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A Love Story of Eight Months and Beyond
Right now, my gait is more like a waddle. I can no longer see my toes when I stand up, and if something drops to the ground, it’s dead to me. The definition of love that my college Bible professor gave me has taken on new meaning during my pregnancy: Love is purposing the good of another. Right now, everything about my body is purposing my baby’s good—regardless of my own comfort or lack thereof. During the pregnancy period, God teaches us moms to give up our interests for our baby and sets the tone for the rest of our lives as mothers. The short version: This life is not…
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Author Chat with Julie Lavender on Her Book, 365 Ways to Love Your Child
When we think of love, our minds typically run toward romantic love, especially around Valentine’s Day. While I will forever champion the sacred, intimate love between a husband and wife, I am also so grateful for the other types of love that enrich my life. Married or single, we can all choose to experience God’s love for us as our Savior, Lord, and Father. We all also have parents, and many of you are parents yourselves. The parent-child relationship is an incredible opportunity to express love. That’s why today, I am so excited and honored to introduce you to my friend Julie Lavender who shares about her new book 365…
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When Friends Love: 3 Outcomes of Godly Friendships
I’m excited to introduce you to my friend and Bible teacher Sheila Hupp, who is sharing about the power of godly friendship on the blog today. It’s such a neat story how we connected! Pastor Joe Ferreira, my former pastor, now shepherds her church in Connersville, Indiana where I had the privilege to speak last year. Through mutual friends, we’ve had the opportunity to meet online, and I’ve been blessed by the way she presents God’s Word with clarity and simplicity. As we walk through this year filled with uncertainty, we need godly friends more than ever to come alongside us, and we need to be that kind of friend…
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10-Point Check-Up for Your Relationship, Part 2
Last time, we looked at five check-points from I Corinthians 13 to help us evaluate if we are loving our spouse, significant other, and other loved ones well. Today, let’s round out the list with five more points. Can we truthfully fill our names in the blank? More than likely, we all have some areas needing God’s refining work. #6: I ______ am not self-seeking. Do you take an interest in what interests your spouse? One of the best ways to show your SO that you care is to actively engage with his interests instead of demanding your preferences. For example, James enjoys watching cross-country biking. I honestly didn’t know…
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10-Point Check-Up for Your Relationship, Part 1
This month, James and I will celebrate our five-month anniversary! Each month, we’ve started the habit of doing a check-up on our relationship. It’s nothing formal, just a moment to pause and ask each other if we’re driving the other crazy yet. I’m glad to report that we haven’t! In all seriousness, though, I appreciate this check-up, because it invites honesty, transparency, and a chance to make misunderstandings right early before something becomes a larger issue. Did you know that I Corinthians 13 provides a check-up list of its own? If you replace the word “love” with your name, you have a basic check list of the behaviors you need…
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4 Ways to Love God with Gusto (Part 2 of 2)
In September, my church hosted a 5K to raise money and awareness for foster care. For those not familiar with running terms, that’s a little over 3 miles. Running didn’t come naturally to me, but now, it’s a lifestyle I’ve learned to enjoy. My fiancé, though athletic, hates running. But to his credit, he ran the race with me, adopted my pace, and even smiled for photos. He got out his comfort zone, and it meant so much to me. Last time, I shared on BigSisterKnows.com how we can love God volitionally, which involves a choice or act of the will. In my case, my fiancé chose to run even…
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4 Ways to Love God with Gusto (Part 1 of 2)
One of my favorite books is called I Dare You by William Danforth, and in it, he challenges his readers to live what he calls “the four-square life.” Following Jesus’ example in Luke 2:52, he dares us to grow mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. And Jesus increased in wisdom (mentally) and stature (physically), and in favor with God (spiritually) and men (socially). (NKJV, parenthesis added) The other day, I was reading Mark 12:30 and realized that we are not only to grow in those key areas of our lives, but we’re also supposed to love God with four related areas. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all…
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Revolutionary Love
Love perseveres in spite of obstacles. Love gives without any guarantee of receiving. Love sacrifices until it hurts and then sacrifices some more. If I told you those themes are part of my latest novel, you might guess I’m a romance writer, right? Well, they are, but guess again. The Revolutionary is a dystopia. Wait. Dystopia? You mean one of those futuristic novels so dark they make the problems of our own world look like a walk in the park? Yes and no. Though dystopian novels have certain bleak characteristics, I think that setting paints the perfect contrast to the hope characters are fighting (and sometimes dying) to gain. How…
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How to Have a Happy Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day might be the one holiday that leaves people feeling polar extremes of warm fuzzy or arctic cold. Honestly, it’s a holiday that holds a mixed bag for me, too. I had one boyfriend call our relationship quits on Valentine’s Day (necessary but not exceptionally thoughtful). Other years, I’ve celebrated “Galentine’s Day” with my girlfriends instead. This year, I’m focusing on old and new friends alike. I guess somewhere along the way, I realized that I can celebrate Valentine’s Day, regardless of my relationship status. Let me say that again. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about our relationship status. That’s where we go wrong. We see the heart…
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Love, Truth, Love
You are in for a treat! My friend and writer Ashley Jones of BigSisterKnows.com is my guest here today. She and her husband Robby demonstrate how differences can complement each other. Are you more like Ashley or Robby? Read on to learn how each personality type has its own strength and weakness … and how these blended styles help us make the most of our relationships. Guest blog by BigSisterKnows.com My husband Robby and I have been happily married for over six years now. One of the reasons we work so well together is that neither of us likes drama. We prefer the simple life. But, sometimes, stuff happens and you just…
