happy thanksgiving!!!!

just wanted to take a few moments to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! here are a few things i am particularly thankful for...today + always...

• my relationship with God: He continues to guide me + shows me unconditional love...even though i am not worthy!
• my husband: his friendship...his laughter...his smile...it is truly a blessing to be able to make the conscious decision to chose love, to choose my husband, and be forever humbled that he also chooses me. 
• my family + friends: i am surrounded by people that i love + care for beyond words. i am thankful for each relationship + the individual ways they impact my life.
• my career: the ability to earn a living doing work that i enjoy {most days, hehehe}. 

today is a wonderful day to share with family + friends, but we should do our best to live with a spirit of thanksgiving in our daily lives!

lead me with strong hands...

marriage is a very beautiful thing - very beautiful. i believe it's the most challenging, yet most rewarding relationship two people can enter with one another here on earth. there is so much responsibility required on both sides, yet the reward cannot even accurately be described in words.

in a previous post, i spoke of how it's so important to put the needs of your spouse before your own needs...with the understanding that he/she will be doing the same. when that happens, you no longer have to "worry" about your own wants + needs because, by design, your spouse is taking care of them. of course, there will be times you'll need to communicate your needs to your spouse + vice versa; however, this is truly an awesome method by which to approach marriage between two people that truly love + respect one another.

yesterday, while driving in my car, a particular song came on the radio. i had heard the song many times before, but i never really paid attention to the lyrics. for some reason, this particular time, i took notice.

the song, "lead me" by sanctus real, speaks of a husband's role in the home....

chorus {from a wife/child's point of view}

“lead me with strong hands
stand up when i can't
don't leave me hungry for love
chasing dreams, what about us?

show me you're willing to fight
that i'm still the love of your life
i know we call this our home
but i still feel alone”

and it speaks to his desire to fulfills the needs of his wife + children...

"so Father, give me the strength
to be everything i'm called to be
oh, Father, show me the way
to lead them
won't You lead me?

to lead them with strong hands
to stand up when they can't
don't want to leave them hungry for love,
chasing things that I could give up

i'll show them i'm willing to fight
and give them the best of my life
so we can call this our home
lead me, 'cause i can't do this alone"

i have the utmost respect for the role of a husband in a Christian home...as the head, the lead. of course, the wife has the responsibility of being his 'helpmate'; however, the husband is fully accountable to God for his family.

this song is a beautiful representation of this + would be an awesome prayer for husbands to pray as they strive to be the husbands they are called to be + a gentle reminder to wives of how much is required of our husbands...that it may not be as "easy" as we may think it is...

check the song out below...complete with lyrics so you can sing along in no time!

hey! we're gonna need those!!!

so, the hubby + i have been talking about "family planning" quite a bunch recently + although we don't plan to start our family of kiddies just yet, it's never too early to start preparing.

i came across an interesting video this morning from CBS news that talks about the correlation between laptop use + low sperm count in men. apparently, it's no bueno for that area of a man's body to be "overheated"...so it makes sense that sitting a laptop "there" would be no bueno as well.

lucky for us, my momma bought me a laptop stand that i'm very fond of + use occastionally - you can use it in a chair, in the bed, on the floor - just about anywhere!

perhaps i'll be "re-gifting" that bad boy to my hubby because, "hey! we're gonna need those!!!"

feel free to check out the video below for more "scientific" details...

on this day....

on this day, four years ago...i met the man that would later become my husband. i am so blessed + grateful to experience such an amazing love here on earth...a love that grows even more amazing as we both continue to grow closer to God individually as well as a family.

to my husband, my best friend - i respect you. i love you.

here's how it all started {from the front of our wedding save the date}....

  

{graphic design by www.thebeepaperie.com}

skydiving!

october 1, 2007

 

january 18, 2009 - engagement day!!!

**a little perturbed that my pics won't "center", but hey, guess you can't win 'em all! LOL :)

a prayer for my husband...

as a christian wife, i truly understand the need of praying for my husband + for my marriage. i recently began searching for a "simple" yet powerful prayers that i could commit to praying on a daily basis + wanted to share one i came across. of course, i could come up with something on my own; however, at times, it's hard for me to find the right words to say. this prayer truly speaks to me because it is about my husband + his needs....NOT MY OWN. so many times we pray for what WE want...for how WE want others to treat us. putting aside that selfishness truly allows us to experience love + marriage the way God intended it to be.

before getting married, my husband + i completed a six month pre-marital counseling course through our church, destiny metropolitan worship church. in one of our sessions, one of our facilitators said..."if you concentrate on your spouse's needs + he/she concentrates on yours...neither one of you have to worry about your own". that is SUCH a true statement. i cannot at all tell you that i'm a perfect example of that principle - i do lose sight of that at times...but it is definitely something that i am working on...for him ;)

i will be adding this prayer to my "repertoire"...

Lord, bless and preserve my cherished husband, whom You have given me: Let his life be long and blessed, comfortable and holy; let me forever be a blessing and a comfort to him, a sharer in all his sorrows, a consolation in all the trials of life; make me forever lovable in his eyes and forever dear to him; unite his heart to mine in fondest love and holiness, and mine to his in all sweetness, charity, and submission. Keep me from all ungentleness and pridefulness; make me humble and obedient, that we may delight in each other according to Your blessed word. May both of us rejoice in You, having our portion in the love and service of God forever.

Amen.

*adapted from www.faithandfamilylive.com