Vintage Post – Sizzlin’ Summer Dates

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Debi Walter

Originally posted June 16, 2010

When the heat is on, our dates can be challenging.  We love spending time outdoors, but when the mercury climbs over 90 degrees it certainly puts a damper on those plans.  This is why we’ve come up with a list of Summer

Sizzlin’ Date Ideas:

1.  Squirt Gun Challenge. Make two T-Shirts using fabric markers or paints that have several circles with different point values.  Stand outside, 10 ft. apart and each take turns shooting at the others targets.  Keep score…and who knows the loser just might be the winner!  We guarantee the husbands will have more fun seeing where they hit or miss!  This is a cool game that adds heat of a different kind!

2.  Take a cold shower together.

3.  Go out for Ice Cream or share a Banana Split. Check out The Glass Knife in Winter Park. They are introducing a new Doughnutt Banana Split today in honor of National Donut Day–perfect for a sweet date.

4.  Visit a water park together for the afternoon or entire day! Or have a water balloon fight.

5.  Watch a Winter Movie like:  Dr. Zhivago, White Christmas, Happy Feet, Cool Runnings. (Can you think of others to add to the list?  Let us know by commenting!)

6.  Go to the beach and build a sand castle together. Afterward jump in the water with your knight in shining armor!  Land locked?  Go to the nearest lake or springs!   If you can’t make it to the waterfront, HERE are directions for making a sand castle at home you can keep.

7.  Take a walk in the rain with an umbrella.

8.  Pack a cold picnic. Think of cold salads, fruit, and desserts – even drinks that are sure to cool you off.  As an added refreshment – pack a hand towel in ice water.  Take it out and wrap it around your spouse’s neck.

9.  Rooftop Date. Have you ever viewed the sky from the top of your roof?  Why not plan an evening, literally “Under The Stars”.  To introduce your date idea, send your spouse this You Tube video of Carole King’s, Up On The Roof.

10.  Go Skinny Dipping. We realize this can only happen in a place where you feel safe, but with a little planning you could make this happen.  It’s a sure way to cool off and heat up at the same time!  The best kind of Summer Sizzlin’ Date!

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Posted in Christian Marriage | 2 Comments

Stay Cool This Summer With These 7 Hot Date Ideas

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Debi Walter

Ah, Summer.

The time to venture outside into the sunshine and warmth of longer days. Unless…

…you live in Florida.

Summer here is humid…

                                        sticky and…

                                                            hot.

The only way to enjoy this season is on or in the water. Thankfully we have air conditioning which makes the scorching heat bearable.

All the great ideas found in Summer magazines don’t really work for us. We have to adapt to our environment and make the best of it.

When it’s too hot outside try these cool dates:

  1. Indoor Picnic – Set up your blanket and picnic basket on your living room floor. Prepare a gourmet lunch or your favorite sandwiches and settle down together for an indoor memory. Put on a Netflix documentary about a desired travel destination and enjoy your relaxing time together dreaming of the cooler weather.
  2. Boat, Canoe or Kayak Rentals
  3. Take Paddle Board or Surfing lessons
  4. Go fishing
  5. Play the tourist and visit a local museum or art gallery.
  6. Visit a Hotel Spas for an afternoon at the pool. If the budget allows throw in a couples massage.
  7. Try our Mall 10-5-1 Date. This is one of my favorites on a hot or rainy day.

The important thing to remember is our marriages are priority no matter the weather conditions.

If we’re not careful our good intentions can take a back seat to convenience.

Don’t let this happen by planning ahead. Your marriage is worth it!

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2018 Date Night Challenge – The Letter “L”

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Debi Walter

Our date began with a delicious LOBSTER dinner that Tom grilled for us. I normally prefer crab legs to lobster, but this 1.5 lb. lobster tail was cooked to perfection.

Next, we set up our LIVING room for a night of dance LESSONS. Having been to many weddings where we basically rocked our way across the dance floor, it was fun to LEARN some new steps to try the next time we have the chance to put on our dancing shoes.

We finished the evening watching reruns of Whose LINE Is It, which provided some much needed LAUGHTER.

What would be your perfect “L” Date Night?

Posted in 2018 Date Night Challenge, Christian Marriage, D.R.A.B., Date Night Ideas, Dating Your Spouse | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on 2018 Date Night Challenge – The Letter “L”

What Is THE MOST Important Aspect of a Healthy Marriage?

