The Enemy of Our Marriage

Recently, it was made aware that someone whom my husband and I look up to had fallen into infidelity and adultery.

It was a jaw dropping, heartbreaking discovery.

I hurt for this man.
I especially hurt for this man's wife and children.

More than ever--and maybe it's just because I'm older, married and more aware--marriages are being destroyed left and right.

How does that happen, especially to a Christian couple? That's what I always wonder. There's a little fear to that thought. If it could happen to them....

Which is why we MUST. WE MUST be on guard. Our enemy, who is very, very real, wants nothing more than to steal from us. Our joy. Our marriage. Our children. All that we hold dear. And he will kill and destroy if he has to. (John 10:10)

He has no sympathy.
There is no kindness in him.
Age isn't a factor. He targets young and old.

At first, this can all be a scary realization.
But goodness. If God be for us, who can be against us?? (Romans 8:31)
NO ONE.

We have the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord! (1 Cor. 15:57)
We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us!! (Romans 8:37)

While we should realize the power of our enemy, we should not cower down. We have no need to lack faith or lose courage.

Let's fight the good fight!
Let's fight for our marriages.

Let's be the woman of God, the wife and the mother the Lord has enabled us to be. Has called us to be.

Women, I know when there are little ones in the house, time alone with God seems impossible.

But it can't be. It just can't.

We must be in the Word and on our knees in prayer.
We must meditate on, and commune daily with our Lord.

We may not be able to sit down in the afternoon with our Bible and some uninterrupted time. But either in the morning before the kids arise, or in the evening after they've gone to bed, we should spend some time with the Lord. We should work to hide His Word in our heart. That way, we can recall those precious and powerful words to our minds during the day. We can be encouraged during days of frustration. We can find a soft answer when we want to speak harshly. We can respect our husbands when we'd rather fight back. We can choose to walk in love and humility when pride says we deserve better.

We can fight the enemy with the power of the Living Word.
We must. We must.
Don't ever let the enemy have a foothoold in our lives. In our marriages.
Because that's just what he's looking for.
And that's what he found in our friend I mentioned earlier.

To end, and to hopefully sum up what I feel are scattered thoughts, I'll share a video that has been floating around Facebook lately. It's short, but quite powerful.

Back From A Break

I'm back from an impromptu blogging break.

Honestly, I've been too lazy to upload my recent pictures onto the computer, re-size them, and then choose which ones to post about. ;)

And..I really just enjoy reading other blogs more than I do writing my own. But I don't want to let my blog go by the wayside like I have so many times before.

So, I'll get back in to the swing of things by posting a lovely article from a blog I recently stumbled upon. (Deep Roots At Home)

"How of ten have I said that I long for the 'good ol' days' when life was simpler......instead of a random neighborhood--a community of brethren......instead of the nursing home--family......instead of family movie night--family devotions...instead of running around town all day--staying at home......instead of a Facebook status--a private letter or card......instead of sharing thoughts on the internet--sharing thoughts with the family...We all hold dear the values that strengthened the family as portrayed in these winsome images. But, we can never go back to the former times as we imagined them to be."

You can read the full article here. 

What ways do you strive to live a more simple life in the midst of a busy and overstressed culture?

Free E-Book!!

Ladies, I am so excited to share a free e-book offer with you!

Written by Courtney Joseph, from WomenLivingWell.org, The Proverbs 31 Woman: One Virtue at a Time, is a priceless tool for women. I read it in one sitting--it's short and to the point. But the author packs a punch with loads of encouragement, wisdom, inspiration and exhortation.

I cannot recommend this enough! What a blessing it was to me, especially considering my struggles with discouragement this year. I've been so down--I've magnified my shortcomings and compared myself with women who seem to have it all together--"I always come up short" is what I've uttered a million times. But you know what? God. Still. LOVES. Me.

Yes, I have a lot of work to do.
Yes, it will be challenging to become more disciplined.
Yes, I'll still have to battle the enemy and fight the feelings of inadequacy.

But... "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me"! (Phil 4:13) emphasis mine

And, oh, how I want to model the Proverbs 31 woman!

*I want to please the Lord with this calling He's graciously given to me.
*I want my children to one day "arise" and call me "blessed"!
*I want my husband to feel secure and confident in my role as wife and mom!

