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Tom and Debi
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Wordless Wednesday
Posted in Christian Marriage, Wordless Wednesday
Tagged Couple having coffee, Marriage Moments, Morning Rituals, New Mercies
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2018 Date Night Challenge – “I” Date
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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Posted in 2018 Date Night Challenge, Christian Marriage, Date Night Ideas, Forgiveness, Movie Dates
Tagged Alphabet Dates, I Can Only Imagine, Letter I Date, Movie Date
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Vintage Post – Grace Given Brings Peace
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?
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Wordless Wednesday
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Posted in Christian Marriage, Wordless Wednesday
Tagged Couple walking, Snow, Umbrella
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Going, Not Knowing
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
On this Easter Sunday I’m reminded of another Easter.
1985. It was our last Sunday in the church where Tom and I met. This was the place where we had memorized so many scriptures because the senior pastor’s wife was a singer songwriter. She loved to put the Bible to music, which enabled us to learn Scripture seemingly without effort. We sang these songs over and over and found God’s Word was being hidden in our hearts. Romans 10:17 says…
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Singing these songs caused our faith to grow.
It was during this time when God was stirring our hearts that change was coming. We just didn’t know what. Our pastor, who had led our young couples ministry, believed God was calling him to plant a new church. He didn’t know where, when or how, but he knew it was certain. When he shared this with us, we were filled with faith for what God had in store.
In just a few months time we were sitting in this church for the last time. They prayed God’s blessing over us as we were leaving to plant this new church. Tom and I had only been married 6 years with two small children ages 1 and 3. This was frightening and exciting at the same time. We felt somewhat like Abraham.
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (emphasis mine)
Fast-forward 33 years to 2018.
We are still members of the church we planted in 1985. We have raised our three children here. All three were married here. We have continued to move forward in our walk with the Lord and our friendships have deepened. Our time together has been full of laughter, tears, heart-ache and victory. Each circumstance pointing us to our need for a Savior. We have dug more deeply into biblical truths like Grace, Humility, the Gospel, Stewardship, Parenting and Marriage, to name a few.
God has been faithful every step of the way.
Why do we share this with you? Because we believe being committed to a local, Bible-teaching church is the safest place for marriages to grow and mature. To be known and cared for by others who will hold you accountable to the vows you made on your wedding day is a sure way to love each other until death parts you.
All that we bring to this ministry is a direct result of the teaching and counsel we have received from our pastoral team and close friends. We can’t imagine where we would be without their godly example and input. Doing life with others, sharing the good and bad seasons of life, works together to grow us into mature followers of Christ. And we are thankful!
Who in your life has had the most profound impact on your marriage? Spend time talking about it on your next date night. We pray like us, your heart will fill with gratitude for God’s faithfulness to you year after year. This brings Him great glory!
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Posted in Biblical Encouragement, Christian Marriage, Easter, Growing Strong Marriages, Holidays, Seasons of Life
Tagged Local Church, Mature Love
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Celebrating Easter – The Motivation For All We Do
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Posted in Biblical Encouragement, Celebrations, Christian Marriage, Easter, Holidays
Tagged Easter, Forever, Kari Jobe, Our Motivation, Spoken Word
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Happy Hour
Gary Thomas
- Taking Action – this post is challenging and practical for wives, but it also can apply to husbands if you change the gender as you read. Here is a quote to whet your appetite for more:
Your future depends on God, not on a fallen man. Your security rests with your caring Creator’s providence, not with your husband’s paycheck. Your acceptance as a person became secure when God adopted you, not when your husband proposed to you. If you truly want to love, motivate, and influence your husband, your first step must be to stay connected with God. Find your refuge, security, comfort, strength, and hope in him.
To Love, Honor and Vacuum
- 10 Of The Best Decisions You Can Make In Your First Year Of Marriage – This is written by Rebecca Lindenbach and is outstanding!!! If you are newly married, please please please take 5 minutes to read this article. You will be grateful in the years to come if you apply it to your own marriage.
