Marriage Prayer

Since my purpose for this blog is for my daughters to learn and grow from all I have learned in life, I have decided to share with them something special I do for them nearly every day. So, here we go:

I have been praying since you were born that God would prepare the perfect husband for each of you. As much as I pray that you will grow up to be Godly women, I think it’s just as important that your future spouses be Godly men. When I met Dad, both of us had grown up in the church, but neither one of us were truly walking in relationship with God. We didn’t fully hand our lives over to God until a few years down the road. We now look back on that time and realize that even though we loved each other, we couldn’t fully experience true love until we put God first in our lives and loved ourselves for who God created us to be. We have watched as several of our friends have gone through divorce and the heartbreak it brings to everyone involved. I think, actually, I KNOW that the reason Dad and I still love each other, even more now than when we first married, is because we have made God the center of our marriage.

It is so important that you only date young men that love the Lord. I pray that you love the Lord so much that you won’t compromise on this. Only a man who loves the Lord and wants Him at the center of your relationship will fully love you for who you are, show you the utmost respect and be the kind of husband you deserve in your lives.

So, I know that marriage is still years away for both of you, but I pray now that God is working in the lives of my future son-in-laws. I also pray that someday when you have kids of your own, you will do the same for them. I love you! Mom

The Passing of Time

Today I was doing my devotion in my Journaling Bible and was reading in Colossians. I came across some highlighted scripture, Colossians 3:12-17, that I journaled about just over a year before. As I read what I had written a year before, I realized how much had changed and how far I'd come in just 1 year. A year ago, we were experiencing so much change and it was uncomfortable and hurtful. I had to remind myself each day that God is in control and His plans are always better than mine. Now, as I reflect on the last year, I can see how faithful God has been and how He has walked this journey with us to lead us to the incredible place we are now.

That got me thinking about my life growing up. There were so many times, I can't even begin to count them, that I was going through a really tough time and couldn't imagine things ever being okay again. My heart would ache and I would drown myself in pity. I wasn't walking with God back then, so getting through those times was so difficult because I was trying to do it on my own. If only I knew the healing love of Jesus back then, I wouldn't have been going at it alone. I could have given all my worries to Him and know that He was working all things for His good. I could have rested peacefully in His assurance. But, even then, the troubles passed and I did get through it, it was just harder, longer and lonely.

My point is that no matter how troublesome some things can be, you WILL get through them. Most of all, if you allow God to take control of the situation, He will CARRY you through it and ALWAYS bring you to a better place than you were before.

I pray that you learn from me and even the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land. Allow God to lead you, don't try to take control and God will lead you right into your own Promised Land.

"And we know that for those that love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28