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Marriage Essentials – Anniversary Thoughts
29 years ago - May 27th - Robert and I were married. Ah-hum. We look a little different now. 🙂 It's been a ride! If you've been married for a while, you understand... Good years, not-so-good years, fun years, exciting years, difficult years, stretching years -...
Faith: Act – React – Interact
Evidence. Proof. Details. How do you believe without these testifiers? [Tweet "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. ~ Hebrews 11:1"] Societies built around 1st-world mindsets function on proven theories, evidence of past...
The Promise of Hope
Overflow. Bubble over. Abound. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13 Overflow with Hope Have you ever watched the sun rise? A sunrise is a very slow...
The Strength to Encourage Your Spouse
What if your spouse has an opportunity that is good and right, and noble, and admirable, and excellent... but it means you will need to sacrifice something? Sometimes the hardest thing to do is encourage your spouse. It's not enough to just nod your head and smile in...
You-Your Spouse-Your New Baby.
Oh, my. It's been quite a while since we had a new baby in our home... What I do remember... Adding a baby challenges the connection between husband and wife. Our second year of marriage, after our daughter Sarah was born, was the most difficult year in the last 29....
Exploring a City
A bit more than a month ago Robert and I visited Charleston, South Carolina. While the northern states were still battling snow and ice, we had a lovely few days with balmy weather and blooming azaleas. Interested in visiting Charleston? For a small taste of what we...
Stop Talking. Start Connecting.
Start connecting - but how? Are you tired of "pass-the-salt" conversations? Encouragers start conversations that make an impact. [Tweet "Encouragers start conversations that make an impact. Here's how..."] Part of connecting with your spouse is exploring ideas and...
Friendly. Positive. Tender. Agreeable. Soft.
When is it important to be kind? Is it a one-time action that can be noted and celebrated? Perhaps being kind needs to be less of an event, and more of a way of living. Practice kindness today with your words... Be conscious of your words and tone with your spouse...
Choices and Decisions. Oh My.
Have you seen one of these new(er) drink machines at a fast-food spot? Who knew choosing what to drink would be so difficult! How do you make a decision? Robert and I stopped for a bite to eat last week - and saw this new(er) style of drink dispenser. I think we...
Who Energizes You?
Who energizes you? What if you’re an introvert and being with people (as much as you love it) drains your energy? Does your spouse energize you?
Somebody is Great
~ ~ ~ Quick! Tell me 3 things you love about your spouse! 1. _____________________ 2. _____________________ 3. _____________________ Robert and I have this silly habit of asking each other (constantly), "How are you?" The latest 'quippy' answer is, "I'm next...
The Extra Mile
When you're feeling connected to your spouse, you'll go that extra mile... Once upon a time there was husband and wife who shared a home, two children, a car and a life. This was an average North American family. One Sunday morning the husband was sick in bed with...
Knowing the Sweetness
"The love of a wife to her husband may begin from the supply of her necessities, but afterwards she may love him also for the sweetness of his person; so the soul first loves Christ for salvation but when she is brought to Him and finds what sweetness there is in Him...
Hope & Optimism
Hope grows from optimism. What's optimism? The concept of the word optimism is found in the Latin word "optimum" meaning best. Those who are optimistic expect the best possible outcome from a situation. It's about looking forward. Psychologists have spent years...
Embracing the Moment – A Guest Post
I'm so happy Fawn Weaver from The Happy Wives Club has written a guest post for Encourage Your Spouse! Because she's both the president of a company, and a dedicated blogger/advocate for marriage, her life is just a tiny bit busy. (Or more than a tiny bit, perhaps?)...
Thanksgiving in Feast & Famine
Have you ever noticed that it's either feast or famine? Emotionally, it's been a full week, and the week isn't finished yet! For example - this week has held some interesting experiences: There's a dog lying at my feet. That's unusual. Our Katie has been gone for...
Just Be Happily Married
This weekend Robert and I visited Charleston, South Carolina. And I kept bumping into married people. (Yes, I know - lots of people are married, but it's not always evident!) As we checked into our hotel on Saturday night, a giggling couple came through the door...
What does “meaningful” mean, anyway?
How do you define meaningful? What about your spouse? Do you have a plan to pursue your meaning filled life? It may not be as big a deal as you think!
Where Are Your Eyes?
"... we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." ~ 2Chronicles 20:12 Do you and your spouse have plans? Perhaps this is a time of waiting... Perhaps this is a time of battling... Perhaps this is a time of regrouping... Perhaps this is a time of...
Praying for our Spouse
When do you pray? Here are some noted people and their answers on when to pray - and when we should pray ... When our own wisdom is not enough. “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom...
Encouragement Shelters
Encouragement is like an umbrella... sheltering your spouse until the sun comes out again. Have courage. Fill with courage. Encourage. Inspire with Hope. Fortify with Faith. Foster with Love. Uplift with Prayer. Support with Action. Encourage your husband. ~...
Encouraging Together – Doing for One
Our lives can be filled with every day events, and childcare, and busy-work, and maintenance, and ho-hum mindlessness... Is this enough for you? Do you want more? Sometimes feeling encouraged happens when we - as husband & wife - work together. Do you want to make...
When Comfort Doesn’t Serve
What happens when a group of ladies gather? It depends on their focus. On Saturday March 2nd I had the opportunity to gather with a group of ladies. To be candid, a few weeks before I'd accepted online to attend this meeting, but hesitated that bright Saturday...
