take five...this man I really care about!

Today is day 10 of my 31 day writing adventure and it is also Five Minute Friday. The word for today is CARE...

Go...

They say opposites attract and in many ways that is true for us...

He's an extrovert...I'm an introvert.
He sees instructions as suggestions...I see them as iron clad.
He likes to keep things...I love to throw things out.

You get the idea...we are not a like in so many ways. However, the important stuff...that we agree on! We have the same faith, the same set of convictions, and when we were raising our kids, we were a team. 

This is one man I love having on my team. I appreciate so many things about him:
His heart for the Lord...
His heart for people...
The way he loves and cares for me... (I'm kind of high maintenance!)
He goes above and beyond in many areas...
He really is funny...(don't tell him I said that!)
He will go the extra mile...without being asked...
He is my favorite pastor...(I've never fallen asleep while he was preaching)...

This month is the awareness month for many things...all good things...breast cancer awareness...domestic violence awareness...this week is baby wearing awareness week...but my post is in honor of Pastor Appreciation Month. Brian is my pastor and I see all he does,I get to see the behind scenes part of his job...his calling...and seeing how hard he works, and how much he cares makes me appreciate him even more!!

 Me and my man...

 My new favorite shirt....

It says...Pastor's Wife...some people never meet their heroes...I married mine

We did it...we released our last child...

Last summer our daughter Abby was married. At the wedding we heard one statement almost as much as we heard congratulations. The statement? "See you next summer at Caleb's wedding!" We just laughed. Even Caleb and Brittany laughed about it. However, I should have seen what was coming. I mean during family pictures, Brittany was welcomed in. We all knew that one day she would be family. During the reception we found Brittany writing this on our car:

So, when Caleb first approached Brian that he was ready to propose I shouldn't have been surprised. Yet, I was. I knew he was ready, he is the most level headed person I know. He is calculated and does nothing on impulse. This was my baby boy wanting to get married. He was barely 19; how could he be ready to be married? I mean just a few years ago he didn't want to even consider dating. He considered girls to be too much drama; he was a horrible hugger (seriously it was like hugging a tree!); how could this boy be ready for marriage? But, he was and is. He found the one his heart longed for and when that happened he transformed! What a fun thing that has been to watch.

So, I had several months to prepare my heart for the big day; the day our baby boy would become a husband. I'm not going to lie, there were tears involved in this process. Never once were those tears because I was sad about who he was marrying. No, the tears were bittersweet, end of an era type tears. We home-schooled, so I never had those first day of kindergarten tears, nope those tears came the day we dropped him off at college. (I had 13 years to build up a good reservoir of tears for that one).  And so these tears were much like that, the tears that come with releasing a child.

I knew as the day got nearer that I needed to do something to "give my son away". I knew I needed to assure Brittany that I wasn't going to be one of those mother-in-laws. Apron strings, that is what I came up with. So, I went to my friend Google and found another mom(Linda Weber) who also wanted to cut the apron strings for her son and his bride. She wrote poems to her new daughters-in-law, so I tweaked this idea into a poem for Brittany. I read it at the rehearsal dinner, I knew I needed to do this before the wedding; I needed her to know there were literally no strings attached. I was shaking quite a lot, not from nerves, but from the emotion of what I was doing. Watch and see what I did...

The wedding day was glorious. Were there a few bumps along the way...yes. When I think about June 21st though all I dwell on is the love that oozed out of these two. My son appeared several inches taller, he looked like a man ready to be a husband. Before Caleb saw Brittany I took him aside and told him that she was absolutely glowing and for him to be prepared for how stunning she looked. Later I asked him if I was right. His response will be forever engrained in my heart. He said "No, you were wrong...you underplayed how beautiful she is." My husband and I just marveled at the way he looked at her all day, the way he prayed with her before the wedding, the way he beamed.

