Sheila Wray Gregoire's Blog, page 193

Wifey Wednesday: Why to Work Out as a Couple

It’s Wednesday, the day when we always talk marriage! Today welcome Jenn Faulk, who is sharing the life-changing effects and benefits that working out as a couple has had on her marriage. At the end, Jenn has a special gift for all my readers!
Four years ago, my husband was told that he needed to get fit… or else.

It was a doomsday diagnosis for us, a young pastor and his homemaker wife struggling to make a difference at a very difficult church. Stress levels were high but not nearly as high as my sweet husband’s blood pressure. When his doctor discovered this problem during a routine checkup, he told Wes there were two options — get fit or go on medication.

Like most young pastors and their wives, we doubted we could afford the medication, so we decided to go with the other option and get in shape together. Neither one of us could run a quarter of a mile at that point, so it was with great faith, anticipation, and even a little bit of fear that we signed up for our first race (so that we had a looming deadline on the calendar to keep us accountable) and began training, one tiny step at a time.

What we learned in the process was that getting in shape together, as a team, would do a lot for our health and abundantly more for the health of our marriage.

Here are just a few of the benefits we’ve discovered in working out as a couple.
1.  It makes you better teammates, on and off the pavement.

Communication is crucial in marriage, but it’s so easy to fall into patterns where we don’t adequately express ourselves or completely listen either one. In putting together a plan to work out together and actually making it happen, you’ll find that you’re more deliberate and intentional about communicating. I know that I’m never more communicative than when we’re eighteen miles into a race and I feel like dying. The freedom I feel at that point to say all kinds of things to Wes (some good, some not) honestly carries over to real life, where mundane tasks sometimes lull us into a routine that strangles real communication. Because we’ve learned to express ourselves in cheering one another on and supporting each other through physical challenges, we’re better able to keep our communication open in our everyday lives.

2.  It gives you goals to work towards together.

Remember when you first married and you had crazy dreams of all you’d do together? Everyday life and the routines we find ourselves in can sometimes rob our marriages of this wonderful practice. By tackling a fitness goal together, you’ll find yourselves dreaming big again! That first race we put on our calendar years ago gave us a definite goal to work towards together. It was such a blessing to us to have this common ground to keep coming back to and looking towards, even when life was, at time, difficult and challenging. As you work together to meet your goal, you’ll go through tough situations, challenging times, and celebrations. This only makes you better prepared for the very same experiences you’ll have in life as well.

3.  It gives you more time with one another.

When we started running, we had two preschool-aged children who sounded more like thirty preschool-aged children when they got worked up. (More like thirty wild chimpanzees. True story.) Time together where we could have coherent thoughts much less conversation was a challenge, but we loaded our girls up in a double jogging stroller packed with sippy cups, snacks, and toys and fought for those precious few minutes where we could run together. Now that our girls are older and more self-sufficient, life is still crazy busy, and the time we get to work out is sometimes the only time we get to be alone together. We guard it jealously and can honestly attest to how those miles covered side by side have been foundational in our marriage. That time alone together, even now, away from the demands of a busy home and the responsibilities that come with it, is priceless. (And the weekend trips away to go and run a race out of town, while the grandparents watch the girls? Bliss!)

4.  It makes the bedroom more exciting.

Speaking of those trips away (ahem), getting fit together makes for an all around boost in intimacy. If Wes had known this, he’d have gotten us into running much earlier, honestly. The confidence that comes with being in shape combined with the endurance that results from pushing your limits physically… well, need I say more?

5. It gives you another opportunity to glorify God together.

When we take the time to take care of our bodies as God calls us to do, we’re better equipped to serve Him. Getting in shape and adopting a healthier lifestyle alongside your husband benefits your health and his individually, making it far more likely that you’ll have more quality, healthful years ahead with which to serve Christ. We pray for daily health and strength to give back to Him as an offering, and staying in shape together has made it possible for us to do more than we could have imagined we’d be able to do this far into our ministry together.

This past year, Wes and I celebrated ten years of marriage by running our tenth marathon together.

One of the sweetest times of our marriage thus far has most definitely been the time we’ve spent running together, working towards better health alongside one another, putting our minds and hearts to a shared goal, and celebrating every finish line hand in hand.

In this season of fresh starts and new resolutions, let me encourage you to consider beginning to dream about, work towards, and meet fitness goals with your husband. It doesn’t have to be something huge to count. Start where you are and do what you can do, trusting that the effort you put into it will be of great gain down the road for your health, your life, and your marriage.

As a special gift for all To Love, Honor and Vacuum readers.  She is offering her book Resolutions FREE on Kindle for January 14, 2015 only!

Check out her Amazon book page for other books Jenn has written, too.

Jenn Faulk is a full time mom and pastor’s wife in Pasadena, Texas.  She has a BA in English-Creative Writing from the University of Houston and an MA in Missiology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  She loves talking about Jesus, running marathons, listening to her daughters’ stories, and serving alongside her husband in ministry.  You can contact her through her blog www.jennfaulk.com

Now it’s your turn! Do you have some advice for us today? Link up the URL of your own marriage post in the linky below, and then remember to link back here so that other people can read these great marriage posts!

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Top 12 Ways to Pray for Your Kids and Grandkids

Today’s guest post is by author Wayne Stiles, who writes about making the Bible–and its lands–relevant to us today. I saw this awesome list on his site about how to pray for your kids and asked if I could reprint it! I thought it was a great way to start the New Year–with more intention about praying God’s Word for your kids.

We all pray for our children. We want them to do well in school, or to get a good job, or to stay healthy. But their greatest need for prayer is their spiritual lives.

The longer I am a parent, the more I see the truth in the Apostle John’s words:

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. —3 John 4

If our children have a genuine walk with God, they will be better equipped to make wise choices throughout their lives. Our challenge, then, is how to pray for our children in this way.

When our daughters were only toddlers, Cathy and I participated an excellent parenting class that gave us a handout called: “How to Pray for Your Children.” We prayed through this list for years. In fact, as I read through each point today, I can remember specific instances in which God answered the prayers. He is still answering them.

I have edited the list and added some verses to it. I have also made a PDF you can download and print to keep in your Bible or prayer journal.

It’s never too late to begin praying for your children—and your grandchildren.

It is one of the greatest investments you will ever make into their lives.

How to Pray for Your Children and Grandchildren

The list is not a magic formula. It doesn’t guarantee that God will answer right away. But prayer is powerful, even when the answer is delayed.

Because there are 12 prayers in this list, you could concentrate on one prayer per month. Within a year you will have consistently prayed the entire list.

