Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

three years ago…

i can’t believe three years have gone by since we’ve seen your smile or heard your laugh, how is that even possible. you are so so often in our thoughts. so many times we say “remember when meme said” or “joe, do you know how mad that would make your mother” (this would be me reminding him to stay in line, ya know, just like you always did).

we sure had our times of differing opinions, it would be a disservice to our relationship to pretend we didn’t. maybe it was because we were both so bull-headed (although i’d never admit that). i can’t help but smile when i think of how far we came since one of our first meetings. i believe your exact words were “wow, you look like you walked straight off the corner with that lipstick on”. you sure weren’t one to mince words. i guess that’s another thing we had in common.


it becomes easier, but still the missing isn’t erased by the space of time.  we love and miss you meme but i know heaven sure gained an amazing angel with you there…xoxo

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 
Psalm 91:4

out for now
~kisses

[jetpack-related-posts]

even mamas have meltdowns

the carpet of the living room rose up to meet me as i went down hard on my knees. tears of anger and frustration running down my face. two dogs and two cats sat around me, watching the show.

i couldn’t do it anymore.  period.

for two solid days i have been cleaning up after dogs, kids and cats.  i had a dog who had been throwing up for days, always on my carpet.  a cat that feels the need to hack up hairballs at really annoying places.  add that on top of mud tracked in, crumbs on my counter, enough fur to make another animal, dishes, laundry, sassy kids, doctor appointments and school meetings.  
i had been short with my husband and kids the evening before, i know i had.  i wasn’t proud of my behavior, but i felt powerless to change it.  the demands of tending to this house had totally undone me.  
as i was thinking today of my horribly-ugly-cleaning-up-dog-puke meltdown, i came to a realization.  throughout our lives, we’ve all faced struggles at times.  we’ve all had seasons of storms when it seems you can’t even see the shore.  whether it be dog puke or a broken down car, we all know what struggling feels like.  and it’s not a good feeling.  what makes the struggles a little easier to bear, is knowing we have someone to lean on.  it’s so comforting to know that during those times, we are never truly alone.   
we can take our problems to Him through prayer and have Him grace us with strength, wisdom, patience and compassion.  we need to allow our struggles to remind us to lean on Him when we are weak and tired and need to be nurtured.  He will meet you right where you are during your ugly-mama-meltdown, and gently lead you through it with His grace.  
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10

out for now
~kisses
[jetpack-related-posts]

the good girls guide to great sex {book review}

The Good Girls Guide to Great Sex

why yes, you did read that right. i am reviewing a sex book this week. don’t worry, it’s not scandalous. it’s a Christian book written by a Christian writer, blogger and speaker, Sheila Gregoire. her blog (to love, honor and vacuum) is one of my favs.

often times when we are growing up (at least when i was) sex wasn’t discussed further than “don’t do it until you’re married”. which really leaves quite a few questions unanswered. this book will answer every. single. one. of those questions and more.

sheila herself said…”but good girls know that making sex great isn’t about acting trashy. it’s about recognizing what God really designed sex for, and then learning how to reap all these benefits and to joyfully enjoy your husband.”

if you are preparing for marriage, virgin or non-virgin, this book is for you. if you are a newlywed wife, this book is for you. and if you’ve been married for a little bit or a long bit, this book is for you. if your sex life seems ho hum and needs some spicing up, this book is also for you.

i understand that we live in an over-sexualized society and that basically everywhere we look it’s in our face. and i understand the need for discreetness, but at some point direct honesty is needed and helpful. this book is super straight forward. so if you’re looking for something that isn’t direct and beats around the bush, this book isn’t for you. she starts is out with how you think about, view and understand sex. after that she gets right to the nuts and bolts of it. i’m fairly sure this book would answer every single question a girl would have before she gets married. actually i’m positive it would answer every question. every single one.

this book has a super biblical approach and i love that about it. she doesn’t just say “don’t do it” or “this is okay to do”, she gives you reasoning and logic behind it. she tells you why the particular act is or is not acceptable in God’s eyes and then lets you make your own decision.

have you ever wondered what God’s view on certain things were, but had no idea who to ask without sounding like a freak? surely i’m not the only one. well, sheila answered them all in this book. lingerie? libido? role-playing? all of those, and much more, are answered in this book.

this is a great book that i would deffo recommend. it’s a fun, informative and easy read.

out for now
~kisses

[jetpack-related-posts]