Orlando
Happy Resurrection Day from our home to yours!
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Posted in Blog Love, Christian Marriage, Growing Strong Marriages, Happy Hour, Newlyweds
Tagged Gary Thomas, Loving Him Well, marriage, Newlywed advice, Sheila Gregoire
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2018 Date Night Challenge – The Letter “H”
Our “H”date began by going to lunch at one of Orlando’s best places for HOT DOGS. I found it by looking on Yelp, a great date night resource!
Sausage Shack, located on HANNIBAL SQUARE in Winter Park.
Next, we went to the Orlando HISTORICAL Museum, where we learned about our HISTORY before the Mouse.
A few fun facts:
Taffy Pull – My Mom taught us as kids how to make HOMEMADE taffy where it takes two to pull it back and forth until it’s the right consistency. But I had no idea they used this to monitor the courtship of their youth. 😊 They called it “Courting with Cane Candy”.
We learned about the citrus industry which brought my grandparents to Florida from Oklahoma in 1922.
And the traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian was called, Things Come Apart. It had displays of various objects taken apart piece-by-piece and photographed or framed for display, along with the total number of parts. We saw a Smartphone, typewriter, piano, and a DVD player to name a few. But the one that caught Tom’s attention the most was no surprise…
…one of his favorite Orlando icons, Beefy King. 😊
We ended our date going to an HISTORIC place, Dubsdread Tap Room, for their HAPPY HOUR special. This place opened in 1924 and is rich with HISTORY. My family lived a block away from the course when I was born.
A side fact we learned about Dubsdread Golf Course:
Amateur golfers were called “dubbers” and the golf course here was difficult; so much so they dreaded playing it. Thus the name!
When was the last time you visited the historical museum near you? We highly recommend it. You never know what you’ll learn.
____________________
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Posted in 2018 Date Night Challenge, Alphabet Dates, Christian Marriage
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13 Ways To Show Honor To Your Spouse
Photo by Lotte Meijer on Unsplash
Tonight is our marriage community group, one of my favorite nights of the week. We are going through Gary Thomas’ book, Cherish, and learning so much. This week’s focus is on honoring your spouse.
Honor. It’s not a word we use very often when it comes to marriage, but we should. It is the highest form of respect and esteem.
Dr. John Gottman is quoted in Gary’s book as saying, “Without honor, all the marriage skills one can learn won’t work.”
So I must ask the question. Do you honor your spouse?
You may not have a clear answer to that question. Especially if you have not taken the time to ask your spouse, “In what ways do I show you honor?”
I encourage you to ask. You may be surprised to hear what being honored is to you, is completely different then what being honored is to your spouse. This is why it is imperative that we ask.
Once you listen to their answers (with your ears and eyes), make it your goal this week to honor them in a variety of ways. Be specific. Be genuine. And most of all, be kind.
Here are 13 ways we can honor our spouse:
- Noticing anything they do with gratitude.
- Giving your spouse your full attention when they are talking to you or others.
- How they appreciate the efforts of others.
- Their diligence in completing a job.
- Their integrity.
- Their financial faithfulness.
- Their pursuit of God and their growth in godliness.
- How they sincerely love of others.
- How they refrain from using harsh words.
- Being punctual.
- Their servant’s heart.
- Their strong work ethic
- Speaking well of them in public.
It is a privilege to live so close to one person in this life. Honoring them makes the time we have together all the more precious.
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Wordless Wednesday #11
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Is Your Marriage Self-Insured?
Last September we took a direct hit by Hurricane Irma. Considering all the damage many experienced, ours was minimal. It wasn’t until January when we had a week of rain that we discovered our roof was leaking. Tom called our insurance agent who said it wasn’t too late to file a claim, so he called for a claim’s adjuster to come inspect our roof. They ended up approving us for coverage!
This is the benefit of having insurance. When things go terribly wrong, disastrous even, we have secured insurance to help us through it.
