Blessed By A Choice

As my husband and I quickly approach our ten year anniversary, I’m more grateful everyday for the choice that I made in my spouse. I’m thankful that I chose a spouse who is going to help my walk with God and not hinder it. I’m thankful that I chose a spouse who is committed to our family and committed to raising our children in the Lord.  I’m thankful that I chose a spouse who exhibits patience towards me. I’m thankful that I chose a spouse who works hard to provide for our family, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. I’m thankful that I chose a spouse who exhibits the agape love of 1 Corinthians 13 in our marriage.

As a 21 year old, I know that I did not fully grasp the importance of my decision when I said “I do.” I have a feeling that if I am blessed with another ten years of marriage that I’ll look back at this ten year mark and think I didn’t know the half of it then either. I’m so thankful that looking back over the past ten years brings joy, and that I’m confident and comforted by my choice in my spouse.

And, my prayer for my children choose someone who is a Christian, seeking to follow and obey God daily. As I pray for them, I must teach them. I have to first teach my children to love and obey God. If they don’t live that life, finding a spouse who loves God isn’t going to be important to them. There are many other influences in the world telling them what their priorities should be in a spouse, and loving God isn’t on that list. I also have to teach them about the gravity and significance of marriage. Once again, there are many other influences telling them that marriage isn’t significant, that it isn’t really that big of a deal such that marriage can be stopped and started again without consequence. However, marriage is something to be honored as precious and valuable.

Though teaching my children about marriage is a complex matter, instilling the importance of a spouse who loves God as well as instilling value and worth in marriage should lay a strong foundation for preparing them for marriage. I know that I am blessed because my spouse loves God and honors marriage, and my desire for each of my children is that they make choices that result in marriages that are blessings as well.

Thankful Thursday

It has been a while since I’ve written a Thankful Thursday post, but after a crazy January of traveling (or my husband traveling), I’m reminded of two things I’m very thankful for:

1. Sharing the load of parenting with my amazing husband.
2. Smiling, running, and laughing kiddos that fill my house with joy.

Thankful Thursday

I’m thankful time to play and watch my children grow.

I’m thankful for the rain that brought the weeds that Ella loved playing with this morning.

I’m thankful for my Troy who toddles around throwing leaves.

 

I’m thankful for family that is always willing to watch our kiddos when we need.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to spread the gospel.

I’m thankful for my husband and the hard work he does all the time spreading God’s Word.

Thankful Thursday

I’m thankful for family and friends who are willing to watch my kiddos from time to time.

I’m thankful for the abundant rain our area has been blessed with recently, especially considering the drought we endured over the summer.

I’m thankful for a strong family, and a spiritually-minded husband.

I’m thankful for trips to Target with Ella.

I’m thankful for Troy’s ability to express whatever he is feeling, even if he doesn’t use words to do it.

I’m thankful for time to go jogging, and that Trent graciously watches the kids while I go, even if it means taking his lunch time to watch the kids.

I Heart Faces: Family Fun

Thankful Thursday

I had forgotten that today was Thursday (I lose track of time after the holidays), and was reminded when I was reading today’s Thankful Thursday post by my friend (who inspired me to write these posts in the first place). She also inspired/reminded me that now is a great time to reflect on at least a few of the ways I’m thankful for my husband considering that we just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary on Tuesday.

• I’m thankful that my husband always seems to remember to consider me first (even though I often get wrapped up in things, and don’t consider him first as often as I should).
• I’m thankful that my husband knows how to make me smile and make me laugh, even when I’m down.
• I’m thankful that my husband makes me smile and laugh everyday.
• I’m thankful that my husband is a dedicated Christian man, who puts God first in his life, and that he is the spiritual leader in our family.
• I’m thankful that my husband is extremely cute. : )
• I’m thankful that my husband thinks about our future together, when I tend to get caught up in the here and now.
• I’m thankful that my husband is patient with me, especially when I get crazy stressed out for no good reason.
• I’m thankful that my husband is always there for me.

