pray big for your marriage

I have recommended the book Pray Big for your Marriage before but thought I'd give it some more free ad space. I am moving ever so slowly through it and tailoring the prayer suggestions for my marriage. And...I am already seeing answers to my prayers. I am humbled by God's goodness and by the joy of committing to praying more than just "bless us, God."

Some examples of suggested intercessions in the book include praying that
- you and your spouse won't settle for mediocrity in your marriage,
- your marriage would mirror God's everlasting love and lovingkindness,
- God will expose and remove any barriers that keep you from knowing all the joy He intends for your marriage, and
- you will love Jesus MORE than you love your spouse, etc.


I'd like to be transparent here...not because I think my words are going to be super exciting or profound, but because I know how incredibly helpful the honest sharing of others is to me.

I've mentioned before that I am not the prayer warrior I long to be. I know that God is our Abba (Romans 8:15) and some people converse with Him easily throughout the day just as they would their earthly Dad. However, for some reason I always think of Isaiah's encounter with the Lord (Isaiah 6) and feel like I need to be locked in my closet, face on the ground, and going through the ACTS steps in order to pray. Not for ritual but for reverence! Think Wayne and Garth, "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy."

BUT...I know that God meets me where I am, and He's been using this book to encourage me in prayer.


I have been praying the intercession listed above asking God to "expose barriers." Let me just say that the first day I prayed this, I did so with the acknowledgement that I am so often a barrier...THE barrier. God must have agreed and started revealing very specific ways that a change in me would lead to more joyful intimacy in my marriage.

Keep this in mind: If you read the account of Adam and Eve in the garden, God gives the instruction about the "forbidden fruit" BEFORE He makes Eve. There is no mention of God reiterating His words to Eve. Perhaps He did, or perhaps Adam shared the news and she was expected to trust him...we don't know. But we do know that Eve was deceived by satan and then gave the fruit to Adam, who ate of it in direct transgression (1 Tim 2:14). However, after they BOTH ate of the fruit, God addressed Adam. Nevermind that Eve ate first. Nevermind that she gave the fruit to her man. God addressed Adam.

I am a girl led by emotions and sometimes volatile ones at that! If up to me we would probably have started an orphanage in our guest room, given our entire savings to combat human trafficking, and be trekking to Mexico every weekend to build homes for those need. All good stuff, right? But is it God's will for our family?

Now because I believe that God designed the husband to lead the family (1 Cor 11:3), I pray often for Scott to have wisdom in guiding our family and our business. Yet, even when not meaning to, I often try to impress my ideas and my timing on him rather than trusting that He is surrendered to and being led by God. I mean, why haven't we sold all of our belongings yet? There is a baby in africa who needs milk!

I think most husbands, like mine, really want to make their wives happy...and perhaps sometimes men can succumb to the desires (or nagging, whatever the situation may be) of their wives in order to achieve this. Is this what Adam did? Did he disobey God in an attempt to make Eve happy? I don't know but I do know that, by Divine design, Scott is responsible to God for our family. Remember how God addressed Adam?

My guess is that we can expect to see more joy in our marriages when we fully commit to praying for our husbands to be surrendered to and led by God and then trusting that it is actually happening. May we be more conscious of what we ask of our husbands...praying that their desire to obey God will supercede their desire to make us happy. When God calls the name of your husband, may it be to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant..."

post lite

Recently I've been serving up some pretty full-bodied posts, so thought I'd give you a "post lite!"

M bolted through the kitchen the other day (as fast as a toddler can bolt), and I asked, "Where are you going?" Without missing a beat, he answered, "Home Depot!"

I just got this new workout video and chose it specifically because it is broken down into five 10 minute sections. With M's nap being so short, I need a quick fix...I just do a section here and there. So far I like it and, while I haven't felt the "pain", I am seeing a little "gain." But the unexpected blessing in it all is that between the sections you have time to grab a handful of Robin Eggs Easter candy! You know, just in case you need some extra protein....because eggs are protein.

Pray Big for Your Marriage by Will Davis, Jr. is a book I am currently reading. LOVE IT! I seriously suck at praying, and this book offers the guidance I need. I know...praying should be as easy as talking to someone you love because you are talking to Love Himself, but it's just really difficult for me. This book is helping me be diligent in seeking God for my marriage.