In marriage there is no insurance company you can pay to protect you. There aren’t any claim’s adjusters to come out and prove you’re right and your spouse is wrong. And there aren’t any monetary incentives to help you fix things right.
However, we can provide our own insurance of sorts–like being self-insured.
When our pastor meets with an engaged couple for the first time, he always asks them what it would take for them to leave. Of course, the response is usually a denial that anything would ever do that, until he starts asking, “What if your spouse…
- …commits adultery, physically or emotionally
- …incurs a permanent disability
- …is physically unable to work and provide income
- …becomes unemployed and depressed, refusing to look for a job
- …is still dependent on their parents more than you.
- …has a hidden, sinful habit
As you can see there is a myriad of things that can happen in a marriage for which no one can see. But we can posture our hearts and minds to where we choose to honor our wedding vows until death parts us. I know this is difficult, sometimes even impossible, but God loves to work in the impossible realm. Then when the miracle happens, He is the only One who gets the credit. Of course, there are valid reasons for leaving a marriage, such as unrepentant adultery, abuse and such, but that is another post for another time.
Clinging to our vows in the strength which God supplies is the best kind of insurance because it isn’t dependent on anyone else but the two of you and your submission to God. No claims adjuster has the right to say whether or not you’ll make it through the trial. Marriage is hard yet rewarding, difficult, but enjoyable, irritating yet satisfying. Once you’ve said your I do’s, you are all in. Best to be sure your self-insurance is up-to-date. Revisit your vows and repeat them often.
“______, wilt thou have this woman/man to be thy wife/husband, and wilt thou pledge thy faith to him/her, in all love and honor, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with her/him, and cherish her/him, according to the ordinance of God, in the holy bond of marriage?”
“I, ______, take you, ______, to be my wedded wife/husband, and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful husband/wife, in plenty and want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.”
Our book is available on Amazon in paperback and e-reader versions.
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Posted in Biblical Encouragement, Christian Marriage, Difficulty, Encouraging Your Spouse, In Sickness, Newlyweds, Seasons of Life, The Gospel & Marriage
Tagged All In, Hurricane Irma, marriage, Self-insurance
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Happy Hour
It’s our favorite part of the week when we share with you the blog posts of others worth sharing. Take some time this weekend to read them. Your marriage will thank you.
Gospel Connections
- 3 Little Foxes – A dear friend of ours, who is also a pastor, wrote this post on his excellent blog. Glad to share it with you.
Hot, Holy and Humorous
- 5 Times of Day to Make Love – I don’t think I’ve ever read any research on this, but it’s quite interesting.
The Forgiven Wife
- The Lie That Hurt My Marriage The Most – This post touches on an issue many don’t even recognize, and if they do, they hide it. Please, for the sake of your marriage read this post! Be sure and read to the end–some of the best advice is found there.
The Generous Husband
- If You Can’t Think of Anything Nice – Paul and Lori are taking a kindness challenge for 30 days. This is an honest assessment of what he is learning. Very helpful.
The Generous Wife
- Don’t Miss Out – Are you missing out in this way? A needed reminder for all of us!
To Love, Honor and Vacuum
- An Awesome List of 79 Hobbies To Do With Your Spouse – I love this! It makes working on your marriage fun, focusing on the positives you enjoy together, rather than the negatives that might need work.
Our book is available on Amazon in paperback and e-reader versions.
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Posted in Biblical Encouragement, Blog Love, Christian Marriage, Growing Strong Marriages, Happy Hour
Tagged Blog Love, Happy Hour, Happy Hour Blog Love, Marriage help, Marriage Resources
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Vintage Post – What Would Your Epitaph Say?
(This post was originally published on August 6, 2013.)
If we could plan to meet for coffee one afternoon, I’m sure we would talk about normal everyday kinds of things. But there would be a moment when the conversation turned to the more personal side, where I would share heart to heart what is currently going on in my life. There would be tears of sadness, followed by tears of gratefulness, but always the main point of the communication would be biblical fellowship. What is that, you might ask? It’s when two Christians (friends or spouses) sit down and talk about life in light of eternity. It’s talking about the things that matter most in the midst of the mundane, and attempting to make sense of it all using the infallible words of Scripture as the framework.