Excuse the poor quality photo (a scanned photo from Facebook). We have been married longer than Facebook has been around, ha!

Pep Talk

I love the time of year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love the atmosphere of this time of year: everything from Christmas cookies to finding and wrapping the perfect gift to driving around looking at Christmas lights to receiving Christmas cards in the mail to traveling to see family and friends.

Time seems to fly more quickly these days, especially as I watch my children grow.  We haven’t even reached Christmas yet this year, and I already feel like this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas has passed too quickly. Throughout this time I’ve felt a bit too spread thin, and, not only have I felt like I haven’t had much time to relish the season, but I have also felt like I haven’t been able to do many of the things I’ve wanted to accomplish. I had great plans to do lots of fun Christmas activities with Ella (who is really getting engaged into the whole idea of Christmas), but we’ve only managed to do two of the many fun ideas I’ve found.  After three Christmases searching, I finally bought material to make Christmas stockings, but I didn’t even make it to the point of pulling the sewing machine out of the box.

This post isn’t about complaining, but simply a reality check for me. I can’t be everywhere at once. I probably won’t get everything done on my to-do list because it is too long and unrealistic in the first place. With two little ones in the house, projects will inevitably get put off and plans will change. Ella and Troy were both sick for a week (my husband and I didn’t feel great either). And, besides actually dealing with kids that didn’t feel good, we also had to deal with the severe lack of sleep (the kids don’t sleep well when they are sick and they share a room which only complicates that problem). On top of sick kiddos, I almost sliced the tip off of my index finger (so, please ignore any typos in this post), and was out of commission for an entire evening after that incident (what can I say, I have an extremely week stomach for almost slicing the tip of my finger off). Things types of things are not things to be worried or bothered by; they are simply things (and not really big things) that happen in life from time to time. But, I need to give myself that pep talk when I get bogged down by these things. And, when I say that I need to give myself a pep talk, I really mean that I need to listen to my husband’s encouraging words (because he is always the one who realizes I need the pep talk).

Hopefully this last week before Christmas will be a chance for me to slow down and breathe a little. As long as I actually figure out what to get for the last few folks on our Christmas list . . .

Thankful During Thanksgiving

I’m sad to say that the first Thursday I’ve missed in writing “Thankful Thursday” posts was Thanksgiving, the day our nation takes time off to be thankful. BUT, I’m thankful that throughout this past Thanksgiving week that I really haven’t spent much time at all on the computer, and that a large portion of the time that I have spent on the computer has been spent looking up recipes for family meals or looking at family photos.

Every year I’m more appreciative of the blessings that I have in my life. I’m blessed with a beautiful family. I’m thankful that my husband is leading our home to be centered on God. I’m blessed spiritually (Ephesians 1:3) because I’ve been baptized into Christ Jesus. I’m blessed by my spiritual family (the church), and I’m blessed to be able to labor with them in the Lord.  I’m blessed physically with a house (much more than we need), a warm bed on cool nights, clothing, and plenty to eat. And, even with some of the awful things that we see in our nation, I am blessed to be living in this Great Nation.

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I Heart Faces: Black

 

Happy Fall Y’all!

Ella was not much in the mood for pictures at the fall festival (she’d been sick pretty much the whole week before, and was still very tired), but I loved her costume – it was perfect for her considering how much she loves her sock monkey. Troy went as a “mini-me” of my husband – do you think they look alike?

 

 

 

 

It is amazing how much changes in a year!

Thankful Thursday

I have a friend who always writes the most beautiful thankful Thursday posts, and it has inspired me to do the same. I think it really is a great time of reflection for the blessings in my life!

 

I am thankful for  the reminder of how much my husband helps me and my family, even if it is because Ella is throwing up when he isn’t here.

I am thankful for a friend who has devoted his life to missionary work in a foreign country.

I am thankful for Troy’s new signing skills, and how much I really love communicating with him.

I am thankful for Ella and her constant reminder for me (and everyone else around her) to “be careful.” I must be really concerned that she is careful, because she loves to mimic me.

