Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

Choosing Respect

I’m not even sure I remember why the disagreement started, but I am confident he was in the wrong.  I mean, it couldn’t be my fault.  Being submissive during an argument is not one of my best qualities.  I don’t back down as easily as some of my really-good-at-being-submissive friends.  And believe me, I know it’s something I need to work on and improve.  For some strange reason, I seem to forget this when I’m in the moment.  I’m busy being knee-deep in self-righteous bickering and convinced that I am one witty comment away from victory.  You know that girl that always has to have the last word?  Yep, sadly that’s me.
A few sassy words were exchanged and he turned and went to bed.



I’m not going to lie, I spent the first few moments alone stewing.  But then something happened, something that left me reeling.  God said “give it to me”. 


Now if you know me, you know I am one grudge-holding, stubborn girl.  So for me to give up an argument is crazy talk!  Almost instantly, a song came to mind. 


He’s able
He’s able
I know He’s able
I know my Lord is able to carry me through


With that song ringing in my head, the remaining bit of my evening with filled with singing and praying.  The next morning as I woke before him, that feeling was still there.  

I stepped on my pride momentarily and offered the kind of olive branch that was (sadly) uncharacteristic of me when I am mad. I chose respect, humbleness and kindness rather than anger, bitterness and harsh words. 
The closer it got to him waking up, the more nervous I became.  I didn’t want to fight.  I didn’t want what had happened the night before to repeat itself again.  I walked upstairs to wake him for church and, in my kindest humble voice said Good morning babe, I hope you slept well.

That simple sentence changed the atmosphere and set the tone for our day.  I could see his face soften.  I could watch the outcome be rewritten before me.

I chose respect.

I chose to give respect a chance because I am a Christian and try (emphasis on try) to follow the Bible’s teachings on how to live. An attitude of disrespect cuts into a man’s heart like a knife and twists the blade far beyond the moments of meanness from his wife.

I am learning to hate the way it feels to tear down my husband’s spirit, though I still catch myself in acts of disrespect at times. As I grow in my love for my husband, and God continues to humble me more and more each day, I am able to see the destruction more clearly and run from it.
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:18

Meal Planning Monday

Monday – Mexican night {soft shell tacos, doritos taco salad in a taco salad bowl}

Tuesday – Tater tot casserole

Wednesday – Lasagna and 7up biscuits

Thursday – Crockpot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork on soft rolls  and KFC copycat coleslaw

Friday – leftovers

Saturday – Out to dinner

Sunday – Breakfast for dinner…pancakes and sausage

The Very First Christmas {Book Review}

The Berenstain Bears: The Very First Christmas

By Jan and Mike Berenstain
About the book:

A Christmas story from the bestselling Berenstain Bears Living Lights series. 

The bestselling Berenstain Bears brand and Living Lights series continue their proven tradition of teaching children valuable lessons in a fun and creative way. In the affordable 8×8 softcover format, The Berenstain Bears and the Night Jesus was Born gives fans of the Berenstain Bears the story of Jesus’ coming … from the angel’s announcement of a new baby to the visit of the three wise men.

Oh, how the Berenstain Bears remind me of my childhood.  I absolutely loved getting lost in those books.  And I seem to remember cartoons of the books as well.  I’ve always adored this cute little bear family, and was so excited to get one to review.  Of course, it will also make it’s way to my Sunday School class to be read to some sweet littles as well.

This book is beautifully written and illustrated. It shouldn’t surprise me, every Berenstain Bears book I’ve ever read was incredible. I love how they told the story just the way it is written, and in a way that children can understand it.  Isn’t it so important to tell our littles the true meaning of Christmas?  This book does just that!  

This book was provided to me free of charge by Book Look in return for my honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Stan and Jan Berenstain, often called The Berenstains, were American writers and illustrators best known for creating the children’s book series The Berenstain Bears.

In an interview about the books, the Berenstains said that a big reason behind their inspiration was some of the difficulties parents faced, as well as some childhood tribulations when they were kids themselves. The Berenstains also noted there were some issues which seemed to appear in every generation, such as kids throwing tantrums in public places, which made important subject matter for their stories. However, they deliberately wanted to steer clear of overly heavy issues, such as violence. In their later years, critics sometimes dismissed the books for having social attitudes stuck in the 1950s along with the bears’ clothing styles and penchant for activities such as playing jacks and hopscotch, even though they did change with the times somewhat by introducing things like video games and cell phones.