Encourage Uniqueness
Husbands and wives are different. Just being a male and a female ensures you won't be alike. Physically that's true. There are books written about how men and women think and process ideas differently. ( Books like: Men Are Like Waffles--Women Are Like Spaghetti:...
Encouragement 101- Encouragement Is Not Cheerleading
Encouragement Is Not Cheerleading Not usually. At least encouragement is not cheerleading in the form we know… When cheerleading first began in the late 1800’s in the United States, it was an organized group promoting school spirit at sports events. Today cheerleading...
Being Engaged with Your Spouse
To be meshed. To be interlocked. To be embedded, built into or attached to another part. It isn't just a time period preceding marriage. Engagement Do you still use a wrist watch? Most of us don't even own a watch because our smart-phone has become our source of...
30 Years and Counting
30 years ago a young couple borrowed their parents' car for a trip to the big city. On that Monday in February 1983, it was sunny with snow on the ground, but not on the roads. After an hour and a bit of driving they made it to their destination - Historic Fort York....
Come on – try it with a smile!
Smile. Just give it a try... Sometimes we forget a smile from someone we love can be the best encouragement! It's not rocket-science, it's not a huge sacrifice, it costs nothing, it's not about an attractive face or perfect teeth or the right light in the room - It's...
A Culture of Kindness in your Marriage
A culture of kindness? How do you do that in marriage? We’ve been unpacking the 1Corinthians verses and ask each other how to love without condition & more!
It’s all do-able.
Once there was a woman. A wife. A mom. An astrophysicist. A blogger. I found her blog by that rabbit-trail of first one blog, then another, and another and another. (You know what I mean if you love to read what other people are sharing.) As I read her blog, I needed...
3 Ways to Provide Calm Care
Calm Care – when life gets uncertain or even rough – oh, yeah… calm care is hard. But remember that LOVE is PATIENT. Where do you go from there?
Encouraging Words: Invite
Did you know there are over 100 synonyms for the word "Encourage"? When I first became interested in how spouses encourage each other, I decided to do a search for all the words related to encouragement. One of the synonyms of encourage is INVITE. Invite. An...
Look UP – Uplift with Prayer
When you want circumstances to change, - start with where you're looking – take time to pray. Prayer is an action. Prayer changes things. Prayer uplifts. Uplifted = raised & elevated. When you’re raised up and elevated, what happens? You can see! You can see...
Support with Action – An Attention Experience
Attention Experience - An observation. I overheard and watched a young engaged couple begin a conversation. They started by sitting across the table from each other. Then they smiled into the other’s eyes. The young woman said, “Hi.” And smiled again. The fellow...
Finding the Words to Pray
What are you praying for - and over - your spouse? Do you use scripture verses? When you don't have your own words, Or can't find words, Turn to the One who has and is ALL. Uplift with Prayer Have courage. Encourage. When I was a child, my German grandmother taught...
Taking Care of Your Heart
We're headed into that heart month - February. Flowers & cards. Chocolate. Dinner for two. Intimacy. What about your heart? I'm not talking only about emotions... I'm talking about the physical muscle! How is that muscle beating in your chest? (The one that...
Adjustment – Stretch & Pull
How do you work through issues in your marriage - and adjust? I don't mean compromise. (because that puts the emphasis on giving up something) Adjust. Alter or move slightly, permit small alterations or movements to achieve a desired result. Needing to adjust means...
More Touching
The power of touch is huge - I'm sure this concept isn't new to you. If you're interested in some data on the importance and significance of touch, take a look at this post. Touch can be more nuanced than only using your body... What? Touch your spouse with your...
Building Flow into Your Marriage
Have you ever imagined yourself gliding across a glittering ballroom floor with your spouse? (Imagine "Dancing with the Stars", but with more romantic music and no judges.) In our imagination we would never step on each other's toes, or stumble - we'd be...
Victory
Victory: a successful ending of a struggle or contest; winning. What comes to your mind when you hear or read the word “victory”? Is it an image of the Olympic medal winner standing on a podium? Is it crowds of people on a city street, shouting with raised arms and...
Encouragement – Pass It Along
Encouragement. First step: Are you and your spouse good at encouraging each other? you both do the normal stuff like say "please" and "thank you" you both listen intently when your spouse speaks you both offer hope when times are tough you both support each other...
Date Night Dreamin’
Mail Call! In October and November I got a lot of mail - from all over the USA. Mail arrived from almost every state - it was so exciting! Every day Robert would come in from the mail box with a new package. Some small, some large, most were 8x11 sized. There were...
I’m Home.
About a month ago I spoke with an interesting couple. They haven't had it easy. (but what couple does?) When I asked them what the best thing about being married was, the wife answered, "I get to sleep with and wake up beside my best friend." And the husband answered,...
Marriage – Not the Ideal
This painting is an "elaborate fiction" commissioned by a grieving widower. My mom and I visited the North Carolina Museum of Art during Christmas holidays. It's an amazing collection of works of art. As we viewed a gallery, took some photos (without a flash) and read...
Using Touch to Encourage
Our senses provide a plethora of input. When you’re in love, seeing your spouse – even a picture of the one you love – brings a smile to your lips. We buy our spouses smelly stuff like cologne or perfume or lotion to delight the senses. We feed each other strawberries...