This book will encourage you to find that end! And this E-book is completely free!  All you have to do is "like" Women Living Well on Facebook. When you do, there will be a green/white/orange box under the author's profile picture labeled "Free Ebook". Just click on that and read, save or print!

Ladies, ultimately we should strive to imitate our Savior.
To follow hard after Him.

But since He wrote the entire Bible, through men inspired by the Holy Spirit, then the Proverbs 31 Woman is certainly someone we can be excited to model ourselves after!

Happy reading!!

An Invitation Not For Me, But For Me

Last night, our little family enjoyed "Family Movie Night" with our church. The place was packed.
We watched Polar Express, munched on popcorn, and downed some Christmas cookies. Yes, downed them. We love our sugar much more than we should.

I'm hoping to rid ourselves of that vice after the New Year.

 Oh, how easy it was to type that. It's a shame that's not all it takes to say goodbye to sugar. A crying shame.

Anyway....

Halfway through the movie, during intermission, our Pastor came up and spoke. He somehow managed to weave the Gospel into a story centered around Santa Claus, children and a train. Pastors just have that special gift of seeing the spiritual in everything.

As he shared the Gospel, and went through the "pray this prayer" speech, I started to tune him out. After all, I accepted Jesus 18 years ago. I figured it was a prayer that no longer applied to me.

But as I was holding my little girl, staying still in hopes that she would, too, I paused. And I began to listen.
Eyes closed, heart focused.

 The recent reminder from Jessica @ Muthering Heights, came to memory. The reminder to receive words in fresh amazement. Words that had been dulled through the years by familiarity.

 The words I'd grown numb to were as new as they had been the night I spoke them as a 9 year old girl.
And the words touched my heart. They stirred something in me that had been asleep for far too long.

An invitation not for me, but for me.

An invitation not to receive salvation, for I'd already received it.
But an invitation to worship the King of Glory. To remember the extravagant grace poured upon me. To marvel in wonder at the babe who came to die.

A priceless gift--the person of Jesus Christ.

Oh, the depths He had to stoop!

 From glory to gloom.
 From splendor to squalor.
 Wickedness, hatred, apathy and unbelief is what He came to.

For you.

For me.

To give us an eternity.
With Him.

"This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ."  ~Frank McKibben

Have you responded to the invitation?
 Have you received the gift of Christ? 


[photo credit]

Parental Rights

Have you noticed a trend here in America lately?

It seems parents are having to fight harder every day just to maintain the right to parent their own children without interference.

And this case is no different. You can also read a longer, more detailed version here.

If you can contact Michigan's elected officials on this family's behalf, it would be greatly appreciated. The article will provide you with the links to do so.

Let us continue to be in prayer for our Nation.

I'm rather fond of the freedoms we've been given under the Constitution.

Especially now that I'm a parent.

Holiday Tea-Off

Our city's little Main Street holds an annual Holiday Tea-Off where local shops open up their doors and invite the townspeople to kick-off the holiday season with them.

Most of the shops hold a drawing of some kind and also share a multitude of Christmas goodies to hungry customers.

My mom, myself, my sister and sister-in-law finally joined in on the festivities this year!

Looking South down Main Street.

Trolley rides added to the excitement of the upcoming Christmas season.

~~~

An adorable Christmas store front.

I almost squealed with delight when I saw this!

A Chocolatier. I want to be his best friend.

This store was crammed full of all the holiday treasures a girl could want!

The building itself is well over 100 years old. So neat.

Deco poly mesh Christmas trees

This seems to be the "in" thing this Christmas season.

There were several wreaths made from this material, too.

And then we came across this...thing.

I was nauseated a solid 20 minutes after smelling it.

I was expecting the smell to be pretty bad but in no way was I prepared for the reality of the stench.

Sorry for the very unlady-like discussion.

Moving right along...

"Giggles and snuggles & pudgy little toes make it all worthwhile"

And all the moms said, "Awww!!"

Ok. Let me be honest here. I don't like spending a lot on my merchandise. Call me frugal. You can even call me cheap. But this price right hear caused my jaw to drop. It's cute...but not $70.50 cute. That's just me.

This tree was magnificent!

