Absolute favorite sermon on marriage. Set time aside to listen.
Sanctification in Marriage by Matt Chandler at The Village Church
Blessings!
Archives For Marriage
Who knows the most about you other than the Lord? If you are married the correct answer is your spouse. They know what makes you smile. They know what makes you cry. They can decipher what your different sighs mean. They have your breathing pattern etched on their hearts. And they know when you need prayer.
Do you take the time to pray for your spouse? It may seem like a silly question but you tend to know each other so well that either you just naturally forget to pray for them. Or you almost think they don’t need it. Maybe you’re discouraged and think that nothing can help your husband find a job. You’ve prayed for months and nothing has come up. Or you’ve asked your wife to have more grace and yet she’s still snapping at you and the kids. Have patience. Have grace. Stop and pray. Continually. He’s still working.
Try to make it a habit every morning before the two of you part ways for the day and ask “is there anything I can pray about for you today?” It may be slightly awkward at first. Maybe they’ll anser “….um….no, I’m good”. That’s ok. Pray for the Lord to peel back layers and open their hearts. I remember hearing one time that if anyone ever asks if there are any prayer requests you should always answer yes. Your life is not so great that you don’t need the Lord to work in your life somehow. Pray for humbling?
Do not under estimate the strength in talking to your creator. Just as a mother longs for her children to whisper those first sweet words to her of ‘mama’ or ‘dada’; our Father longs for us to engage our lives with Him. And who best to start your daily prayers out with than your spouse?
My husband and I have had times when we’ve prayed at our front door before he leaves. There’s been other times when we part ways without prayer and we seek the Lord individually. Other times it’s at the dinner table or through a text/e-mail. And yes, there are far more days that we simply don’t pray for each other. We need to continually seek Him and He will counsel our hearts.
So try this week to simply ask your spouse what they need prayer for. You may be surprised at something that they have been struggling with. Then come and lay your prayers before His feet. Together.
Blessings!
A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
(Proverbs 17:22 ESV)
Laugh.
A lot.
Everyday.
I honestly don’t think we’ve had one day in our eleven years of marriage that hasn’t been filled with laughter. If you know us I know you’d agree. It probably helps that we both think we’re hilarious {even if nobody else agrees}. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve definitely had our fair share of struggles. There’s been tears and anger and hurt. Yet we’ve learned that a little bit of humor eases the tension in a gentle way.
How often do you and your spouse laugh together? Maybe watching a movie or tv show, right? But what about the every day? Are you able to find joy in every situation? Can you smile through the storms? I want to honestly tell you that there have been times when my husband has tried to get me to smile but I’m holding on so incredibly tight to a past hurt that I refuse to give him the satisfaction of making me happy. How cruel is that? So thankful for grace and for the Spirit teaching this stubborn disciple. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing to offer and to accept.
Search your days and make it your focus to encourage your spouse to smile today – everyday. When is somebody more beautiful than when they’re enjoying the life that they’ve been blessed with. It is so contagious as well! If you have children at home it is a wonderful sight for them to see their parents giggling in the kitchen. Give them memories of their parents being so in love that they could smile together, even through the tough seasons. As they grow older they too will seek out loves who will be joyful with them. And who doesn’t want to see their children happy and in love?
Don’t keep this just for your family. As you’re out and about make sure you’re smiling at others you pass on the street. To your waitress. To mall walkers. To neighbors. Anyone and everyone can benefit from such a simple gesture.
Blessings!
We’ve packed the kids into the car. The cooler has our lunch. The diaper bag is well equipped. We buckle up and we’re off for a day of family fun in the mountains of North Carolina.
We’re excited. The anticipation of the unknown is almost tangible. We’ve lived here for three years and have yet to visit the mountains. We know our travels won’t be easy; it’s an awfully long trip. In fact, during this trip just after leaving the house we had to stop and change a very messy little boy who had decided that his diaper was for looks only and the car seat would better fit his needs. A short time later we drove through a storm. Is this trip even worth it? Does the Lord not want us to go? Should we give up and turn back? Try another day?
But no, we keep on trucking through. After all, part of the fun is the conversations the mister and I have. Full of humor. Sometimes brainstorming sessions, but mostly laughs. We always return from a trip with a story of some kind!
So is marriage. There are the rough seasons. Is this even worth it? Should I turn back? How much longer til we get ‘there’? When will we be ‘that couple’ that everyone admires? The older couple you see walking hand and hand down the path.
Be encouraged dear ones. Don’t give up. Find the joy in the storms. Look ahead because the clouds might be breaking right before you. It’s then that you’ll see the fruits of the rain that you’ve been walking through.
Enjoy your travels, as these are the roads that are telling your story. The curves that you take you’re taking together. Every once in a while, hand and hand, make sure you make a rest stop to reaffirm that you’re both on the same path. And overall make sure you’re following Him; He’s been there and He’s able to walk you out of your valleys and lead you to greener pastures.
Even though the journey’s long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who’s gone before me
He will help me carry on
After all that I’ve been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God
-Third Day
Blessings!
1. Play with your children.
And not just the sitting at a table checking your smart phone every minute while playing Candy Land. Take the entire day off and BE INVOLVED! Put the phone and computer AWAY!
2. Take walks.
Children love the outdoors! Encourage them to enjoy and admire God’s craftsmanship. Even if all you do is take a stroll around the block you’re spending precious time and making wonderful memories. Point out the different plants you see. Pray for your neighbors as you pass their houses. Stop and chat with people you see. Hopefully your children will continue doing the same when they’re parents.
3. Read to your children.
They are listening. Their ears and hearts are hungry so please before you go to bed. Before you go to work. Feed their ears with wholesome words. Depending on the age there are so many wonderful books to choose from. Take your children to the library and help them pick out some good Before Bed reads. And, of course, read the Bible.
4. Teach them to cook.
What child doesn’t love to help in the kitchen? Even if you don’t know how to cook you can learn together. A simple favorite is allowing your child to roll out pizza dough and top it however they please. You’ll be encouraging their creative side as well!
5. Listen.
Believe me, I know how hard it is to sit and listen when the stories are filled with ‘um’, ‘and, and’, ‘I can’t remember’, and giggles. But listen to their dreams. Acknowledge that what they’re saying is important to you. Look them in the eyes! If you have more than one little begging for your attention just tell them that their turn is next and you will listen to them.
6. Love God.
This is the most important of all. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. That’s it. Let everything else fall to the side if need be. But first and foremost is God. Love Him. Follow Him. Obey Him. Afterall, there is no better Father.
7. Discipline your children.
Yeah, I know. This is a tough one. Lots of different viewpoints on ‘how’ to discipline. But we need to realize that we are raising these children to make good decisions. Guide them and don’t be afraid to discipline when they purposely choose to make bad decisions. Our hearts are born selfish. Help mold your children into wise leaders.
8. Love your wife.
She is your help meet. Show your children how to treat porcelain. Teach your sons how to love a woman. Teach your daughters how women should be loved.
9. Teach them to give.
You have ample opportunities throughout your day to show kindness to others. Your children are watching you so take every opportunity you can. Tithe. Leave change in phone boothes for the next person in need of making a call. Pay the toll for the person behind you. Bring the trash can back up to the garage for your neighbors. Donate canned goods/book/clothing, etc.
10. Love and hug your children.
This should be simple for you. Love on your sweet little ones. Hug them. Kiss them. Dance. Tell them ‘I love you’ as often as you can. Leave them little notes saying so. These years will go by so quickly. You may know that you love them but they NEED to hear it from YOU.
Blessings!