We have only seen one picture the photographer took that day, but I am pretty sure nothing can beat this picture. This picture captures the day perfectly. At the end of the day it was all about Caleb and Brittany and the beauty that  God was painting in the two of them....

Photo credit Amber Rae Photography

Today makes me smile.

Some days just make me smile more than others. July 2 will always be a day that makes me smile and reflect and be grateful. Until 1988, this was just another ordinary summer day for me. July 2, 1988 changed that for me. You see, that is the day I became a Mrs., the day I stole Brian's last name, the day I became one with the man I love. So every year we celebrate and remember and give thanks.

It's been 26 years since we said our wedding vows. 26 years of doing life together. It hasn't always been easy, in fact at times it was just plain messy. We've not always seen eye to eye, we have not always fought fair, and some days I am pretty sure we didn't like each other. Life is that way;  messy at times. I can say with absolute certainty, there is nobody I would rather get messy with! Those tough times were important, they forced us to grow up, to work through things, and growth was always the end result.


God gave Brian to me, to be my rock, to be my sanity, to be my best friend, to be my partner, to be the father of our children. God knew exactly what I would need. He knew that at times I can get a bit too serious, a bit too stressed out, a bit too scheduled and well just a bit too much. He knew that Brian would be the one to make me laugh, the one to offer a shoulder, the one to hold me just because; God knew that despite all our differences we would make a great team. 

Happy Anniversary Brian! Let's try for another 26...the adventure is really just beginning!!

“Wait, you’re getting married?”

In just 20 short days, my baby boy will be getting married! I asked him to share today his thoughts on one of the most frequently asked questions concerning his wedding. Why get married so young? He and his bride-to-be are just a few months shy of 20, so many people wonder why get married now. I will tell you one thing about my son, he does not do anything compulsively, he is a thinker and a pray-er. As his mother, I have complete peace with his upcoming marriage. Of course that doesn't mean I won't cry at the wedding!! 

“Wait, you’re getting married?”

That seems to be a question that I have been facing a lot lately. With my wedding coming up in a little over three weeks, a lot of people have been asking me questions along those exact same lines. You see, both myself and my fiancé are 19, we met met a little less than two years ago, and we are both still in college. Some call us crazy, some question our motives, but I stand firm behind my decision to get married and stay married.

Why would I want to get married? I wrestled with this question for a long time as I was preparing to propose to my now fiancé. We had been dating for a little over a year when I decided I wanted to pop the question. But before I even considered talking to her dad to get his blessing, I had to wrestle with my own thoughts first. Getting married before it’s even legal to consume alcohol (neither of us even want to) seems a little hard to grasp for the average couple. Yet, I still came to the conclusion that there was no real reason holding us back from getting married. To come to this conclusion, I had to face the four factors that typically stop a couple from getting married so young.

Level of Maturity

I believe that maturity is something often forgotten when attempting to figure out the reasons for a failed marriage. Couples are not mature or ready to be committed to each other at the level of marriage, but they still pursue marriage. Whether it’s one or both of the people getting married, immaturity can devastate a relationship later on in its Thankfully, I am blessed to be partnered with a very mature woman of God. In fact, one of the first things that I noticed about my bride-to-be is her high level of maturity. We worked together at a summer camp, surrounded by high school and college students going through the process of maturing. In the midst of all the chaos of the so-called freedom, she stood out to me far above the rest. As we grew to know each other, we grew even more in maturity. Challenging one another to “grow up” so to speak. Although we are young, our maturity does not seem to reflect our age (in a good way). I realized that I have been blessed with a mature enough relationship that would endure the trials of marriage.

Financial Situation

One thing that causes my anxiety to peak is the topic of money. The thoughts of student loans, gas bills, insurance costs, monthly rent, and so on continually reassert themselves in my brain. I am a numbers guy that likes to see it when everything works out nicely. Ideally, I would be able to get everything to work out on paper. That doesn’t always work out so well in the real world. As I was pondering getting married, this was the one area that caused me to really think about the possibility of waiting a little while to get married. I didn’t have a steady income or a large amount of savings and I could not go into the commitment of marriage knowing that I wouldn’t be able to provide financial stability for my wife.

