Live from TGC

Before I get into how AWESOME our trip to The Gospel Coalition is going...
Let's talk about my new short hair cut + Florida humidity = disastrous results. Seriously. Terrifying. This hair was done up all cute and conference ready this morning. I had done a pretty good job {if I say so myself} throwing in some messy waves/loose curls, and was feeling pretty hip. Then we stepped outside to admire the morning and how it was 80 degrees at 8am and... the rest is history. After three children being birthed my hair has gone from soft and manageable to this new wiry, weird texture, multiple colored mystery. Ah, what a blessing. So, here's to bobbi pins, hair product and some time this afternoon for a redo. :)

Florida. This conference. This resort.
We are having a great time! Yesterday was impacting as we heard from Dr. Tim Keller, Dr. John Piper and little snippets from Don Carson. Great stuff! The worship has been beautiful and focused. I'm loving the classic traditional hymns and we even got to be led by Sandra McCracken a few times - whose voice I love. Our hotel room overlooks the resorts gorgeous golf course and I cannot complain about the view. Yea Baby! Sunshine, GREEN, and everything beautiful. Although we aren't spending a ton of time outside {did you just read about my hair issues?!} it's so pretty!

The teaching has been phenomenal and I have a full line up of GOOD things this afternoon too, starting with a workshop with Mrs. Gloria Furman AND another of my FAVES Jen Wilkin. Speaking of which... I met her. Jen. I totally met her and she's so real and friendly. I got a small case of the "meeting a celebrity" jitters and started just saying things... like my mouth had it's own brain and I could hear myself saying "STOOOOOP TALKING" but couldn't. {blah} But, she was still sweet and we eventually got to chat about her Judges study.

Today we enjoyed a panel with several super godly guys that my husband and I look up to. Jon Piper KILLED it at the conclusion! So great. If you have time, here in a few weeks TGC will release all the video - take time to watch the panel on Justice. Worth it. And then, go back and watch whatever else you can because it has all been so top notch!

And just for fun because FOR ONCE the men get to see what its like... This is what the guys potty line looks like around here because the genders are a little lopsided. Which, is working out great for me and the other gals.

Perhaps my favorite part of this trip is all the time I get {uninterrupted} with my guy. We are truly having a great time and are beyond thankful to be a part of a ministry who sees the need for couples to get away, get refreshed, and grow together! I love this man and I'm thankful to God for blessing my life with our marriage. He's special. In more ways then one. ;)

So there you have it! Live from Orlando, Florida and TGC!

Happy Homemaker Monday

First, let me just say THANK YOU to Miss Sandra for this encouraging picture above. I always love her HHM pics, but this one just really gears me up for all things sunshine and picnics! :) 

The crazy weekend is over and it's time for another week. My husband stayed home this morning and blessed my socks off. I'm so thankful for him. Our youngest woke up at 4:15am. I rocked her and laid her back down and then she woke up again at 5:30. At this point I just tucked her into bed with us...where I lie there feeling every jostle and kick to my side. Eventually dozed off only to feel the precious one poking me in the face saying "nack", which if you read yesterday...means "EAT". Hideously early morning {after staying up TOO late watching Duck Dynasty. I'm hooked.}.

Anyway, hubs let me nap on the couch while he took care of everything. He fed the first born, played with both children, brought me coffee on my couch bed later, changed diapers,  and then my fave - took them both upstairs to do crafts while I watched an hour uninterrupted "Mad Hungry" while still on the couch. He really got me today - knew exactly what I needed. I love you, B!

I haven't divulged a lot of information about what's going on in my life - but I have hinted enough. Tomorrow my mom has surgery to remove uterine cancer. Even saying that word makes me shudder. And cry. I hate it. I hate seeing it even now on my screen. I just want to think that hitting delete would not only remove it here but... in my sweet mom. Would you join me in praying? Her surgery is tomorrow at noon EST. There are still some unknowns and not being able to be there with her is horribly difficult. But, even in that- the Holy Spirits' comfort is strong on me. I so appreciate your prayers. 

