Friday Date Night

Give in to the undeniably romantic allure of watching the sun go down. 

Head to the highest point in town, and when the light is romance perfect for enhancing your sensuous mood, turn the scenic view into a background for a make out session.

Marriage Tips

Marriage

I'm definitely not the best at marriage nor have I had years upon years of experience; I've learned a few things though while being married to Andrew for 14 years...

| It's not worth it to stay mad |

Life is precious and filled with precious moments - When you start playing the silent treatment and giving the cold shoulder, you're letting a situation steal precious time. 

| Stay sexy |

Don't get me wrong, there's a certain level of comfort zone that comes with being married and that's okay. It's part of a joy of being married; however don't let it take over. If your husband has to beg you to shave your legs every time before you have sex, or if he has to beg for some sexy "comfortable clothes" - that should be a "check engine soon" light...just a simple little warning to get back with it. 

I mean, come on ladies, we all know when you were dating him that even your worst look was a cute worse look. 

| Encourage one another |

It's easy to get in the groove of life and go about your daily business, but I will never forget the day my husband asked me to hold him and tell him he was doing a good job. This was about 1.5 years after we said "I do" and I felt horrible after he said it. 

Don't let it get to that point. 

Whether its encouraging each other in your job, or being a good spouse or parent- let them know they're doing well. 

| Talk | 

Late night talks...random phone calls during the day...getting up a little early and having a cup of coffee together...

You can really see a persons heart when communication is there. 

Plus, this keeps the friendship aspect alive in the relationship. 

As my Facebook status says: Waiting is hard- I need more patience

Waiting is hard, wondering if today will be the day..

waiting

noun

1.

a period of waiting; pause, interval, or delay.

There are many things in life that we "wait" for 

we wait for the "perfect" spouse

we wait for the right job

we wait for our dream house 

we wait for the vacation to Paris etc

we wait to get pregnant

we wait to finish our degree 

we wait for life to catch up to our dreams. 

It is ok to wait but don't wait while waiting.. go do what you need to do to catch up with your dreams, life still needs to go on. 

Do you want God to bless you with the above mentioned items or any other wish of yours, you need to make sure it is his will for it to happen, if it isn't his will, then guess what, it will not happen. 

Baby Baby- Book review

When my baby girl was a wee one, she loved books, I made sure to read to her each and every day and she would coo and talk to the characters in the books, now that she is grown I have been reading to my nieces and they love these bright colorful books. they love looking at other babies, and their own flowering abilities. this book is a short rhyming book and introduces babies to the Love that God has for them.  this book also has a cute mirror for baby to see themselves in all while listening to someone who loves them reads about the love of God. 


You can purchase this book by following this link http://tinyurl.com/zglnavk

Friday = Date Night Idea

It's friday so you know what that means... Its time for another date idea. 

Relive your first date. Follow the same itinerary and include as many of the original details as possible. Even though you know how the night will end this time around, recalling how you talked, explored, and began your lifelong journey of getting to know each other can remind you that there is still much to learn — about yourselves and your relationship.

Starry-Eyed: Seeing Grace in the Unfolding Constellation of Life and Motherhood- Book Review

I loved this book. Mandy is raw, real and vulnerable in a way that all moms and women can benefit from. The format also makes it an easy read with the topical chapters/essays. As for the negative comments about the lack of scripture, these are not true. Is this a book I'd use for a bible study? No, but that's not what it's intended for. 

It's a real way to draw women to Christ, and there is plenty of scripture. In the second chapter she quotes Isaiah 45:3, "'I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.' ...But God reveals that the most precious treasures will indeed be hidden in the darkness." Quickly followed by the story of Abraham and Sarah and how they were blessed by God with the promise of a child and the stars were a nightly reminder of the vast things that God can do. One of my favorite lines when looking back through the book again..."We help one another know God by how well we love each other." And isn't that the greatest commandment Jesus gives in the Bible: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

The chapters are short and are brutally honest. You will laugh out loud, you will flinch, and you might even gasp--but you will find yourself feeling right at home reading this book. Each chapter also has great questions for reflection at the end. Typically I skip over these questions, but I found myself truly pondering how I would answer some of these with my MOPS group.

This book stood out to me because rather than telling me why I should LOVE motherhood, all parts of motherhood, it instead gently told me it was okay to simply embrace the emotional flood that comes with the territory. There are days of light, there are days of dark. Yet, even in the darkest of days, there is some glimmer of light--the stars shine. That doesn't mean you don't appreciate the darkness for what it is, or try to change the situation as quickly as possible to make everything "okay." Sometimes, it is okay to simply be and let things work out over time. Babies grow, seasons change. One thing is for certain--nothing stays the same forever, Momma.

MOMENTS WITH THE SAVIOR- Book Review

This is the type of book that I love to have on my nightstand for bedtime devotions or early morning devotions. It leaves you feeling refreshed at the end of the day or charged to take on the day. 

This book is a devotional. These devotions are based on the life of Jesus, as depicted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Ken Gire starts his devotional with an Introduction.  Each one begins with a Bible story quoted directly from Scripture. He follows up each story with his meditations, basing them on the story just shared. A prayer follows each story and meditation. This book's structure is simple but appealing. It includes a blue ribbon that the reader can use as a bookmark. The author, Ken Gire, is the bestselling author of over twenty books. 