Yet, there is one thought that crossed my mind that relieved most of my anxiety in this area. The thought was that it would be a long time before either of us were “financially stable.” In some ways, true financial stability is never fully reached. Whether it’s a lot of money or a little money, there will still be anxiety surrounding the topic. To combat the strain of money, we sat down and discussed our budget. We came to agreements and are now at a place where we may not have much wiggle room, but we are comfortable enough so that we can still enjoy our marriage and thrive.

Strain on a Relationship

Getting married comes with difficulties. That seems to be all that the older and “wiser” couples are telling us. I realize that the strains between a husband and wife are very real and sometimes very difficult to overcome. Yet, those strains didn’t scare me away from pursuing marriage. My fiancé and I have definitely had our fair share of strains. We’ve had late night talks where she needed to cry on my shoulder or I needed to tell her something that was on my mind. We’ve had disagreements. We’ve had tensions. However, none of those have made me love her any less or question our relationship in the slightest. In fact, it is through those strains and trials, that our relationship has grown firm and secure. We will no doubt have an argument or disagreement in our future, but the possibility of strains in a relationship should not take away from the joys of being married. Maybe I’m just an inexperienced dreamer, but I firmly believe that the positive aspects of marriage far outweigh the strains that every married couple faces. So long as we stay mature and understanding through the difficulties, we can not only “make it,” but we can enjoy it.

Making the Commitment

This is perhaps the most common reason that people shy away from getting married at a young age. The thought of being with the same person for 30, 40, or 50+ years is an intimidating notion. Having not even lived for 20 years yet, the marriage that lasts (as all should) will endure for much more than half of the life of anyone getting married at such a young age. In a culture that plans for the now, looking forward 30+ years is intimidating and making that commitment is definitely a scary leap to make. In my mind, marriage is a lifelong commitment. We plan on going through the traditional vows at our wedding because the words in those vows are so powerful. When I say “til death do us part” in a little less than a month, I will mean it with every fiber of my being. I intend on staying committed to my wife through all of life’s triumphs and defeats. Unlike most men, the thought of that commitment does not scare me in the slightest. In fact, it is a very exciting thing to be considering. We are pledging to be together for the rest of our lives and nothing will break that commitment between the two of us. It’s a big commitment to make at such a young age, but I believe it is the right
commitment.

So, why am I getting married so young?

When people ask me that question now, I have started to answer, “What’s holding me back?” The answer? Nothing. Nothing is holding me back from marrying my soon-to-be wife. Other than a few numbers, I see no difference between the commitment we are making and the commitment that two people getting married at age 30 are making. Despite what people think, we know what we’re getting into. We’re not getting married because we have to or we need to (a.k.a. there isn’t a baby on the way). We are getting married because we want to.

Men are often told that marriage is like being tied to a ball and chain, constantly being weighed down by the relationship. It is seen as difficult to truly “live” once the commitment is made. However, I don’t see marriage like this at all. Sure, there is a bond that is formed between the two getting married, but it’s not getting tied down. Instead, its getting joined together with the person that you love so that you have a partner with which you can go through life. It’s not the end of living, it’s the beginning of
life together. And for that, I couldn’t be more excited.

sometimes you just have to flirt (with your hubby)...

 I was just feeling irritated. The more he did it, the more it annoyed me. I told him he was bugging me; this seemed to make him do it more. Why oh why was this man doing this? What possible reason could he have for driving me crazy? When I questioned him later, his answer was simple...I was flirting with you. Nope, I didn't even have a clue! After 25 years of marriage, had we forgotten the fine art of flirting? Was it him...was it me...was it both of us?

Sometimes we are just out of sync, life gets crazy and before we realize it we aren't doing the best at communicating. When this happens something as simple as flirting becomes difficult. It's during those times that we need to get creative and figure out new ways to both communicate and flirt (because seriously every married couple needs to keep the flirting alive).