But now, on to the day. Happy Monday, fellow homemakers. :) 

The Weather:::

Ya know, I haven't even set a foot outside. Let's see - out my bedroom window the sun is trying to peek out from behind lots of GRAY. 

Right now I am:::

Finishing my 2nd cup of coffee with my Bailey's Brown Butter Pecan creamer. Don't judge. ;) 

Thinking:::

Even in the midst of a crazy faith test... God is so kind. His mercies really are NEW every morning and He uses the body of Christ to meet such specific needs. Praise the Lord!

On my reading pile:::

Started "I used to be so organized" by Glynnis Whitwer this weekend. 

Charged the NOOK back up so might read through a Gooseberry Patch cookbook I got for FREE. 

On my tv::: 

We caught the last hour of "The Bible" via History channel last night. We might watch that off and on. 

Duck Dynasty - whenever I can find a new episode, or, anytime its on in the evenings. They are TOO funny. 

Favorite Blog post this week (mine or other):::

This story about a husband caught up in sin and the redeeming power of Christ in his life. Check out "Senseless" Here. 

Something fun to share:::
I'm not feeling particularly fun today. Especially with the impending surgery and the fact that I STILL have to finish our taxes. Boo to fun. {ok, kidding} But really...no fun to share. 

On the menu for this week::: (linked a few if you'd like to use them)
Monday -  Corned beef & cabbage
Tuesday - Cottage Pie
Wednesday - left over night
Thursday -  Chicken pesto Pizza
Friday - Sausage Pizza Piena
Saturday - Tortilla casserole
Sunday - Sausage scalloped potatoes

On my to do list:::

Taxes. Gag.

Start some laundry

general tidy of the downstairs

mop kitchen floor

fill out March calendar, menu plan, and day planner {but I love all three of those to do's!}

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Well, I'm working on writing up a book review for "The Hole in our Holiness". Which, is a kind of creating. :) It's taking more brain power then I thought as I'm really thinking through so much of what Kevin DeYoung had to say about holiness. So good! 

Homemaking Tips:::
Don't ever let your children play with Uno cards. 

But seriously...

the dollar tree sells some super cute plastic shoe boxes which are the perfect size to store toy sets. My girls have THREE minnie mouse sets and I can fit all three minnie's, two minnie scooters and ALL her hairbows into one box. It's tidy and they can put it away themselves. All for a buck! 

Looking around the house:::
Hubs made the bed. Man, he's good! 

My bedrooms windows need some serious attention...but I refuse until it's done snowing. 

From the camera:::

My biggest girl so enjoying her big girl class at church. With her best buddy since she was 6 months old.

On my prayer list:::
My mom, Toni. All day today and tomorrow.

Brother making life decisions.

Husband in ministry.

Wisdom in parenting.

Bible verse, Devotional:::

I'm attaching a link to my husbands message on Sunday from Acts 4. He did a great job reminding us that generosity is a commandment to believers! 

Breakfast date.

 

{me, out our fave lil' breakfast spot}

What do you do when you have a wonderful friend who VOLUNTEERS to take your children for the morning so you can spend some time with your hubby?

You go on a BREAKFAST date! :) And so we did! Our fave little place, La Mie, was hoppin' and we got to sit and eat our yummy food slooooowly. :) I tried something new - Salmon Tartine. It was... piled high with avocado and sprouts and not really breakfasty...but, good! And don't forget their amazing coffee and pecan rolls! 

I am truly blessed to be surrounded by friends who love us and who value our marriage!

Be my Valentine - Marriage Challenge

Happy Monday to you! As I glanced over my day planner this morning I realized what a light week we have - and, I'm excited about that. :) It should give me plenty of time to conquer those Valentine projects I've been thinking about... or, maybe just take a break and focus some extra time on my hubby and children.