Speaking of talking, I recently got a phone call from a CELEBRITY! Yes, THE Stefanie of Ni Hao Y'all rang me up the other day! Now let me say that I suck at talking on the phone (hmmm...notice a pattern with my rotten communication skills). For some reason I never know when it is my turn so I am either silent (awkward) or interrupting (awkward and rude), and I pretty much just hate it. BUT...it was THE Stefanie of Ni Hao Y'all, so I sucked it up and answered my phone. Let me just say that she is even more gracious and wonderful "in person" than I imagined. PLUS, if you don't already know, she is headed back to China for her FIFTH ADOPTION (nine children total)...she is utterly remarkable.

Soon we will be trippin' out to CA for M's first time at the beach! Some dear friends have blessed us with their time share, so we are EXCITED!!! I used to live in San Diego, and I miss it dearly so going back gets me all hyped up...or did I just eat too many Robin Eggs?

Here are some pics I took this morning. M is just way too fast for me. He will not hold his head still for even a half-second. So I got some soft photos, but I really like them! He looks handsome in his outfit, which we bought while in Taiwan.


this is what i get when i say "SMILE!":

month o' love

Happy February! As I see the store displays of Valentine's Day decorations, cards, and candy (of course, the candy!), I can't help but think back to my sweet wedding day! I don't know that I have had another day in my life that was so absolutely peaceful and so gloriously perfect...even in the imperfections!

Yet I also think of how much marriage takes a beating when a baby comes into the picture. Romantic coastal escapes? Gone with the wind. Dynamic dinner conversation at a cozy table in your favorite restaurant? Flew the coop. Indeed the addition of a child brings a new look to the marital relationship.

And so...I'm asking for YOUR ideas/tips/tried & trues of how to celebrate the month o' love all year round. If your husband is as fantastic as mine, you sincerely want to make an effort to give your marriage the attention it deserves.

So share a comment, and share the love!

Not sure why my scanned photos always show up so small, but this is from our wedding day in Kona, HI:

edited2add: Funny! I have had more comments about the photo than tips on loooove. We were married on the beach in Kona by a super fun pastor who is connected with our church. His kids were the flower girls/ring bearer, his wife did the video taping, and a lady from the church VOLUNTEERED to take our photos. She said she was an "amateur" and just enjoyed shooting, so she wouldn't even accept the money we gave her...she donated it directly to the church. I think she did a wonderful job and will share more photos next month for our anniversary post!

giddy up...and stuff

God's grace to SAHMs? Being able to go to the State Fair on a Monday morning when everyone else is at school or work! No lines, no overcrowded exhibits...just steaming hot corndogs, friendly animals who haven't been over-petted (is that a word?), and the smell of roasting green chile wafting through the air.

Fair photos:

The next photos are of the following:
- A delicious picnic we had after M and I read a book about picnics,
- M deciding he needed to wear some pink fuzzy slipper-socks of mine,
- M pretending to be a doctor, and
- M's new "school book"...I bought this workbook on a whim and M loves it. He can actually follow the directions correctly but sometimes he just wants to scribble all over the pages...which, of course, is way fun!

I've been listening to some messages on Christ-centered marriages by Francis and Lisa Chan. If you're interested, click HERE, go to the sermon list, then choose "Christ-centered Relationships" part 1, 2, or 3. As always, be discerning as you listen and place anything you question against Scripture itself. I say this about every book you read or message you hear, not just for these sermons in particular. And...if you'd like to listen and discuss...I'd be happy to join you!

Three, Three, Three Posts in One!

Another good book! It's based on Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10 which says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other." In addition, it is a rhyming book!!! I am a rhyming lovah...sometimes even making Scott play this game with me where we start with a word and each take turns saying a word that rhymes with it until someone runs out of words and is the big loser!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I took Matthew to lunch today and realized that, at 15 months old, my son is the type of person that buffets lose money on.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm assuming most of you mamas find that quality time with your husband is about as extinct as...I don't know, as some extinct animal...or dinosaur....or good french fries at McDonald's. Scott and I are terrible at getting caught up in "busyness" and cutting short our time with each other. Perhaps even more than we realize. So last night we had a pretty lengthy conversation...we were both completely engaged in the talk. It wasn't an intimate conversation about our dreams, our love, our desires...nope, it was about business. But at the end I was all giddy and exclaimed, "That was the BEST conversation we've had in a long time!!!!" Hmmm...maybe we should work on prioritizing. Scott must have felt bad because he busted out some old school dance moves for me in the kitchen while I read outloud the 47 Beavers book.