So, grab a cup and let me share with you what’s on my heart and mind lately.
I pray we’ll find biblical fellowship together and both be encouraged as a result. I’d love to hear your comments as well! The following was first posted at debigraywalter.com on my birthday.
♥
Last month I turned 54. 54! How did that happen? I know, I know, the answer is simple–one year at a time. But wow.
This was my first birthday without my Mom and Dad (He died in 2004. She died in 2012)), who were used by God to give me life in July of 1959. My Dad led me down the aisle of our little baptist church in 1969. It is strange to no longer have parents here, but they’re not gone. They’ve just relocated to a better place. And because of God’s gift of salvation to me on December 19, 1969, I will see them again. Until that day I am resolved to live out the rest of my years in glorifying the One True God who gives life to all who call on His name and choose to follow Him.
Jonathan Edwards was considered to be one of the greatest American philosopher/theologians of his time and was a key figure in what has become known as The Great Awakening of the 18th century. He has been quoted as saying:
“Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.”
The Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman trial has received unbelievable media coverage this past month. We live only a few minutes from Sanford, FL. so it was with great interest that we stayed up with the trial. When that February night occurred in 2012, neither Trayvon nor George knew that their lives were going to be permanently changed as a result of the choices they made. My point isn’t to discuss which side was right/wrong, for both lost in my opinion. But their case stands as a stark reminder of Mr. Edwards quote.
I ask myself…
- Am I living today as if it were my last?
- What do I want to be known for?
- If my epitaph was to be written tomorrow, what would it say?
- Better yet, what would I want it to say?
I heard someone suggest that we take time to write the epitaph we would want written about us today. Then, make our choices based on that goal. Of course, even those who have the best intentions can’t always guarantee their life will play out as planned. This is why my epitaph should reflect God’s work in my life and not my own plans.
Photo Credit: Josh Martin Ink blog
Some of my favorite epitaphs include:
George Washington
Looking into the portals of eternity teaches that the brotherhood of man is inspired by God’s Word; then all prejudice of race vanishes away.
Benjamin Franklin
The body of Benjamin Franklin, printer (like the cover of an old book, its contents worn out, and stript of its lettering and gilding) lies here, food for worms. Yet the work itself shall not be lost, for it will, as he believed, appear once more in a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by its Author.
Evangelist Billy Sunday
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” – 2 Timothy 4:7
Wife and Mother, Frances Lowe – died November 28, 1877
A loving mother and devoted wife has gone to her rest, and the light has gone out in the happy home. Graces with those rare virtues which are peculiar only to her sex, the deceased was all the wife and mother could be. Her sorrowing husband to whom she had been a faithful and loving companion for so many happy years, now that she is gone will cherish her memory and children whom she has tenderly reared will arise up and call her blessed.
John T. Whitehead – died September 11, 1860
In All Life’s Relations He Exemplified The Virtues Of The Christian And Gentleman, And Won The Love Of All. He Was Beloved By His Family, Cheerful In Company, Conscientious In Spirit, Successful In Business, Patient In Affliction, And Victorious In Death. The Love Of This Community Claimed A Longer Stay, But Higher Attraction Prevailed, Earth Yielded, And Heaven Bore Away The Prize. The Key To His Most Triumphant Death Is Found In His Dying Request, To Be Put Upon His Tomb, “I Am A Man Of Prayer.”
(source for some epitaphs: Southern Graves blog)
After taking the last delicious sip of my latte, I would look in your eyes and ask, so what about you? What’s going on in your life and how can I pray for you? What would you want your epitaph to say?
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Cherishing Your Spouse by Supporting Their Interests
One of the things I appreciate about my husband is the way he supports me in my interests. It’s no surprise that I enjoy writing. This is an area where Tom has no personal interest, but he makes room for me to pursue it myself.