For the next few weeks I'm linking up with Courtney over at Women Living Well. She has a great Valentine themed marriage challenge and I'm eager to jump on board. If you are looking for some creative ways to add some spice {or healing} to your marriage... check it out!

Week 1 challenge is to PRAISE my guy verbally. I need to look for opportunities and do it often! Here is my battle plan {because you know by nature we want to grump and complain... at least, I do}:

-Write a sweet email to him at work while the girls are napping today, detailing all the ways I'm thankful for him. Not just "Thanks for working", but creative things I've observed in him over the years that I am so grateful for.

- Write an I LOVE YOU note on his FB page. {he kinda hates FB...but, has one :) }

- Not utter one grumpy word tonight when he gets home from work. THIS IS THE HARD ONE. No matter how naughty the girls are today, or how tired I am, or how forgetful he may be about one little detail... I won't speak a grumpy word. Pray for me? Instead - I will be attentive to the details of his day {if he wants to chat about them}, praise him in front of our kids for working hard all day, and make his night special by not bossing him about. :)

So thankful for my godly, loving, husband... can't wait to take time and really THINK about this challenge.

Already enjoying this challenge! Anyone else in?

Burn.

 

Adding this to the number one spot on the checklist this year. 

It is amazing how taxing, trying, busy, being a mother can be. 

I needed this reminder today - even though I'm never intentionally mixing up these two priorities. 

 

.::The funny thing about style::.

I'm happy to admit that I'm not stylish. I'm not.
When I go into stores i have no idea what I'm looking for or what goes with what. Clueless. Same with jewelry and pairing things with certain outfits...duh...what?! But I'm surrounded by stylish friends - cute outfits, fun hairdos, stylista type jewelry and accessories to boot - cute, cute, cute ladies. They usually inspire me to at least try something new. Though, to be honest, sometimes I just feel plain ol' PLAIN. My solid shirts {that I have one of each color}, jeans and black skirts leave something to be desired. I know ultimately that this does not matter in light of eternity. Let me state that again. This is NOT important or counted into my eternity with Christ. Many times I justify my plainness {to myself} by saying I'm plain so I don't use my $$ on clothing, etc. But then I end up using my "extra" money on Starbucks healthy smoothies or some kind of edible something er other. Which, in turn, helps no one, including my waistline.

But, sometimes I think it would be fun to have some style. I'd love to come downstairs some morning and have my husband be wowed by a cute outfit, or, to notice some stylish earrings during a church service. And, let me be clear that my husband is AWESOME at encouraging me and building me up with compliments. :) So don't think he never does. He does. This week I came across a blog called, "Biblical Homemaking". The gals name is Mandy, another reason I already like her. {grin} But, she for real has some cute cute posts! She does a "series" called, "What I wore this week" and posts what her outfits were each week. She incorporates where she finds her stylish pieces and gives great ideas on what looks great together. Check out her site here. I love her use of two of my favorite stores - Salvation Army and Goodwill. However, I believe her Texan stores must have a ton more variety then my little ol' store up the street. She's also a big Ebay buyer, yard sale shopper, and basically deal finder. I loved her post this week and I loved her outfits! I love her "put togethers". I never would think to wear a sheer shirt like this - with a belt. And yet, looks fantastic, eh?

 

So, yea... really excited to continue following her and maybe trying some of her ideas. Also really excited to save my pennies and branch out a bit and pick up something new next time I'm at one of "my" stores. :) 

Today I already tried something - a safe something - the accent nail. You know...the one nail on each hand that is painted a different color then the rest. I know, daring! So far hubs has not noticed. :) But, I feel cute and motivated to dress this God-given bod and glorify Him even by what I wear! And, for the record, this is not my hand or nails... i wouldn't know how to wear those bracelets. :) hehehhe.

 

What about you? Trying anything new to bless your husband by how you look? What are your secrets to scoring sweet deals and cute looks for less? 