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Debi Walter

Do you know what the most important aspect of a healthy marriage is? We believe it’s communication. Learn how to talk, listen and respond in a God-glorifying way and your marriage is sure to not only survive, but thrive.

We often say that communication is the soil in which all the other intimacies grow: spiritual, intellectual, emotional and physical.

How well do you communicate? What does good communication require?

1. It requires listening to understand.

If you regularly disagree over insignificant matters it may be that you are not really listening to each other. Listening takes discipline to stop what you’re doing and pay attention to your spouse. Looking at your smart phone while your spouse is talking is not listening with the intent of understanding what they are saying.

2. It requires trust.

Hearing what your spouse is saying and understanding their reason for saying it requires a level of trust and confidence that many marriages lack. If you tend to judge and evaluate the reason your spouse said what they said there may be distrust of their motives lurking in your communication. Gary Thomas calls this tendency being a prosecuting attorney who is looking for what our spouse has done wrong and charges them as guilty, rather than the physician who is there to heal and help your spouse be the best they can be.

3. It requires time.

Good communication doesn’t happened as we are passing each other on the way to our different obligations. It happens when we purpose to slow down taking the time to ask good questions to fully hear what our spouse is saying.

4. It requires vulnerability.

Being vulnerable with your spouse often takes years of cultivating the other aspects of healthy communication first. I’ll never forget the time God asked me to share some very heart-disclosing struggles I was having with Tom. I hesitated because I thought he would laugh at me, because he is unlike me in this area. However, I discovered the exact opposite; he listened, cared for me and helped me push through the struggle. Could it be that our enemy knows this and will do all he can to prevent us from being vulnerable in our communication?

This list is not exhaustive by any means. What keys have you found helpful in promoting healthy communication in your marriage?

Posted in Christian Marriage, communication | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Debi Walter

Posted in Romantic Ideas, Wordless Wednesday | 1 Comment

2018 Date Night Challenge – The Letter “K”

Posted on May 5, 2018 by Debi Walter

Kayaking!

The first time we went kayaking was through Groupon where we got half-price tickets to a Full-Moon Paddle on Lake Maitland. It was a great experience. We discovered that we love this sport, even more than canoeing. Kayaks are easier to maneuver.

I planned for us to go to New Smyrna Beach and kayak on the Inter-Coastal Waterway from J.B.’s Fish Camp. The bonus is this time of year the manatees like to gather at a cove only a 15 minutes paddle away.

Here are some more photos of our day. I wish I could have shared with you the videos of the manatees. They swam right next to our kayak. Called “Gentle Giants,” they swim slowly in the shallow waters because they, like whales and porpoises, need air to survive.

I also told Tom it was to be our intention to say “K” to whatever we asked of each other all day, sort of like, “As you wish”, from the Princess Bride.

He failed to say “K” when I suggested Karaoke. I guess I found his limit! 😂

It was a fun date and one I’m sure we’ll do again!

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Happy Hour

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Debi Walter

Ask Pastor John

  • Is Oral Sex Okay? – John Piper answers this common question for married couples wanting to know.

Gary Thomas

Intimacy In Marriage

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Vintage Post – Meet The Gardners

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Debi Walter

(originally posted on April 23, 2013)IMG_0718

Have you ever heard your spouse talk about someone over and over, but never had the chance to meet them? Someone they had met before you were together? You’ve heard so much about them that it’s almost like you know them, even though you’ve never seen them in person?

Last weekend I had the privilege to finally meet Mr. and Mrs. Gardner.

They had a huge impact on Tom when he was first saved for they modeled the kind of marital love that birthed in Tom a desire for the same when he found a wife (me) :-). We have mentioned them before as the couple who never went to bed without the other. If one wasn’t tired, they laid in bed and read so the other could sleep. How sweet is that?

What a privilege it was to sit at the lunch table with them and hear my husband thank them for the lessons their love taught him. Tears welled up in all of our eyes because we knew this was a moment that glorified God for the faithfulness they had demonstrated to each other and to the vows they said on their wedding day. Certainly they have weathered the storms brought on by decades of doing life together, and have come out on the other side all the better for the struggles.

Their greatest trial was when continents separated them while he served in Vietnam.

They shared with us how they kept their love alive during this dark season of their marriage. They sent recorded messages to each other every week and wrote letters every day. One time his letters stopped coming and Mrs. Gardner was distraught not knowing what had happened to him. She called The Red Cross, but they knew nothing. She waited for weeks until she finally received a letter from another soldier telling her that her husband had undergone emergency surgery in a M.A.S.H. unit to remove a kidney stone. She was relieved at the news, but wished they had told her sooner.