1. That they will know Christ as Savior early in life.

Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. —Romans 10:1

From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. —2 Timothy 3:15

2. That they will have a hatred for sin.

Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. —Psalm 97:10

3. That they will be caught when guilty.

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. —Psalm 119:71

4. That they will be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritual, physical, emotional, social.

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. —Luke 2:52

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. —John 17:15

5. That they will have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships.

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. —Daniel 6:3

6. That they will respect those in authority over them.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. —Romans 13:1

7. That they will desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends.

My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood, let’s waylay some harmless soul.” —Proverbs 1:10-11

8. That they will be kept from the wrong mate and directed to the right one.

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? —2 Corinthians 6:14

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” —Genesis 2:18

9. That they, as well as the one they marry, will remain pure before and after marriage.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. —1 Corinthians 6:18-19

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. —Hebrews 13:4

10. That they will learn to submit completely to God and actively resist Satan in all circumstances.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. —James 4:7

11. That they will be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God –this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. —Romans 12:1-2

12. That they will be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them.

Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. —Hosea 2:6

Want to pray more? Download these prayers–and more!

Download the .pdf of Wayne’s prayers here.

I’ve also created a group of Paul’s prayers for his “spiritual” children that you can use to pray for your own kids and grandkids! You can either download the printable version, or the version for mobile phones.

Printables of Paul’s Prayers

For Mobile (no background): Mobile Version of Paul’s Prayers

 

Wayne Stiles loves connecting the Bible and its lands to life. He leads tours of the Holy Land and writes devotionals that help you incorporate history with God’s work today. He is the author of several books, including Waiting on God: What to Do When God Does Nothing. Download his free 30-day devotional, Grow Strong, when you subscribe to his blog here.

The post Top 12 Ways to Pray for Your Kids and Grandkids appeared first on To Love, Honor and Vacuum.

Reader Question: When Do I Give Up Trying to Get My Ex Back?

When should you give up on trying to get your ex back?

Every Monday I like to put up a Reader Question and take a stab at answering it. I know most of my readers are married (this is a Christian marriage blog, after all), but a lot of people in crisis marriages also land on this blog. So there are plenty of separated/divorced people who also send in questions. And here’s a heartbreaking one that I’d like to tackle today:

I’ve been divorced for 8 years, and during all that time I have tried to reconcile with my husband. It’s just not working, but I’m scared to move on. When do I give up on my ex? When have I done enough? And what if I really want it to work?

I want to start by telling you a story.

When I was just getting started writing and speaking, in my early 30s, I was asked to come and speak to a MOPS group. I gave a talk about how to keep your priorities in order and how to feel as if you’re making a difference even in the diaper/temper tantrum years. The talk went well, and at the end everyone was mingling around eating some snacks.

An older woman who hadn’t been in the talk approached me. She explained that she was a grandma, and as a way of serving her daughter she acted as one of the baby-sitters for MOPS, so her daughter could enjoy the socialization and the teaching. So she asked me for a synopsis of what I had said, and I gave it to her.

She smiled as I explained, and nodded vigorously. “Oh, that’s so wonderful that you’re teaching these young women to rely on God in everything. I’ve had to learn that in the last few years. My husband left out of the blue 5 years ago to be with another woman. He spread lies about me and turned many in my family against me. It was so difficult. I lost my house and so much of my self-esteem.”

My heart went out to this poor woman. That’s so awful to have a spouse betray you like that!

But then she said this,

“But God has promised me that my marriage will be restored. I read verses about how God restores what is broken. I put them on post-in notes all over my apartment, so that when I doubt I can read them and know that God will bring him back. I pray all the time about it. And I have peace that one day my marriage will be saved.”

And at this point I felt distinctly uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to say, though, and so I left. But while driving home it suddenly hit me what I should have said. I don’t know who that woman is, and so I could never communicate this to her. But now, when I speak, I always share to the audience what I wish I could have shared to the woman:

“I am glad that you have faith that God can bring your husband back. But do you have faith even if he doesn’t?”

Because isn’t that the point? God needs to be the centre of our faith and not a reconciliation. That’s why this truth is so important:

Your life needs to become about God, not about winning your ex back

That doesn’t mean that God WON’T bring your ex back. But ultimately, after you have been through such a trauma, you are really hurt. You’re beaten down. And you’re often desperate to get the marriage back together, thinking that this will fix your broken heart. But it won’t, because that kind of pain can only be fixed by God. And once He does this great healing work, so that you know that whatever happens, God will carry you, then you are whole again. You are strong again.

And if your marriage has any chance of working again, you need to be whole and you need to be strong.

Ironically, your marriage’s best hope is for you to let go of your marriage and cling to God. To do that doesn’t mean that you’re giving up on the idea of reconciliation. It’s just saying that your faith if based on God, not on your marriage, and that you know that you will be okay.

Let go of the dream of your ex-husband and get real

When a marriage breaks up there is usually a reason. In my story, the husband had left his wife. I don’t know what is happening with my reader, but I know many on this blog have had to separate with husbands who wouldn’t give up a pornography addiction, or who refused to work and squandered money, or who had affairs. But even though they couldn’t live like that anymore, these women often have difficulty letting go of the dream of their husband.

They could still see the potential–they could still see what the marriage could be like if their husbands would just get their act together. And because of that dream, these women had a difficult time moving on.

Letting go of the dream does not mean that you let go of the idea of reconciliation. But you need to stop living in the “what ifs” and start living with what is real.

Be honest about where you are at and where your husband is at, and reconciliation is not a healthy or wise idea right now, then put it out of your mind and focus on the now.

I am not saying that this is easy. This is likely the most heart-wrenching thing you will ever have to do your whole life. You can’t do it alone; you need a good church community and good friends around you–and often a good counselor. But it is the wise thing to do.

What is the right thing for me to do in the here and now?

If reconciliation isn’t possible, because your husband hasn’t gotten real about the steps that he needs to take, then you need to start living in the here and now and take steps to make your own life better as it is in the present.

Get some schooling or get a job if you have to support yourself and your children. Find a great church to be involved in and start serving. Start an exercise regimen to help you feel better about yourself. Move closer to other support systems that you will need, if necessary. Get your finances in order. In other words, do things that will help you so that if things stay exactly the way they are right now, you (and your children) will be in a better position. If you refuse to do these things because to do so seems like you’re saying “the relationship is really over”, then in the long run you’ll likely hurt yourself.

Look, sometimes if a relationship is in really bad shape, the best way to turn it around is to give someone a big jolt and help them to realize the consequences of their actions. If he knows you are waiting in the wings to take him back at a moment’s notice, what incentive does he have to get his life together? But if he realizes, “she’s serious. We’re not getting back together until things change,” then he might do something.

That’s what the book Love Must Be Tough teaches you, and I highly recommend it for people in this situation. It shows how the worst thing that you can do is to show your ex that you’re always available to him, that you’ll always take him back, that you’re always there. Groveling does not work. Having sex with him when he comes over to visit you, when he’s not showing any kind of remorse, will not work. You need to show him, “this is who I am without you, and even though I don’t want to be alone and even though I’d rather be with you, I will choose to be without you and I will get on with my life until you show me that you want a real marriage.”

