Good read on love stories and happy endings.......

My Dear Daughter

My dear daughter,
I believe in a good God who desires to write a beautiful story for our lives.
Rather than looking at the messed-up world around you, fix your eyes on Him who is more than able to care for you. He is the One you can trust for your hope and for your future.

. . . casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (I Pet. 5:7)

I believe in a God who’s in the business of changing people.
He can change me and He can move that man of mine. He has the power to transform our marriage into something wonderful and glorifying to Him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Cor. 5:17)

I believe in a God who restores and redeems.
He can heal the broken and save the lost. I’ve seen Him turn lives around and rescue marriages from the most impossible situations.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Ps. 34:18)

I believe in a God who sees the big picture.
While we might only see the snapshot – what is happening today – He knows what our future holds.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11)

You can take your daddy and me, for example. Here we are, two imperfect people who have learned to love each other—who are still learning to love each other. Look at the good work God is doing in and through our life together.
Growing, learning, forgiving and loving some more.
This is the stuff that makes for some of the best stories.
This is a real love story.
With a very happy ending.
With love,
Mom

A Good and Powerful God

So that’s the kind of story I’m hoping for our daughters and the kind I’m hoping for you.
Not because I believe in fairytales, but because I believe in a good and powerful God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)

Let’s call on our God – He who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think – to do His beautiful work in our lives and relationships!
In His grace,

Pin it here:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/206321226657139473/

Entire article here: http://club31women.com/2015/01/dear-daughter-word-love-stories-happy-endings/

Marriage advice

Marriage advice

No it is not coming from me! I only wish that I had this much insight. I found a blog yesterday at http://lysaterkeurst.com/ It is beautiful! Her title says it all "Leading Women in the Adventure of Faith." I am posting a clip from her post yesterday that I found very comforting and wanted to share. Happy Reading!

I shared with my friend that when I was single I thought marriage was all about finding the right partner. I thought if you find “the one,” you’ll be happy, secure, and fulfilled. I do think it’s good to have a list of standards that you look for in a spouse. However, it can never be with the expectation that if you find that special someone, he’ll right all your wrongs and fill up all your insecurities. The problem with this thinking is the pressure it will eventually put on your spouse.

To expect another person to make you feel happy, secure, and fulfilled will leave you disappointed at best and disillusioned at worst. Even a great husband makes a very poor God.

Only God can settle those deep heart-needs. A man can never do this. If a husband could meet every need his wife had, we’d have no need for God. Therefore, instead of just focusing on finding the right partner, let God work on your heart to help you become the right partner.

Getting married doesn’t instantly make you selfless… it makes you realize how very selfish you can be at times.

Getting married doesn’t make you feel loved… it makes you realize love is more of a decision you make than a feeling you feel.

Getting married doesn’t take away loneliness… it makes you realize true companionship comes not when you demand it but rather when you give it to another person.

So, what does marriage give? A beautiful chance to…

…make the choice to love.

…laugh whether or not the jokes are funny.

…fold his collar over his tie every morning.

…pretend like you don’t need flowers, but delight when he buys them anyway.

…cheer him on through both failures and successes.

…tell him he’s a great man everyday.

…thank God for the privilege of being his wife.

Day 219 of 365

Something tells me God aches to see us giving up so quickly. We knock on one door, it closes. We try another and it doesn't open. So we think God is finished & He would like us to put that dream away. We are wrong. The truth is, time is nothing to our God. ~Nicki Chevalier Koziarz