 It's hard to accept sometimes that life isn't always easy. We want it to be; we want it to be smooth sailing. But the reality is...it's not. We will be tested and have trials and hang ups. I am learning that it's what we do in those hardships and how we lean on God that matters. The devotional today focuses on our transformation in Christ when we become a Christian. Our pastor preaches on this quite a bit. When you accept Jesus as your Savior, your life will change. The Holy Spirit in us will work in us to change old habits and characteristics from our old self. We will need to change and be transformed and the spirit will help us to become holy. We can view our marriage in the same way. When we become married and become one, we are transformed. "Marr...

I know this might be a harder post to read...but it is part of the devotional and something as a wife I feel needs to addressed. If you are a believer in Christ, one of the beliefs we stand by is that we are forgiven. What Jesus did on the cross was for our sins. His act of sacrificial love wiped our slates clean. As a wife and a believer, I am called to treat K the same way. Let me repeat that so it sinks in...I am to forgive K in all circumstances as Jesus forgives me. But...what if he does this? Or you don't know how bad he treated me and he doesn't deserve it. I want to stay mad. Have these thoughts crossed your mind? We have to hold it up to the truth of God. We are to be obedient and forgive no matter what because that's what God does for us. Even though we don't deserve it. And you know what else? He forgets it. God never brings it up again. By being a forgiving wife, I "restore harmony, peace, and agreement in my marriage" (Smith, 3...

" He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness, you have been healed by His wounds." 2 Peter 2:24 There is a lot of scripture today and I encourage you to read each one: Matthew 27:27-54, John 3:16, John 14:6, John 15:13 They all refer to what Jesus did for us on the cross. Let's camp there for a minute. Sometimes with all that goes on around me...raising Remy, taking care of our house, running errands, taking care of K, trying to find time to walk ...that I don't think about Jesus' sacrifice. It's not that I forget, but I just don't think about what he did for me. For you. "Jesus endured harsh treatment that led to death on the cross, providing people redemption from sin and the only way to be reconciled by God." (Smith, 31) This love that Jesus displayed for us-this unconditional, life changing, sacrificial  love- changes who you are. It doesn't mean our lives are a...

Sundays are always busy for us. To quote my nephew it is church and family day. But yesterday we kept our Sunday quiet. K has been working nonstop. He had to work Saturday, which is unusual for him so he asked me if we could just rest at home and spend some time together. So we did. We got in our pjs and enjoyed playing with Remy and watched Iron Man. We are rewatching the Marvel movies in anticipation of Avengers: Infinity War. Nerds, right? It was so nice to spend some quiet time together. In today's devotional reading, we will focus on our spouse being our special and precious gift. I don't know about you, but I don't always look at K like he is a special gift to me. But I need to. God has given him to me to take care of; to treasure like he deserves. He is special and I need to make sure he knows it. According to the author, our attitudes toward our spouse will reflect how we receive our gift. We can't forget and need to see ourselves as their gifts als...

Genesis 2: 18 Then the Lord God said, it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one for they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. I love God with all my heart and try my best to obey Him...but I never really have given any thought until recently of how badly He wants a deep and intimate relationship with me. That He is pursuing me and waiting for me to seek Him. I am learning this more and more as I study His word through this devotional and another bible study I am doing. He wants to be my rock, my best friend. "To love God is a choice you must make because you have free will, which is the very thing that makes companionship so powerful...because you chose it." (Smith, 23) In this same way, we are to pursue our husbands to keep this companionship and bond strong. We can ...

I don't know about you, but if someone doesn't deserve respect, my first thought isn't "let me see how I can show this person respect?" Have you ever been there?  Or how about if you fought with your spouse and said some things you shouldn't have? Yeah me too. But we are called to show them respect no matter what. And that is what today's devotional centers on. Today we will be reading Psalm 139:13-18 and Ephesians 5:21-33. God is very detailed in the way He has made us. He made husbands and wives different for many reasons. We will focus on the husband's need for respect and the wife's need for love. A husband feels most loved and cared for when they are shown respect. Even when they don't deserve it. I think it is important to ask God for strength and for Him to show us how He sees our husbands in order to love them like He does. Not that we don't, but to love them more like Christ. That brings them to love us like we desire. Our ...

This month K and I will make 10 years...can you believe?? In some ways, it seems like it and other times it doesn't. I love that man so much. But I will be honest, here lately our marriage could use a pick me up. Our daughter is now 7 months old (!!) but we still are adjusting to life with an infant. Which will be a post in itself! But finding time for each other with his job and so many demands and her demands...our marriage definitely could use something. I am considering this our anniversary month. I want to get into the habit of doing something special for him and for our marriage. What is more special than us growing closer together with God? So are you ready to take a journey with me? I am about to dive into this devotional daily . Yes, I did say daily. That alone will be a commitment and challenge for me. But I can do this! So let's get started!! Our first readings will be in Genesis 1:27 and 2 Corinthians 5:20 The most important statement from those reading...