When we asked them the secret to their lasting love, they both acknowledged their love for God and their commitment to follow His will for their lives no matter how difficult.

We walked around their beautiful home as they told us stories about the garden they had so carefully created.

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Mrs. Gardner took her trowel as we talked, and went to work digging up bulbs and plants to give us to plant in our own garden. She picked as many weeds as she did plants, which is one of the reasons her plants thrive. She not only cares for the soil, but she also pulls up anything that doesn’t belong knowing it will take the nutrients the flowers need to bloom and grow.

What a great metaphor for how to cultivate a romantic vineyard.

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It was obvious they do this all the time. I guess sharing the abundance from what they’ve sown through the years both in their garden and in their marriage comes as easy as breathing.

Sadly, Mr. Gardner was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, but his eyes still twinkle when he talks about his bride. What a marriage they have built, what a love they enjoy, what a privilege to have finally met them. They will celebrate 63 years together in June, and we thank God for the visible demonstration of a marriage that wasn’t easy, but stayed the course for God’s glory. We will gladly plant the flowers they gave us this past weekend, but what we really pray is that what their example has sown in our marriage will bear the kind of fruit that we can share with others in the same way.

Their daughter, Pam, pulling our wagon full of plants.

Tell us, who in your marriage has inspired you? Who has helped you cultivate your own marriage garden for God’s glory? Have you had the chance to thank them in person?

Post update: Mr. Gardner took his last breath in this life and first breath in eternity in 2014. They shared nearly 64 years of marriage to the glory of God.

Posted in Aging, Christian Marriage, Death and Grieving, Growing Strong Marriages, Seasons of Life | Tagged | Comments Off on Vintage Post – Meet The Gardners

2018 Date Night Challenge – “J” Date

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Debi Walter

This date has made the letter “J” my favorite so far in our Date Night Challenge.

Tom knows how much I love music. When it’s performed LIVE, of high quality, and the genre I love (JAZZ), it doesn’t get much better. He outdid himself in planning this date for me.

We had recently heard about Jazz Tastings, a restaurant offering a tapas-style menu and live music every night. We had tried it once before, but were not impressed and didn’t stay to give them a fair shot. However, when it was highly recommended by some friends whose opinion we value, Tom was convinced to give them another chance and make this our “J” date.

When we arrived there were only a handful of people in the small venue. The house band was setting up and the owner, Rory Far greeted us with a welcoming smile as well as a menu.

We started with an appetizer of cheese, olives, bruschetta and dried meats.

Next we enjoy a delicious flat bread.

We took our time with each dish wanting the evening to last.

When the music began we knew we were in for a treat. They are known as the Jazz Tastings House Quartet, but on this night there were only three. The lead guitarist is also a doctor who happened to be on call and couldn’t play. But you would never have known they were missing their lead by the way the entertained us with their skills and passion for music.

They introduced themselves, sharing interesting facts about their history and experience. We loved the nicknames and funny stories they shared; it made us feel as if we were a part of their family.

Meet Ezra Henry, aka “EH”, who has played for many celebrities including a famous talk show host who requests him for private events she and Stedman host. 🙂

This is Larry McRae, aka “Boom Boom”. He was privileged to play for our late President Ronald Reagan at the White House. He comes from Philadelphia and has played with such stars as Roberta Flack. He told us that he discovered there is a video of him playing at the Reagan Library in CA. When his dad heard of it, he couldn’t have been more proud of his boy!

Finally, Mark Falcheck, aka “MF” which means My Friend. 🙂 He is a Berkley graduate and they lovingly call him the magician because of what he can do with the keyboard.

They asked if we wanted classic jazz, smooth jazz, pop music or a mixture. We opted for the latter wanting to hear the full range of what they could do. It was amazing!

Some of my favorites were:

  • L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole. My dad and I used to sing this song together around our piano. I’ve always loved it!
  • Route 66
  • And others of which I don’t recall the titles.

We ended the night with one of their many desserts–Pecan Bread Pudding. Yeah, it was a sweet ending to a great evening. One I hope we’ll repeat again and soon.

Here is a sampling of the music offered at Jazz Tastings…Enjoy!

 

Posted in 2018 Date Night Challenge, Alphabet Dates, Artsy Dates, Date Night Ideas | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Happy Hour

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Debi Walter

It’s time for some of our favorite blog posts from the past week. Take some time a read these excellent posts. Your marriage will thank you!