Thursday night DATE NIGHT

It's Thursday!!! Which, in this home means DATE NIGHT! If you aren't familiar with what I'm talking about here's a recap. A few months ago my husband and I decided to go through the book "The Meaning of Marriage" by Timothy and Kathy Keller. Instead of spending a ton of money on going out for dinner, desserts, paying for a sitter, etc. We chose to plan date nights at home. That way they could be weekly, comphy and lend to probably a better conversation. :) So, after the kids are down {our children are in bed at 7} we watch a few of our favorite shows, brew some coffee, and then discuss what we've been learning in the book. It's usually quiet, calm, and enriching. Now mind you...we've only gotten to do this twice so far - just with life and obligations, etc. But SO WORTH IT.

Tonight we'll be working through another chapter of the book. And I'll tell you - it was a GOOD one. I'd like to share something with you - a question posed by the author. It's stuck on my brain and has been there for a few days now. I'm challenged, I'm convicted, I have to share. Because I really do see how this is KEY in marriages. Here it is...

"What, then, would the effect be if we were to dive even more deeply into Jesus's teaching and life and works? What if we were to be so immersed in his promises and summonses, his counsels and encouragements, that they dominated our inner life, capturing our imagination, and simply bubbled out spontaneously when we faced some challenge? How would we live if we instinctively, almost unconciously, knew Jesus' mind and heart regarding things that confronted us? When you received criticism, you would never be crushed, because Jesus' love and acceptance of you is so deeply "in there". When you gave criticism, you would be gentle and patient, because your whole inner world would be saturated by a sense of Jesus' loving patience and gentleness with you."

And this, Friends, is right where I am. I needed to be met in this place this week. Reminded that saturation in God and His word are powerful and life-sustaining, really. It changes how I love and respect my husband {or not}, it impacts my relationship with my children, even how I lead teenage girls in our ministry and the relationships I'm building with friends. Oh, how I want to be, like the author says, "instinctively, almost unconsciously" knowing Jesus mind and heart.

I think our date night discussion will be a pretty good one. :)

How are your marriages holding up? What creative things are you doing to better and improve them? I'm still working on my "Date nite" jar - found a $5 bill in the wash the other day, so our fund is building! I'm thinking we can do chinese takeout here soon! A special meal for my special man :)

Dating your spouse

Yesterday I linked up with a blog to do a "Happy Homemaker Monday". On those I just fill out some questions about my day. Sounds very bland, I know. But, it's a fun little thing I look forward to - and, I enjoy reading the other ladies days, as well.

Anyway, one of the "topics" was "something fun" and mine was a quick blurb of how my husband and I are having an at home date night every Thursday. This struck a note with some of you and I'm honored to have been a help :) I always feel like I'm the one sucking ideas away from other blogs... feels good to give back. If you missed what I'm talking about here's a recap.

Every Thursday night after our children are in bed we sit down on the couch and watch our two favorite shows on tv. Pretty casual. Once the shows are over we brew a pot of coffee and bust out our book, "The meaning of marriage" by Timothy and Kathy Keller. After a few minutes of prep and review we dive into some good discussion. We go over things we underlined and highlighted, challenging thoughts, provoking insights, etc. Brad had this book idea a few months ago and we just started up... it takes us time. :) I love it. And, it's free!

My goal now is to SPICE up those evenings. Some of ideas are: saving for a new special blanket for our special tv time together, new and interesting snacks or drinks, maybe even saving our meal for that time and doing some fun, etc. It's a small thing and an easy goal. I really hope we can keep doing this as a tradition for a long, long, time. I love getting to know my husband in this new way.

To reach my goal {and take the pressure off of Brad} I have put out a "date night" jar on my counter. Each time I come across spare change or whatnot... it gets put in the jar. My own little love fund :) It's not much, or, anything fancy - but, I'm hoping to use it to bless my husband and our time together.

What do you do to bless and encourage your spouse? How do you go about Date Nights?

