when you've got a good man

...his absence is felt even more so. 

I've got a great man. really beyond great. 

On the day of his departure, he was doing this...

...grilling up our dinners for the next week.  Last night, all I had to do was heat dinner up in the microwave. Up until the last minute, he was taking care of his family - trying to make his absence felt as little as possible.  But...we feel it.  Because he is just plain awesome at this whole husband/dad thing and his presence is such a blessing to us.

I'm not sure what it is like to struggle with respecting my husband.  I always falter when someone looks to me for counsel on how to show respect to their husband when he doesn't love her well because I know that I've got a husband that does loves me well.  I also know that even in a great relationship like ours, both parties are still sinners saved by grace.  We are imperfect human beings that are going to have days where we are more unlovable/unrespectable than other days.  But this is a key in our marriage that I think helps make it great....We really believe God's Word is true and totally applicable.  So we take Ephesians 5.33 seriously.

 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

He loves me on the days where even I would say with certainty that I am pretty unlovable.  I am a sinner who messes up daily and no one sees that more clearly than my man.  But his love keeps coming - even on the days that it has to be REALLY hard to love me. 
Same for me when it comes to respecting him.  There are days where Keith is super easy to respect and there are days where I would honestly rather be a little sassy to him and let him know I see his shortcomings.  But, just like he loves me on my good days and my bad days, I respect him on his good days and bad days.  

That choice is much harder than giving in to the desires to withhold love or respect.  But when you choose to obey God and make the hard choice daily (DESPITE HOW YOU FEEL!), blessings await....I double dog dare you to try it for yourself and just see what God might have in store for your marriage :-)

PS - I wish I could show you a pic of me lovingly helping him pack or baking him treats to take on the trip with him, but I was needed at the ER instead with our third son who got a couple of staples in his knee...

when catching ladybugs takes priority

With five kids and a husband in full time ministry, I feel like I have to say "no" or "hold on a minute" often when the kids want me to do something.  Last Wednesday was one of those days - I'm especially full of "not right now"'s between 4:30-6:15 every Wednesday when I am frantically getting ready for our RLG that meets in our home.

So you can imagine my delight when I lived life outside the box and said yes to Kamden's request to take him to the school at 5:15 because that's the perfect place and time to find lots of ladybugs. 

I'm so thankful I said yes - this memory is tons better than running around cleaning my house.  It was even more fun because they found ladybugs that were mating.  I would have missed this conversation that occurred on the way home from the school if I had said no....

Kale: "Why do ladybugs mate?"
Kamden (who just read Book #2 of the God's Design for Sex Series with his dad):  "Oh, it's because they're married."
Kade: "Nope, girl ladybugs mate with lots of boy ladybugs. They just go from one to another."

Your turn....surprise your kids by saying yes to a crazy request and let me know what fun story God gives you to tell!