Gary Thomas

Hot, Holy and Humorous

  • How To Celebrate An Anniversary – J and Spock are celebrating 25 years of marriage in one of our favorite cities–Chicago! Happy Silver anniversary you two. May the next 25 be better than you hope.

Intimacy In Marriage

  • Sex Isn’t Everything in Marriage, But… – “What is your normal? Is it nurtured sexual intimacy or is that the exception? Sit with that question a moment. I offer it as a kind nudge, although I recognize you may hear it as an all-out assault on your status quo.” – Julie from this excellent post.
Posted in Blog Love, Christian Marriage, Happy Hour, Sexual Intimacy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Consider This…

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Debi Walter

Photo by Gabriel Laroche on Unsplash

We have a neighbor whose husband passed away a couple of weeks ago.

Several of us who live in the neighborhood went over to share our condolences and bring a gift of remembrance to her. It was a sweet time of hearing her memories of life with her husband of 60+ years. He didn’t want a funeral, but requested a family reunion instead. So her children and grandchildren gathered together with her over the past two weeks to reminisce and take care of the tedious business required when someone dies. Her son is still there with her for the coming week, and her daughter will return when he leaves. We joked that this is why we have children, to care for us in our old age.

The truth of that statement hung in the air long after the laughter died down.

Tom and I left with a fresh realization that this will be our story in our next season of life. It is always a sobering thought that brings with it questions…

  • Who will be left behind?
  • How will we handle the parting?
  • Will our children be near to help with the many details?
  • What will it be like to live alone after being married for decades?

Many of us don’t like to consider these somber questions, but we do well to take thought of it.

A.W. Tozer said, “Let no one apologize for the powerful emphasis Christianity lays upon the doctrine of the world to come. Right there lies its immense superiority to everything else within the whole sphere of human thought or experience. When Christ arose from death and ascended into heaven, He established three important facts, namely that this world has been condemned to ultimate dissolution, that the human spirit persists beyond the grave and that there is indeed a world to come. We do well to think of the long tomorrow.”

Thinking of the long tomorrow helps us make wise decisions in our personal relationship with Christ and in our marriage. Our choices matter today, tomorrow and most importantly for eternity!

Have you spent time talking with your spouse about the long tomorrow?

 

Posted in Aging, Biblical Encouragement, Christian Marriage, Death and Grieving, Perspective in Marriage, Seasons of Life | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Debi Walter

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In To Me See – An Invitation Reserved For One

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Debi Walter

Photo by John Westrock on Unsplash

“In to me see” is a term our pastor coined for intimacy.

If done right we are inviting our spouse to see into our lives in a way no one else does. It is for their eyes, ears and heart only. Some spouses see this as a privilege. Others can make it a bone of contention. The difference between the two is realizing we are on the same team going in the same direction for God’s glory. If we tend to see our lives as separate, yet together, we are missing intimacy in the way God desires.

Vulnerability is essential to deepening our intimacy as the years pass.

In order for our marriage to grow there are four areas of intimacy that must be cultivated on a regular basis.

Four key areas of intimacy in marriage

(includes but is not limited to)

  1. Spiritual – Bible study, prayer, church involvement, ministry to others, confession of sin, sharing convictions as God reveals them
  2. Emotional – Feelings, affections, love languages, romance, date nights
  3. Intellectual – Current events, reading books-both non-fiction and fiction, newspapers, magazine articles, documentaries
  4. Physical – Sex, working out, hobbies which require physical endurance, such as hiking and running

What is your plan for growing in these four vital areas of intimacy? If you don’t have a plan, then you are planning to neglect your marriage.

Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash

Tom and I have gone canoeing many times together. This is how I prefer to canoe because Tom is purposeful in steering the canoe. Me? Not so much. I canoed once with our daughters. Tom was in the canoe with our son. He managed to get his canoe where he wanted it to go. Mine drifted into the banks where spiders and gators lurk. It is not a fun memory–although Tom got quite a good laugh out of it.

Truth be told…I have a tendency to neglect the consistent effort needed to stay on course. I see Tom as God’s gift in my life to help me do what I couldn’t or wouldn’t do left to myself. I am a better me with him by my side. I pray he feels the same way about me when it comes to other areas of intimacy.

Showing our weaknesses in marriage is something we tend to avoid. If we open up these insecure areas we may discover God has given us the help we need in our spouse!

Ask yourself…

  • …does my spouse know the areas where I am weak, or the areas I am willing to neglect because I don’t want to do it?

