An ink spot on a shirt…how tragic!  When we see a stain like this, our eye automatically goes to the ink spot, doesnt’ it?  Though 90% of the shirt is still white, all we see is the stain. 

I recently heard an illustration shared on a radio broadcast that I just had to share with you.  In our marriages, it’s easy to focus on our husband’s one or two faults or habits that irritate us – their “ink spots” if you will.  We get our eyes fixed on hubby’s negative traits, and that’s all we choose to see.  It glares at us and brings bitterness and resentment to our hearts and homes, instead of the loving relationship the Lord intended.

Why not resolve today to begin taking a long, hard look at the things that you love about your husband (the 90% pure white shirt he is wearing) instead of staring at the ink spots?  I am sure it will refresh your marriage and your love for your husband as it did mine!

Time to go do some laundry…there are a few ink spots of my own I need to work on!

With love,

Okay, so where was I yesterday? On a sweet get-away with my husband. We went away for Valentines’ day, but the blessing of it is that we don’t have to use Valentines’ to make up for the 364 other days of the year. It’s just another day of enjoying married life.

By that I mean that we date each other – and we do it regularly. It’s not really a novel idea, is it? That’s how we found out we wanted to get married – we dated! Now to stay close and to keep things getting better every day, we continue to date.

Those dates are planned and eagerly anticipated. Sometimes my husband comes up with an idea and sometimes I do the planning. We mark out and set aside time for it. A “real date” is not running to Lowe’s for paint and picking up fast food on the way home. No, it’s time together getting to do what we enjoy.

Sometimes we meander through a small town and its shops…

Sometimes we take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway…

Sometimes we find a special place for dinner, or go for a bike ride, or find a neat coffee place and have coffee and dessert. It’s so much fun, but we’re learning that not enough couples are spending the time they need to enjoy the things that brought them together in the first place. Life gets in the way and their marriage gets put on hold. Communication between the couple is about the things that make their lives keep moving – bills, appointments, the children’s schedule, who’s picking the needed gallon of milk, and the intimacy and closeness that was once there is fading faster than a speeding Mustang on the interstate. How sad.

God gave marriage for companionship; so we could be companions for life. Are you and your spouse in that ship together? I know Valentines’ is over, but like I said at the start, marriage is about enjoying being married every day of the year. What do you need to do today to keep things growing in your marriage? Ask the Lord for His help, and then do it.

With love,

It’s no secret that our family loves Andy Griffith. It has provided good comic relief in the midst of very busy ministry days. Our family conversations are peppered with lines from many of our favorite shows. Truth be told, there are many good lessons taught in the episodes.

Yesterday I was watching the episode posted above entitled, “Back to Nature”. After watching it I thought about how many times Andy saves Barney’s face. Barney claims to be a real outdoors man, yet he gets lost in the woods. Rather than let the truth be known, and see Barney get laughed at by the boys they’re leading on this excursion, Andy does everything he can to cover for him. Barney turns out to be a hero that demonstrates “pioneer moxie.”

You know, for any woman who is married, we are to do for our husbands exactly what Andy does for Barney. We are to cover for him; show him to be a hero instead of a coward. We are to make him look big in the eyes of his children and others. Is this lying? No, this is being prudent. Proverbs 12:23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. This is loving him more of than ourselves. I Cor. 13:4-7 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. It’s making his need to be respected greater than our need to be right.

Are you covering for your husband when needed? Are you keeping to yourself the things that others don’t need to know? It’s all a part of reverencing him as Ephesians 5:33 commands. Men need our supporting role more than Barney needed Andy! If your husband is your hero, (and he should be!) let him know it!

Married to the greatest guy on the earth,