It’s B-A-C-K…

Posted on August 19, 2016 by fromthecommittedheart

Well Ladies, it’s that time again! #footballseason

You have two options:

1) Complain and nag to your husband about football games he’ll watch all season… (That’s about 6 to 7 months of wasting your breath!)

2) JOIN HIM!!! Buy the gear (#livelovegameday), plan football parties, and make yummy football food!

*I selected the second option early on in our marriage and I’ve never regretted it!

Women, pick your battles wisely, this one isn’t worth it!

I VOW TO ALWAYS LOVE YOU, EVEN DURING FOOTBALL SEASON ❤

#datechallenge

Posted on April 4, 2016 by fromthecommittedheart

If I asked you, what is the percentage you wear the wife hat compared to the mother hat, what would your numbers look like?

A mother to a newborn may look something like this 80% (mom) to 20% (wife). A newborn is very needy, so it’s understandable during this time to have your roles skewed.
Okay, you don’t have a newborn, so what are your numbers?

A friendly a reminder:
1. God
2. Spouse
3. Children

If your numbers don’t look closer to this 65% (wife) and 45% (mom), I have a challenge for you.
Take out your calendar and schedule at least two dates a month with your spouse.
#datechallenge

Jump start your marriage!

TAG a friend and encourage them to be apart of the challenge! ❤️

Is your sundae melting?

Posted on October 16, 2015 by fromthecommittedheart

For a wife, sex comes out of affection. She doesn’t want to be affectionate with a man who makes her feel angry, hurt, lonely, disappointed, overworked, unsupported, and uncared for, or abandoned. But for a husband, sex is pure NEED. His eyes, ears, brain, and emotions get clouded if he doesn’t have that release. He has trouble hearing anything his wife says or seeing what she needs when that area of his being is neglected. Wives sometimes have it backwards. They think, we could have sex after we get these other issues settled. But actually there is a far greater chance of settling the other issues if sex comes first.

That’s why it’s important to make sex a matter of priority in your marriage. Whether all conditions are perfect or whether you feel like it or not isn’t the point. The point is meeting the needs of your husband and keeping communication lines open. A man can easily be made to feel insignificant, beaten down, discouraged, destroyed, or tempted in this area of his being. There’s probably no more important means of fulfillment for a man, and no area where he is more vulnerable. (Excerpt from The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian)

I like to explain it like this, “Sex isn’t the sprinkles on your marriage sundae. Kisses are the sprinkles that add flavor, but sex is the freezer that holds your marriage sundae together!”

That three letter word is not an option you can say no to. The health of your marriage depends on it!

You Choose The Cycle

Posted on July 20, 2015 by fromthecommittedheart

It’s easy to show respect when your husband is showing you unconditional love daily, but it is a different story when your spouse doesn’t even acknowledge you’re there in the same room with him, much less tell you he loves you!

There are two cycles Dr. Eggerichs talks about in his book Love and Respect. The first cycle involves a wife that disrespects her husband, which is followed by the husband withdrawing and giving an unloving response to his wife. This crazy cycle can go on and on eventually forming a wedge between the couple. The second cycle, is one of love displayed by the husband, which brings respect from the wife for her husband and vice versa. However, I wonder what happens when you feel stuck, when you feel you’re doing your part, but your spouse is not responding in the way you would expect.

This is where it becomes challenging. How are you to respect someone when they take you for granted or rarely show how much you mean to them? Friend, the only way is to have a close relationship with your Heavenly Father. We are naturally selfish people that want our needs met or we aren’t happy. In marriage self must not be a factor.

I love what 1 Peter 3:1 says, “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the BEHAVIOR of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.”

This week I encourage you to show your husband respect even when you don’t feel like it. I ask you to stop and pause before using condescending words that will only create more damage in your relationship. Instead, choose words that will build your husband up and pray over him everyday (all day).

I love you sweet friend and you aren’t alone.

*If you live in the Central Florida area I want to invite you to our Monday meetings at 10am at Faith Assembly on Curry Ford. From the Committed Heart will start back up around the end of August beginning of September. It is a group of women that come together to encourage each other to stay committed and to show wives and moms out there you aren’t alone!

Love and R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Posted on July 1, 2015 by fromthecommittedheart

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Women desperately need love. It’s the way God designed us to be. If you notice though, the Bible doesn’t say husbands love your wives when she’s sweet, when she cooks, when she has a thankful attitude. No, it’s says, husbands love your wives, period. The love it speaks of is unconditional.

In the same manner, men desire respect. Believe it or not, our husbands are starving for admiration and to be honored, whether they deserve it or not.

