Girls To Grow

Nurturing moms in their walk with God

3 Important Characteristics of a Growing Christian

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Can it be that we’re nineteen days into January and this is my first blog post of 2023??!! Yes, it’s true!

Our older daughter got married on January 7th. We went from pre-wedding week to post-wedding week, and this week we still have our younger daughter here at home on her college break. I’m actually driving down to Florida with her on Saturday, and she’ll start spring semester classes on Tuesday.

Life has been full of emotion and reflections, celebration and memories lately and I’m sure that will all come out in blog posts at some point in the future. But today I want to dig into a couple of Bible verses that can encourage us as we seek to grow in our walk with God.

I daresay no one wants to be stagnant or backsliding in their Christian life. But what are some signs that we’re actually growing? Let’s look at what Paul wrote in a letter to the church at Thessalonica.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: ~2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Here are three characteristics describing these early-church Christians that we can look for in our own lives.

Paul gives us three characteristics of a growing Christian in 2 Thessalonians 1.

1. Your faith is increasing.

My husband recently said that we need to be quick to trust God. If you’re like me, our first response is trying to work things out on our own.

And isn’t it true that our faith is usually increased when we go through trials?

Our faith expands as we learn to wait on God instead of taking control of a situation ourselves. It comes as we see God answer a specific prayer we prayed.

When we look back on how faithful God’s been to us in the past and trust that He will be the same today, our faith flourishes. He’s never failed us yet, and He never will. Meditate on His promises and know He is faithful.

2. You’re full of love for fellow believers.

It can be easy to show love to our close Christian friends. And while we’re not going to be best buddies with everyone we go to church with, we do want to reach out in Christ-like love and compassion to other believers we know.

We can pray for them when they’re going through a trial. As the Holy Spirit brings them to mind, send them a text or a note of encouragement. When we hear of a need in their life, let’s do what we can to help.

In John 13:35, Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Loving others in the faith marks us as growing Christians.

3. You’re developing patience in trials.

Our human nature wants to run from any trial as fast as it can! If there were a place to sign up for a new difficulty in life, most of us wouldn’t be adding our names to the list.

But God-ordained trials come to all of us. Are we learning to be patient in the trial, to look for what God is wanting to teach us? Are we learning to depend on him for the outcome?

Being able to accept physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges as from God’s hand and waiting patiently on Him to carry us through is a sign that we’re maturing as Christians.

As always, this is written from a place of my own weakness. I want these things to be true in my life, yet I still have much growing to do! Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us continue maturing as Christians as we increase our faith, love fellow believers, and are patient in trials.

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4 Exciting Gifts for You This Christmas

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Here we are, with Christmas less than two weeks away!

I’m actually feeling pretty good about that this year. All the presents are bought and wrapped and under the tree. (That’s mostly a result of our daughter’s wedding coming up on January 7th. I wanted to get Christmas tasks done so that we can focus on wedding stuff when she gets home from college soon šŸ˜‰

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite Christmas passages from the Bible.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of theĀ LordĀ appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his nameĀ Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. ~Matthew 1:18-23

There’s so much to love in these verses!

We have Joseph, a just and righteous man, wanting to do the right thing by Mary, receiving divine guidance through a dream.

There’s Mary who’s been visited by an angel, a virgin carrying a child, while promised in marriage to a good man.

We have the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah 7:14, a Messiah to be born in Israel.

And there’s the promised babe, Emmanuel, God with us.

In this passage, I see four gifts for you and me this Christmas.

Christmas gifts that are so good, you won't want to return any of them!!

1. God’s faithfulness

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet…

God always keeps his promises. Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets foretold the Messiah’s coming. Every single prophecy was fulfilled.

God doesn’t change. His Word endures forever. And the promises we find there today are just as true as the day they were written. God is faithful.

2. Salvation from our sins

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his nameĀ Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

What we could never do on our own, Jesus came to do. He lived a perfect life, died by crucifixion on a cross, and rose three days later to secure our salvation. Truly the greatest gift ever given.

