A few weeks ago, I wrote a post talking about the gift of rest and enjoying time with family. It’s a great goal, but it’s often easier said than done. I know that all too well. I’ve struggled with my whole life with the idea of resting. I’m not one who finds it easy to sit and do nothing. I started working for a lady down the street when I was probably 12. I had my first summer job at 15, and I worked weekends in high school and around my classes in college. I spent many summers swinging a … [Read more...]
Debt Free: How We Paid Off $33,171 in 447 Days
Debt is a fact of life for so many these days, but it doesn’t need to be. From school and cars, to credit cards, so many of us have accumulated a crushing mountain of money that we owe to others. Much of the debt we have begins before we get married, and we bring that into our new marriages with us. For Jess and I, on the day we got married, that number was just over $43,000, all in student loans. For the next few years, we paid the scheduled payments of about $500 a month and would pay a bit … [Read more...]
Defining Your Best New Year
If you could choose one word to describe your past year what would it be? For us, it would be the word faith. The past year has been filled with chaotic purpose and deliberate decisions. If you would have asked us in our first year of marriage if we would be doing what we are doing now, we would have thought you were crazy. A Voicemail and an Email It really started when Adam had applied for a job this past summer that we were pretty certain he was going to get. He was well-qualified, made … [Read more...]
The Gift of True Rest
Rest. It’s an important part of life. Without sleep, we stop functioning well. Without mental rest and time to unplug, we can end up struggling with burnout, overload, and anxiety. Thankfully, we have days off in our week, and extra days off as holidays. Jess and I have to remind ourselves to take this time of rest. We have a tendency to fill our schedule and push forward when we know we should slow down. Even with good things. We are constantly in a state of learning that we need time to … [Read more...]
Building a Strong Little House
In amateur theater (based on my very limited middle-school acting experience), the sets are designed to look good from the audience. Nobody will ever be close enough to them that the paint needs to be perfect. Sometimes, props were held together with duct tape on the back, and the front looked great from the audience. The construction was designed to last for about a week longer than the run of the show. Every shortcut was taken that could be. It was all a facade, but it was enough to fulfill … [Read more...]
Shifting Away from Entitled Expectations
Do you ever have big dreams or deep desires that remain unfulfilled no matter what you do? I know I do. What’s funny though is that our plans almost never turn out how we think they should. Through experiencing those unmet expectations, I’ve grown more deeply in my relationship with the Lord and have learned that His ways and timing are always best. What did I think my life would look like after meeting the love of my life? I thought we would get married, Adam would get a great job, we would … [Read more...]
11 Irrevocable Truths about God’s Love for You
Thanksgiving. For many, it brings to mind turkey, pie, and time with family. For me, it brings to mind those things, but also the very opposite--loneliness and a very very empty house. You see, four years ago, on the day before Thanksgiving, my world fell apart. At that point, I was still what many would consider a newlywed, as Jess and I had been married just under five months. She left me the day before Thanksgiving and took all of her stuff with her. Her family had driven to our house to have … [Read more...]
A Wife’s Greatest Protector
What does it mean for a husband to be responsible for his wife? Does it mean that it’s his sole responsibility to protect her at every moment of every day from the moment of his wedding vows forward? Does it mean that he needs to go everywhere with her to make sure she’s safe? Or is it something different entirely? I’m a recovering worrier. I’ve always had a tendency to worry about things. If I walk into a situation, I want to have a plan. I prepare for the worst and hope for the best. If I … [Read more...]
Marriage: Our Greatest Mission
When I think about the couples that have been most meaningful in my life, three or four come to mind. These couples have encouraged me to grow deeper in my relationship with the Lord and they’ve been a huge support for me as a wife. There were times when they directly spoke into my life, but I have been more impacted by the way that they live their lives and how their marriages and their love for each other reflect God’s love. When I think of them, I think of how they deeply care for one … [Read more...]
5 Tips to Create Rest in Your Life
What is rest and why is it so important? In Genesis 2, God had just finished creating the earth in six days. On the seventh day, he rested, blessing that seventh day and making it holy, because it was on that day that he rested from all His work (Genesis 2:2-3). Why did God rest? He didn’t rest because He needed it. He took time to rest to show us that we desperately need it in our lives. The idea of rest is a difficult concept for me. I’m a driven person and have trouble when I don’t feel … [Read more...]