But when do I date again?

Ultimately, though, what I think women are really asking is, “when is it okay for me to date again? When can I actually move on?”

I can’t answer that one for you, except in generalities. Every situation is different. In some cases there are definite biblical grounds for divorce, and in some there really aren’t. (That being said, even if there aren’t grounds, if he has abandoned you by not reconciling, then that becomes a biblical ground, in and of itself.) In some cases he has made a lot of progress, or he is fixing things, and you do need to wait and give him a chance.

I had a friend who left a marriage, telling everyone it was because of his porn use and his cheating. The problem was that these things had been in the past, and he was working at making them better. Soon after she left him she started dating someone else, and she is now remarried. She claimed she had biblical grounds, but the fact was that he was getting right with God at the point where she started dating. That is not right.

One rule of thumb: I think it’s dangerous to get into a new relationship too soon. I’d give it at least a year and a half, if not two years, after a split with no sign of reconciliation. You need to give him time to change his mind, but you also need to give yourself time to heal, because otherwise you’ll be going into a new relationship with a lot of baggage.

That’s not set in stone, but I do think it’s wise to give some time, and likely the more the better.

Does God ever bring about reconciliation?

Absolutely! In fact, if you want a great story of reconciliation, my friend Juana Mikels has just written a book called Choosing Him All Over Again, where she shares her story.

Thirty-five years ago Juana left her husband. He didn’t give her what she needed, he didn’t know how to show her love, and they were drifting apart so fast she didn’t think there was anything left. They had only been married for two years, but it had all gone downhill.

A few months after their break-up, Juana started attending a Bible study. She became a Christian, and realized that the break-up was not her husband’s fault. It was hers as well. She hadn’t given selflessly in the marriage. She hadn’t loved him properly. And now she wanted him back!

There was just one problem. He was seeing someone else and had no interest in reconciling. Juana had hurt him too much.

So now what was she to do? She continued to draw closer to God and decided to just show her husband unconditional love. And after months and months of that, her husband’s heart began to soften. It took a long time to rebuild the marriage that Juana had already torn down, but God did it as He slowly started to change Juana’s attitude.

It’s a great story of hope–check it out here!

So, yes, God can rescue marriages. In fact, God loves picking up broken pieces and molding them back together again. He’s in the healing business. But sometimes the thing that He wants to heal is YOU, not your marriage. So chase after God now, and focus on God, not just on your marriage. And then, no matter what happens, you will find you still are strong.

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On Women and Food–and What We’re Really Hungry For

Today’s guest post is from Emily Wierenga, author of the touching memoir Atlas Girl.

We were newlyweds.

I was anorexic.

Trent came home one day to find me crying on the couch about the living room—about how off-kilter and ugly it looked with our second-hand furniture—and I hadn’t eaten since the night before.

He put his arms around me. “Let me make you supper,” he said—this farm-boy I’d met in Bible School, who drove a car he called The Beast and volunteered at kids club.

I nodded, kissed him. Grabbed a bag of marshmallows and headed into the office to paint at my easel.

Half an hour later Trent called me for supper. He had made burgers, corn on the cob, and “fancy” salad (which is what he calls salad with grated carrots, cheese, onions, bacon and croutons).

I emerged from the office, my mouth white, the marshmallow bag empty. I sat down at the table, looked at the plate full of food, and said, “I’m not hungry.”

I don’t know why he didn’t leave me then and there.

I’d been so hungry I’d stuffed myself with marshmallows, instead of waiting half an hour for food that would sustain me.

All I could hear was the scratch of Trent’s fork on his plate as he ate.

It was the beginning of a three-year relapse into anorexia which would nearly wreck our marriage, and it wasn’t until we left our jobs and moved to Korea that I would begin to eat three meals a day, again.

Because sometimes it takes moving to another country to see what you have right in front of you.

I’m better now. I’m eating now—I never skip a meal, and I have two little boys whom doctors said I’d never be able to have, because of the damage anorexia did on my body.

And I’m wondering how many of us settle for the marshmallows when what we’re really hungry for is food that will last?

How many of us, sisters, sit down with a pint of ice cream after a stressful day, or binge on Oreos after the kids go to bed? How many of us try diet after diet but end up filling on junk because we’re just so hungry?

I think of Jesus at the well, with the Samaritan woman. How he asked her for water—but then offered her Living Water in return. He offers us Living Bread—his body.

Because this is what we’re hungry for, isn’t it friends?

A love so deep and long and wide and high it fills every crevice of our souls; a kind of love that would die for us, a kind that sings over us, a kind that walks through fire with us?

We are born longing for the kind of affection only a divine being can offer. We are born aching for the kind of fullness which comes from an everlasting love.

But it’s not a bag of marshmallows. It’s not fast fame or fleeting praise or accolades.

No, it’s a slow cooked meal and we need to wait, to be patient, as this is the kind of love prepared by a gentle pair of hands which feeds your soul.

Trent still makes me fancy salads. He still makes burgers and corn on the cob and I no longer eat marshmallows. Because I’ve tasted real food and there’s no turning back.

There’s no turning back from love.

Emily Wierenga is a blogger and the author of several books, including her touching memoir Atlas Girl about her struggle with anorexia and figuring out where she fits in this world. She’s an artist, a writer, a mother, and a lover with a passion for Africa. You can find her at http://emilywierenga.com.

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Hopeful New Year

I have always believed that an optimistic attitude is more important than just about anything for success in life–spiritually, academically, relationally. And so as we begin this new year, I’d like to rerun this column I wrote back in 2005 about optimism and parenting. 

When my grandfather died last May, just days short of his 95th birthday, he left a hole in his neighbourhood. He had relocated to Ottawa from Winnipeg when he remarried in 1980, and on his little street he became the lifeblood that held it together. A contractor by trade, he was forever climbing up ladders to clean eavestroughs, advise neighbours about their roofs, and, his favourite, paint.

When his wife died in 1997, many worried he would not be able to stay in his own home. But he did, largely with the help of the neighbours who had come to love him. One had him over for dinner every Tuesday. Another every Thursday. Another picked Sunday, and yet another did all his grocery shopping. The neighbours, though, always felt like they were getting the better end of the deal. He made them feel special. He kept track of children, grandchildren, retirements and graduations. He knew everything about everybody on the street, and was friends with all, even those who didn’t like each other.

By all accounts, he should not have been this way. At the age of six his mother died, something that would surely scar any child. At the age of 11 he lost almost all his hearing due to scarlet fever, and until he received his first hearing aid in his late twenties he was virtually deaf. Teachers thought he was stupid. Girls wouldn’t talk to him. But he plodded on.