3. A Savior who knows our struggles

…and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. ~Hebrews 4:15

Emmanuel. God, come to live among the humans he created. Yet he didn’t avoid the pain, the trials, the struggles of life while he was here.

Rather he went through them all, just like we do, but without sinning. Jesus knows what our hearts feel today, how our bodies fail, the difficulty of guarding our minds. He empathizes and he understands.

4. Trust in God’s sovereign plan

Over the thousands of years before Christ’s birth, God orchestrated it all. The genealogies, the places, the timing of events – God made it all happen according to his plan.

Even down to Joseph and Mary…probably not on the list of “Most likely to be chosen earthly parents of God’s Son”…at least not if you were looking for the rich or the famous to play that role.

We can trust God’s sovereign plan for our lives. He is all-knowing, all-powerful and He works all together for our good and His glory.

I hope you get some great gifts this Christmas, I really do! But right here, in these four truths, we can find joy and peace that material gifts can never provide.

Wishing you God’s richest blessings this Christmas season!

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Top 10 Favorite Advent/Christmas Resources for Your Family 2022

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Greetings this morning from a very cold coastal South Carolina! I think this was our first freeze warning of the season, but thankfully there’s bright sunshine so our temperatures will warm up a bit during the day.

This is the time of year when I start to think about preparing my heart for the Christmas season. Yes, I’ve already started shopping for gifts and adding our Christmas parties and activities to my calendar. But I want to make sure I also look for ways to stay spiritually focused on Christ’s birth in the midst of the busyness of the season.

Here are ten resources that I’ve used – or, in the case of a few of them, wish I had used! – to keep Christmas centered around Christ and his birth.

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Here's a list of books, audio selections, and a classic television show to help you prepare your heart for the coming Christmas season.

1. Nativity Fabric Advent Calendar. I would have loved to use this with our daughters! We had a very simple Advent calendar that we did each year (it involved chocolate šŸ˜‰ but this one is so cute yet meaningful.

2. The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas. This will be my third year reading through this book as part of my Bible time during the month of December. The chapters are short but meaningful.

3. Come Let Us Adore Him: Stories Behind the Most Cherished Christmas Hymns. I’ve read other books of hymn histories by this author, and this one would be great to read on your own or together as a family.

4. Fisher-Price Little People Christmas Story. We had several of the Fisher-Price Little People sets when our girls were young, but never this one. Looking back, it would have been a great gift for their first or second Christmas. These sets last for a long time and can be passed down from child to child.

5. Unwrapping the Names of Jesus. We read through this advent devotional as a family one year. Along with studying the names of Jesus, suggested projects and activities are also included. (Click here to read my in-depth review of this book.)

6. Annie F. Downs Advent Series. Annie’s Advent series is brand new this year, but I like a lot of her stuff and hope to use this product in the future.

7. Countdown to Christmas Advent Collection (Adventures in Odyssey). Our girls were huge Adventures in Odyssey fans for years! These audio CDs (or digital download) are great to listen to in the car or before bedtime.

8. Harold the King from Patch the Pirate. Our girls also enjoyed Patch the Pirate recordings, and we owned this one. You can choose an audio cd or streaming format.

9. A Family Christmas by The Piano Guys. The Piano Guys have some of our favorite instrumental arrangements, and this recording is lovely to have on in the background this time of year.

10. A Charlie Brown Christmas. We still watch this classic every year as a family!

A great way to begin the Christmas season is by spending next week in a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving for the many blessings God has given us. Then we can move forward with our hearts and minds ready to celebrate the greatest gift ever given, God’s Son sent to redeem us.

If you have any Advent or Christmas resources that you love, please share them in the comments!

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5 Valuable Life Lessons from Proverbs 15

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Happy week before Thanksgiving! Today I’ll be making my grocery list for our Thanksgiving Day menu. Then tomorrow I plan to get to the store early while it’s (hopefully) not too crowded and stock up on the items we need.