The MEANING of marriage

Happy day after Valentines day. :)


In my world its a busy Wednesday - babysitting all day, time with our teens tonight... long, crazy, busy, fun day. So thankful for the few hours we had lastnight, just the hubs and I to sneak out and enjoy a quiet dinner alone. At this stage in our lives... a quiet room and not sharing tiny specks of food with small children IS TOTAL ROMANCE. :) We were blessed with a gift card to a fancy restaurant and enjoyed a quick trip to Target to pick up baby wipes. Yahoo! I know. I love my husband. After 6 years he still makes me laugh and knows how to keep things light.

Gotta love the instagram. And, apparently... the bags I've accumulated under my eyes. It's like I'm almost 30 or something. Oh...wait. {gulp} But for real - thankful for this man and how much he loves me. Which brings me to my point.

As I've mentioned - we are reading through "The Meaning of Marriage" by Timothy and Kathy Keller right now. We've gone through the intro and chapter 1. Thursday night we'll come together to talk about what we learned or thought. I'm excited for this "new" thursday night activity! I'm also nervous... because I KNOW how convicting this could be, how vulnerable it will be. But who better to have total vulnerablity with then your husband!

"There is so much to do that we don't know where to start. Start here, Paul says. DO FOR YOUR SPOUSE WHAT GOD DID FOR YOU IN JESUS, and the rest will follow."

This was in my reading from this week. This overwhelming and yet so simple of an idea. I love this reminder and challenge. Christ gave himself up for the church...so, I can give up my selfishness to love, respect, and honor my husband. I ended the chapter with so many little self eval questions...one being:

- My identity lies within my husband {name change, etc}. Do I reflect him well? Do I ultimately reflect Christ by how I love and am married to Brad?

I tell ya. I have a WAYS to go. Thanks be to GOD for his Grace, Mercy, and forgiveness! I'm so excited to grow through this and learn so so much about marriage and sanctification from it. What a great end to a Valentines day...

Date Night and Timothy Keller

It's date night. After I manage somehow to whip this house into shape...

It's after 1pm and I'm still only half dressed and the house smells like fish sticks from the kids lunch. There are about a million and two toys strewn about every inch of living space we have. I'm completely exhausted, over-caffeinated {complete with shakes}, and I really just want to go plop on the couch and flip on QVC for the next 3 hours.

But see, there's this unspoken rule, your house has to look somewhat nice if a babysitter is coming over. Dare I brew one more cuppa Keurig?

We haven't had a date night in a-while. Honestly, I don't think I remember the last time. Maybe when Brad's folks were here back around Christmas. We are lame daters. Lame. Brad would go out at the drop of a hat... I'm the one with issues. I literally have to peel my fingers off of my children, swallow that lump in my throat and JUST GO. Which is hilarious considering how much I really do need the break away. Anyone relate?

Tonight the destination is the Texas Road House. We have $25 worth of a gift card and we will drain every little cent out of it. {nevermind the fact I have a weigh in tomorrow} Then we'll enjoy some country music and hopefully some chit chat over food - that I didn't cook. :) I'm excited. Now... to change out of these blasted pajama pants.

It was a good mail day around here. We got a box from Barnes & Noble which means our new Timothy Keller books were in! Yip Yip! I've heard so many people talk about this book, and we {again} had a gift card - and these were chosen. What would the world be like without gift cards and generous people?! For.Real. Maybe tonight when it's calm and quiet and two little girls are sleeping we'll crack them open and start reading. To be honest, I know what's coming. I know I'll be all kind of convicted and drawn in and challenged. I need to be. Because I know marriage is for our continued sanctification and I believe it... but, sometimes I still battle. I get irritated and annoyed and feel that nagging disappointment from weird expectations I set all by myself. Sigh. 6 years in you'd think I'd have a clue... nope.

So, yea, date night and Timothy Keller. Sounds like a winning combo.

Now to de-fishstick-smell this house and get to a little work. And, have I mentioned we STILL do not own a vacuum. It's getting interesting around here. Without sounding too gross, sometimes mid morning I look around and think... "we could feed a small country with the remnants on our carpet". Ew, I know. Just being real folks. Just being real.