  • …do I hide for fear of being judged or rejected?

These are all important questions to ask. No one can help us grow and change when it comes to these heart issues. We have to be honest with ourselves and take the mask of self-sufficiency and pride off. You may not be familiar with these masks. It’s a way we are often tempted to show only the good parts of me. The ugly, shameful side is often hidden hoping that no one will know what lurks in the darkest parts of our heart.

I recently cleaned out my closet. It has been a chore I’ve avoided because I knew I would have to make decisions about keeping, tossing or donating. I dreaded doing it given the amount of stuff crammed in my closet. I knew it would get worse before it got better, but you know what? It only took me an hour at the most! The hardest part was starting.

It’s the same with cleaning out our thoughts. Knowing our spouse is for us and wants to help us is good, but we have to believe it to actually start. It may create a mess at first, but the mess is worth it on the way to intimacy.

It is important to note: These messes are the doorway to true and lasting freedom found only on the threshold of honesty and transparency.  Run, don’t walk through that door! It’s worth the effort!

Posted in Christian Marriage, communication, Conflict, Intimacy | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Vintage Post – The De-Masking Of Prince Charming

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Debi Walter

Photo by Felix Russell-Saw on Unsplash

(Originally posted on June 27, 2012)

Each of us on a specific day of a specific year stood before others and exchanged our marriage vows. Most likely we were full of great anticipation of this being our fairy tale come true. We were committing our life and love to a happily ever after. At least this was our hope.

But somewhere along the way life happened.

For us it was our third year of marriage. This was the year when reality broke through the fairy tale dream world I had created in my mind. Tom wasn’t a prince, and I was certainly no princess. We were both sinners saved by grace in need of continual saving from our sin-prone nature. We hurt each other more than we’d ever thought was possible. It wasn’t intentional, but it was unavoidable.

This may be hard to hear, but it was God’s plan all along.

He knew how my sin would hurt Tom and how his sin would hurt me. He planned for these hurts to draw us closer to the only One who could offer us hope and change–Himself.

He knows our frame and that we are dust. Between our first and our last breath, God has ordained for us to grow in godliness. For those who are married, our covenant will be one of the major sources He uses to bring the necessary change in our life.

Knowing this, I still resist at times. I want the fairy tale. I want to always feel my love. I don’t want to have to deal with heartache and disappointment. I don’t want to have to embrace change and the aging process. I want things to stay as they are.  It is normal to be tempted in this way, but giving into this temptation is immature and damaging to the growth of a healthy marriage.

It is so easy to point the finger at our spouse with a long list of all the things they do to disappoint us.

Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash

It is easier to place fault on someone other than ourselves, but this isn’t mature. James 1 says:

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.  (ESV, emphasis mine)

Let’s take time to accurately look at our own heart in the mirror of God’s Word.

As Tom has counseled many couples, we must realize that no person is completely without fault. We both bring issues to the table of marital hardship. Waiting for your spouse to go first is acting like a spoiled child. Someone has to go first. Someone has to be the mature one. Why not let it be you? As you purpose to deal with your own sin, you may be surprised to see how your spouse’s heart begins to soften as well.

Our third year was when the Prince Charming mask came off, and I saw Tom for who he was. But you know what? Seeing him as he really was with all of his weaknesses exposed, was more attractive to me than a man who hid behind a fake costume trying to be what I wanted him to be.

In the same way Tom found his love for me deepen as he saw and began to understand my struggles with pride. To be honest, I am more like the wicked step-sister in the Cinderella story, than Cinderella, yet Tom demonstrated a mature love for me in spite of my ugly sin. So much like Christ’s love for His church.

We are compatibly different, and differently compatible.

And it’s in being honest about our faults and sins with God and each other that we’ve grown to embrace this truth, instead of trying to fix each other. Our differences actually make us more interesting as a couple. Our conversations and discussions are more lively because we don’t see eye-to-eye on everything, and it’s okay.

You know what? The de-masking of Prince Charming revealed a man more handsome than who I thought Tom was when we married. Each year that passes my love for him deepens, and it no longer matters if I feel the emotions or not, because my love is based not on feeling, but on a strong desire to honor God and our covenant to each other. This, I believe, is what mature love is–and it is so much better than a fairy tale. Of course, I’m grateful for the feelings, but feelings are the fruit of mature love, not the foundation on which to build.

In what ways have you let go of the fairy tale romance for the reality of a deep and lasting love? What about this process has been difficult for you? How did God help you?