Notes seem to be one of the most successful things for us. Our dating was a long distance relationship; so notes, cards and letters were vital to us. Now keep in mind this was before cell phones, texting and Facebook. We either had to pay for every minute we talked on the phone or write letters. I remember going to my college mailbox and hoping there was a letter from my man, when on the days there was a letter I am sure I skipped back to my room to soak in every word in private. Letters became our way of communicating so many things. I think that is why we still enjoy writing notes to each other.

Today we have a fun way to not only write those notes, but keep them organized so we can read them anytime. What we use is a notebook that looks like this...

Mr. & Mrs. - Two in One Inspirational Journal
from: DaySpring Cards Inc

 Brian writes to me in the mr. half and I write to him in the mrs. half. We leave it on our pillow when we want to give each other a fun little note. I can tell you when I walk into our room and see that book on my pillow my heart jumps for joy. I feel like I did when I was back in college checking my mailbox. Our notes aren't always long or profound, but they always communicate love! How amazing to read after 25 years that I am still loved and cherished. Even when we are in one of those phases where our flirting isn't going so well, it is a way to say I'm still here and I still do!!

Our new flirting method is working out quite well for us too. We are combining our love of notes and our love of word games into something fun. Years ago we bought some shower crayons...so we could leave notes in our shower. Here is our new game...

That's right...hangman in the shower. Gives me a good reason to get up and going in the morning...wondering what his note will say and did I guess a good letter the day before.

The key to communicating and flirting is to find what works for you and do it! These two ways work for us at the moment. If you have any fun ways that work for you leave me a comment and share.

If you are at a loss for what to say in a note...go to Song of Solomon, 

there is some good stuff in that book!

Pastor Appreciation Month

I love getting to see how things work behind the scenes. That kind of thing just intrigues me. I love going on factory tours, we just visited Mt Rushmore yet again and I'm still fascinated with how that thing was built; I just can't get enough of understanding how things work. So, its kind of fun that I get to see behind the scenes in the life of a pastor everyday! Seeing how my husband operates is an endeavor that leaves me baffled, fascinated, amused, appreciative, and most importantly in prayer for him.

Brian has gotten all sorts of questions related to what does a pastor really do. There are lots of people who think Sunday morning is the only hour he works. There are people who see that his hands are not calloused and think he doesn't really work. There are people who think his life must be perfect because he is a pastor. I can assure that he does in fact work more than one hour a week, he isn't afraid of hard work, and as much as I love him I will admit that he is not perfect.

Over the years he has had many side jobs to help support his family. He has worked the midnight shift at UPS and Walmart, he's delivered papers, he's cleaned toilets, he has shoveled snow, and the list could go on. He is not afraid of hard work and getting dirty. Not everyone knew he had these extra jobs, but I did and they made it possible for me to stay home and love on our children! 

My husband has been gifted with a heart for people, he loves being around them, he loves serving them, and he loves talking with them. He is a very gifted man who I am sure could have excelled in any profession he pursued, but I honestly can't imagine him in any other role. He did not pursue the pastorate, God pursued him and he simply answered the call!

So, behind the scenes Brian is an ordinary man. He goes to the office everyday not knowing just what God is going to put before him. There are days he spends much of his time just being with people, there are days he spends much of him time planning and dreaming, there days he spends much of his time studying the Bible and seeking God's direction, and just like all of us there are days that don't go so well. Basically he's an ordinary man who is available and what a joy it has been to watch God use him in extraordinary ways.

Brian, in case I don't say this enough(and I know I don't)...I APPRECIATE YOU!!!!

My man in action...

25 years!!!!