Shortly after the hearing aid acquisition he also managed to acquire a wife. They had a wonderful marriage that lasted 25 years until she succumbed to a brain tumour. Within a few years he had married again: a fiery woman not anything like my grandmother. Their marriage, too, was a lot of fun until cancer stole her away seventeen years later. And then came the final wife, another distinct personality that he cherished.

Here’s a man who endured the death of his mother; a profound disability; the near collapse of his business in the Great Depression; several heart attacks in his 50s; and the death of three wives. Yet he still radiated peace and contentment. He was not perfect. He fretted, and he didn’t know enough to stop when he should have. Yet his was a life anyone would be proud of.

As the new year comes I’ve been thinking a lot about my Poppa.

I want, beyond all, to be the kind of person who leaves a mark on those around me just as he did.

I want to be able to look at adversity and not just cope, but thrive. I want to be flexible enough to handle whatever hand is dealt me, even if it’s not what I envision. These traits, I believe, are the heart of optimism.

Optimism, if you look at my grandfather’s life, is not something that is borne out of things going well for you. It is cultivated in the way we choose to respond to things going badly.

As parents, one of the best things we can do is cultivate an optimistic attitude in our own children, for optimism is far more important for academic and professional success than is intelligence. For social and personal success, optimism is even more crucial. When you go through life with a chip on your shoulder, as if everyone is against you, soon everyone will be. But if we can go through life being part of the solution, soon people will be rooting for us.

My daughter Rebecca recently had to practise for a piano recital. She didn’t like the pieces, and was making sure practice time was unbearable for everyone. So I had a talk with her. Did she want to do the recital? Yes. Could she change the pieces? No. So why fret? “You don’t understand!” she cried. “You’ve never been in a piano recital!” So we talked about Poppa, and how when things can’t be changed, it’s best to accept them and move on. “I guess I need a new attitude,” she said. I told her not to worry; such an attitude runs in her genes. Poppa knew that life isn’t just worth living, it’s worth embracing. Even piano recitals. That makes everybody happier, but especially you. Here’s wishing all of us that kind of hopeful New Year.

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Wifey Wednesday: Don’t Stay Pure Until You’re Married

When you read that title of the post, you probably thought I meant this:

Don’t stay PURE until you’re MARRIED.

But what if I actually meant this:

Don’t stay pure UNTIL you’re married.

The until makes all the difference.

In the church, that’s the message we’ve been giving young people: you stay pure UNTIL you’re married. But what does that mean? That once you tie the knot, your purity is somehow lost? That implies that sex once you’re married is somehow impure. That you are now tarnished. And that you have lost something you can never get back again.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

Last year a woman wrote a blog post about how she regretted being a virgin until her wedding night, and the post went completely viral. Her point was that growing up in the church she felt that sex was dirty, and by staying a virgin until her wedding it made sex awful. If she had been able to embrace sex earlier her sex life would have been much better.

But the problem is not virginity; the problem is the spin we put on it.

And the best rebuttal that I read to her piece is this one by Sarah, a single woman in her twenties, who made the point I made above: Christians, stop staying pure UNTIL you’re married. Go read it. It is awesome!

Here’s just part of what she wrote:

If your goal is staying pure UNTIL marriage, you’re going to walk into a marriage highly dissatisfied. That’s because you were never meant to lose your purity. In fact, it’s not something that CAN be lost. It’s a lifestyle, not a state of being. Something either you walk in or you don’t. In accepting the exchange of Jesus, you can’t separate yourself from it. It goes with you to both the grocery store AND to the sanctuary, to the doctor’s office AND to the kitchen to make a sandwich.

It also goes with you to your bedroom.

It goes with you, because you go with Christ.

Purity isn’t lost in the moment, it’s an essential key to a happy (and lasting) marriage. It’s what keeps you connected to both God and each other, it’s what helps you stay strong and faithful to one another, it’s what helps you to build trust and affection.

And yes, blushing elders. It’s one of the most important ingredients in having GREAT sex.

Read the rest here.

Now, today is Wednesday, the first Wifey Wednesday of 2015. And on Wednesdays I always talk marriage. And so today I’d do a bit of a rah-rah post to get us ready for great sex in 2015!

One thing I love about all you, my readers, is that so many of you send me articles you think I may find interesting. That’s how I first found out about that viral post, and that’s how I first saw Sarah’s great rebuttal.

Kathy R sent me this note:

One of my friends posted this article [about not being a virgin on your wedding night] on facebook calling it “One Hell of a powerful article” so I wanted to share it with you. While I understand the reasons behind this person’s issues with sex, it still bothers me that she is basically saying “I wish I’d had sex a long time ago because then I wouldn’t have all these problems!” And now that I’m pregnant with a little girl, it scares me to death what to do to train her up in the way God sees sex and marriage, not the fear-mongering that some churches do, but how it was designed!

Elizabeth C and others sent notes that echoed Kathy’s, and several mentioned the same issue: how do we raise our daughters so they don’t think like that?

I think the easiest way to raise kids who have healthy views of sexuality is to have a healthy view of it yourself–and to not shy away from conversations. If we are not ashamed of sex, and if we enjoy sex, our kids will pick up on the fact that sex isn’t something to be ashamed about at all.

So the key to raising kids well is YOU.

We all have issues regarding sex.

All of us. And that’s truly okay. Don’t berate yourself about it; just know that it is universal.

Why wouldn’t we have issues? Sex is so interconnected with our identity and with our spirituality. It’s all tied up in our ideas of true intimacy, both with our husbands and with others, and even with God. And we live in a fallen world. So that means that the parts of us that are the most personal, the most intense, the most vulnerable, will be marred in some way. Some of us will be marred more than others, but we will all be touched.

And that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with you if you have issues! Truly. I had issues with sex–I couldn’t relax because I had such major trust issues and I didn’t feel that I could let my guard down. And if you can’t let your guard down, you can’t enjoy sex. I didn’t even realize I had these issues until we got married! But being married helped me get over those trust issues, and they slowly went away. God used marriage as a vehicle to heal me.

So whatever your issues, know that you are not alone, but also know:

God can handle your sexual issues.

Just like there’s healing for other issues in our lives, like perfectionism or rejection or grief, there is also healing for whatever sexual issues you have. Really. If you’re struggling, it honestly doesn’t always have to be like this!

Sex reveals our insecurities, and here are a few posts that may help you:



Getting over your own sexual baggage

Getting over your husband’s sexual baggage

Getting over the effects of sexual abuse

Developing a healthy view of sexuality

If you never had a healthy view of sex because of the same issues as the original blog poster, here’s my take:

Has our purity culture gone overboard?

Why we should stop using the term virgin

I echo a lot of Sarah’s points there with my own spin on them.

If you enjoyed those posts, and if you’ve really struggled to get a healthy view of sexuality, you really need to pick up The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex. In it, I explain in detail (and with a lot of humor) why God created sex the way He did, and how we can see it as a fun, low stress, intimate thing. When you read this blog, you get bits and pieces. If you want it all in one place, get that book! It will help. (and give it to girls who are about to get married so they don’t have the same regrets as that blog poster!)

