Blog Entries

Secrets of a Newlywed: Learn to Embrace Your Differences

rachel@relevantmagazine.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

On my blog, Life Blessons, I have been running a series called Secrets of a Newlywed, where I open up and share some of the lessons, insights and understandings—the little secrets—that have made my marriage the wedded bliss that it is. Like anything else, they are easier said than done. But I know from personal experience that when I do manage to live them out, I've seen what beautiful fruit they bear in my relationship with my husband.

They say that opposites attract.

I nev [...]

Secrets of a Newlywed: You Did Not Marry Brad Pitt

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

On my blog, Life Blessons, I have been running a series of posts called Secrets of a Newlywed, where I share some of the lessons, insights and understandings that have strengthened my marriage and made it the wedded bliss that it is. Like anything else, they are easier said than done. But I know from personal experience that when I do manage to live them out, I've seen what beautiful fruit they bear in my relationship with my husband.

“He’s not Brad Pitt.” It was a premarital [...]

Secrets of a Newlywed: Who Are You Complaining To?

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This is the next post in Secrets of a Newlywed, a series I have been sharing on my blog where I open up and share some of the lessons, insights and understandings—the little secrets—that have made my marriage the wedded bliss that it is. Like anything else, they are easier said than done. But I know from personal experience that when I do manage to live them out, I've seen what beautiful fruit they bear in my relationship with my husband.

I hope that you will never hear me comp [...]

The Only Resolution That Really Matters

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

With a new year comes new plans and goals and all varieties of resolutions. While I’m not much of a resolution maker, one of the things that I have marked the new year with the past couple of years has been to use this fresh start to settle on a Bible reading plan that will guide me for the following months.

The past two years, I’ve used a chronological Bible-reading plan that takes you through the Bible more or less in the order that the events written about are thought to have taken [...]

Secrets of a Newlywed: The Role of Being His Encourager

webmaster@relevantmediagroup.com — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This is the next post in Secrets of a Newlywed, a series I've been running on my blog where I open up and share some of the lessons, insights and understandings--the little secrets--that have made my marriage the wedded bliss that it is. Like anything else, they are easier said than done. But I know from personal experience that when I do manage to live them out, I've seen what beautiful fruit they bear in my relationship with my husband.

In Proverbs it says that, “A worthy wife is a cr [...]

Footprints in the Sand

brandonclazarus@gmail.com — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there was one only.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from anguish,
sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints,
so I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would [...]

No More Hiding

anisha.reza@gmail.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

I recently shared everything I was hiding in this post. It increased my faith and freed me from things I didn't know I needed freeing from. I had faith the size of a mustard seed that one person would be moved by this post. I ended up getting almost 350 hits on that post. I was completely overwhelmed with God's goodness. I still have a long way to go in this journey with God, but I am so excited.

I hope it blesses you as it blessed me to write it.
http://anishastands.wordpress.com/2011/10/3 [...]

Secrets of a Newlywed: Who Are You Complaining To?

webmaster@relevantmediagroup.com — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Right now on my blog, I'm running a series called Secrets of a Newlywed, where I and a handful of other bloggers open up and share some of the lessons, insights and understandings—the little secrets—that have strengthened our marriages.

Here's the latest post from this series:

I hope that you will never hear me complain about my husband. I hope that you will never hear a negative comment about him slip through my lips.

It’s not because he’s perfect, because he [...]

Secrets of a Newlywed: Letting Your Husband Provide for You

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Here's the latest post from this series: Letting Your Husband Provide For You.

I have always been an independent person—a mild feminist, I suppose. When I know what I want, I work hard to achieve my goal. I’m the oldest child from a d [...]

Secrets of a Newlywed: Know Thyself—And What Makes You Cranky

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This is the next post in Secrets of a Newlywed, a series I have been running on my blog where I open up and share some of the lessons, insights and understandings—the little secrets—that have made my marriage the wedded bliss that it is. Like anything else, they are easier said than done. But I know from personal experience that when I do manage to live them out, I've seen what beautiful fruit they bear in my relationship with my husband.

"A person without self-control is like [...]

[Part 1] Stress is Stupid

anisha.reza@gmail.com — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0100

I have had a blog for about a year now and growth that I have had in Christ is showing through it. I hope that it will bless someone here as well because I've felt led to show more people what I write. Check it out my most recent post at http://anishastands.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/part-1-stress-is-stupid/.