~~~

After all the shopping, and taste-testing our tummies could handle, we headed to the square where the Farmer's Market is usually held. There we found out who the winners of the drawings were (None of us won. Booo..)

We were also able to go into the city's museum. I'm a history lover so this was one of the highlights of the night for me! Nerd, I know.

However, the best part of the Tea-Off was definitely being able to spend some girl-time with my female family!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The Sibling Bond

"To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters.

We know each other as we always were.

(Ethan looking at Emma through

the hall window of the NICU Nursery)

We know each other's hearts.

We share private family jokes.

We remember family feuds and secrets,

family griefs and joys.

We live outside the touch of time."

~Clara Ortega

I treasure these early days in Ethan and Emma's sibling relationship. I'm looking forward to the years ahead; the ups and downs, the inevitable fights, the tears, the cheers, and the deepening of that special bond called Brother and Sister.

20 and Counting

Have you heard the latest Duggar news?

They'll be welcoming their 20th child come April 2012.

And I think it's pretty cool.

I get into a dangerous position when I go to a news site and read about the Duggars. I always seem to make my way to the comments section...

Here's what happens: my blood boils at the rude and oftentimes disgusting comments. And I become incredibly defensive. It's not like they're my family, or even my close friends.

But they are a family who seeks to honor the Lord with the way they live and they aren't ashamed to do it publicly, either.

The criticism this family receives is pretty shocking at times.

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised that people are disgusted with large families considering the fact that our nation has continued to uphold the legalized murder of unwanted children via abortion. Too many times, children are seen as a burden, an inconvenience, a drain on our society and environment.

Children are hard work, yes. They are expensive. They require selflessness from the parents.

They can be loud, messy and grumpy. And they're a massive responsibility.

But the benefits of having those children? The blessings we parents receive from nurturing them in our homes? Goodness....that list could go on for miles.

Large Duggar-style families obviously aren't for everyone. Large families aren't a commandment found in the Bible. But we are certainly reminded of the blessings large families can bring.

My prayers go out to Michelle for an easy pregnancy and smooth delivery of a healthy baby. I also pray the Duggars would continue to be obedient to the Lord and shine their lights in this dark world.

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.

How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. -Psalm 127:3-5

Family Fun

At the end of January (yes, this is majorly LATE), we took a mini vacation and visited my cousin and his sweet wife Amber. My mom's side of the family wasn't able to get together during Christmas, so this was our time to catch up and visit. It was a fun weekend!

Here are some pictures of the trip...

I was so excited to see Ruthie Jane! I hadn't seen her since May and I knew she'd grown like crazy! She's such a funny little girl!

All the other family members stayed at a nearby hotel. We had the privilege of staying with my Preacher Man cousin, Amber, and Ruthie Jane. It was wonderful! Amber was such a great hostess!

In the guest bedroom, Amber had a cabinet filled with lots of goodies!
She made sure we had everything we needed!

Yesssss...I love magazines.

Ruthie Jane made sure Ethan had a little basket of his own, too!

Excited about his gift!


After we all settled in, we headed over to the church's fellowship hall and had a super yummy dinner. You see that basket of hamburger buns? Amber made those!
And they were oh, so tasty!!


I'm tellin' you what, I could've drank ALL of this Sweet Peach Tea! It was heavenly!


Homemade Pecan Pie....scrumptious!

RJ playing around after dinner. She's so much fun!


My Preacher Man cousin getting a big smile from Ethan =)

He started getting a little sleepy.....crying followed shortly thereafter.

After dinner, we all gathered in the living room and played some Family Feud. And let me tell you, there were some serious feuds going on...but that's the fun of playing games with family! THE GIRLS WON! (Of course!)

Ethan still wasn't in the best of moods....he had a bit of a meltdown, so my cousin volunteered his time with my little cranky boy and gave me a nice break!

Preacher Man read to Ethan, sang to him, played with him. He was a happy little boy by the end of the night!

RJ and Ethan playing a little before bedtime. They're a hoot!

The following Sunday, we went to church with Preacher Man and family. It was a wonderful service, and my cousin sure knows how to proclaim the Word of God!!

I'm so mad that I didn't even get a picture of Amber and myself! I started getting sick on the way there, and by the time we headed home I felt horrible. So, it's probably good I didn't get a picture with me in it...I would've ruined it for sure!