For example, yesterday I hosted a Writer’s Cramp at our house. It’s where those in our writer’s group come with their current project and write for hours. We take a break for dinner and talk about how it’s going. A couple of hours later we finish by sharing a portion of what we’ve written getting feedback from each other. The one with the highest word count wins a prize. Last night’s prize was this…
It was a great night. We had 8 attend and together we captured on paper over 15k words. It doesn’t sound like much, but we were thrilled that our projects moved forward.
There was one member who wasn’t going to make it because he didn’t have a way to get here. Tom offered to come get him, which he gladly accepted.
He didn’t have to do that, but it was a small way that left a huge impact on me. He doesn’t simply endure my interests but he’s all in, ready to help in any way he can. That’s what cherishing your spouse looks like.
Most couples have common interests which they enjoy doing together. Handling differing interests with the same enthusiasm takes effort.
In what ways does your spouse support your interests? Better yet, in what ways do you support theirs?
I have a guest post up today on the Messy Marriage blog about Romancing Your Husband in the Way He Loves Most. It’s part of an excellent series I highly encourage you to read.
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2018 Date Night Challenge – “G” Date
This was such a fun date that Tom planned for us. He took me to Disney’s EPCOT Flower and GARDEN show and the displays were stunning. I love flowers. Seeing them all manicured and arranged like only Disney can do is always a treat for me.
When was the last time you spent an afternoon strolling through a garden together enjoying God’s creation? It’s a great way to enjoy Spring, and to slow down from your busy schedules. If only for an afternoon, it’s worth it!
We started by looking for a cache on our GEOCACHE app. There was a virtual one near the front of the park, and since we were in no hurry it was the perfect way to begin. Plus, I love finding caches–Tom not so much. But he did it for me, using his phone to find the coordinates.
I had fun looking for “G” flowers as we walked around the World Showcase Lagoon. Tom obliged my game by taking pictures for me on his phone. He captured the day well, don’t you think? (As a bonus we drove to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and saw the Giraffes).
G for Giraffe 🙂
G stands for GREAT job, Tom. I had a blast!
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Wordless Wednesday – Add Your Caption
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The Difference Deference Makes
Today’s marriage tip from our new book, Cherishing Us, reminds us of the benefit there is in deferring to our spouse.
March 13: Defer to your spouse as much as you are able. This is good for your marriage and good for your fight against selfishness.
Deference is defined as humble submission and respect. In what ways have you practiced deference in your marriage?
Maybe your spouse wanted to go out and you wanted to stay home. Deferring would be going out with a great attitude, not grumbling or complaining. Maybe the issue was much more intense, like deciding how to spend your bonus check. But not all deference has to do with decision making. It is an attitude of the heart that seeks to place our spouse’s interests above our own. It is the practice of unselfishness in all areas.
This is easier said than done. Especially when our desire is strong to do what we want. It goes against the wave of individualism sweeping across our culture. Our marriages should be different, and showing deference to one another is great place to begin.
4 Ways Deferring to your Spouse Builds a Healthy Marriage:
- It teaches us to say no to our own desires for the good of others.
- It is treating our spouse the way Christ has treated us. He deferred His rights in order to secure our salvation.
- It demonstrates our genuine commitment to bless our spouse at any cost.
- It denies our cravings for control.
Sheila Gregoire posted about Submission – Facts Every Wife Should Know, that applies well to our topic and addresses husbands as well at the end:
In most marriage ceremonies, Genesis 2:24 is read aloud: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” God’s desire for us isn’t a tug-of-war relationship where one person gets his way; it’s for true oneness!
And I think that submission—“putting ourselves under” our husbands and willingly pursuing our husband’s best—is the primary tool to attain this oneness. In humility, we think of his needs, his wants, his interests, his desires, before we think of our own. We pursue his best before we pursue our best.
