Susan Merrill's Blog, page 11

4 Things to Do When Your Spouse Is Feeling Down {Podcast}

Mark has been dealing with back pain for the past few months. It’s getting better, but there are still days he doesn’t feel 100 percent. For someone as on-the-go as Mark, this experience has, at times, caused him to get discouraged.

I’ve tried to be there for Mark, to encourage him and let him know I understand what he’s dealing with. It’s not always easy, but it’s part of being a supportive spouse. Mark has been there for me when I’ve gone through down times; now it’s my turn to be there fo...

Teaching Your Kids Good Cell Phone Manners

When the first hand-held cell phone call was placed in 1973, I’ll bet the inventor didn’t realize what a cultural and social phenomenon had begun! With the advent of Smartphones and the rapidly improving technology that makes more knowledge and convenience available at our fingertips, cell phones are no longer simply for making calls. A study in 2013 found that Americans spend about an hour per day on their cell phones, and only about a quarter of that time was spent actually talking.

To comp...

The Wedding Trumped the Blog

Confession: I have been MIA and haven’t blogged in months, but for good reason! The wedding trumped the blog. In my memory it actually trumped everything.

Are there ever times in your life when several things are happening all at once? And somehow, in the midst of it all, you get the distinct feeling God is trying to tell you something, but you’re not sure what He is saying?

My year, in summary, goes like this: moved 2 children, Mark ruptured 3 discs in one move and hasn’t fully recovered aft...

For Better, For Worse

When my daughter Megan got married, I don’t know who was happier…me or Megan! The day of the wedding was rainy, which was bad since the plan was to have the ceremony outside. But all of a sudden (I think it was because of the prayers of me and my network ofprayingfriends!) the sky cleared, and it was beautifully calm and sunny. As the ceremony progressed, birds chirped in the trees and the breeze gently blew Megan’s veil around her face. It felt like a little piece of heaven.

In the middle of...

Marriage Messages to My Daughter

When I got married 27 years ago, it was a bit different. I wasn’t as consumed with the to-do’s of weddings as young brides are today, but rather infatuated with the idea of becoming Mark’s wife. I longed for the ‘happily everafter‘, not necessarily the ‘happily everbefore’.So, I wanted to give Megan the same experience, if I could. Leading up to her wedding,I wrote her little notespaired with a little gift every 10 days that were little encouragements as to what a wife is and the beauty of ma...

Megan’s Wedding Vows

Here is an example of my daughter, Megan’s wedding vows. Pastor Denny Heiberg surpassed all of my expectations on what a wedding ceremony could look like. And as the mother of the bride you have control over a lot of the aspects of the wedding, butnotthe ceremony. That is totally reliant on the pastor–and you can’t control it. You have to hope that they will say something trulymeaningful because it is an opportunity for him to share the love of God with everyone you love. It was amazing. Mega...

Wedding Details

Megan and I couldn’t have been happier with the wedding venue or our vendors. Here is a peek at the wedding details and all the amazing vendors who created this special day!

The Wedding Invitations

The welcome bags were left in the hotels for the guests. A friend made the bags out of fabric I found on sale. The wedding monogram of MH was created by the talented graphic designer in our office, Reed Richardson.

The invitations, wedding weekend details, and program were letter pressed by A&P D...

What to Teach Your Son (and Daughter) about Locker Room Talk

“Locker Room Talk” has become a trending topic in the news recently. Some people brush off these types of remarks with “boys will be boys,” or by saying it’s “just talk.” However, the reality of the situation is that there is no such thing as “just talk.”

According to Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman, leaders in brain-and-communication research, hostile words can negatively change brain chemistry while positive words stimulate motivating frontal lobe activity. The more you engage...

Little Things That Could Kill My Marriage

For years, I was the family cook. I knew everyone’s favorite food, the meals that could get my kids running to the kitchen, and the meals I had to force my little ones to eat. I’ve always loved to cook.

As time went by and I returned to work, Mark began to help out with the cooking from time to time. If I was going to be home late, he would jump in and prepare a simple meal. And then, a funny thing happened. As I continued to cook for the family, I’d find Mark showing up and watching over my...

How to Help Your Child Succeed in School

Help! Moooooooom, I need help.

I helped my kids in school and my kids really did need help. Schooltoday is hard! I think it is so much harder than when I went to school. I got into the University of Florida without a single AP class. I took the SAT one time. I didn’t need or receive any help from my parents. The school workload today is different and you may want to consider how you can help your child succeed in school without, of course, doing their work for them.

Most of what I helped my k...