To be completely transparent, forgiveness is an issue with which I have struggled most of my life. Since I have relatively few complaints in the scheme of things, it amazes me how some people who have suffered great heartaches have an easier time letting go of offenses than I do. Maybe they have more practice? Or, maybe they came to a point when they realized they had two sets of choices – let go, forgive, and move on; or, stay embittered and be perpetually miserable. Regardless, I do feel somewhat ridiculous when I find anger rising in my heart towards someone who hurt me twenty years ago … [Read more...]

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of a healthy relationship is... honesty. When talking to young couples about desires and expectations for their marriage partner, honesty is often on the list – and if honesty is not, fidelity or loyalty is. We want the security of knowing we can breathe easy and lie in bed at night without nagging fears and unsettled thoughts. Honesty is a significant part of true intimacy. In addition to expecting and desiring honesty in our relationships, we also need to be careful to ask the right questions. If we first say, “I want you to always be honest with … [Read more...]

In less than twenty-four hours, Eric and I will be celebrating fourteen years of wedded bliss... well, fourteen years of wedded something. ~smile~ Typically, when someone who has been married more than two months says their marriage is blissful, I don’t believe them. However, when I meet a couple who has been married for forty years and they say their marriage is blissful, I do tend to believe them. Time told the tale! Hopefully that will be Eric and me one day – forty years of marriage and many smiles to share about the journey. ~smile~ Commemorating another trip around the sun together … [Read more...]

When I imagined married life as a wide-eyed, dreamy teen, I did not picture running through the house slamming doors and screaming; and, I certainly did not picture doing so after a conversation about the Bible. It is fair to say Eric has played a big role in shaping my theology over the years, but it has not been a carriage ride through a flowery meadow. At times, I experienced intense feelings of anger when Eric challenged my beliefs. As friends, he first introduced me to the sermon Hell’s Best Kept Secret which I received with an open heart. In fact, it answered a lot of questions which … [Read more...]

“When are we going to make friends together? We are married now. Couples spend time with other couples, but you do not seem interested in making new friends.” For the first several years of our marriage, Eric and I circled back to the same topic – making friends... couple friends. As a young twenty-something fresh out of college, I still wanted to hang out with my college friends. Before you get a mental image of wild girls partying until 4 am, my friends and I were more of the Pizza Hut eating, Target shopping, romantic comedy watching, late-night Sonic run kind of girls. ~smile~ Was there … [Read more...]