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; 

I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Genesis 2:18

I am so glad God created marriage!! I am also so glad God put Brian and I together to be husband and wife. I seriously can't imagine life without him. God allowed me to marry my best friend and our life has been a pretty amazing adventure. Today marks 25 years of marriage, those years have truly flown by. It still feels like yesterday that I walked down that aisle towards him; I can still remember the butterflies I had that day. 

So much has happened in the past 25 years; we now have three grown children, two amazing sons-in-law, and  a grandchild on the way. We have had our share of tears, heartache, and disappointments; but those have only made us stronger. All of our experiences, both good and bad, have shaped us into the couple we are today. We are not perfect by any means, but God knew we were perfect for each other. As we begin our next 25 years, I find my self still experiencing those same butterflies. My love for this man is stronger than it has ever been and I am excited to see all that God has in store for us! The adventure continues....

 

 

Lenny made me cry...

I knew it was bound to happen. I didn't know for sure when or what would trigger it; but I knew tears were inevitable today. I wondered if it would be when she carried her last suitcase out of her room or when the number of the countdown changed from 7 to 6. The thing that triggered them was not anything I expected. Lenny made me cry!

Who is Lenny you might ask? Lenny has been Abby's companion for more than 10 years, he came to her one year for Valentine's Day. Lenny has been almost everywhere Abby has traveled, he is looking well loved from years of attention. Abby left today to prepare for her wedding and this is one event Lenny will be missing. He is sitting on her bed...alone.

Both Brian and I realized the significance of this event. Seeing this simple stuffed animal left behind put tears in both of our eyes. We know how much she has loved Lenny, this seemingly small event is truly big, it is our little girl's way of showing she is grown up. She is ready for this new adventure...marriage!

She may be leaving some of the things of her childhood behind, but thankfully the one thing we prayed the most for her is going with her. Abby's faith is rock solid, Jesus is truly her number one love!!

A Letter to Newly Engaged Women...

In just 11 days my daughter Abby and her fiance' will be getting married. Lots of exciting things going on in my world. Today I am sharing a letter Abby wrote to any woman who is seriously thinking about marriage.

Engagement is an interesting thing, especially for the Christian woman. In my own experience I have found that everyone is eager to ask you a million and one questions about wedding plans, flowers, dresses, décor, and honeymoon location, but rarely does anyone ask how about anything deeper. People typically don’t ask about how you are doing with sticking to physical boundaries, if you are maintaining a healthy spiritual life in the midst of all the stress, or how to be praying for you as a couple. As I have ventured through my own engagement I figured it was time for someone to actually be honest about it all. Being engaged is a unique time of life and it truly is wonderful, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that it is also an extremely challenging time of life. Engagement is a season that you never fully understand until you are in the midst of it. I feel like there are some things dating and newly engaged couples would benefit from knowing as they are things that I wish I would have known that I would like to share with you.

1)    The spiritual battle intensifies. Satan’s goal is to steal kill and destroy. He will do what he can to attack Christian couples at their weakest points. This is not to scare anyone or make things over-spiritualized but we are in a battle and marriage is a high calling in life. When God brings together two people that desire to have a Christ-centered marriage and family, Satan is not going to sit idly by and let that just happen. Throughout my engagement my fiancé reminded me that the spiritual opposition that we faced was somewhat of a confirmation that we were doing things right. Although that might sound strange it is true.

2)      Prayer! The only way to deal with the spiritual opposition and the stress that you face in engagement is by bringing everything to the Lord in prayer.  My fiancé and I prayed about a lot of things because it was a very stressful time for us especially for me. We would pray on the phone together when we were apart, times when we were stressed and overwhelmed by wedding planning, and even before we went to create our wedding registry. Prayer got us through. Dedicate your fiancé, your relationship, and all the wedding planning details to the Lord and trust Him with everything, big and small.
  