Kids definitely change things, am I right? Almost five months in this new chapter and I am well on my way to learning how they change your life. One of the biggest adjustments for me was that this tiny little person was relying on me 24/7. I was used to taking care of my husband sure, but a little human being? I will admit... it scared me.  I prayed for wisdom and strength. I have to admit I struggled at first getting used to the idea this little person needed me. I prayed to embrace this new adventure. I mentioned in my last post that the newborn stage was the hardest. I'm not kidding. Late night feedings, crying, loss of sleep, getting used to a third person, crying, pooping... Yeah, definitely not for the faint of heart. Want to know something? I couldn't see our life without her. She has brought a joy to our lives we didn't know was missing. Because we were happy. But our happiness with this little person has been amplified. It really is a miracle. So yes, babies do...

Hi dear readers still out there! I am still here. In fact, I have plans for this blog. Big plans to expand it beyond just a marriage blog. I respect reviews, don't you? I like to get other opinions on items, movies, books, t.v. shows, etc. I already review marriage books on this blog, so now I am going to review all kinds of things! I also plan to do a 30 day devotional on here! I am really excited about it! I plan to start in January. I hope you plan to join me on this 30 day challenge! So, that's what I have planned for the very near future but now it's time to continue with what's been going on with us.. The months following the miscarriage were hard, but it provided me time to heal and it really brought K and I closer than ever. Besides God, if it wouldn't have been for him, I would have been lost. He was my rock. It really taught us what it means to pull together...a lesson we would definitely need in the future. We always have made a great team, ...

For those of you still hanging on and reading my blog, kudos to you after such a long absence. I have been a horrible blogger...but in my defense my life has been turned upside down in the last year. The last post in Sept of 2016 I was very vague on details of something I was going through. I was battling with fear and anxiety because in June 2016 my life changed. I am about to get very personal and let you in on something that I wasn't quite ready to share until now...I feel God was telling me it was time. K and I had been trying to get pregnant since January. We talked and prayed and did more talking and praying and felt it was finally time for the next step. We had waited long enough. 5 long months of pregnancy tests and waiting and in June while I was working at vacation bible school, I found out I was pregnant. I was cautiously excited and very nervous. Deep down something was telling me something wasn't right, but I was only 5 weeks. I went in to the doctor and after ...

I have been working on a part two for my makings of a Christian wife series, but God put it on my heart for the post today. I used to not like listening to sermons. Don't get me wrong, I love going to church and I love our pastor. But I never used to like sitting and listening to a sermon from someone else. I viewed it like I view audio books...I didn't want to listen; I am a reader.  But then I discovered Right Now Media thanks to my church. It is the Netflix for bible studies and I have completely fallen in love with it. Right now I am doing a study on changing the mind. It deals with issues like worry, anxiety, fear, and how trusting God and changing your mind can battle these issues. I have been struggling with anxiety and fear and today I finally realized why. I have not been happy with some circumstances that K and I have been experiencing. I haven't been satisfied with some outcomes and I have not been trusting God to change my way of thinking. I have been a...

It starts out as something small: The garbage not being taken out,  the mail piling up on the corner of the counter,  or not filling the sponge wand with dish detergent after he uses it.  I try my hardest not to nag him...so I let these things "slide".  What I really do is let them fester inside and they come to a boiling point... And this is what happened over the weekend: The pot boiled over. I was dealing with stress from several different areas of life in general and lately we seemed to be nit-picking each other. ALOT. I was getting aggravated with him over such little things. And the pot completely over boiled because I didn't let him know what was bothering me from the beginning. After a long talk and a melt-down on my part, I wanted to do something different than focusing on the things that he did that bothered me. We were better than that. We were letting the stress of life get to us and I didn't like it one bit. I started a new video bible st...

Recently, I have had this want to grow closer to God. I don't want to just be knowledgeable about the bible, (although inspired by my sister, I am on a quest to read the bible from cover to cover. As we all know, I am an avid reader and after talking to her about it, with all of the books we read...why not just read and study the bible from Genesis to Revelation? I realize that this will take a long time, but I am up for the challenge!) I want to really know God and connect with Him on an intimate level. I want my prayer life to be more than just praying in the morning and asking Him for the things of the day. Well to help me on my journey, I am three videos into this wonderful series from RightNow Media: It was exactly what I was looking for...how to have an intimate relationship with God when you have a busy life. Sometimes we get so sucked into our routines and busy schedules that we forget that we just need to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to Him and connect. Ma...

When I don't like a book, it is so hard for me to get through it. I have a hard time getting to the end. It's like a race you are trying desperately to reach the finish...who am I kidding? I know nothing about races. I don't run... Anyway...I started this book in April. I am a pretty fast reader. I try to read a book every two weeks; not ways possible but I try. So not even halfway through this one, I was desperately trying to finish this book. I really wanted to like it. I have grown to like year long journeys. I find them very inspiring. This book, however, was not inspiring.  Rachel Held Evans embarks on a year long journey of the Bible. In this journey, she will practice Old Testament customs and learn more about herself and her Christian faith. Or so we are led to think. What starts out as a month by month task list devoted to particular virtues (Grace, beauty, submission, valor etc) ends up a whine fest drowned with overtones of sarcasm. I was highly disapp...