Non-Hypothetical Car Wreck

Have you ever had a car accident?
Or, have you experienced that quickening in your heart when you get that phone call, "I've been in a wreck."?

This is where we are right now. In real time. A part of me has to laugh right out loud about it... because just a few days ago I was telling you about how much it was going to cost to have some maintenance work done on the van. Now that van is sitting crunched up in a tow yard two highways over.

When my husband called me yesterday morning the first words out of his mouth were, "the van is totalled. I'm sorry." Because...that's the kind of guy he is. He knew I really, really, really liked that silly van. Always wanted one. Finally had one. So I had to butt in to ask if he was ok or hurt. And PRAISE THE LORD he's fine. Not one scratch. The other party involved was just fine, too.

I knew tears would come. Even though its just a worldly possession... it was kind of a "need". We have children to cart around, places to be, food to shop for, life to live. But strangely, the tears didn't come until later - in private - after I was strong for my husband. And that strength was def a GOD THING, because... man I do love a good cry. In the place of tears and worry I was flooded with peace. You know, that without explanation-supernatural-"everyting is gonna be ah-ite" peace. And I rejoice in that. I PRAISE GOD for giving me that peace. Deep down to my toes peace. Because truth is...

-we have NO money to replace that vehicle. {tho, insurance is working on it!}
-Brad's car is literally days away from dying, too.
-it was my van... my...van. I kinda sorta liked it a lot.
-my husband walked away with out a scratch on his body. I've seen the opposite way.too.much every night on the news. This post could be a totally different post right now. I will not go there.

Just yesterday I was reading in Ephesians and reminding myself, no...preaching to myself, that I am God's masterpiece, His workmanship, created in CHRIST JESUS to do good works.

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Eph. 2:10

That was such a comfort to me. Though some may be thinking what on earth that has to do with ones prized van being smashed on a highway...

I was reminded and humbled to remember that circumstances, be they good or bad ones, don't dictate God's plan for my life. God is the dictator {the good kind!} and His ways truly are the best ways. I can't see that full picture now. All I see is an empty driveway where my Chevy Uplander sat at my convenience. God has plans for me to do GOOD things. Things that were planned before I was even a sparkle in my momma's eye. And I needed that yesterday.

How do we glory in Christ through these circumstances?

We love & respect our husbands, we love our children... just like we do in the good times.

And, we keep on praying and asking God for His perfect provision. Will you join us?

bad times, sickness, poorer, worse

Well isn't that a pleasant title?

Bare with me.

Yesterday I {finally} got to come home from the hospital after 6 of the longest, most confusing days of my life. I don't have the energy to sit here and tell the whole story - but, over those 6 days I have been...


-jabbed by a zillion needles and eventually given a picc line. ick.
-tested for HIV, hepatitis and a whole slew of other things that were so far out of reality...
-seen at least 10 Dr's. All of which let me know what a "strange" case I was. thank you.
-had an 11 hour stay in the ER
-xrays, cat scans, drinkable inks, blood pressure cuffs, more blood draws in abundance.

I'm tired. I'm weary. I'm still confused by it all and I have a million and a half questions that no one can answer. Tomorrow I head back to the first of a few "follow up" Dr appointments and I dread them. They found something "different" on my ultrasound of my gall bladder/liver. While no one would really explain, tomorrow a dr will.

So, as Brad had to once again load up his wife and take her to the ER last week... I was thinking about how funny vows are. We say those happy little things on our wedding days and do we even stop to think what the "opposites" look like? Of course not - it's a happy day. I guess that's normal. I just remember saying to my husband,
"well, welcome to bad times, sickness, being poor and worse all at the same time." We both just gave a weird smile. It's accepted right now.

I know God has a plan in this.
It's just hard.

"Positive Press" - How do you speak about your spouse?