3)      Wedding planning isn’t as important as marriage preparation. There will be so many wedding details and it is exciting and fun to plan, but don’t get so caught up in the wedding planning that you forget to prepare for your marriage. It is important to have balance. Wedding planning is important but be sure to set aside time to just be together and have fun and not talk only about wedding plans. Depending on your personality it can be very stressful to plan such a big event. However, watching wedding shows, while they are fun and entertaining, aren’t actually helpful or practical for the average bride. I found that if you’re not careful wedding shows and such actually can create discontentment. Make the day ultimately about praising God for what He has done in bringing two lives together. The centerpieces and bouquets will be forgotten quickly but the vows made that day will last for the rest of your life! Enjoy the planning and decorating but don’t get so caught up in decorating that you forget the purpose of the whole wedding day. Let it be a day of worship and praise to God. Marriage is made to glorify God! Keep Him as the focus of all the planning.

4)      Physical temptations increase. Accountability is essential. But God’s grace is sufficient.
 For Christian couples the engagement is difficult because the physical desires grow stronger as the wedding day draws closer. People told me that but I didn’t fully understand that until my wedding day got closer. It can be easier to compromise in little ways and push the boundaries. Establishing clear physical boundaries is very important and then sticking to them is even more important. This is not easy by any means, but God’s grace is sufficient. You may mess up but don’t beat yourself up. This is another big area where Satan desires to make you fall but don’t let him have that satisfaction. If you push the boundaries a bit too far communicate and talk about things with your significant other, pray about this part of your relationship and find people to keep you accountable. I wanted to be able to walk down the aisle in a white dress, proud of what I had done and knowing I had made my Heavenly Father proud. Keep eternal focus in this and remember that love truly is patient and waiting until your wedding night will definitely be worth it! 

5)      ENJOY!! The thing to remember is that you will only be engaged once (hopefully!). Make the most of this time. Enjoy being engaged. Enjoy the last few months before you are married and use it as time to prepare your heart for marriage. Continue investing in people. Continue daily spending time in God’s presence. Remember that it is only by His grace that you two were brought together to this point. The same God who brought you together in His perfect timing will sustain you through your engagement. Trust Him. Believe it to be true. As a woman, so many new emotions come up in the engagement time. There will be tears of frustration, joy, and stress but that’s ok. God is more than enough for these times. Don’t let all the stress that comes with engagement rob you of the joy that God desires for you. Yes, there will be stressful days but keep the end goal in mind. You are getting married. God has called you and your fiancé to be part of the closest picture that there is on earth to the relationship between Christ and the Church. That is a high calling and let the engagement be a time that you enjoy to the fullest as God intended.
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“The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that they may have life and have it to the full!” John 10:10

Can it really be 24 years already?

Twenty-four years ago, my best friend and I got married. Just thinking about that day makes me smile. What a ride we've been on! We've lived in 8 different houses/apartments (soon to be 9), we lived in Colorado, South Dakota, Colorado again, Iowa and soon Minnesota, we've had 4 church families (soon to be 5), we've raised 3 amazing kids, and gained an equally amazing son-in-law, we've had 3 dogs, 6 cats, numerous fish, we've cried together, laughed together, prayed together,and yes even fought together. We've done it all together and I am so blessed that God gave me this amazing man to share life with.

 Following are the vows we recited to each other that day:


Brian, with joy and thanksgiving I accept your pledge of life and love. God said it is not good for man to be alone, so He created me to be a helpmeet or helper suitable for you. I need you, Brian and I need your love just as we as Christian need Christ and His love. This life I now commit to you has first been committed to God and in my commitment to Him, I will commit myself to you; in obedience to Him, I will obey you; in submission to Him, I will submit to you. I give you now my life and my love and will from this day forward, honor you, respect you and will you to you all that is even yet mine as we are yet two. I will be greatly honored to be you wife, to bear your children and to grow old with you. I love you, Brian and I can rejoice in the knowing that the love I have for you is based on the word of the living God.


