Will It Matter in Ten Years?

There were many times in the early years of our marriage we would stand our ground after a disagreement. I would give the silent treatment and he would mirror it. We were young, full of pride, and had much to learn!

I remember our Pastor saying, one Sunday morning, “is it going to matter in ten years?” Wow! this question changed the way I looked at a lot of things, including petty arguments.

Now fast forward ten years later and guess what? I cannot tell you what one of our arguments were about. I remember some of the harsh words said because of the frustrated emotions, but not why we got to that point in the first place.

Jennifer Smith makes a great point, she writes, “Remember, Christ did not wait for an apology from anyone before surrendering Himself in humility to make things right.” Don’t let pride ruin your marriage and destroy your family. Be quick to say, “I’m sorry and mean it.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us the perfect example to live by, your son, Jesus. He loves us so much that while we were sinners, he died for us. Please give us the strength to forgive quickly, even when we aren’t to blame. Now soften our hearts and fill them with your love. In Jesus Name, Amen

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. -Ephesians 4:26-27

A Gift

A GiftA few weeks ago, we celebrated the girls birthdays. The kids couldn’t wait until present time and not just the birthday girls, but their friends too.  Each guest took time to thoughtfully think of the best gift. As Victoria and Kayla unwrapped each of their gifts, I don’t know who was more excited, them or their friends. The girls smiled and giggled with delight after opening their gifts. It’s everything they wanted and more!

A year later that wonderful gift doesn’t look so great anymore. It’s not as perfect as they once thought. After staring at it every day, they begin to see flaws and imperfections…the newness has faded and they don’t want it any longer.

One of the greatest gifts, you will ever receive, comes from The Lord and it’s your spouse. God has searched the world, for just the right one for you. The day you received your spouse was wonderful. You couldn’t find anything wrong with them, they were perfect. Now after a couple of years, you see their imperfections. You critique every inch of them. Your list of exceptions are five pages long, but let me enlighten you…Your gift is human. They will speak their mind if pushed, they will bleed if they’re cut, they can’t grant you joy, they are human.

Today receive your gift as what it is. Treasure it, take care of it, adore, protect, and love it with all your heart. Then let God handle all the other details.

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’  and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ ?  So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” -Matthew 19:4-6

Love Day

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Love DayIf I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.
-1 Corn. 13:3-8 The Message

Failure isn’t Final

Three weeks ago, I applied for a reviewer position for a christian publisher. I was really excited about having the opportunity to receive free books for my children to read, review, and then giveaway to others. After waiting awhile, I received an email from the company letting me know my application was not accepted. To be honest, I was disappointed…I had gotten my hopes up, thinking what a great program this would be for the kids.

At this moment I could accept failure, allow negative thoughts fill my mind or I could work harder and reapply next year.

DSC_0684Believe it or not, there are many positive things that can come out of failure, if you change your mindset. Failure brings about a drive that no one can stop. Failure brings to light your weaknesses. Failure also builds character and makes you stronger.

Have you failed recently? Don’t give up. Push through and watch your failure turn into a testimony of success.

“and pulled me from a lonely pit full of mud and mire.  You let me stand on a rock with my feet firm, and you gave me a new song, a song of praise to you. Many will see this, and they will honor and trust you, the LORD God.” -Psalm 40:2-3 

“Even if good people fall seven times, they will get back up. But when trouble strikes the wicked, that’s the end of them.” -Proverbs 24:16

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” -Philippians 4:13

“No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!” -Romans 8:37

20 Ways to Saturate Your Day in Prayer:

Prayer

1. Making up the bed in the morning
2. Brushing your teeth
3. Walking around the house
4. Emptying the dishwasher
5. Cooking breakfast for the family
6. Packing lunches for the kids or husband
7. Clipping coupons
8. Ironing clothes
9. Organizing your closet/cabinets/drawers
10. Running errands
11. Working Out
12. Mid-afternoon breather/refresher/quite time
13. Folding laundry
14. Scrapbooking/sewing/painting your nails
15. Cooking dinner
16. Vacuuming and mopping the floors
17. Cleaning the kitchen
18. Planning your schedule for the next day
19. Tucking your kids into bed
20. When you lay your head down night

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing. in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” -Luke 18:1

“Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” -1 Chronicles 16:11

Free Printable ~ Valentine’s

20140211-165449.jpg“All this work is making me starving!” As she signs her name on the Valentine’s Cards, for her classroom friends. Gotta love the remarks of a 5-year-old. 🙂

If you still need an idea for Valentine’s cards, I recommend these super cute free printable ones. These cards come from shanty-2-chic.com, click here to be directed to their site.

V-Day

Is it still a deal?

Debt FreeI love bargains! I clip coupons and compare prices for most items and I strive to get the best price when shopping, but sale ads aren’t enticing me anymore. This year my goal is to become credit card debt free again, so no matter how good the sale is, if I have to put it on my credit card, it’s not worth it.

Just think when you purchase an item with your credit card and you don’t pay it off that month, how much is the “sale” price now?! Is it still a deal, most likely not once the interest is tacked on.

We are an instant gratification generation. Why wait when we can have it now.  I’ll tell you why, because you can end up paying $100 dollars for something that only started at $5.

Use discipline and wisdom, make this your year to be credit card debt free! If you can’t pay cash, then you don’t need it!

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” -Matthew 6:24

Speak so Your Spouse Understands

Love Imagine giving a presentation to a group of people from China and they don’t speak English. You shout, you use your arms, and point to things all in hopes to get your point across. After you have finished your presentation, your guests smile and politely walk out of the room. They felt your passion and saw your effort, but nothing was accomplished because of the language barrier.

The same goes for our marriage. We can present our spouse with lavish gifts and hours of quality time, but unless that is their primary love language, your acts are in vain. Communication is key in a healthy marriage, starting with our ability to communicate our love for our spouse. Don’t leave your spouse guessing how much you love them, learn their love language and speak it fluently.

For more guidance in this area, I recommend The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.

Heart Pancakes

Love Day isn’t just for one day out of the year, but everyday! This morning I made “Love Day” pancakes for my crew. They weren’t just yummy, but cute too!

Heart Pancakes

Tip: Make sure to spray your cookie cutter with Pam before filling it with the pancake batter. Also, three or four table spoons of batter, should be enough to fill the cookie cutter (it just depends on the size).