Have you ever worked your way through Proverbs by reading the chapter that corresponds with the date? I’ve done that at different times in the past, and am currently doing it again.

When I noticed that I’d journaled several thoughts from my reading yesterday, I decided to share them here on the blog. Proverbs is packed full of life lessons, so here are five I found in chapter 15.

Check out these five important lessons from Proverbs 15 and apply them to your life today.

1. Pray often because God delights in your prayers.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. ~Verse 8

Wow, think about that for a bit. God delights in our prayers. He takes pleasure in our talking with him, in hearing our praise as well as our needs and concerns.

2. Be slow to get angry.

A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. ~Verse 18

Easier said than done, yes?! But as we exercise self-control over our temper, we’ll avoid unnecessary arguments and bring calm to what could become heated situations.

3. Get wise counsel before making decisions.

Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are established. ~Verse 22

If we want to succeed in various areas of our lives, we’ll seek advice from wise people. It’s important that we don’t just look for those who will validate what we want, but those who will be honest in giving their advice.

4. Be teachable.

He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. ~Verse 32

If we think we know it all and refuse to listen when someone tries to correct us, we’ll never grow and improve ourselves. As a perfectionist, I can have a hard time accepting correction. Yet my attitude should be one of humility and a willingness to learn from my mistakes.

5. Embrace humility.

 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility. ~Verse 33

Speaking of humility…I started something new this week, and if there’s ever a time when you can expect to be humbled, it’s when you don’t really know what you’re doing!

As we’re willing to die to self, yielding to God and serving others, we can receive God’s blessing on our lives and allow him to honor us in a way that brings him glory.

As I read back through these life lessons, I realize that they’re pretty much encompassed in the fruit of the Spirit. [Galatians 5:22-23] Let’s submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and ask him to help us live out these lessons on a daily basis!

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5 Truths About Trusting God with Our Kids

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Happy November, friends! I’m quite excited about the next couple of months. Our girls will be home from college for Thanksgiving and then Christmas break, and I’m looking forward to the memories we’ll be making together.

The topic of today’s blog post actually fits in here quite nicely. No matter what stage of parenting you’re in – from newborn to adult children – we have opportunities to learn how to trust God with our kids.

Admittedly, we feel like we have more control when they’re younger. The more independent they get, the more opportunities we have to step back and trust God.

Let’s look at five truths we know about trusting God with our children.

Here are five things we know to be true when we trust God to take care of our children.

1. God loves our children fully and completely.

We love in a limited way. It’s the best that we know how, but we’re not perfect. In spite of loving our children, we still get frustrated and impatient with them at times.

God knows all about our children and loves them just as they are. His love is pure and complete. And He always knows what is best for them. Which leads us right into the next truth.

2. God has a plan for our children’s lives and he will fulfill it.

What’s neat here is that God’s plan is perfect. Ours is not. Perhaps unconsciously we put expectations or demands on our children that spring from our own misguided desires. We may be trying to push our children into our own ideas of what they should be or do.

God’s plan is exactly what our children need. He knows them, how they’re wired, their strengths and weaknesses. Remember what the Lord told Jeremiah? “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” [1:5]

3. God has the power to accomplish his purposes in our children’s lives.

I can plan and scheme for what I want for my children, but I can’t make things happen. God, on the other hand, is all-powerful. He uses people and circumstances that he places in our children’s lives to fulfill his plan.

And as hard as it is for us to watch, he even uses unpleasant situations – a hard teacher, a difficult coach, a disloyal friend – to teach our children lessons they need to learn. Just like with us as parents, it’s often through trials that they experience the most growth.

4. God is a compassionate Father who cares about every detail of our children’s lives.

We’re familiar with the passages from the Bible that remind us of this. The hairs of our head are numbered. God’s eye is on the sparrow. [Matthew 10:29-31] We’re to cast all our cares on him because he cares for us. [1 Peter 5:7]

God knows all about our children’s heartaches, their disappointments, their hurts. Not only does he know, he also cares deeply and is able to offer comfort.