Thank you Preacher Man cousin, Amber and Ruthie Jane! We had a fantastic weekend getaway!!
Love you guys!

If you haven't met Amber yet, make sure you do!
Three Meals & A Baby

Weekend Trip!

I'm so excited!!

This weekend, my family and I are heading out of town to go visit my cousin and his sweet wife, Amber. They have the cutest little girl named Ruthie Jane. Amber's blog is awesome! You should certainly check it out!



It's always nice to get away, even if it's not to a fancy place like New York or London. It's just a few hours away. But it's away. A nice little break from the everyday chores and responsibilities.

Can't wait for some quality family fun!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my mom's Birthday! (She'll tell you she's 39..again..so we'll just leave it at that!)

My mom has been a lot of things to her family over the years. Creative, Loving, Comforting, Sharing, Silly, Giving...the list could go on. But last night, as I was thinking about mine and my siblings childhood, one word that came to mind more than anything was "Strength".

My mom is one of the strongest women I've ever known. She may not have bulging muscles (b/c that would just be gross) but she has an inner strength about her that I admire greatly.

Proverbs 31:25
"Strength and honor are her clothing..."

I'm so thankful my mom was able to stay home with us kids. She taught us a lot of things. She wasn't perfect, and she'll be the 1st to admit that, but she did A LOT of things right. She's one awesome mommy(and Grammy!)
I have some big shoes to fill!

Happy Birthday, Mom! We love you very much!!!

Oh, Christmas Tree

Growing up, mine and Bob's parents made sure we had a new ornament each year.
I'm so glad that they did. It's always a fun trip down memory lane when we decorate our tree. Now, Bob and I enjoy swapping stories about why we received an ornament, or why a certain one is extra special. This year was no different! And to celebrate our first year as parents, I just had to order this cutie!

Bob and I are so excited for our 1st Christmas with Ethan!

This was actually a McDonald's toy.
My mom turned some of my favorite ones into ornaments!

Every time I hang this ornament, I get a massive craving for chocolate
(and an overwhelming urge to bite into this chocolatey Santa!)

Bob is a great golfer, so his parents made sure he had a golfing Santa!

Growing up, Bob loved magic tricks.
It looks like this Santa has a few tricks in his hat!

One year, a friend and I went around to several houses and sang Christmas Carols. I think we were about 10. We came to one house, and for some reason we got so tickled. We tried to sing Silent Night, but couldn't stop laughing!! I remember the mom and daughter staring at us, with a confused look on their face.
I ended up running off and leaving my friend to fend for herself!
I was humiliated!!!

I grew up playing basketball, so any basketball ornament I have (and I have several) is very special!

For some reason, this is my all-time favorite ornament. There's really nothing extra special about it. I guess this one just reminds me the most of my childhood..and I had a great one.
I believe it's from 1993.

Bob and I have many more ornaments. I wish I could show you all of them, but it probably wouldn't be as fun for you as it would be for me! haha.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*~The Reason for the Season~*

"And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
Luke 2:12

Our tree ~ 2009

I love how when Bob gets home, he's excited that the lights are on around the house. It's almost a childlike excitement. There's nothing like relaxing together after a long and hectic day, under the glow of a cozy Christmas home!

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
~Burton Hillis~

Lord, we have so much to be thankful for!
Our home, our health, our family, our friends.
But most importantly, we have You:
Our Savior, Redeemer, the Greatest of Friends;
Our gracious, loving, merciful, all-powerful, risen Heavenly Father.
We praise You!!

The Hoary Head

Sounds kinda weird, I know. But I've come to love this scripture.

"The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." Proverbs 16:31

As a youngster, I had no idea what "hoary" meant. So when I found out it meant gray, the verse started to make sense to me.

And now that I'm older, it makes perfect sense!

Because I have a wonderful, godly, gray-headed grandma!

I hope Ethan can take in as much wisdom from her as possible!

My grandma serves the Lord and is a prayer warrior!
She's giving, caring and loving.
She has a great sense of humor, and a sharp mind.
She always has her Bible by her.
She always prays with us grandkids (and great-grandkids) before we leave.
She likes to send groceries home with us.
She gives the best back rubs!
She's just...awesome.

"It takes a great Grandmother to be a Great Grandmother"