But sex also reveals our sin, and lays it bare. Here are some posts that can help with that:

4 things you must do if your husband uses porn

Discovering your husband is having an affair

What to do if he’s texting other women

When YOU’RE the one who needs forgiveness

Practice makes perfect–even when it comes to sex!

Sometimes it just takes time to figure out what you like, and to figure out how to make sex feel good.

And the more you do it, the better at it you’ll get! That doesn’t mean that sex will be an awesome trajectory, where you start out lousy and you continue getting better all the time, so that each encounter is better than the last. Hormones may interfere for a few months (or years), little kids may make you tired, you may go through a stressful period. But if you stand back at the end of several decades and take a look at your marriage, most women do see that it gets better over time. Indeed, in my surveys for The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, I found that the best years for sex in marriage are around the two decade mark.

Here are some posts that can help you with that:

How to have an orgasm

9 Great Sex tips to make it feel even better!

And, of course, my book 31 Days to Great Sex has challenges that build on each other. It starts with the first week addressing how we feel about sex. Then we do a week on feeling more comfortable and flirty with each other–emotional intimacy. Then we turn to a week of challenges on embracing physical intimacy and making sex feel great. And then we end with challenges on how to feel more intimate–that spiritual intimacy. It’s okay if the book takes more than a month to get through! You’ll find that you talk more about sex, and you learn more about each other and yourself.

Sex really is a journey in marriage.

Sometimes you’ll have months where everything is amazing and you work like clockwork and you both have libidos that are through the roof. And sometimes you’ll have months that are a bit of a struggle.

But those struggling months help you to pull together. They point out the problems that need to be dealt with. Maybe one (or both) of you is too stressed or overworked. Maybe you’re going through a depression or hormonal changes and you need to see a doctor. Maybe you’re grieving something and you need to be able to lean on each other. Problems in the bedroom can be a sign of other things, and when we deal with these other things together, it ultimately brings us closer.

I think sex shows us why we need the vow. Without that marriage vow, when things got tough in the bedroom many may throw in the towel. But because of the vow, if sex isn’t working well we can figure it out. We can weather the storm.

Think about that woman who wrote that article. If she had had sex before she was married, would things have been better? No. She still would have had the same sexual hangups. And sex wouldn’t have worked well. But because they weren’t married, they would have wondered: should we even be getting married if we don’t work in the bedroom? Are we sexually incompatible?

I know if my husband and I had had sex before our wedding that wedding may not have happened. It was so disastrous that we both likely would have had second thoughts. But instead we were able to work through it. It’s a journey.

And I think that’s a wonderful thing.

I don’t know where you’re at in your marriage. I don’t know if you’re in crisis, or if you’re in blahdom, or if  you’re in ecstasy. But wherever you are, know that 2015 will have its ups and its downs. It will be rocky. But regardless, it can also be very good. Sex can be one of the vehicles where God does great healing in our lives. It can be a vehicle where God helps us embrace more freedom and helps heal some of our perfectionism and control freak tendencies. It can be a vehicle that God uses to bring you and your husband closer together.

And let’s not forget–sex can be a great stress reliever!

So embrace it this year. Don’t despair if you have issues–just work on them and take them to God. Don’t despair if it’s never felt very good. Just consider it a great research project for the year ahead. Don’t despair if you’ve been going through a rough patch. It’s a new year–and new beginnings!

And I wish you a very great new year, even in the bedroom. We’re going to talk a lot more this year about what real intimacy is, and about how to deal with more of the common problems we have in the bedroom. So stick around! But whatever you do, don’t give up on sex. Don’t believe it’s hopeless. It can be awesome–and it will be for you, too. Just give it time.

Now, do you all have any advice for us today? Just enter the URL of your own blog post in the linky below. And be sure to link back here so that other people can read these great posts!

Marriage isn't supposed to be blah!


Sex is supposed to be stupendous--physically, emotionally, AND spiritually.

If it's not, get The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex--and find out what you've been missing.

The post Wifey Wednesday: Don’t Stay Pure Until You’re Married appeared first on To Love, Honor and Vacuum.

Top 10 Ways to Relax More in the Bedroom

It’s that time–you and your husband are ready to get it on! But there’s a problem. While you like sex, you’re awfully shy. You pull the sheets up to your chin, turn the light out, and your heart starts pounding–just not from arousal. What’s he thinking? What are YOU thinking? You just can’t relax during sex.

It’s a common problem. So I decided to ask Julie, the awesome blogger at Intimacy in Marriage and the author of Pursuit of Passion to come up with 10 great tips on how to relax during sex.

Here’s Julie:

For something that is made to look so easy in romantic comedy movies, sex in real life often is cumbersome and stressful.

Do you struggle relaxing during sex? If so, you are not alone.

Ask yourself these ten questions:

1. “Can I just not relax during sex or can I not relax during the rest of my life too?”

If relaxing during sex is difficult, possibly you have a hard time relaxing in general.

In our chaotic culture with endless details to corral, you wouldn’t be the first person to plead “stress” as an intimacy killer.

There are groceries to buy, bosses to please, permission slips to sign, appointments to set, lunches to pack, diapers to change, laundry to fold. The list really is endless. You run through a demanding day (or sometimes crawl, depending on how much caffeine you’ve had), and at the end of it, you find it tediously hard to shut the list off.

The list follows you everywhere.

Into the bathroom. In the car. It even crawls in bed with you, totally insensitive to the grip it has on your mind when you try to make love.

Take a good hard look at your life. Where do you need healthier boundaries? Where do you need more realistic expectations about what you can accomplish on any given day?

It’s okay to just let go a little and be at peace with a messy imperfect life (which, ironically, is what everyone else is living as well, despite what you’ve maybe told yourself).

2. “Is our bedroom too hot or too cold?”

We all think we can rationalize this away. The room is too cold or too hot and you figure that once sex gets going, you will forget how distracted you are by being too hot. Or too cold.

A better approach is to fix the temperature problem before foreplay even starts.

3. “Would a shower help?”

I’m a big fan of the hot shower or hot bath before sex. It gives you a few moments to wash the day away (figuratively and literally, especially if you’ve had newborns and toddlers pawing at you all day).

And it also allows you to come to bed clean.

Not surprising, a concern about cleanliness can cause some people to be anxious about sex, especially if oral sex will be part of the encounter.   A hot shower or bath can help ease these concerns and help you relax.

Maybe suggest that you and your spouse shower together. This can be a great precursor to fabulous sex. I’m speaking from experience on this one!

4. “Have I become too indifferent about my own sexual pleasure?”

Women have become masters at disregarding their own sexual pleasure, even going so far as faking orgasm just to end the entire encounter sooner. The irony is that if you are stressed, you likely need orgasm more, not less.