Last week I got the new issue of "Thriving Family" magazine in my mailbox. It's a small little publication put out by "Focus on the Family" and somehow I got it for free. {you know me and free are buddies!} I enjoy leafing through it because it has touch points on family, ministry, music and pretty much a little bit o' everything. I like that it has article addressed to parents of teens that I can share with families at church and I really like their articles for mommas. Always looking for that kinda stuff! Well, after I got all my pleasure reading out of the way I went back to an article titled, "Become your spouse's publicist", by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott. I can't find the article online to share with you - but, trust me, it was AMAZING and a very timely reminder.

The article was about how, "speaking positively about your partner can enrich your marriage" and let me tell you... this is truth. Drs. Parrot did a great job pointing out the affect that words have on our marriage - both the good and the bad ones.

Les asked in one paragraph -

"Have you ever heard a secondhand compliment from your spouse? If so, you know how much it can do for your spirit - and for your marriage. Knowing that your spouse is saying good things about you when you're not around is almost as important as hearing these good things directly."

And,

"...your attitudes shape the way you view your spouse. If you publicly praise your spouse, you will inevitably look more favorably upon him or her and discover a deeper appreciation for your partner then you had before. In other words, what you say about your spouse, for good or ill, shapes the way you think, feel and act."

Hmmm....Good stuff. What a great challenge! The article went on to give some ideas on how to be this "positive press" for your spouse. Ideas like:

--Give positive Press in the next 24 hours: Actively look for something to praise your partner for in public. Example: "My hubby stayed home with our daughter by himself all morning yesterday so I could take a leisurely break away at the spa"... or how about... "My husband has been such a help with the house work lately. He puts all of his clothes away before he heads to work in the morning - it really helps with the overall tidiness of our home". {Both of these have happend for me this week!!!} Look for GOOD things to Praise Him/Her for! They are there! Sometimes we just have to look beyond our bad attitudes and sinful selfishness.

-- Be sure your PR is genuine: Believe in what you are saying. Don't make stuff up... it's fake and people can tell!

-- Make known your partners accomplishments: This is the tricky one, because, if your spouse is like mine - they almost HATE having us "brag" about these kinds of things... but, it's important. Example: "My hubs closed a huge deal with his real estate business this week, he had been working so hard on it!" {obviously, this is not my real example} Or, like the magazines example said, "Rick may not mention this...but, he was given a huge promotion at work this week!". Make light of how hard your spouse works - Praise Him publicly - it's very likely that his co-workers won't give him that due praise @ work!

I have taken this article to heart. I really battle with my words and mouth on a moment-by-moment basis. The book of James is very clear on what a true power our tongues are...and, sadly, so often I don't use my words to build up my wonderful husband. Early in our marriage I had gotten myself in the habit of criticizing my husband in public - it started out small, we'd have friends over, or, I wouldn't agree with some trivial thing he'd say and I'd feel it necessary to make my point known right then and there... oh, I cringe just thinking about that ugly phase in my life. My husband was so gracious to me - still is - and Praise be to God that part of me is slowly dying away. It has taken work...and several hard, literal, bites to the tongue! :/

Jennie Chancey, Co-author of the book "Passionate Housewives Desperate for God" said this in her book and it has stuck with me all these months since reading it.

"One of the most foolish things a woman can do to her husband is to emasculate him by putting him down publicly. Complaining about his bad habits or revealing his weaknesses is not only foolhardy, it is a clear violation of Christ's command that we do to others as we would have them do to us (Matt. 7:12)."

Ladies, are we being a positive press to our husbands? Men, are you good PR for your wife? Are we gracious with our words? Are we honest? How do speak of your spouse? Do we need to seek forgiveness? I know I have a LOT of work to do - and I have a spouse that's very worth it! My husband is a godly, compassionate, hilarious leader in our home. He cares for me and our daughter with his every action. I am so grateful for a man who is actively seeking God for our good! And isn't the ultimate example how many "good" thoughts God has toward us? We see that very clearly in Psalm 40:5 -
"Many, O Lord my God, are your wonderful works which you have done; And your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more then can be numbered."