And, I am thankful for cheesy grins.

Growing Closer

I’m truly saddened and heart broken when I think about the state of many marriages in today’s society. Marriage is something that is so precious and special, yet it seems as though many people don’t treat it that way. I doubt many people enter into marriage with the intent of it only being a temporary thing, but they end up treating it that way through their actions. Marriage is hard work (like many worthwhile things in our lives), and I think it can be easy to forget that it requires work.

I am so thankful that my husband and I are growing closer as we continue in our marriage, rather than growing apart as is the case in many marriages today. I’m thankful for a husband who is committed to our marriage, and demonstrates a selfless attitude toward me. We aren’t perfect by any stretch, but I know we are moving in the right direction as we do grow closer, especially through keeping God as the center of our marriage and home. I feel as though our marriage has only gotten stronger as we have become parents, and as we face new challenges together  that come with parenting. I hope that we can teach our children the importance of marriage, and to seek out a spouse who also views marriage as sacred.

And Jesus said in Mark 10:6-9: “But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh;so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Taking a cue from my husband

My husband teaches me lots of things directly as well as indirectly. Recently, as I was watching how he interacted with Ella talking to her about the Bible, he taught me a valuable lesson about a very effective way to teach her.

I’ve been teaching Ella things about the Bible for a while now, but generally I’ve been taking a very structured approach. That’s not to say that my approach isn’t fun or isn’t geared towards a toddler, because it is – we sing songs and I teach her on her level trying to use fun things  for her – but it is definitely more structured. However, I’ve been watching my husband talk to Ella about, for instance, her Bible class, and I realized that in all my teaching I haven’t taken the time to actually have a conversation with her.

My husband’s conversations with Ella about the Bible are perfect for her. He holds her in his lap, and the time is solely devoted to having that conversation. I can tell that Ella knows that what is about to happen is important. She is intently focused on the topic at hand (lately it has been Noah). I can see the eagerness in her eyes. She wants to learn more, but also answer questions about what she knows – a true back and forth conversation. Ella is soaking up every minute of the conversation. I need to take the time everyday to have these kinds of conversations with Ella as well.

Watching my husband and Ella interact talking about the Bible is absolutely priceless to me – it has almost brought me to tears (happy ones!) a couple of times. I’m so thankful to be married to a Christian man who is teaching our children about spiritual things! I cannot wait to see how these conversations with Ella (and Troy!) progress and evolve as they grow up. I hope to be blessed with children who want to discuss spiritual things, and to have a desire for God’s Word.

In the photo below, my husband is talking to Ella about how he is about to leave to go on a Mission Trip to teach people the Bible. I love how he took the time to teach her about the importance of spreading God's Word.

More Thankful Everyday

Thanksgiving always reminds me to really think about the things that I am thankful for in my life. I have been blessed greatly, and I'm thankful for many things, but one of the things I am most thankful for is my husband.

He is supportive, loving, and trustworthy. He is wise and level-headed (even when I'm not). He is funny and knows how to make me laugh. He is perceptive and knows when something is wrong with me, and he knows how to cheer me up. He knows when I need a break - when I need a chance to unwind and relax - and he gives me that time even if it means driving around a fussy baby so I can have a few minutes of peace and quiet. He is a great father and husband. He makes my life better.

As I've gotten older, I've realized more and more the importance of choosing one's spouse wisely. I've always been thankful for my husband, but as our years together grow longer, I've come to love and appreciate him even more.  I know that I made a good decision when I chose to marry him. I'm thankful to be sharing and living my life with my best friend. I'm thankful to be married to someone who is trying to help me get to heaven, and who is helping me raise our children in the Lord. I am more thankful everyday that I chose to marry him, and that he found me fit to by his wife.

Shutter Love Tuesdays: My Favorite Things

Ok, so I know my husband and daughter aren't technically "things" but they are my favorite "things"! And this photo also capture another one of my favorite things - watching them play and interact together. :)