Your sexual pleasure matters. Do you struggle having an orgasm? Many women do. This is such a hot topic that I compiled an entire page of posts on it. Check out The Orgasm Page on my site.

5. “Do I just need to live in the moment?”

Sometimes we can “over-think” sex. It’s hard to relax if we are worrying about body image or wondering if we are “doing everything right.”

Stop over-thinking and allow yourself to live in the moment. Sexual intimacy with your spouse should be a place of uninhibited fun and connection, where you can let go of your insecurities and just live.

6. “Do I need more foreplay?”

I can’t answer how much foreplay you need, but generally speaking, women need more than men.

Teach your spouse what is arousing for you. Caressing? Kissing? Backrubs? Oral sex? The more you allow yourself to be aroused, the less likely you are to be stressed about sex.

Stop seeing foreplay as “an extra” if there is time. Instead, embrace it as a vital and enticing aspect of lovemaking

7. “Have I flirted with and affirmed my spouse throughout the day?”

This is an easy one for newlyweds (generally speaking). But for people who’ve been married awhile or who are in the throes of parenting little creatures?

Yeah. Takes a bit more effort to think sexy thoughts and say sexy things to one another. But there is a lot of truth behind that saying “sex begins in the kitchen.” I would add that a positive attitude about sex begins in the kitchen early in the day and must be sustained throughout the day.

A kind word. A tender text. A suggestive whisper. A discreet sexual touch. A lingering kiss. All are great aphrodisiacs if you start pursuing them as such.

8. “Have I considered what sex does for my marriage outside the bedroom?”

We often accuse men of compartmentalizing sex (and really everything in their lives). But women sometimes do it as well.

Some women see sex as nothing more than a task to check off their list and forget about until next time. But the positive benefits of nurtured sexual intimacy reach far beyond your marriage bed.

When you look at sex this way, it’s easier to relax about it, even intentionally go after it.

 9. “What’s the worst that could happen if the kids hear us?”

A big reason women have a hard time relaxing during sex is they are consumed with thoughts of the kids hearing them.

Consider this, though. If your children are young (under age 8), they are likely fast asleep. If they are older (over age 12), and they happen to hear you, they already know what you are doing and really don’t want to confront you about it.

And if they fall in-between 8-12? They are at an ideal age to be reassured that mom and dad are fine and it’s important they spend some private time together.

Instead of worrying so much about the kids hearing you, buy a lock for your bedroom door and turn on some light music. And remind yourself that the best thing for those kiddos is a mama and daddy in love. Sex is part of marriage.

Certainly your kids shouldn’t be privy to the details of your sexual intimacy, but you’re not doing them any favors by trying to give the impression that sex never happens.

10. “Do I really just need to connect first with my spouse?”

Marriage is hard. I know few people who think it isn’t. That being the case, there is a lot to be said for connecting with your spouse before you scamper beneath the sheets.

My husband and I have become more discerning about our genuine need to spend even 20 minutes at the end of the evening simply talking. That connection sets the tone for anything that might happen once our clothes come off.

Put the kids to bed. Turn off the TV. Sit close to each other. And just talk. You might be surprised at how relaxing it is. And how arousing it is.

When you consider these top 10 ways to relax, which ones are you willing to try?

Julie Sibert writes and speaks about sexual intimacy in marriage and is the co-author of Pursuit of Passion: Discovering True Intimacy in Your Marriage. You can follow her blog at www.IntimacyInMarriage.com. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, their two boys and one rambunctious German Shorthair Pointer dog who kind of wants to chew up the kitchen floor.

Marriage isn't supposed to be blah!


Sex is supposed to be stupendous--physically, emotionally, AND spiritually.

If it's not, get The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex--and find out what you've been missing.

The post Top 10 Ways to Relax More in the Bedroom appeared first on To Love, Honor and Vacuum.

On Mexico, the Young Adult Years, Marrying in College, And More Random Thoughts!

At 1:30 this morning we pulled into our driveway.

Our flight was 7 hours late, we had to wait an hour for our luggage, and we were tired and exhausted.

But it was all worth it because the four of us had a glorious week in Cozumel! And now we’re home and it’s freezing.

But it’s likely one of the last trips that just the four of us will take together (more on that later), so it was extra special to me. We went snorkelling, explored a little, but mostly we sat at the beach and read books and then played cards together at night. It was so much fun–and so relaxing!

Just two nights ago we looked like that. Now I’m all bundled up and sipping my tea again. But all is good, because the relaxation totally paid off. I didn’t tell you I was away–it’s like throwing a big neon sign up in front of our house saying, “No one’s home! Come on in and rob it!” So I don’t tend to announce these things until AFTER I’m home.

And so today I thought I’d share just some random thoughts I had with you while I was away, before regular blogging resumes tomorrow.

Sometimes we all really need to relax

I’ve been having some health issues this year, especially with attacks of pancreatitis that they originally thought were gallbladder. I’ve been eating super healthy and avoiding a ton of foods, but when we were down south I did throw caution to the wind a bit. And for the first time in a long time I didn’t even have a twinge of pain in a whole week. Considering the pain has been keeping me up, this is a big deal.

So I’m starting to wonder if stress is also a factor, and if we all just need some downtime every now and then. I deliberately stayed off the internet, which was so needed, but I’m more and more convinced that I need to take some “down” weeks in my life.

I know that’s hard for those of you with little kids, but lately I’ve just been realizing that stress can play a number on your body, and sometimes the best favour you can give your family is to relax for a while. You don’t have to go on vacation–just unplug the phone, turn off the internet, arrange for a baby-sitter, and take even a day to yourself.

Often the weak contribute to horrible to outcomes as much–or more so–than the truly evil

I read a ton of novels this week. I only let myself do that on vacation because if I read a novel, I can’t do anything until I finish it. So if I start a novel on a normal day, I won’t get anything else done–no work, no cooking, no anything–until it’s finished. I try to read novels in spurts, then.

And in all the novels I read this week, a theme emerged. While there is often one or two truly evil people in every story, it is not always these evil people that actually cause the harm. They aim for it, but their plans have no wings until they come across weak people–people who aren’t evil, but who won’t stand up to evil. And so it is the weak that actually perpetuate the harm.

Sometimes the weak are morally weak–people that are at heart good, but are tempted and fall and get pulled into bad situations. But often it’s people who are just afraid to speak up, take a stand, and draw a line in the sand.

I was thinking about this theme this morning when I checked all the comments on my blog in the last week. And over and over again I read of women whose husbands won’t get a job, or watch porn, or meet up with women on the internet, or whatever it may be. And these women have cried and pleaded and asked their husbands to stop–sometimes for upwards of 30 years–and nothing has ever changed. Things have only gotten worse.