Brenda, I thank God for you and praise His name that we have both come to know Jesus as our personal Savior. I believe that God has hand-picked you for me and in His perfect will has brought us together to complete each other and be His faithful servants. I need you, I need your love and your total life. As that need is met, I pray that our love for and obedience to Christ will be perfected. That through our relationship, God will demonstrate to the world around us what Jesus can do in an individual life and and in any relationship. Brenda, I love you, and before God and these people here, I pledge my lift to you. I promise to love you in an understanding way as Christ loves the church. I pledge to care for you, to protect, to honor, and love you no matter what circumstances might be, until death separates us or Jesus Christ returns to take us home. Brenda, I believe God has truly brought us together and this love I have for you no man will put asunder.


Brian...I love you!!!!!

Praying for my hubby...a privilege

I have always known it was important to pray for Brian. When we were first married, my prayers were a bit immature and most of the time pretty selfish. They began mostly with this phrase...Lord please change Brian's (fill in the blank). When I was first learning to live with the man, I seemed to notice all sorts of things that I thought God needed to work on! I have since learned that my prayers need to be less selfish, especially about the small things. My prayers for him have become much less about his annoying little habits (yes, we all have those!) and more about Christ working in him.  I now see praying for him as a privilege and a joy. 

Today, as I was reading Colossians, I ran across one of those prayers for him. I love it when something I have marked in my Bible years ago triggers me to pray today! This prayer seems appropriate as Brian starts his new ministry in just over a month. Some of my favorite ways to pray for my hubby are by taking scripture and praying it for him. That really helps me keep the focus of prayers on God working in Brian and me not going down a list of things I'd like to see changed! And the best part is the more I pray for him, the less I think about changing him!!!

Colossians 1:9-12

 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking

God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  And 

 we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,  being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully  giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Father, as we prepare for a move, I pray for Brian. I pray for you to fill him with the knowledge of your will. Lord, we believe it is your will that we make this move and we are so excited about it. As he begins pastoring a new church, continue to make your will known to him.  May his life reflect you, may it be worthy of you. May Brian's words and actions be pleasing to you. Lord I pray for his works to produce good fruit, may he continue to grow in the knowledge of you. Lord, strengthen him daily with your power, not his own, give him patience and endurance when needed. Thank you Father for all you have done and will continue to do in and through Brian's life.
In Jesus Name I pray!


How about you? Have you prayed for you spouse lately? Chances are he needs prayer! We all do. It will draw the two of you closer!

Word Filled Wednesday...a cord...

 Taking my oldest daughter wedding dress shopping on Saturday, so I have weddings on the mind!!

23...a great number...

Today I decided to research the number 23 and see if I could find any facts on it. I was amazed at how many facts I found!

• It takes 23 seconds for blood to circulate through the human body.
• Each parent contributes 23 chromosomes to a baby.
• 23 is Michael Jordan's number.
• The most quoted Psalm is Psalm 23.
• The 23rd letter of the alphabet is W, as in wedding.
• 23 years ago today, I married my BEST FRIEND!

 

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 

I Corinthians 13:13

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for your love is more delightful 

than wine.  Song of Solomon 1:2 

Following are the lyrics to the song Brian used when he proposed and he sang it at our wedding. The words mean even more after 23 years of life together!!

Promise Me 

by Kenny Marks

Oh won't you promise me
That you'll always care
That no matter the distance between us
You'll always be there
Now it's easy to be there for you
But we don't know what we're gonna go through
So no matter what changes we see
Won't you promise me

Oh won't you promise me
That you'll never forget
All the things that have happened to us
Since the day we met
As the years bring new faces and friends
I won't let these memories end
So no matter what changes we see
Won't you promise me

(bridge)
Well the good things we feel for each other
We don't have to fake
Love is the heart and soul
Of the promise we make

I gotta know what you're going through
I promise to be there for you
So no matter what changes we see
Won't you promise me

I love you BK...you're my lobster!!

My best friend...