Ken Gire writes so clearly and powerfully that at times I felt like I could smell and taste what was happening in Christ's life. Gire hooked my heart and my mind and my soul and left me closer to JESUS than ever before. This book has had a great impact on the way I view scripture and meditate on the depth of God's Word

7. THINGS YOUR KIDS NEED TO SEE IN YOUR MARRIAGE:

1. YOU HAVING FUN TOGETHER: Your kids need to see that marriage is more than just having a roommate and doing life together. They need to see you having fun together and wanting to spend time together.

2. YOU STILL DATE: One of the best things you can do for your kids is let them see that your marriage is the most important relationship you have on this earth.

3. YOU BEING AFFECTIONATE: When kids see mom and dad hugging, holding hands, and kissing, they feel security and love at home.

4. YOU PRAISING ONE ANOTHER: Your kids need to hear you praising one another and being one another’s biggest cheerleader.

5. YOU WORKING THROUGH A PROBLEM: Problems are a part of life and your children will learn how to handle them by seeing how you work through them. Sweeping problems under the rug or losing control in an argument is not what they need to see.

6. YOU PRACTICING WHAT YOU PREACH: Children learn 1000 times more from what you do and the example you set, than they ever will from what you tell them. Model the values and integrity you want them to have.

7. YOU DEPENDING ON GOD. Your kids need to see (not just hear) that God is a part of your marriage. They need to hear you talking about Him, see you reading about Him and depending on him.

What else can you add to the list?

Pointers to have a good marriage

I was listening to a radio show ( the one I volunteer at) and they were talking about marriage so I wanted to share this with you all. 

• Be nice
• Be content
• Be connected
• Be prepared
• Be proactive
• Be clear- communicate your needs
• Be do-ers
• Be patient 
• Be dead- to the selfish you 

6 THINGS SOULMATES DO ...

1. THEY HAVE FUN TOGETHER. Don’t just do the work together or raise kids together ... do the fun together too!

2. THEY GET EXCITED ABOUT THE THINGS THEIR SPOUSE GETS EXCITED ABOUT. If it isn’t necessarily your ‘cup of tea’, so what! Try a sip! You may just like it. If you husband loves baseball ... take an interest in it. If you wife likes gardening ... take an interest in it.

3. THEY KNOW THEIR SPOUSE'S WEAKNESSES ... AND LOVE THEM ANYWAY. Isn’t that what best friends are for? “A friend loves at all times…” (Proverbs 17:17).

4. THEY PRAISE THEIR SPOUSE. Make them feel good about themselves. Would you want to spend time with someone who only makes you feel worthless and insecure? Certainly not. So, affirm your spouse's best qualities. Celebrate their wins.

5. THEY EXTEND GRACE AND FORGIVENESS. Even the best of friends have a bad day, say a hurtful things or disappoint us in some way. Offer the grace in those moments that you’d want in return. If you want a friendship that lasts, a marriage that endures, you must forgive both big and small.

6. THEY PUT THEIR SPOUSE FIRST. Don’t let your spouse just be one of your friends. Don’t just let your spouse be a best friend. Make them your most important friend. Your relationship with your spouse should come before any other relationship in your life, short of your relationship with the Lord.

SO, how are you doing on this list?

Choose Love

There are times in a marriage that you may wake up and not feel in love anymore. Choose to love anyway. 

There are times when you may not be attracted to your spouse anymore. Choose to love anyway. 

Marriage is a commitment. In sickness and health, in good times and in bad. Those vows are sacred. They don’t say “if you have bad times”. They say “in good times AND in bad”, implying that there WILL be bad times. It’s inevitable. So choose to love anyway, because your marriage is worth it. Be honorable and honor the vows you made.

The biggest story- Book/cd Review

The Bible is a collection of individual stories with heroes to imitate or villains to avoid imitating. It is one big story comprised of all the smaller stories, it is the greatest story book there ever was. It’s the story of God’s work of creation; humankind’s fall, and God’s work to make it all right again.

Do your children know this story, the biggest one? Do they understand how the stories of the Old and New Testament fit together into a grand narrative of a “snake-crushing King” and “destined-to-die Deliverer” who will bring us back to the garden?

Kevin DeYoung’s purpose for writing this book is to give children the whole picture, the one that connects “the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ’s death on the cross to the new heavens and new earth.” In the Biggest Story, his text has been joined with the rich illustrations of Don Clark, illustrations even more evocative (if possible) than text.

Since this book is an overview of the biblical narrative, it doesn’t go into the individual stories in detail but assumes the reader (or listener) already knows them. The child who is familiar with the stories of the Bible, then, will understand more than the one who is unfamiliar with them. But a parent reading aloud can fill in what is missing if a child has questions.

While “The Biggest Story” is a book written for children, there is a very strong message in it for us all. Children will grasp the basic overall concept of the Bible Story, but adults will be able to look and find a deeper meaning. God’s promises are bigger and better than we realize, sometimes we just need a reminder of what he has already done for us and what he has planned for our future!