I always point these women to this article: Are you a spouse or an enabler? I think it’s an important one.

It is strange watching your children grow up and separate from you

It’s a good thing–but it’s hard. And it’s very easy for one’s feelings to be hurt. It’s a hard balance to let your children grow up and make their own lives, but also wanting them to honor you. I am working through that, and it’s easy because my girls are wonderful. But there are still times my heartstrings pull a bit. I’ll likely write more about this transition in the next few years!

The young adult years are just plain hard

Had a lot of great talks with my kids this week, and it reminded me how hard those years of 18-25 can be. When you don’t know what you’ll be doing, or who you’ll be doing it with, the future is both exciting but also so scary. For me, it was the fear that I wouldn’t get married, and I had to work that through with God. But there is a unique fear to those years, and a unique opportunity to learn to trust God and to put Him first.

Talked a lot with my girls about the theme of this post, should you have a relationship (or marry) while you’re still in college? Interesting discussions. Wish I could make life easier for them now, but I think those years of hardship are what really refine our faith.

Our family patterns are engrained–but need to be tamed

I was reading this morning in Genesis 10 about a guy named Nimrod. It says in verse 10:

Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”

Nimrod is a family name if you go back a few generations for me, and though I’ve never liked the name, I’ve always found that verse interesting. We’re naturally fighters. I don’t know if that’s how my family got the name, but somehow, if you look at me, and at those who came before me in that line, it fits. (It’s that ENTJ Myers Briggs thing).

It’s good to be a fighter, to stand up for things, to bring victory for truth. But this push for victory, for all things right, can also be a curse.

That’s what I found in myself this week. I get so annoyed with bad customer service, or with injustice, or with just plain negligence, especially when it’s easily fixed. At the resort we were at they blared music until 2:30 in the morning on New Year’s Eve, but when I went outside at 1:00 there were only about 15 people at the party. I called and complained and asked them to turn the speakers down, but they wouldn’t. I just wanted to sleep. Others were absolutely exhausted the next day, too (lots of families with young kids didn’t sleep a wink). And my blood pressure rose tremendously.

Then there was the fiasco with our delayed flight, which isn’t such a big deal, except that no one would give us information, and my family missed out on the food vouchers because we didn’t hear the announcement.

A little thing, but I get so annoyed. And then I wreck the day for those who are with me.

So yesterday, when I felt myself starting to get upset, I asked Keith to take over standing in line for the food and I just went somewhere else and was quiet and asked God to let me let things go.

Families have traits; my family fights for what’s right. But that makes living through inconveniences that are STUPID (and man-made) a source of great distress. And it’s silly. I think we all need to be aware of what our weaknesses are, and when we see them cropping up, excuse yourself from the situation and get some perspective.

We never take couple pictures

Last thing–Keith and I never take couple pictures. We take kid pictures, or family pictures, but never couple pictures. I think it’s because we’re so focused on the kids, but then where are the pictures showing our marriage? So we snapped a few on the beach last night. And I was happy.

Excited to begin the blog again with you in 2015! What have you learned about yourself on vacation? Or any words of wisdom for the young adult years? Leave them for me in the comments!

The post On Mexico, the Young Adult Years, Marrying in College, And More Random Thoughts! appeared first on To Love, Honor and Vacuum.

How Sex is a Spiritual Experience

Can sex really be a spiritual experience? I thought I’d launch into 2015 by combining my two favourite topics: Sex and God. And I’m going to let one of my favourite guest posters, J from Hot, Holy and Humorous, give us her insight since I’m still on holidays. Here we go!

As Sheila has stressed here many times, and in her marvelous book A Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, sexual intimacy is more than just the physical. When we make love according to God’s design, there’s a spiritual depth to the experience.

Unfortunately, sometimes we wives don’t feel or believe that. Sex seems purely carnal, as if it couldn’t be associated with our deeper soul. Frankly, the only time God is brought into many marital bedrooms is when someone yells “Oh my God!” in the heat of climax.

Look, sex is physical. It’s very physical. But I believe this act can also honor God and touch our spirit.

Here are some reasons why.

God the Creator designed sex and said it was good. Who thought up this crazy thing called sex? Well, that would be God. He could have made sex a fairly straightforward, reproduction-only event. But instead He designed it for intimacy and pleasure as well.

Consider the pleasure centers of our bodies, the way humans often make love facing one another (not a feature of the animal world), and His words about husband and wife becoming “one flesh.” It was after God commanded humans to “go forth and multiply” (and we know how that’s done) that He labeled His creation “very good” (Genesis 1:28, 31, NRSV). His design for sexual intimacy in marriage was good from the beginning.

There’s a whole book in the Bible about sex. God made certain an entire book celebrating marital intimacy – the Song of Solomon – was included in His Word. This book is instructive to couples on what thriving intimacy looks like in marriage. It includes affection, affirmation, connection, and yes, sex.

Song of Solomon even includes a passage in which the married couple engages in sexual intimacy, followed by the encouragement to “be intoxicated with love!” (5:1, HCSB). In other words, get the full amount of pleasure and excitement from this experience that a husband and wife can. God is in favor of physically expressing love in marriage, and expressing it fully.

Sexual intimacy between a husband and wife is a metaphor for our relationship with God. This one can be difficult to imagine.

How can a physical experience between husband and wife relate to anything in the spiritual realm between God and His people?

Yet, that’s what God says. In the book of Hosea, God promises to take His people as his wife, in that intimate relationship of marriage (see Hosea 2). And in Ephesians 5:31-32, the Apostle Paul expresses it in this way: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.” God likens the one-flesh experience of husband and wife, that deep intimacy, to the relationship our Lord wants to have with His church. When fully making love with your husband, you can’t get any closer physically. And this intimacy is a metaphor for how close God desires us to be with Him.

Sex is most intimate when we bring God’s commands and biblical principles into the marriage bed.

Sex by itself is a purely physical act, but we know that in relationship – in marriage specifically – it means far more. Sex becomes an expression of emotional closeness, of trusting another with your most private self, of covenant love. As said before, it should be physically pleasurable. God created to feel good. But if you want the very best in your marriage bed, you’ll approach it with God’s commands and biblical principles in mind. That is, with love, kindness, patience, honesty, goodness, and joy.

That’s why I wrote Intimacy Revealed: 52 Devotions to Enhance Sex in Marriage—to help wives improve their sexual intimacy by applying the Word of God to their marriage.

No, I’m not constantly picturing God while making love with my husband. (That could feel awkward.) But I don’t leave behind the person God wants me to be when I enter the marital bedroom. Rather, I want to honor Him there too, while having a fabulous time with my husband.

God created my soul, and He created my body.

I can use both in tandem to follow His design. Indeed, as I’ve learned how to approach my marriage bed with a more spiritual focus, the sex has become even more physically exciting.

So yes, sex is physical. But God created it to go beyond the physical in your marriage. Even to embracing the spiritual in your life.