The other day my hubby and I were just chatting and he looked at me and said, "You know what? You're my best friend." There was something so genuine about that moment, I wanted to cry (ok, I cry a lot lately, big surprise). The past 22 years, 11 months and 8 days (but who's counting) of marriage have had its ups and downs, but it all boils down to the fact that we are best friends! No matter how crazy life gets, I know that when I need him, he will be there for me. He has proven that over and over again. There are days when I am not a very lovable person, and I know I frustrate him often; yet if I need him, he will forget all of that and be there for me. A man like this is a treasure indeed. 

So, what I ponder sometimes is, "How did I get so lucky? Why does this man love me?" I also look at him sometimes and think, "What planet are you from? How does your mind work?" God must really have a sense of humor by putting two such opposite people together!

But God knew all along what He was doing when he matched us up. Brian is exactly the man I need to smooth out my rough edges. God knew I needed a man to balance who I am. I'm a thrower, Brian's a keeper; I'm an introvert, Brian's an extrovert; I like to be behind the scenes, Brian's comfortable with an audience. That list could go on and on. God uses our differences to make us stronger as a couple. It is amazing how two such different people can truly come together to be one!

There have been "dark" times in our marriage, times when we weren't particularly loving or nice to each other. I'm not proud of those times, they tended to happen when one or both of us took our eyes off the Lord and we became selfish. We started putting our own wants and desires ahead of the other ones needs. All marriages go through rough spots like that. The thing we always come back to is that we are truly best friends. 

When we first started dating, Brian drew a triangle that looks like this. He told me that as long as we are both growing closer to God we will grow closer to each other. That is in fact true, the times we have been the closest are the times when we are both pursuing God.

Though one may be overpowered,
   two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Brian, We'll always be best friends....right?

Prayer...

Almost ten years ago our family set out on a great adventure that is still impacting us to this day. We began what we called The Goliath Project. We named it that because it was bigger than us and we felt like we were the five smooth stones setting off to make a difference. The Goliath Project was simply a prayer trip; our family traveled to the 48 continental states and prayed in or near the capitol of each state.

Soon after this trip began we encountered 9/11. We were in California at the time, it was a day we will never forget. The unknown of what this meant for our country and for us filled our minds. "What if there isn't enough gas for us to get home?" "What if there is another attack?" "Will we be safe on the road, in all these government buildings?"

These questions only lasted a day or two. It was then that a verse from Esther, "for such a time as this," took on new meaning to us. We needed to be praying for our country. Our country was hungry and desperate for prayer. So we continued on, praying through the fall of 2001 and then again the spring of 2002.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? 

Esther 4:14

Fast forward to 2011, our country still needs prayer, it is still a Goliath sized project. Lately God has put so many things on my heart to pray for; sometimes I get overwhelmed with the enormity of it all. But I just keep trusting God and praying to Him, that is what I am called to do.

I am called to pray for my husband, that he would be the man God wants him to be.

I pray for my children, that they would continue to follow God's will in their lives and make a difference in the lives of those around them.

I feel called to pray for the unborn, that they would be allowed to live. I pray for those in a crisis pregnancy, that they would not resort to abortion, but choose life.

I pray for the persecuted church, as I wrote in my last post, these brothers and sisters need us as intercessors for them.

I pray for all the hurting marriages and families out there, Satan is having his way right now, and it makes me mad. I pray for husbands and wives to lean on God and allow Him to heal their relationships.

I am called to pray not only for my church, but The Church. That we would be God's hands and feet, that we would be an Acts 1:8 church!

There are many more things I am called to pray for, but currently this is my top list. The enormity of the problems in this world can be overwhelming. It can seem like Satan is winning, but then I remember as Paul Harvey would say...the rest of the story...and God wins!!

I think we are all living now "for such a time as this." Will you join me in praying for the many needs in our world? of our country? of your town? of your church? of your neighborhood? of your family? Join me in praying that another Great Awakening would happen in this country. If not us, then who? If not now, then when? Join me in continuing the  Goliath Project!!

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

2 Chronicles 7:14