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Weekend Recap

I wasn’t going to do weekend recaps anymore, but I like to have this memory of even the most boring weekends. 

Friday: 

I worked all day 12:30 - 9 pm. 

Came home and watched some hockey with hubby we had an at home date night. 

I stayed up too late chatting with a friend who is hurting right now. 

Saturday: 

I woke up with a sore throat, so I cleaned house a little with Brooke’s help. 

I slept some more and we had company for dinner, we had steak, kabobs, caesar salad, coleslaw, baked potatoes. 

it was a nice time. We just hung out and chatted. 

Hubby and I went for a drive to Walmart after that, I had to pick up something, I love my man and any time spent with him is my favourite. 

Sunday:

I don't get to church much these days with my work schedule so I welcome time that I get there, my church is my family and i love them dearly. 

I was on greeting today, then we had a leadership meeting/potluck after that, was glad I got to be there. 

Just some random things about me

Have some new readers so wanted to share some things about me :)

Just some random things about me 

A- Age: 32

B- Biggest Fear: car crash

C- Current Time: 11:55 pm

D- Drink you last had: Water

E- Easiest Person To Talk to My hubby

F- Favorite Song: When you say nothing at all

G- Ghosts, are they real: Nope

H- Hometown: Middle Arm, Newfoundland

I- In love with Andrew J Grothe

J- Jealous Of nothing

K- Killed Someone? nope

L- Last time you cried?: Sunday

M- Middle Name: Florence

N- Number of Siblings: 2

O- One Wish: for one more phone call with my grandpa

P- Person who you last called: My mom

Q- Question you're always asked: are you having more kids?

R- Reason to smile: There are so many things to be thankful for and to smile.

S- Song last sang: I can’t carry a tune for anything.

T- Time you woke up: 10:30 am

U- Underwear Color: could never get that personal .

V- Vacation Destination: Home for Christmas this year

W- Worst Habit: biting my nails

X- X-Rays you've had: lungs, leg, arm, foot, chest

Your favorite food: Thai

Z- Zodiac Sign: Libra

leave your answers in the comments so I can get to know you 

Fall Date Ideas

Fall Date Night Ideas

I love the fall season, what I love even more is Date night with my love. 

1) Make a fire, sit out in the back yard and snuggle up by the fire, roast marshmallows, talk about your future. 

2) Go to the apple orchard- pick apples together

3) Coffee date- I love being at a coffee shop while there is a storm outside, it is not always safe to be on the road but I love those date nights 

4) Stay in, order a pizza, sit by the fire place and snuggle. 

Just leaving this here.

We have a weekly date night, it is much easier to do now that Brooke is 13, I understand it isn't easy with small kids but you can order take out and have a date at home. 

Review- Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely byLysa TerKeurst

Many people are Lonely, they are sad and wsh they just had that one friend. 
Loneliness is a growing problem in our social media  world So, I was curious if Lysa Terkeurst's new book Uninvited had anything valuable to bring to the table on this timely topic.

The enemy wants us to feel rejected . . . left out, lonely, and less than. When we allow him to speak lies through our rejection, he pickpockets our purpose. Cripples our courage. Dismantles our dreams. And blinds us to the beauty of Christ’s powerful love.

In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences with rejection—from the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father to the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over.

With biblical depth, gut-honest vulnerability, and refreshing wit, 
Lysa helps readers:
 • Release the desire to fall apart or control the actions of others by embracing God-honoring ways to process their hurt.
 • Know exactly what to pray for the next ten days to steady their soul and restore their confidence. 
• Overcome the two core fears that feed our insecurities by understanding the secret of belonging
. • Stop feeling left out and start believing that "set apart" does not mean "set aside." 
• End the cycle of perceived rejection by refusing to turn a small incident into a full-blown issue.

One of the best books I have read in a long time. 

Me too- Book Review

Ever talk to someone about experiences in life and discover you went through the same thing they did, you most likely said me too. Jon Weece, a pastor from Kentucky, shares many stories of things that people have gone through. You will likely find something that you may have gone through and you will be able to compare how you and the other person may have handled the situation. You will find interesting stories some that will make you laugh and some that will bring tears to your eyes. All the stories show that God is with us no matter what we are going through. Jon shows how God understands and how God will help each of us in our times of trouble. The book will help you to handle those things that knock the wind out of you. 

I am sure we have all talked to someone about a certain situation they have gone thru and when they were done, you said Me Too. 

Jon Weece, a pastor from Kentucky, shares many stories of things that people have gone through. In this book, you will find stories and will say me too. 

you will be able to compare some situations to people in this book. Mr. Weece shows how God understands and he is always with us.  

The book is well written and is easy to read and understand. It contains a lot of information that will be helpful in difficult situations. The author uses humor in some of his sharing’s that adds to the book. This would be a great addition to any library and great for discussion groups.


I was given this book from Booksneeze for my honest review. 

The book is well written and is easy to read and understand. It contains a lot of information that will be helpful in difficult situations. The author use humor in some of his sharing’s that adds to the book. This would be a great addition to any library and great for discussion groups.