Marriage Advice - Are you listening Dennis Rainey?

I often wonder how some couples do it without God. Two selfish people, both trying to lead the pack. Flesh at its best or should I say worst? A perfect recipe for disaster.

"Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she repects her husband." Ephesians 5:33

Love and respect.

Sounds easy enough.

Yes, love and respect are two God given commands to keep our marriages healthy and God honoring. But, I do think the Lord may have missed one key element. To stay married until death do us part it should be love, respect AND...GPS.





We just got back from driving to Texas and oh what a wonderful time we had. Not one argument about stopping for directions. Not one.

These technical contraptions should be sold at ALL marriage conferences and given as gifts at all wedding showers.

Our time away was chock full of LOVE and RESPECT. How could the Lord have missed this one?!?

I DARE YOU!

We all know the importance of working at our marriages, but how many of us really work at them? Just like a well-balanced diet, we know what our body needs, but continue to run through the drive-thru for dinner. Our marriages should not be getting second best, but our absolute first considerations, thoughts and hard work. As women, we desire our men to send flowers, provide financial security and romance, and some of us would just be happy with a husband who picks up his dirty socks.

But what are we doing to help, to encourage, to show sacrificial love to our husbands?

Beginning this Friday, my friend Chelle at The World of Chelle is hosting a 40 day treat for our marriages, The Love Dare as seen in the movie Fireproof. Whether your marriage is all roses and dark chocolates, or is hanging on by a thread, take the time to go over to Chelle's and see what you can do to be a part of this 40 day transformation.

I double-dog-dare you!

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Love is not a fight.

My husband and I went to the movies to see Fireproof last night. This is now my new favorite song. It explains love and marriage perfectly. When Paul and I have our own heated discussions (politically correct for: knock down drag out fights) I often struggle with the urge to run away, walk out in my anger and leave. The line from this song, "If we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door." speaks right to me.

At the age of twenty-seven I watched my first marriage go down in flames-personally pouring gasoline on that raging fire. I am so thankful that we serve a God of second chances. My life is a testimony that our Lord can bring life from the wreckage of poor choices. My marriage today is beauty from ashes. My husband Paul is the love of my life, my best friend, and the other half of me.

Friends, if you haven't seen this movie...SEE IT. If you know of ANYONE who is married, encourage them to SEE IT. If you know ANYONE who is engaged or in a serious relationship, tell them to SEE IT.

...and make sure to bring a big ol' box of kleenex.

Hairdos And Backhanded Compliments

I just don't think that men understand how special it is for a woman to get her hair done. There is something almost magical about sitting in a hair chair, having someone massage your scalp as they wash your hair with shampoos that smell so good you could drink them out of the bottle with a straw. Looking through the hair books and magazines searching for a new look is such an exciting time, second only to picking out your favorite dessert on the menu. Us gals will make our appointments at the salon and only a death in the family holds the power to make us call and cancel.

For weeks now I have been agonizing over my long hair. As much as I enjoyed wearing it long, it has been driving me batty lately. I just don't have time to sit in front of the mirror to blow dry and style it every morning. I've been throwing it up in a hair clip these past few weeks, which gave me the look of an aged Amish woman.

Not really the look I was going for.

So, completely broken and not really giving a hoot about how it would turn out...I gave my friend and hairstylist the green light to chop it off.

And chop she did.

The hair that used to be below my shoulders is now barely touching them now. I felt so light when I left. I even liked the way that she gave me a layered spiky look.

Shouldn't all forty year old mother's of four, have a layered spiky look?

I'm pretty sure that my new hairdo may have evolved from the 80's big hair and the 90's cement sprayed bangs. Maybe that's why I just loved it.

When my husband came home from work I was looking forward to showing him my new do.

He walked in and found me at the stove stirring some chicken soup.

As he walked up and gave me a kiss, we began the obvious new haircut conversation.

Paul: You got your haircut.

Me: Yep, I did.

Paul: (Looking me over.)

Me: Do you like it?

Paul: Yeah, it's cute.

Me: (Smiling on the outside, happy as a clam on the inside.)

Then he had to make just one more precious and endearing comment.

Paul: You look like Adam Sandler's rocker girlfriend from the Wedding Singer.




Not really the look I was going for.

Happy Tenth Anniversary Cutie...

So they said, "We will call the young woman and ask her personally." Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go." Gen 24:57-58

Paul, I would follow you to the ends of the earth.

I love you so much, Joanne