J. Parker is also the author of Sex Savvy: A Lovemaking Guide for Christian Wives. She writes the Hot, Holy & Humorous blog, where she uses a biblical perspective and blunt sense of humor to foster Christian sexuality in marriage.

 

Sheila says:

J writes so well and so REAL about sex. And with the New Year upon us, it’s a great time to make a resolution to make sex awesome for BOTH of you this year. If you’ve always struggled to make sex intimate, and not just physical, why not embark on a journey with J this year and work through her book Intimacy Revealed? It’s one devotional a week–one thought to chew on and pray about all week–so that by the end of the year you’ll feel more confident, more excited, and more in awe of how God created sex to be.

From marriage-specific scriptures to biblical principles, Intimacy Revealed: 52 Devotions to Enhance Sex in Marriage guides Christian wives through weekly devotions that shed light on God’s gift of marital sex.

The post How Sex is a Spiritual Experience appeared first on To Love, Honor and Vacuum.

What’s Coming in 2015

2014 has come and gone! And so I’ve been busy planning what’s coming on the blog in 2015! And I want to let you in on a few of those things, as well as show you a few more insights into my life.

First–An Offer That’s Gone Tonight at Midnight!

The most common email I get is from women whose husbands use porn. They’re devastated. And for the vast majority, that porn use started long before they were married.

We have to get real about this and fight against it. I firmly believe that one of the best gifts you can give your future daughter-in-law (or son-in-law since 20% of porn users are female now) is to raise porn-free children.

Covenant Eyes is an amazing internet tool that you can install on computers, phones, tablets, and other devices to provide both filtering and accountability. Each member of the family gets assigned an account which can allow them access to different websits. Permissions for a 6-year-old, for instance, you may want to keep much more narrow than for a 16-year-old.

But you can also install accountability software, so that if anyone tries to access a site they’re not supposed do, an accountability partner will get an email about it. You can choose either filtering, accountability, or both for each member of the family.

Each family account can have unlimited devices for all your family members, an it’s so worth it to keep your family safe online and take away that temptation, especially from teens.

When you sign up before midnight tonight, you’ll get two months free. Use the code TLHV (it’s automatically applied when you use this link).

This really isn’t something we should assume “won’t happen to a nice family like ours”. All those women writing me never thought they were marrying porn addicts–their husbands looked so normal. But it happens. Please fight for your kids (and your husband!)

9 Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriage Launches in August

 …Because a great relationship doesn’t happen by accident!

I’m so excited about this book. It really encapsulates so much of my philosophy of marriage that I have up on this blog, but mostly it talks about how the religious pat answers sometimes don’t work–and aren’t enough. I don’t mean that the Christian answers to marriage problems aren’t enough–I mean that the answers we sometimes hear in church and on blogs are just a little too “pat”–and I think there’s more to it than that in the Bible.

So this book may be a little jolting for some, but I think it’s necessary. And those of you who have been reading me for a while will likely find yourselves nodding in agreement!

It’s not out until August 15, but you can pre-order now on Amazon and get the lowest price locked in!

The Ultimate Christian Marriage Reading Challenge of 2015 is Starting!

As we make New Year’s resolutions, one of the things that we should be aiming for is a great marriage.

So this  year I’m hosting a new online event–the Ultimate Christian Reading Challenge! Every month will be a different theme, and I’ll propose five books you can read. I’ll tell you which one I’ll be reviewing, but you can choose to read any of the five. We’ll have a special newsletter and a Facebook Group where you can interact with the authors of the books and maybe even do some giveaways!

Then, once a month, I’ll write a post about that theme and about what I’ve learned from our Book of the Month.

I’m really excited about this. I’ll be announcing it officially on January 8, with the list of books, but know that it’s coming.

Wifey Wednesday Will Continue–with Link-ups

Every Wednesday for several years now I’ve hosted “Wifey Wednesday” when I specifically discuss marriage. I’m going to keep doing that, and since the linky parties are so far doing well, I’ll keep those going too (I had to stop them for several months in 2014 because people were sharing inappropriate things and I didn’t have time to police it).

If you have a blog and you’re looking to build traffic, this is a great way to get more eyeballs on your posts! Just come on over on Wednesdays and link up.

Guest Posts Will Keep Coming–and You Can Submit One!

It’s hard to keep on top of this blog daily and speak and write new books, so I love the people who write guest posts for me. I’ll still likely run about two a week, and if you’d like to submit one, here are my guidelines.

Top 10 Tuesdays are Awesome–I’m Looking for Ideas

I really like the Top 10 Tuesdays feature I started this year, and I’ll be continuing that. But it’s always hard to come up with good ideas. So if you have an idea for a top 10 post, leave it in the comments!

Reader Question Mondays–I’ve Got a Huge Backlog

I think I’m booking into April already. Here’s what happens with Reader Questions: My assistant Holly gets all the emails that people send me (I used to screen them but I can’t anymore. Everyone’s problems were weighing really heavily on me and taking their toll. I didn’t have time to answer them and I was feeling guilty, and I was starting to get a really skewed view of what was really happening out there).

So Holly reads them and then points them to posts I’ve already written on the subject (I usually have covered most things). But if it’s something I haven’t covered that she thinks may have broad appeal, she sends it my way and it gets scheduled.

Unfortunately, you likely won’t hear from me for a while about it. I do try to write answers as quickly as I can, but I just have so many in the queue right now. If you have a question, though, you can always send it here.

New Ebooks in the Works

A number of you have asked, “Where can I get your parenting advice all in one place?”, and until now I haven’t had an answer. But I’m putting together my favourite parenting posts in an ebook right now, and I hope to launch that around Mother’s Day.

So there you go! That’s what you can expect on the blog this year. I’m so grateful to all of you, my readers, and I appreciate you coming back day after day to see what I have to say and to leave encouraging or thoughtful comments (I always love those!)

What About Sheila Personally?

This is going to be a BIG year of transitions for me. As of September my husband and I will be empty nesters. I’m proud of Katie for moving on, but we will miss her! Every morning we go for a walk and we talk, and now I’ll be home alone with just my cup of tea. Here’s what I’ll be missing (my two girls who will now both be gone):

The upside is that I’m planning more speaking tours now that I’ll have more flexibility. So I’m looking at Chicago in September and Australia (Brisbane/Melbourne) in October, along with Texas (February, already booked), Louisiana (March, still need several engagements), and Arizona (April; looking for one more church to host me!). If your church wants to be included in any of these, just email me.

I likely will have another 2 big announcements about what’s going on with my family, too–but you’ll have to wait on those!

I’m going to take a few more days off with my family, but I’ll be back next Monday.

So I wish you all a very Happy New Year’s with your family! I hope to keep providing you with some godly insights into marriage in 2015. May it be a year when you grow closer to God and closer to each other.

 

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