5. I can have peace as I trust God with my children.

I can let go of my fretting and worrying. Trusting God with my children means that I stop trying to work it all out for them…or for me.

My part is to pray and trust. We take our concerns to God and let Him do the rest.

Last week I was burdened about a difficulty one of our girls was facing. I headed to my Bible and my journal and wrote out a prayer for her. When I got up from my chair, I felt peace about the situation, that God was in control and He was right there with her.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Let’s ask God to help us totally trust him with our children. After all, they’re his. He’s blessed us with these lives to steward for him. But they’re His precious creation and we can trust Him to love and care for them always.

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5 Best Books I’ve Read Fall 2022

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Coming in a little early in the season, perhaps, with the best books I’ve read lately!

I realize fall won’t officially be over for a while, but I missed posting my favorite summer reads – and it seems a little late for that now!

So here, in no particular order, are the five best books I’ve read in fall 2022.

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Check out this list of five (plus two bonus!) books I've loved reading this fall!

1. Blessing Your Grown Children by Debra Evans.

I started this book on my Kindle, and by the time I was halfway through, I ordered it in paperback so I could have it on my bookshelf. It’s definitely a book I plan to go back to over and over again. There’s so much wisdom here on building healthy relationships with your adult children. We’re just in the beginning stages of this, and I want to do it well!

2. The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron.

To be fair, Kristy Cambron is one of my favorite authors and I’ve read all her books. I’m always eager to read her newest book, and this one didn’t disappoint!

3. Spouse in the House by Cynthia Ruchti and Becky Melby.

So this is a phase of life I’m not in yet, but, Lord willing, we’ll get there before too long! This book addresses the adjustments that come when both spouses are at home most of the time, due to retirement, a job that works from home, etc. The authors talk through the struggles and the blessings of this life season with realism and humor.

4. While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin.

This is an older book of Lynn Austin’s (I still haven’t read all of hers yet) and I really enjoyed it. It’s set in World War 2 and I found the characters and plotline moving and memorable.

5. One Night in Tehran by Luanna Ehrlich.

This is the first book in a series of 8 (so far) about a CIA operative named Titus Ray. I finished the author’s other series about Mylas Grey, a private investigator, and now I’m working my way through this one.

And here’s a bonus fiction and non-fiction selection!

The Sport of Matchmaking by Jennie Goutet.

This is the third in a series, but I don’t feel like you need to have read the first two to enjoy this one. It’s a light story about a young man and a young woman who’ve both determined not to marry…and although you can probably guess the ending, it’s still entertaining to see how they get there!

The Well-Watered Woman by Gretchen Saffles.

I actually mentioned this book as one of my favorite finds from August. After reading it on my Kindle, I ordered the hardback edition and am now reading through it a second time. It’s a great book to encourage women as they seek to grow spiritually.

Please let me know in the comments about any good books you’ve read lately!

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5 Valuable Lessons for Us from God’s Promise to Israel

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Welcome, friends! I hope you’re doing well and enjoying nice fall weather like we’ve been this week. In the coming days when I’m tempted to complain about the cold or the rain, I want to remember this nice stretch of sunshine and mild temperatures!

I’m currently reading through Isaiah during my Bible time in the mornings. It’s long been one of my favorite Old Testament books. Here’s the verse that stood out to me yesterday.

“The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:” ~Isaiah 14:24

In context, Isaiah is prophesying the destruction of Israel’s enemies. He is describing how God will punish those nations.

In this particular verse, he’s assuring his listeners that what God has determined will happen. His plans cannot be thwarted.

This is certainly true for the nation of Israel. Yet it’s also true in each one of our lives.

So what does this truth remind us of?

In Isaiah 14, we find one of God's promises to Israel that gives us hope and encouragement today.