I think that’s a taller order than just “in the event of ties, he wins.” We don’t just defer to his decisions. We emotionally and physically invest in building him up and pursuing his best. And that sounds much more like the nature of the gospel to me. We serve. We love. We show grace. And our husbands serve us too, as they love us as Christ loved the church—even as they love their own bodies. That’s the recipe for unity, and it’s what Jesus really wants for us. (emphasis mine)
I love what Sheila says, deferring is the recipe for unity. My prayer for us today as that we will choose to defer for the good of our marriage. This is the heart of the one-flesh nature of a strong and maturing marriage. Each of us deferring to the other out of love, respect and joy.
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5 Ways To Avoid Marriage Block
I’m a member of a writer’s group that celebrates it’s 15th anniversary today. We jokingly call our group “Writer’s Block” because I’m sad to say that more often than not this is what we are experiencing. 😩
Writer’s Block, in case you aren’t aware, is defined as the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.
Sometimes the reason is we know what we want to say, we just aren’t sure how to say it. Sometimes we are struggling to know what to write. Or maybe we are skirting the truth like in this scene from You’ve Got Mail…
Marriages go through a sort of block as well. We know we need to have a conversation, but we aren’t sure how to begin. Or we may start and then fumble from there, so we avoid it. The problem with avoiding those needed conversations is it doesn’t go dormant; It grows like an unattended weed. I’ve found that if one little issue is bothering me, it will become a bigger irritation the longer I try to ignore it.
If you’ve been married any length of time, this isn’t a new idea to you. Chances are high you have avoided many a conversation as well.
The question is what can we do to change?
- Humble yourself before God and ask Him to help you do what you can’t do in your own strength. He loves to show Himself strong through our weaknesses.
- Ask Him to help you see the situation from your spouse’s vantage point. This sounds easy to do, but usually we are convinced that we are right, so there is no need to consider any other perspective.
- Tell your spouse you want to talk about something, but you aren’t sure how. This will help your spouse realize your commitment to do something you need to do, even if it’s hard. And it will also help them find a way to draw it out of you. I have practiced this many times as a way to commit myself to talking when I’m am resisting it or afraid to begin. 😊
- Once you begin the conversation avoid saying always, and never, even if you believe it really is always or never. These are bridge breakers and wall builders. The object isn’t to prove your point, but to come to a place of mutual understanding and care.
- Work diligently to keep the lines of good communication open. That way when you have to have a more difficult conversation it won’t be as uncomfortable getting started.
- Consider using our new book, Cherishing Us, to that end. This is what Julie Sibert with Intimacy In Marriage has to say about it…
“Cherishing Ushelps you unpack hidden treasures in your relationship, as well as build new adventures through countless specific FUN date night ideas. It is full of questions that will inspire you and equip you to better understand the person you fell in love with and to help them better understand you.”
Difficult conversations are a regular part of any marriage. The difference between a healthy marriage vs. a struggling marriage when it comes to marriage block is knowing how to keep talking when you are upset or disagree. If you have tried countless times and failed, then please, please, seek outside help. The cost is too high to give up. Those who know you are counting on your marriage to succeed, especially your children.
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Happy Hour
It’s time to share some of our favorite reads from the past week. Enjoy…
Christian Communicators Worldwide
- 35 Questions for Maturing a Christian Marriage – I happened upon this website with these excellent questions, and each one could lead to a meaningful and helpful conversation. We love asking good questions and these are excellent!
Hot, Holy and Humorous
- What is Lusting? – J does an in-depth study on this word and it may surprise you how this word is used in the Bible.
The Forgiven Wife
- A guest post featuring Julie Sibert, with Intimacy in Marriage.
The Generous Husband
- Bedroom Expectations – If you are struggling with sex in your marriage, especially in the realm of how often or not enough, this post will help you open the conversation in a non-threatening way. Please don’t accept as normal having a less than satisfying sex life. It’s not God’s plan for you, so it shouldn’t be your plan either.
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Posted in Blog Love, Christian Marriage, Conflict, Happy Hour, Keeping It Real, Sexual Intimacy
Tagged Blog Love, expectations, Happy Hour, Sex in Marriage
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