Monday, September 23, 2013

Marriage Maintenance

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Marriage requires maintenance.

Marriage is to be the most intimate and committed relationship. In order to keep that noble position, a marriage must be continually groomed and maintained.

As life progresses, so do people. We change (hopefully for the better), and so do our spouses. My husband and I have been married for sixteen years, and we are not the same people we were on our wedding day. Sometimes this helps our marriage, and sometimes this makes things more challenging.

A husband and wife are two, intricate creatures who have joined themselves together. They have become one, yet they are still individuals. A husband and a wife may have different interests, personalities, opinions, and goals. In addition to that, a husband and wife are human. They have the potential to sin – to say and do things that will hurt their spouse.

Offenses come.

Distance comes.

Division comes.

Usually the degrading of a marriage comes
through the little sins we commit everyday.

Solomon 2:15
Catch us the foxes,
the little foxes that spoil the vines,
For our vines have tender grapes.

This is how we need to think! We need to catch the little foxes that are spoiling our marriages so we can preserve our most valuable relationship!

Each day we must be seeking to maintain our marriages. We need to watch for the little arguments and differences that seek to place a wedge between us and our spouses and deal with them.

We must forgive.
We must be gracious.
We must seek to love our spouses more than ourselves.

When we do this, our marriages will thrive and be the testimony they are supposed to be.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Rejuvenate. Relax. Regroup.



I am currently on a weekend getaway with my husband, a much-needed vacation for just the two of us. Even as I break away from my full life's demands and schedule, it is easy for my soul to fall into hurry mode. 

Hurry. Run. Jump.

In my normal, everyday life I am working hard to undo that rush-around feeling. This weekend is perfect practice. On this getaway, there are no demands, no schedule, and no real pressure. All of time presents a clean slate. This is my great opportunity for rest, rejuvenation, relaxation, and regrouping. All of those important R words are vital to our health. It is important to have blank spots on our calendar and breathing breaks in our lives when we can just *BE*.

This weekend I am trying to do just that. I am trying to enjoy every moment, to stay calm, and to let this weekend do its work in the depths of my soul.

Have you made time for the R's lately?

Have you had adequate alone time?

Have you been able to evaluate your course of life and refresh your vision?

Have you been able to bond with your spouse, children, and other loved ones?

Rest. Rejuvenate. Relax. Regroup.

It's essential to your well-being!

Monday, September 9, 2013

Segmenting Life–Dealing with Life’s Busyness.

Live!

Soccer. Homeschooling. Church. Piano lessons. Violin lessons. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. My husband's needs. Church leadership. Ballet. Social engagements. My children’s needs. My blog ...

On any given day, these things occupy my brain and my time. Life is continual. Life is busy. Life is moving fast.

Our fall schedule is revving up, but the priorities of my life remain the same.

I want to live a full and joyful life, accomplishing God's will, remaining calm and thankful.

Sometimes we do need to focus on how we should simplify our lives and be less busy. However, there is a stark reality for many of us that our lives are going to be busy. I don’t think that is bad actually. We are meant to be busy – busy, but not overwhelmed, maxed out, and left for dead.

How can we experience more
victory in the midst of busyness?

Segment life.

The Lord has graciously been helping me learn this valuable lesson of segmenting life. I tend to be a “big picture” kind-of-girl and think about too many things at once. My mind spins and whirls and ends up paralyzing me (or at least slowing me down) rather than fueling me into greatness. Too much thought brings too much worry and doesn’t allow me to focus my energies on the real needs of THE MOMENT.

How can we segment life?

  • Do your best to THINK ABOUT TODAY, only.
  • Better yet, THINK ABOUT NOW. What is going on right NOW in your life that needs your full attention?
  • Don't focus on what is coming up, even later today, unless you have to prep for it.
  • Allow your mind and emotions to be fixated on the life experiences God has for you TODAY.

Worrying about the future, even hours from now,
simply robs us of serenity.

Feeling busy? Do your best to take each day (each moment) one-at-a-time.

Go to that soccer game and enjoy it.
Drive your child to the piano lesson and remember it is a blessing for your family.
Do that next load of laundry and be thankful you have a washing machine.
Do the dishes and listen to some pretty music.
Postpone something so you can spend more time with your loved ones right now.

Ask God to help you focus on now. Don’t get caught up with the scheduled events of your life and miss life itself. 

Live fully, calmly, and joyfully
with God’s help.