1. God’s faithfulness to His promises.

What promises? There are so many! Protection, guidance, His presence, and a home in Heaven, just to name a few. Get into God’s Word, find a promise of God for your life, and believe that He will fulfill it.

2. God’s unlimited power.

Isaiah tells us in this chapter how God will bring everything together to defeat Israel’s enemies. He’s going to move other countries and arrange circumstances so that His will is accomplished.

There’s nothing that God can’t do in our lives. He is all-powerful and can answer our prayers and meet our needs in ways we may not even imagine.

3. God knows the future.

It’s clear from this passage that God knows the beginning, the middle, and the end of the story for Israel. And that’s certainly true for what you and I are facing today.

We can have peace as we rest in the fact that our God already knows how situations will be resolved, how needs will be met. He is a good God and we can trust Him for today, tomorrow, and every day thereafter.

4. God is all-wise.

In his highest wisdom, God brings to pass His plans. We never have to worry about those plans not working out. He knows exactly what needs to be done to accomplish His will in our lives. Nothing that happens is a mistake.

5. God’s resourcefulness.

God can use people (who may even be unaware of what He’s doing) and what appear to us to be random circumstances to accomplish his purposes. Everything is at His disposal. We may not see a way out or a way clear for God to work, but He is always in control.

Here’s another reminder from Isaiah of how great our God is.

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,Ā Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure…yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” ~Isaiah 46:9-11

We can rest in the truth that God keeps His promises and that His plans for us cannot be thwarted. As we seek to follow Him each day, He will guide us and keep us in His care.

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7 Things We Know About God from Psalm 18

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Here we are, just past mid-October, and the fall weather has arrived! I’ve been bundling up a bit for my morning walks in the neighborhood and getting reacquainted with the sweaters in my closet.

Today’s post comes directly from my Bible reading yesterday. I finished reading through the New Testament recently, so now I’m reading a bit from a Psalm, Proverbs, and a chapter in Isaiah most days.

I’ve been wrestling with some conflicting mindsets and attitudes lately, and I can’t tell you how light my heart felt when I read in Psalm chapter 18 verse 19 that God delights in me. The more I considered the words of this Psalm, the more I was encouraged! I hope you’ll feel the same way after reading through these seven things we know about God from Psalm 18.

In Psalm 18 we see seven truths about who God is and what He can do that will encourage us in our lives today.

1. He is my safe place.

Verse 2 ~ “TheĀ LordĀ is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.“

In times of trouble and distress, we can trust Him. He is steadfast and strong, our protector, our place of refuge. We can rely on His faithfulness always.

2. He hears me.

Verse 6 ~ “Ā In my distress I called upon theĀ Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.“

God listens when we call out to Him. When we need help and deliverance, He is ever ready to hear us. May that be our first response whenever we’re hurting or in trouble – to cry out to our God.

3. He delights in me.

Verse 19 ~ “He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.“

Believing that I can bring God joy and pleasure is hard for me to grasp. He is so great, so perfect and holy, yet He desires a personal relationship with me. His good will and favor toward us, His grace and mercy, are what led Him to send Jesus to die for our sins.

4. He lightens my darkness.

Verse 28 ~ “For thou wilt light my candle: theĀ LordĀ my God will enlighten my darkness.“

We’ve all been through times in our lives we would describe as dark. But God never leaves us in our darkness. Not only is He right there with us, but He brings light to chase away the dark. His light brings comfort, safety, joy, and peace.

5. He makes my way perfect.

Verse 32 ~ “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.“

We can trust God to not only give us strength and courage to walk through this life, but also to guide us in the way we should go. He is able to make our path clear and plain as we trust Him.

6. He keeps me from falling.

Verse 36 ~ “Ā Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.“

As God guides us, He also protects us. We can walk forward confidently in the direction that He’s leading because He prepares the way.

