Strengthening marriages in Texas and Louisiana
Just days before my first child was born, a couple in our church gave my husband and me some advice to which I didn’t pay much attention at the time. I realize now that it was a glorious piece of information that I would later come to cherish in my motherhood days. In the conversation, our dear friends (who happen to have SIX children…SIX!) said to us, “Just be sure that when your sweet … [Read More...]
My husband D.J. and I met one fall night during our junior year of high school. I wouldn’t exactly say it was love at first sight, but it was definitely a love that developed over time. One of my favorite things about our relationship is that it took about a year and a half for it to go from friendship to a dating relationship. It’s a good thing … [Read More...]
My husband and I were recently on a business reward trip to Southern California where the weather was a cool 77 degrees and the ocean views were breathtaking. When we arrived at the resort, we were told that our room was not ready yet, but we were welcome to walk around the property and they would call us as soon as it was available. We nodded our … [Read More...]
Our purpose of sharing a meal or hosting a community group is to create an environment that fosters genuine community and conversation. We aren’t trying to win awards or the approval of others. People who are seeking a safe place to share life with others generally don’t care if the paper plates clash with the plastic cups or if the junk mail is … [Read More...]
When I look in the mirror before I get in the shower (even though I try not to), my eyes go straight to what I lovingly call “the shelf.” My c-section scar has caused my extra calories to pile themselves on top like a little shelf pushing up all the extra baby-carrying skin that comes from being stretched out like a balloon. It doesn’t seem to … [Read More...]
My wife has a quality that I'm pretty sure I don't have. My wife loves for our lives to be as tidy as they can be. She LOVES when the house is clean. I'm not as adamant about the house being kept. Yes, it is nice to come home to a clean house, but I'm just as happy when it is a little messy. Life is messy, isn't it? If it wasn't for her, our house … [Read More...]
I’ll never forget the first time my husband told me he had received an overdraft fee on his checking account. We were dating, not yet engaged, and as we were having lunch and talking about work, he casually mentioned that he had been charged an overdraft fee. I almost choked on my sandwich. I tried to play it off cool, as if overdraft … [Read More...]
My daughter, Sadie, has a very typical 11-year-old kind of bad habit: whining. Just for fun one day, I counted the times I had to say the words “tone of voice” to her, and that particular day it was thirteen. Thirteen is at least twelve times too many, so I decided it was time we had a real talk about her bad habit. In the middle of the … [Read More...]
There can be many, many pain points in a marriage—places that lead us to worry and anxiety, to fear the worst, places that lead us to question God. The reality of it is the worst could happen. Nothing in Scripture points to a life on Easy Street this side of Eternity. And it can feel even more painful when we look around and feel like we’re the … [Read More...]
Let me be completely honest: I am not a hugger. I don’t like greeting or leaving people with a hug; I feel weird when people play with my hair or touch my arm. I am just not a touchy person. My husband, however, is a touchy person. He loves hugs, hand-holding, and shows his affection with physical touch. As you can guess, this created a bit … [Read More...]
God has used marriage to teach me a lot of things: I’ve learned how selfish I can be. I’ve learned that I sing a lot, loudly, and terribly (Space Jam sound track, word-for-word, in my darkest hours). I’ve learned that I’m worse with directions than even I thought (on the other hand, Hannah is a human GPS that rivals Google Maps). I’ve … [Read More...]
Marriage is hard. Two people with different backgrounds, different baggage, different habits, and different expectations deciding to pledge their life to each other is a recipe for disaster. It’s also a recipe for beauty and holiness. I can honestly say that there is nothing in my life—not motherhood, friendship or family—that has shaped my … [Read More...]
My wife and I have been using Medi-Share since January 2015. Since then, we’ve had a lot of other Christian families ask our opinion on Medi-Share. Like many families out there, we don’t have group health insurance at our jobs because I am a small business owner and my wife works PRN shifts as a nurse. When researching healthcare plans, we were … [Read More...]
Sex. It seems like such a short, simple word, but it has so much power—power to greatly enrich a marriage or to destroy it. I have personally experienced both sides of this. During a season of my marriage, sex was used as a weapon and became THE issue that caused bitterness and anger between my wife and me. At one of the worst points, I would … [Read More...]
Like most people, my husband and I don’t live a very glamorous life. We go to work, supervise homework, feed little people, mow the yard, and run the family taxi service. I suppose it is quite adventurous to raise the next generation of Jesus-followers, but most days it looks a lot like leftover spaghetti. My husband and I schedule regular … [Read More...]
We live in a culture that glorifies busyness, and Christian families are no different. Most of us can't possibly discuss plans with another family or couple without checking our family calendar, our spouse's calendar, and our kids' calendars. For many of us, if God called us to do something outside of the box, we'd have to look long and hard at our … [Read More...]