Some of my earliest marriage memories are of conflicts that have since become funny stories. ~smile~ Even though I was the first to preach that marriage was no bed of roses, I am not sure I truly believed it until I was actually married. We did not even make it through our honeymoon without a few arguments (which is probably common). Then, when we started our life together we soon realized that those honeymoon fights were fun in comparison to real marriage brawls. ~smile~ During your first few newlywed fights you may wonder if the world is coming to an end. It’s not. ~smile~ If you and your … [Read more...]
Three Unexpected Joys in My Marriage (Unexpected Things, Part 1)
Like most young ladies, I looked forward to getting married someday. The idea of being in love was exciting. Being married, in theory, sounded like proof of adulthood (though not necessarily proof of maturity); and married people did not have to sit in a youth group and listen to “True Love Waits” sermons. Marriage to this young, naïve girl equaled freedom. Some of my expectations were met after marriage. Society did seem to view me more as an adult. Being in love was (and is) nice, though not the conflict-free, lovey-dovey picnic I would have enjoyed. And no one felt the need to tell me to … [Read more...]
Forming a Habit of Gratitude
As we close out this Thanksgiving season, let’s consider how we can live a life of consistent gratitude. It is great that we Americans (and our Canadian neighbors to the north!) are given a national holiday that reminds us to count our blessings, but how much happier would we be if we were thankful all year instead of just in November (or, October ~smile~)? Forming the Habit If you want to become a more grateful person, you are in luck! You can make a habit out of gratitude! Below are a few traits of grateful people and I think we would all do well to adopt these traits in our … [Read more...]
Can Gratitude Make or Break Your Relationship?
“Are you finished yet? We are late!” “I’m almost done. Hold your horses!” “Well, if we are late, I’m going to make sure the whole crowd knows whose fault it is. You are never ready on time and it makes me look bad! I’m so tired of your selfishness affecting my social life!” “Well, if you would do more of the things I have asked you to do over the years like, let’s say, paying the bills instead of creating them, I would not always be busy doing something to keep this family afloat! Our bills getting paid on time is far more important than your precious social life! Grow up!” “Maybe I spend … [Read more...]
Why I am Thankful this Year!
Do you ever just stop and count your blessings? I don’t do this nearly as much as I should, but when I do I am instantly reminded of how good God has been to me! Consider a small child who has a roof over his head, food in his belly, entertainment galore, and a family that adores him (or her). If that child wants something, he is not likely to think “Gee, I have so much. Perhaps I should just forget about that shiny toy or cupcake in the bakery window and appreciate what I have been given.” No, his nature is to beg, cry, or possibly even throw a tantrum to get what he wants and to forget all … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 146
- 147
- 148
- 149
- 150
- …
- 241
- Next Page »