7. He gives me strength for the battles I must face.

Verse 39 ~ “Ā For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.“

In David’s case, he’s talking about actual physical battles in a war. Those aren’t typically the types of battles we’ll be facing. But we’ll certainly face spiritual, emotional, and mental struggles. Satan will fling temptations our way. Trials will come. But God can give us strength to defeat every single foe.

How blessed we are as followers of Christ to have a God who is all these things to us!

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10 Ways a Wise Woman Parents Her Children

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In recent years I’ve noticed that once we reach October, it might as well be January because these last three months of the year go by so quickly! Since we’re in the midst of planning our older daughter’s wedding, I think that will be even more true this year.

Last week we talked about some keys to having a good marriage, so today I thought we’d talk a bit about parenting. The same principle applies to this topic as it did to marriage – I’ve been doing it for a lot of years, but I’m still learning!

Below is a list of ten ways that a wise woman parents her children. I didn’t include love on the list – because as moms, I would hope that’s a given – but certainly, loving our children is the basis for all of the other attributes we’ll look at.

Here are ten characteristics we as moms can have in our lives as we seek to parent our children wisely.

A wise woman parents her children…

1. …with grace.

She doesn’t expect perfection. She trains her children and has expectations for their behavior, but she knows we’re all sinners.

Yes, our children will sin. Actually quite often, in certain stages. And consequences will be necessary. But let’s remember our own struggles and give grace to our children as they learn to choose right and overcome wrong.

2. …with prayer.

We’d expect this to be on the list. But do we recognize the importance of praying for our children daily? We want to be talking to God about our children, asking for His protection, for His guidance, for Him to be working in their lives. (If you want a quick list, here are 5 Prayers to Pray for Your Children Every Day.)

3. …with self-control.

Step away from the harsh words and the angry tone! In the heat of the moment when dealing with our children, those reactions may make us feel better momentarily. But as James 1:20 tells us, the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

Ask the Holy Spirit to allow the fruit of self-control to be evident in your life as you parent your children.

4. …with wisdom.

We know about James 1:5 where we’re told that if we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us. I’ve never needed wisdom more than in parenting! (Here’s a prayer for wisdom in parenting.)

We also need discernment, whether it’s making sure to get the whole story before making a decision or knowing how to handle different situations that come up. I like Proverbs 31:27 which says, “She looketh well to the ways of her household…” A wise woman is aware of what’s going on with her people and is able to act wisely because of it.

5. …with a long view.

We’re not parenting for today. Our goal is to raise adults who love and want to serve God and others. So what we do today needs to work toward that end.

We’re seeking to build character and teach our children how to make good decisions and wise choices on their own. Doing that training while they’re under our roof allows us to help guide them so they can learn from their mistakes.

6. …with courage.

It’s not always easy to stand up to culture, to lead your family in doing what you believe is right. It takes determination and endurance to follow through on how you believe God would have you parent your children.

7. …with patience.

I can think of a number of ways this applies…some as practical as being patient while you’re sitting in the car waiting for a late sports practice to end!

Here’s another fruit of the Spirit (longsuffering) that we can exemplify in our parenting. The quick results we want to see in our kids’ behavior or character may take longer than anticipated to develop. But seeing them (maybe finally!) mature and watching God work in their lives is a blessing worth waiting for.

8. …with hope.

In the daily grind of parenting, it can be easy to think that we’ll forever be correcting and disciplining our children. Or as our older children make decisions that disappoint us, we can get discouraged.

But we have a God who hears our prayers and who is always at work in our children’s lives…and in ours. Psalm 71:14 says, “Ā But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.“

9. …with humility.

I’ve been parenting for over twenty years and I still learn new things about how to do it better. May we never think we know it all, but always be open to growing in our knowledge and in our relationships with our kids.

10. …with a sense of humor.

Yes, parenting is serious business, but remember to look at the lighter side of things, too. Laugh with your children. Find fun things to do together.