It's a date!

Lastnight Brad and I were able to sneak out for a few hours and enjoy a date night. It had been a long time since our last one and I'm so thankful I was able to find a sitter and take advantage of an open Friday night! We started the night @ a restaurant over in WDM called "Wok in Motion". I was having a hankering for sushi and we just love chinese food, anyway. We each enjoyed our entrees and Brad even tried some of my sushi! He wasn't a fan....but, that's another story altogether. I was proud of him for being a good sport and at least trying.

After eating we headed over to the mall for some walking and shopping. One of the home goods stores was going out of business and we found several cute pieces for our kitchen decor! We are going with the red/cream/coffee theme and there was tons of stuff there. Best of all, it's going out of business so everything was on sale and then 20% off of that! Love me some sales!!! If you live near Jordan Creek - check out Kirklands sale. The registar lady told me because the sale was going so well they were expecting to close by the 24th if not sooner!

After all the walking Brad treated us to some Coldstone {even tho I forgot my coupon...grrr!} and it was kind of romantic to share our little frozen treat together. We ran into some of the teens from youth group and got to chat with them for a minute. Overall, just a fun night. I love being out with my best friend. I love nights when we can just set out on a date without loading the carseat, diaper bag and endless amounts of other "baby" things and just focus on each other. We have so much to learn about each other - especially now that our lives are changing and different. Something I learned last night was... conversation may not come as easy as it used to. So I'm working on coming up with good conversation pieces. Otherwise, we resort to chatting about Ava or work or something we are trying to "get away from" for that time. I'm sure most people relate with this.

I tried to get a picture of us at the restaurant...but, we forgot. Bummer. Oh well. Maybe next date night...whenever that may be!

Monday Muse: Marriage Conference

I'm completely exhausted this morning, and I have a ton of work to get done - but, I had to take just a few minutes here to share my Monday Muse. Oh, and by the way... Can you believe Thanksgiving is NEXT week!?

Anyway, this past weekend our church put on a marriage conference in downtown Des Moines @ the Embassy Suites. Thrive was the name, getting connected to your spouse was the game. Our speaker, Pastor Nesbitt (http://www.cornerstone-church.com/contact_us/staff_directory.php) did an incredible job of opening up and becoming vulnerable with he and his wife's story - in order to teach and challenge us. Brad and I had a great time together and left feeling challenged and motivated to WORK at our marriage. Remembering that there is none perfect... and no matter how good things are going, there is always work to do :) I won't go into everything that we learned - because it was a lot, but, I will tell you that this was our first outing alone without our Ava girl. Thankfully, some family members offered to take her overnite so we could go - and what a blessing that was! So we had a lovely dinner out with friends, checked into the hotel and just enjoyed our stay surrounded by church friends and good, godly teaching.



During the conference I saw a lot of couples wearing the shirts that say, "I love my wife", "I love my husband", and, I want one. They look like this if you haven't seen them...

I just felt so proud of the people I saw wearing them - and it sounds so silly, probably, but, it really IS a statement. To wear a shirt this day in age where husbands are belittled and marriage as a whole seems so unpopular. I thought it was a beautiful idea and a great testimony. So, hunny, this is on my Christmas list. :) And, the mug!



Saturday morning we got up early (without the sound of a little girl in the other room calling for me) and headed out for some good coffee. Brad whisked me away to a local coffee house called "Amici" and I got one of the best Caramel Macchiato's I've had in a long time :)
Little things like that have always been a big deal in our marriage and it was so cool to be able to just up and go like the good ol' days.
I love my husband. I love his sensitivity to the word and to our ministry. I love his humor, though sometimes more abundant then needed. I love his smile. I love his personality. I love his easy-going-ness. I love him. What a special treat to get to go out, get away from the norm and receive two days full of truth, undistracted and totally focused on each other and moreso our God.