Have you ever had one of those days when you simply could not get any work done? There you sit, fully intending to conquer your to do list; yet, before you know it, your eyes zone out and thirty minutes later you realize you have done nothing?! (Of course you have had days like that! We all have!) I am having such a day... right now. As I type, I am sitting on the couch looking out my living room window at the dreary, cold, rainy day, and my brain is pleading with me to let it sleep. I worked for you yesterday. Today I want to rest. Sure, you have a pile of work to do, but do you have … [Read more...]
The Blessing of Waiting for Sex
Daniel and Becky sitting in a tree... K-I-S-S-I-N-G... First comes love... then comes marriage... then comes the baby in the baby carriage. How many hundreds of times did you hear this “clever” little poem in elementary school? You would develop a simple little crush on someone, word would leak out, and then suddenly you are listening to others sing this song about you. As annoying as it is, this famous childish chant carries truth to it. A God-honoring relationship does follow these steps, (though the jury is out on whether or not He would be pleased with K-I-S-S-I-N-G in a tree … [Read more...]
God, Please Help Me to Have a Sweet Spirit Today
Do you have a life verse? Or a passage to which you find yourself constantly referring? One of my absolute favorite passages of Scripture comes out of 1 Peter 3:3-4: “Do not let your adorning be external – the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear – but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” (ESV) ‘Precious.’ I love that word. We may know we are loved, but to know we are seen as precious is an extra sweet sentiment. When God looks at me, I … [Read more...]
Hosting a Party to Revive Winter Spirits (Blessings in the Cold, Part 3)
Hey, remember we have that Sunday School Christmas party on the 7th. Oh, I thought it was the 8th. My work Christmas party is on the 12th. Is that going to be a problem? I don’t think so. Let me check the calendar... No, it looks like my work Christmas party is on the 14th and then my old college buddies and I are doing a winter gaming party from 7pm to 7am on the 19th to the morning of the 20th. Yeah, my book club is doing a tea and book exchange on the 18th. Are we forgetting anything? A Month of Crazy December can be crazy. So many parties! Christmas cards! Running back and … [Read more...]
On Establishing a Faithful Date Night (Blessings in the Cold, Part 2)
Okay, so hopefully by now you have thought of someone you want to gift bomb. I have several in mind! You have most of January to go, so it should be pretty easy to find time to carry these surprise gifting “attacks” (and, at the minimum, at least one!) We would love to hear about your experience, or better yet, bless us by commenting on the gift-bombing post for others to read! Giving to neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family – especially when they have no idea it was you – is a mood-boosting hobby. In fact, I would not be surprised if you spend this year anonymously blessing people … [Read more...]