In blessing our lives with children, God has given us a great privilege and responsibility. May we go to God in prayer and follow the truths we find in His Word so that we can do it wisely!

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10 Keys to Having a Good Marriage That Lasts

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Welcome to the blog today, friends! I hope you’re having a taste of beautiful fall weather like we are here in coastal South Carolina.

My husband and I just enjoyed a three-day weekend in Savannah, GA. It’s an easy two-and-a-half-hour drive from our house, perfect for a little getaway. We ate some good food (including taking a food tour around several of the squares, which we’d never done before – it was fun!), shopped, and walked around the city.

After 31 years of marriage, my husband is still the person I most enjoy spending time with. That doesn’t mean we don’t have our disagreements. But we’re committed to making our relationship work.

When it comes to long-lasting marriages, I like this quote from Amy Bloom.

Love at first sight is easy to understand; itā€™s when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle.

Today I’m sharing ten things we can do to have a good marriage that lasts.

Check out this list of ten things husbands and wives can do to have a good marriage that lasts for a lifetime.

1. Pray for your spouse.

You know their weaknesses and strengths. Hopefully, you know better than anyone else what’s going on in their daily lives. So take their needs to God in prayer. Intercede for them.

Ask God for his blessing and favor in their life. Pray for victory over temptation, for their relationships, for spiritual growth. (You can read more about this in 5 Ways to Pray for Your Husband.)

2. Forgive quickly.

When an argument is over or when your feelings have been hurt, forgive quickly. Don’t hold a grudge or let bitterness seep in.

And leave whatever caused the conflict in the past. Don’t bring it up again later.

3. Overlook the minor annoyances.

There are probably some things that you wish your spouse would do differently. Perhaps it’s just because they don’t do it the same way you do! Maybe you don’t like how they fold the towels or put their bag of snacks back in the pantry.

Decide that you’re not going to nag. If something really needs to be addressed, do it calmly, at a good time, and in a non-confrontational way. But if it truly is no big deal, give a little grace and overlook it.

4. Serve your spouse as you would serve Christ.

This one can give us pause, can’t it? Do we serve our spouse with the same attitude that we would serve Jesus if He were in our home?

We can bless our spouses when we choose to serve them with meekness and humility. Then our service becomes a blessing to them and to us!

5. Give up the right to be right.

My personality type wants to be right all the time so this one is hard for me. But you know what? I’m wrong fairly often.

But there are other times when I’m right and he’s wrong. And honestly, who cares? Are we keeping score? Not if we want a healthy relationship. So maybe I don’t need to point out when I’m right, but rather let the moment pass and be thankful for my husband.

6. Don’t think you’re so easy to be married to.

It’s fairly easy to see our spouse’s faults, and often a lot harder to see our own. Maybe we see ourselves as the perfect marriage partner. But if we’re honest with ourselves, I daresay we’ll find plenty of areas where our spouse has to exercise patience with us!

7. Don’t talk negatively about your spouse to other people.

There’s no profit in airing your grievances about your spouse behind his back – not to your mom, your sister, or your best friend. Can you ask for wise counsel or advice about your marriage from someone you trust? Of course! But complaining about our spouse doesn’t solve anything.

8. Find things to do together.

While there were many downsides to the pandemic, one upside was that my husband and I would do something outside together every week. We found some new places around town to walk or hike. Other options could be trying a new hobby together or taking lessons of some sort.

9. Keep your children in their proper place of priority.

We truly enjoyed the years of having our children at home. Family time was wonderful! But now that they’re away from home much of the time, I’m so glad my husband and I didn’t fall out of touch with each other.

Date nights worked in some seasons, but there were times we just didn’t fit them in on a regular basis. But what we did do was make it a priority to talk and connect regularly, even in the midst of those busy parenting years.

10. Laugh together.

Life is serious. But sharing something funny helps in lots of situations. As the old saying goes, “Laughter is the best medicine.”

If you have other tips for having good marriages that last, please share them in the comments!

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