Through Sickness and Health

A True Love will be there for you in sickness and health.  We are in Texas for Thanksgiving and we got to spend time with Kyle's family.  His Grandmother is still in the hospital and his Grandfather is there by her side every day.  They have been married almost 68 years and he has been by her side ever since.

I am so grateful that Kyle has this example of love and loyalty because I think it has prepared him for our marriage.  I am so lucky to be a part of his family because there is so much love.  Everyone is so kind to one another and everyone is so easy going.  It truly has been a relaxing trip.

It feels really good to recharge my batteries after being so busy at work and just the day to day back in Atlanta.  Being here this week has reminded me what is most important in life... Family and Love.  The kind of love that will last through the decades.  That is what I hope to have.  I know we are on our way.

I think some of the secrets I have learned from being married and seeing healthy marriages are as follows:  Be kind to one another and never say anything you can't take back.  Do things that maybe you don't want to do sometimes because you know it will make the other person happy. Communicate constantly about your finances and make sure you are always on the same page about expenses and save for a rainy day.  Give generously to God and his Kingdom because it keeps you grounded in faith.   And, always keep God at the center of your marriage!!

The Departed

We watched the "Departed" recently and it really got me thinking.  It was so intense and the whole movie is about crime, deception, and living double lives.  It made me really grateful for my simple life.  The movie mainly follows two characters played by Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio.  Leonardo's character comes from a family with a long line of criminals. When he joined the Police Department they basically said he would make a better undercover cop because people would assume he would follow in his family's footsteps.  Matt Damon's character on the other hand came from a good background but he was secretly involved with one of the biggest criminals from a young age.  Matt Damon joined Police Department then became a detective who was trying to catch the criminal.  So Matt Damon was his inside man giving him the heads up at every turn so he wouldn't be caught.

It just made me think about  the difficult lives people have and how so many people can get wrapped up in the wrong crowd and have to pay the price.  When you start going down the wrong path you may not notice at first but then once you get really deep into it, it can be difficult to get out.  That is what happened in the movie and happens in life all the time.  You start to think you are not good enough and you can't ever measure up to be accepted by Christ.

So while it may be difficult in life to get out of difficult situations, it is really easy to become right with God!  You will never be good enough on your own to be right with God, but luckily you don't have to be.  Since Jesus came and died for your sin by accepting him as your Lord and Savior you can have that relationship with God.  The relationship you always wanted.  You can be accepted and forgiven so easily.  It is easy to be forgiven by God but a lot of times for us it is hard to forgive others.  So when someone comes to you that has wronged you, if you have the temptation to hold a grudge remember how easily Christ forgives and accepts you.  It's really that simple to be accepted and forgiven by Christ so why not make it simple for someone else to be forgiven.

Building Community

I am really happy how Kyle and I are getting involved with the church in our local community.  We have been leading a married small group and already we have gotten so close to the couples in our group.  We have invested in our small group by not only meeting once a week but doing get-togethers outside of group.  Authentic friendships are formed by doing life together and we are all there for the same reason: to become friends with like minded people.

Some of my best friends have been people that have been in my small group.  It is really cool to be the leader and able to bring people together and facilitate the group growing together.  If you are not already involved in a small group, whether it is a married, singles or men's or women's group, I would strongly encourage you to look into it.

Another thing we have been doing is leading a Transit small group.  If you are not familiar with Tranist it is our church's middle school program.  They meet when adults are in "Big Church" and they have a similar schedule.  First when they arrive before it starts they have fellowship complete with donuts!!  Then once it is time to get started they have an icebreaker or game, then they listen to worship music, then they have a message tailored to their specific stage of life, then we break into small groups.  This is where we come in, as small group leaders we have the privilege to each lead a group of boys and girls.

The middle schoolers are so excited to be there and are eager to hear God's message in a relevant way that they can relate.  Then to be around adults and high school co-leaders that care about them and want to build relationships with them, they think that is pretty cool too!  They get to hang out with kids just like them from different schools as well.  It is so much fun leading these middle schoolers and it is neat to see the things they deal with were issues I faced growing up as well.  I think leaders get just as much or more out of leading the groups as the kids do.

I am just really happy with the direction our lives are going and being apart of such great communities and having such healthy relationships.  It definitely helps our marriage and brings us closer together too.  Any time you can spend time together serving common interest is always a plus! 

How do you serve and give back to your community?!

I Knew You Were Trouble

I'm sure everyone has that one relationship that they knew from the very beginning was going to be trouble. Taylor Swift's new CD "Red", that is going to be released October 22, has a new song called, "I Knew You Were Trouble." This song reminds me of one guy in particular that I knew from the beginning wasn't good for me. We didn't have a lot of things in common but we both loved to play soccer.

He wasn't a Christian but at the time I remember thinking I would influence him and then he would learn to love God the way I did. Christians have a term for this. It is called Missionary Dating and I do NOT recommend it. The idea is God's light will shine through you and they will become a believer. God also discourages this and that is why he calls us to be with a man who can lead us closer to him. My life has always been on fire for God and he was throwing water, so to speak, on my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

There is a bright side to this story...

 Through this relationship, as with others I have been in, it taught me what I did and did not want in a man. It helped me see the type of man God desperately wanted for me. I had known my future-husband for over a year and a half and after that other relationship I saw him in a whole new way. I was able to appreciate him for the incredible man is was and continues to be every day. I fell in love with Kyle and now I know it was all meant to be.

Kyle is a strong Christian, he is compassionate, brilliant, and dashing. He is everything I always wanted. Like the other relationship I knew from the very beginning how it was going to be, except this time I knew it was also what God wanted for me!! I am so grateful that Kyle and I are together and give thanks to God every day for blessing both of us by bringing us together. Through our relationship we are able to give glory to God. Marriage is now our ministry, and together we will shine God's light.