Posted in Biblical Encouragement, Christian Marriage, Keeping It Real, Vintage Posts | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Debi Walter

Photo by Bryan Apen on Unsplash

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The Power of Influence

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Debi Walter

If I were to ask you, “Who do you influence the most in your life? In your marriage?” Would you have a quick answer? I believe it would do us well to consider the answer for knowing WHOM we influence will enable us to consider HOW we are influencing as well.

I shared about our recent “I” date where we went to see, I Can Only Imagine. In the movie Bart Millard finally shares his story of the negative influence his parents, especially his dad, had on his young life. He spent years trying to drown out his voice, but nothing he did worked. He needed Someone with greater influence than his father’s to help him overcome the damage his father’s abuse caused. That Someone was and is Jesus. Not only did Jesus change his life for the good, but the good had an overflow impact on the very man who caused his trouble.

It’s good to remember how much Christ has done for us and our marriage.

Recount the many blessings and lessons learned over the years. By His grace we are not the same as we once were. We are being changed day after day into more of His likeness. It is miraculous.

The spill-over effect is that all who know us are influenced either for good or for bad. This includes:

  • Children
  • Parents
  • Siblings
  • Friends
  • Co-Workers
  • Facebook friends

Actually, we are influencing everyone with whom we come in contact.

First impressions can be hard to change. We must be aware of everyone God is bringing into our lives either for a season or for the res of our lives.

What a privilege it is to be an influencer. Realizing this helps us make the most of the message our lives, our marriages are speaking.

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Wordless Wednesday

Posted on April 11, 2018 by Debi Walter

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2018 Date Night Challenge – “I” Date

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Debi Walter

This date came about fairly easily. It was my turn to plan, and there happened to be a new movie I wanted to see. It doesn’t always work this way, but when it does–go for it!!

I Can Only Imagine is the true story of Bart Millard, who suffers physical and emotional abuse from his Dad. It is powerful, and showcases God’s redemptive power even in the midst of extreme adversity. He discovers the love of a father he had never thought possible.

It stars some well-known actors such as, Dennis Quad–Bart’s father, Trace Adkins–his musical mentor and Cloris Leachman–his loving grandmother.

As the lead singer of Mercy Me, his hit song, I Can Only Imagine, launched them to the top of Christian charts and gave him a career in music ministry that is flourishing to this day.

Here’s the trailer should you want to go see the movie yourself.

Afterwards we went out for Tom’s favorite, ICE CREAM, to talk about it.

It provided a great start to an INTIMATE evening. ♥️

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Vintage Post – Grace Given Brings Peace

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Debi Walter

Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

(Originally posted on April, 21, 2010)

It is late.

It has been one of those nights where I am filled with emotions I don’t understand, much less expect my husband to understand.   Yet I try.  I strive to communicate honestly, even though as I speak what’s troubling me I realize how ridiculous it sounds.

Still…he listens. He asks questions, trying with the best of his ability to “get it” – to get what I’m feeling.

Impossible!

I am a woman.  He is a man.  God has made us completely and utterly different, yet we are ONE. I know he’ll never completely understand what motivates my thoughts, feelings and emotions.  Just as I’ll never understand his logic, his resolve and his unrelenting pursuit of me!

He is a gift.

He is what my soul needs to stay grounded when all around me seems shaken.  He reminds me of eternity by taking my hand and praying for me and with me.  As he does I sense a softening in my questioning heart.  The emotions die down, and I hear my voice follow his as I pray for him.

We are One because the One who created all things has ordained it to be so.  And in our oneness we are invited to participate in glorifying Him.  We do this by choosing in these unstable moments to cling to the only One who is stable!  Our circumstances change from day to day as do our emotions, yet He is the One to be trusted, to cling to, no matter how uncertain the day may become.

Marriage is a union stronger than any other, and it is in days like these where I feel it’s support and God’s tremendous blessing.

It is a gift…

…available only because of the gift of His Son to a dying world.  We live because He lived.  We love because He first loved us.  We press on because this is what brings Him glory.  He has promised to give us grace for the day…how thankful I am for the grace given to me through the love of my husband.

In this I have found peace.

**IT’S YOUR TURN:   When you find yourself in difficulties – relational or otherwise – how do you and your spouse work through it?  What have you found works for you?

Posted in Biblical Encouragement, Christian Marriage, Encouraging Your Spouse, Keeping It Real, The Gospel & Marriage | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Debi Walter

Posted in Christian Marriage, Wordless Wednesday | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Wordless Wednesday