“I need you to know that I am feeling angry towards you. I am working hard and you are watching TV.” My newlywed groom walked into our TV room, said his piece, and then walked out again just as quickly. For the first four years of our marriage, we were in the same graduate counseling program and our work ethics were very different. For a few moments, I sat there and contemplated how to respond. Should I get up and do something productive because I know he is aggravated with my perceived laziness? Or, should I sit right here and show him that I cannot be manipulated into working? Though I … [Read more...]

Recently, a friend of mine shared her concern for some dear friends of hers who are teetering on the brink of divorce. Unless they make some significant changes, it is likely this couple will not make it much longer. It was clear that my friend was devastated by what she had learned, and she made a statement which keeps coming back to my mind: “I can’t imagine a world without John and Jane.” (names changed) Though not related to my friend, financially supporting my friend, or in constant contact with my friend, their divorce would break her heart and alter her world. My point in sharing … [Read more...]

As I write this, Eric is at the other end of the house working at his day job. He is blessed to have the opportunity to work from home two days a week (which is also a blessing for me as I enjoy having him around the house). Later tonight, he will retire from his day job, eat a bite, and then jump into work on his current doctoral class which has been rigorous. At various times today, I have noticed evidence of what I call Eric’s Friday self. ~smile~ Eric’s Friday self emerges when he has been working hard all week and is (as they say from my neck of the woods) plum tuckered. For years, I … [Read more...]

When 2019 rolled around, I could not predict the smiles, the laughs, the time with friends, and the new adventures; and, I could not predict enduring the greatest heartache of my life: losing Dad has blown my world sky high and made me come face-to-face with the realities of life and death. For as long as I can remember, I have believed in God; His Son, Jesus; and, our comforter, the Holy Spirit. Additionally, I have always believed Christ is the only way to connect with God and trusting in Christ is the only way to live eternally. Yet, losing Dad spring-boarded my faith from its hidden box … [Read more...]

“You mean you think a woman should stay with a man if he…?” “Are you saying if a man and woman divorce, and it is his fault, she should…?” “But, what about all the godly people who are divorced and…?” The night started innocently enough. Eric and I were watching one of our favorite political shows when the topic of divorce came up, which (not surprisingly) caused a disagreement among the show’s hosts. A couple of men stated emphatically that if their wives cheated on them, the marriage would be over, while a different co-host believed divorce should not be the first option after infidelity – … [Read more...]