,The word “love” irritates me. I know that’s not the good, Christian girl thing to say, but I’m just being honest. And yet, it’s the word I chose for my One Word 2017.
Category: Life
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Why It’s Smart to Write Your Eulogy
Every other Thursday night I meet a young friend for coffee. She’s getting married in June, and we sit and talk about life and marriage. Right now we’re reading through What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp together. I highly recommend it.
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My Favorite Things to Start a New Year
Friends, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! If you’re like me, even though it was so much fun now you’re exhausted! I feel like I’m in recuperation mode from all the festivities and yet, here comes New Year’s!
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Thoughts on Turning 39 and Ending a Decade
I’m assuming it’s because I’m seven months pregnant with a toddler at my feet that I’m nostalgic about turning 39 this year. After all, isn’t that supposed to wait until you’re 40?
But here I am a now 39-year-old woman living a 28-year-old’s life, and I can’t help but sit in disbelief that I’m entering the last year of my 30’s.
My adult life has turned out nothing like I thought it would.
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Lullaby Confessions: Tropical Encouragement – A Review and Giveaway!
Our baby girl is about to celebrate her first birthday in only a few months. I cannot believe it! She is growing so fast, and it is amazing to watch the world unfold through her eyes. When she was a tiny infant I was introduced to the soothing music of Lullaby Confessions. And now that she is a “big” baby, she loves their music just as much! Especially their new album “Tropical Encouragement”.
I had the opportunity to review the Lullaby Confessions: Tropical Encouragement album with my baby girl. This time letting her hear a new album was a different experience because she can actually interact and respond to the music now. As soon as it started playing she started moving her shoulders back and forth swaying to the sound, and a big grin came upon her face.
What I like most about Lullaby Confessions is that it’s great for any time that you want your children to start slowing down or resting. We listen to it while I’m nursing her or when she’s eating in the high chair. Sometimes when she’s fussy I will turn in on too. I imagine myself even playing it for her when she’s older during homework time or before bed.
The new album “Tropical Encouragement” has a beachy, island sound which is very unique and fun. It also has uplifting and positive lyrics perfect for little ears, and includes several different musical instruments along with vocal.
Whether you have babies or toddlers or even preschool and young school-aged children, Lullaby Confessions is the perfect music for your children, and I am thrilled to be giving away one free download of Lullaby Confessions new album “Tropical Encouragement” this week!
Enter to win below, and be sure to share with your friends!
** I was given free music for this review. There was no monetary compensation, and all of the opinions are my own!
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5 Things I’ve Learned from 5 Years of Marriage {Part 2}
This is part 2 of the post “5 Things I’ve Learned from 5 Years of Marriage”. Please read the first two things I’ve learned in the first post!
I am more broken than I ever knew.
Before I got married countless people told me, “Whatever you struggle with single, you’ll struggle with exponentially in marriage.” Of course I didn’t believe them. I just saw white picket fences and babies.
When you enter into marriage and begin living with someone who you’ve become one with, and there is someone always there ready to regurgitate yourself to you. For the first time you see yourself for who you truly are, and it’s frightening. Low-and-behold I’m not just a little insecure, a small bit of a people-pleaser, or slightly opinionated.
I have found I have two choices – fight it or fall into it. If I fight it, oh help! More ugly comes out, and then it’s fight or flight. And, yes, there have been times when I’ve wanted to flight! If I fall into it, then I humbly claim who I am, confess it, and move away screaming for God to help me! This has helped me become the person I’m supposed to be.
My influence is unmatched.
With a simple utterance of my voice or move of my eyebrows I can create any mood I want. I can bring peace or I can bring turmoil. I can get thins stirred up or I can simmer them down.
It’s the gift God’s given to women.
Over the past five years I’ve silently prayed for this or that or the other change in my husband or in our marriage. Then I’ve seen glimpses of that change. He’s watching me. He’s observing if I am who I say I am. Do I blog about lofty things and then not live them? Do I serve in the church and then not serve at home? Do I talk kindly to everyone around me and then crappy to him? He’s watching. I’m influencing.
But don’t be mistaken. The influence only comes when my knees hit the ground in prayer every. single. day. Again, without Jesus I’ve got nothing.
My silence is stronger than my voice.
I’m not talking about the silent treatment. Luckily for me (I guess) I’ve never been a silent-treatment-type-of-girl. I’m more of the let’s-fight-it-out-even-if-it-takes-all-night type. So there’s not much silent treatment in our house.
I’m talking about the tendency I have as a woman to go on and on and on and on. Kind of like I do in my writing a lot of times! When we don’t agree about a decision, or I feel passionately about something that he doesn’t (which is often – remember I’m the typical INFJ), if I can control my tongue, state my case, and move on, I get more out of him. He opens up more, discusses it more, and will even spend more time processing it with me over several days.
What could you add? What have you learned from marriage?
