A friend loves at all times. (Proverbs 17:17) Recently, I was reflecting on some healing I have seen in my personal journey and thinking about how much anxiety in my life has been caused and exacerbated by negative self-talk. As I thought over the past season, areas I’ve grown and ways I want to continue growing, I felt the familiar voice of God within urging me… “It’s time to befriend yourself.” What kind of friend are […]
Perfect love.
Perfect love. Perfect love expels all fear. (1 John 4:18) I’ve known a lot of imperfect love in my lifetime. Conditional love, selfish love, love that wasn’t really love at all. I’ve known what it is to fear being intimately known, to be known with all my faults, my fears, my insecurities. I’ve known what it’s like to fear that if my weaknesses and vulnerabilities were to be uncovered, I’d be abandoned…rejected, alone. I have been blessed beyond […]
3 Things I Learned in my First Year of Marriage
After getting engaged, I can remember several people telling me that the first year of marriage was the hardest. They communicated this with intense eyes and a tone of voice that said buckle up. More than two years have come and gone and looking back I can honestly say that first year was one of the best years of my life. The first year is such a sweet time of setting the foundation that will carry you through […]
The Importance of Loving You
“I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts.” (John 15:9) This Valentine’s Day will be different for me. This time around I’m married. I’ve found my forever person to spend every Valentine’s Day with now going forward. Praise Jesus. And while I am so excited for this new beginning, this morning I find myself reflecting on all the Valentine’s Days […]
The King of My Heart
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:37-39) For the last few weeks, I have been writing about […]
Relationship Goals: Headed in the Same Direction
So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of your life. (Prov. 4:23 TPT) Have you ever wanted something so bad that you would do anything to make it work? Or have you ever wanted something to work so bad that you ignored the obvious? Ever been blinded by love? Something I […]
Let’s Talk About It: Effective Communication in Relationships
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. (James 3:2) Effective communication is the relationship goal that we should all be after. Let’s face it. Effective communication can make or break a relationship. However, communicating our needs or navigating conflict with a loved one isn’t always easy. Here are some good strategies for keeping the communication flowing […]
Emotional Abuse: I Escaped the Cycle
Emotional Abuse: Escaping the Cycle Now, Consistency… I remember what I was thinking about in the final weeks before my wedding. I felt differently than I thought I would feel, but in a good way. The movies and my imagination have always told me that romance and love are strung together with one big moment after another. Everything is sudden and surprising. Everything is always new and exciting. As I prepared to get married, I […]
Relationship Goals: Honoring Physical Boundaries
It has been on my heart for quite a while to write a blog series on dating relationships. As a newly married woman, I feel like I have graduated the dating phase so to speak. Looking back on my experiences, I’d like to talk about toxic/abusive relationship traits versus healthy life-giving relationship traits. I’d like to start by talking about a huge topic, boundaries, mainly physical boundaries. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul writes, “Do you […]
Adventure and Love
A couple days ago marked the one-month anniversary of being married to my best friend. Two years ago, I remember crying in the back of a church parking lot with my best friend. It was the day I was supposed to get married to someone else. The engagement had fallen through and I had made some bad choices along the way. I found myself in a giant mess trying to piece my heart back together. […]