God bless

I am Ambitious, Prideful and Arrogant

brandonclazarus@gmail.com — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This is a post that I have been meaning to write for a while now but frankly it has been difficult to work up the confidence to write it. This post is about a personal struggle that we all have but has been extra difficult for me lately. That struggle is the struggle with pride.

I have always been a very prideful, driven and ambitious person and at times it has been a good thing. There are times that I have used that drive to get things done and to allow the spirit to work in and through the [...]

Secrets of a Newlywed: Showing Respect When Asking for His Opinion

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This is the next post in Secrets of a Newlywed, a series I'm hosting on my blog, Life Blessons, where I open up and share some of the lessons, insights and understandings—the little secrets—that have made my marriage the wedded bliss that it is. Like anything else, they are easier said than done. But I know from personal experience that when I do manage to live them out, I've seen what beautiful fruit they bear in my relationship with my husband. So, today, I share another with you: Showi [...]

Secrets of a Newlywed: Being Aware of Your Expectations

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100
I've been running a series on my blog called "Secrets of a Newlywed," where I open up and share some of the lessons I've learned from these first few years of my marriage. This is the latest post from the series:

I remember when my husband and I were going through our marriage-counseling seminars. The seminars were filled with workbook pages and breaks for us to talk over things like how to address conflict, what we wanted our marriage to look like, and what kinds of expectations we had.
[...]

A Reminder That I Am "Dark, But Lovely"

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100
Through my recent reading of the book Freedom from Performing, I found myself sifting through my emotions and feelings about who I am—in my own eyes as well as in the eyes of the Lord. The way I see myself is incredibly different than how the Lord does. When he sees me, he sees beauty, but when I look at myself, all I see are my mistakes and weaknesses glaring back.

I’ve noticed that in church circles, it’s easy for us to dwell on how “wretched” we are and throw that word [...]

Consumers of Mourning

arparrish@me.com — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100
I wrote this on September 11, 2011 reflecting on the tragedy ten years ago. Check out more of my writing at my blog: http://thedelusionist.tumblr.com/

Today is September 11, 2011. Ten years since the twin towers fell toppling to the ground. Like everyone else, I remember where I was when I heard the news. My memory is somewhat shameful because I remember me and my college friends did not feel the gravity of the situation. We thought it was some kind of joke and were happy to get a few hours [...]

When it's Our Responsibility to be Irresponsible

jhelenbo@uwyo.edu — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100
Throughout history, those who have followed God’s plan have rarely done so in a responsible fashion. The disciples, being the best example, immediately left their careers when asked to follow a man they’d just met. What would the world say if we all left our careers one day to travel with someone we barely knew? We’d be labeled as irrational, irresponsible, and probably insane. We’d be viewed as someone trying to avoid real life. We’d be asked why we left a steady paycheck for an unce [...]

The Fatherless Prodigal Son

brandonclazarus@gmail.com — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100
I live in an intentional community called the Bonhoeffer House in Dallas Texas. Saturday morning I woke up to help one of my brothers at the house, George, clean up a little bit outside. We were out of trash bags so I walked over to grocery store behind the house to buy some more. As I was walking in, a man walked up to me. He said that everyone had been telling him to (buzz) off and that no one cared about him. I assured him that I would not send him off and was willing to talk with him. He sim [...]

SECRETS OF A NEWLYWED: Get Used to Saying, "I'm Sorry"

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100
I've been running a series on my blog, called Secrets of a Newlywed, where I open up and share some of the lessons, insights and understandings--the little secrets--that I try to live out in my own marriage.

I was babysitting when one of the kids had pushed his little brother. The mom was right there and she leaned over and told him he needed to apologize to his brother. With his nose scrunched up, his eyes to the ground, he forced it out: “I’m sorry.”

Certainly he [...]

Lessons I'm Learning from Reading through the Prophets

lifeblessons@gmail.com — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100
Right now in my Bible reading plan, I’m in the midst of the prophets, as they cry out to the people to stop sinning and start loving God again, as they once did.

One of the things that has struck me as I’ve been reading through these writings is how specific many of these prophecies are. In Isaiah, he points out that Jerusalem is going to be conquered by Babylon but someday a man named Cyrus will let the Israelites return to their homeland. By name, he calls this country and this leade [...]