Now, here comes my question; when was the last time you let him know how much you appreciate him? I encourage you to sit down and think of a few things you admire about him. Then when your husband is relaxed and not distracted mention one or two to him.

Make a decision tonight to stop the crazy marriage cycle of frustration, “he’s not loving me so I’m not showing him the respect he needs.” Instead, let your words start a cycle of love and respect!

Love and Respect

Posted on February 13, 2015 by fromthecommittedheart

The funny thing about respect is, as women, if we don’t feel loved, we don’t give respect. This creates a vicious cycle of selfishness in your marriage. She doesn’t show me respect, so I won’t show her love. He doesn’t show me love, so he doesn’t deserve my respect. That’s where we are wrong! The Bible doesn’t say, WHEN your husband outwardly shows you love, then you should respect him. No, it’s a command with no fine print added.

Do you want to feel love from your husband? Do you want attention? Then try something for me stop nagging, questioning, and criticizing everything your spouse does. But Bethany, I’ve been doing that for years and nothing has changed. Friend, it will never change doing things your way. Stay committed in your prayers and let God’s light be a witness to your husband by your words and actions of respect. It’s not the easy way, but it’s God’s way, the right way.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, take time to evaluate yourself. Don’t worry about what your husband is or isn’t doing, rather, ask God to help you be the wife He has created you to be.

Just a Reminder

Posted on November 17, 2014 by fromthecommittedheart

God, Spouse, Kids….Forgetting this order is disastrous.

Do you feel stressed? Is there tension between you and your spouse? Are you ready to ground your kids for a year?

Check your priorities and make sure they line up.

Waiting vs Attitude

Posted on November 3, 2014 by fromthecommittedheart

Patience is not about waiting, but your attitude while you wait.

Is your marriage struggling? Do YOU feel like you are the only one putting any effort into the relationship?

Friend, don’t grow weary…seek God and He will give you the strength to push through, because it is His will for your marriage to succeed. But he doesn’t desire for you to just wait with a spirit of hastiness and irritation. He wants you to wait with love, peace, faith, and patience (with a good attitude).

You won’t be able to do this alone. Your attempts will only lead to frustration. Call on God and allow him to fill you with new hope and love everyday.

Posted on October 27, 2014 by fromthecommittedheart

Satan has no place, authority or power over your marriage. When things get difficult…pray, when you feel like you can’t take another day…pray, when the pain pierces your heart so deep that you can’t breath…pray!

Claim your marriage for God today and everyday!

Photo Credit: Rockcandy Photography

Let’s Get Physical

Posted on October 6, 2014 by fromthecommittedheart

Have you ever felt disconnected, separated, like you were living with a roommate instead of your spouse?

The roommate syndrome is very common. It can happen at any time during the marriage. For us, it occurred between the third and fourth child. I love my husband and took care of him, but the butterflies had flown away. To be totally honest, life got busy. If I wasn’t pregnant, I was breastfeeding, and if I wasn’t breastfeeding I was pregnant. I had four kids within six years. I worked and homeschooled during all my pregnancies. I allowed my children to consume me…I was depleted and exhausted…there was nothing left to give my husband.

I could feel the separation, actually it was more like the Great Wall of China. One thing I started noticing was the lack of flirting and where was his eyes, not on me, how about his hands? I had pushed him away so far that there was nothing left but a cold environment of two roommates coming in and out of a house. One bringing in the pay check to pay the bills, the other was a CEO of the house.

I never stopped loving my husband and vice versa, but the sparks and fireworks were snuffed out. If you feel like you are living this way now, let me encourage you to pray. Fight for your marriage, ask God to help you to be the best husband or wife you can be, to awaken the passion and to open your eyes to your spouse’s needs. Second, go to your husband/wife and ask them to forgive you. Don’t expect it in return, it’s about you and your part. Let God take care of your spouse in His timing. Then, you guessed it…the fun part…let’s get physical, physical…a hand on their leg as you watch tv, a back rub as you walk by them in the kitchen, or even eye contact in the midst of a party to let them know they are the only one you really care about. Roommates don’t touch, but newly married couples can’t keep their hands off each other! I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the a newlywed marriage over a roommate relationship any day.

Let me leave you with this; Even though the cloud has been cleared from your vision, it doesn’t mean it has for the love of your life. Be patient, avoid nagging, pressuring, or ingenuine affection. The Colosseum wasn’t built in a day. Continue to pray and even fast, then patiently wait for God’s most radiant pyrotechnics show!

From The Committed Heart

Category Archives: Marriage