Mirrors never lie. They always give me the most accurate picture of how things really are, even if I have convinced myself of a false reality.

If I claim I am a Christian, my life and example must, like a mirror, reflect the life of a disciple.  Acts 1:8 says…

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

That’s why I love this quote by St. Francis of Asissi.  My life is the biggest sermon I can ever preach. If I don’t respond in kindness and love, forgiving those that have wronged me and showing mercy and humility to those in need, what good are my professions of that same faith?

I must always strive to reflect God’s glory, because I never know who might be looking in the mirror. “Preach the gospel always, If necessary use words.” – St. Francis of Assisi

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Today’s Quote is shared by:  Michelle S. Lazurek.   She has been a pastor’s wife for over ten years. Whether it is writing counseling material, planning and speaking at women’s retreats and events or blogging about tips for writers on the go, Michelle considers it a privilege to, as Scripture dictates, to “spur one another on towards love and good deeds.”  She is the author of Becoming the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved.  You can connect with Michelle on Twitter @mslazurek, on Facebook or join the community of subscribers at The Writer’s Tapestry:Where Writing and Life Intertwine.

It’s so easy for us women to get caught up in the multi-tasking of our daily lives; work, the kids, preparing meals, the grocery shopping, etc. that we often times neglect the most important blessings in our lives…

…our husbands.

Yes, I know sometimes we do not view them as ‘blessings’ ladies, but this is God’s design for our marriages; to view one another as blessings. I am the first to admit that I am not always the ‘blessing’ to my husband that God has called me to be.

Hebrews 13:4 talks about marriage being an “honor among all.”  It’s an ‘honor‘ to have a marriage. It’s a blessing to have a good one. So, how do we have a good one?  In a culture where marriage (especially Christian marriage) is under attack?

It starts with us. You and me. It starts today. This hour.

No matter what shape our marriage is in, we have the power to make it a good one.

We need to ‘check in’ with ourselves periodically and ask if we are making our husbands the priority that they are. Are we being a ‘blessing’ to them as God has designed us to be? Nobody is perfect. We are two imperfect people coming together – day in day out – raising a family, paying a mortgage, dealing with kids and homework, finances, romance issues – the list goes on and on. But the truth is, our marriage can withstand everything that life throws at us.

How do we do this? How do we keep the fire burning within our marriages to make our marriages as sweet as they can be? I have listed a few of my favorites tips below. I want to work hard at being a blessing to my man. I love him deeply and want to stay in love. Is he a perfect man? No man is. But he is my man.

In a culture where marriage is under attack on so many levels, I will not go down without a fight. Are you with me ladies?

1. Pray for him daily. Pray he has small blessings in his life to make his day a bit brighter. Text him and tell him you are praying for him.
2. When he gets home from work, give him time to unwind. Don’t bombard him with the daily stresses. (Timing is everything in this case).
3. Give him special time too, date nights are important.
4. When you are on a date night together, don’t bring up stressful issues – this is the ‘kiss of death ‘. date nights are for romance and fun.
5. Don’t nag.
6. Inspire him to keep his hobbies. Allow him time to have them.
7. Let go of the small stuff.
8. Keep laughter a priority in your home.
9. Express how much you appreciate him for working so hard to support your family.
10. Romantically kiss him every day. (I am not talking a peck here ladies, knock his socks off with a long, romantic kiss every single day).

This little list is something I wrote up after asking my husband his top 10 ‘wife requests’ – yes, ‘wife requests’. I loved being able to hear what makes him tick. I may not follow my own advice as often as I know I should, but I try to. It’s important to take the time to ask our guys what it is that makes them happy, and then…

…simply do it.

Life is too short too precious to spend it unhappily. Our marriages could be wonderful. It all starts with us ladies. Let’s inspire one another to be the best version of ourselves in the eyes of our husbands.

Do you have tips to share? What makes your husband tick? Share your comment here, I would LOVE to know…

Photo Credit:  gen_dwyer

“Grace, that’s what we say before we eat.” My youngest son said when we started talking about this virtue today over waffles and eggs.

Yes, it is a short prayer recited before or after a meal to invoke a blessing upon the food or give thanks for it.  BUT…that’s not what we are talking about here.

We are talking about the free and unmerited favor of God shown towards man…

…GRACE

It doesn’t surprise me that we are talking about grace the day after salvation.

We are saved. by. grace.

To comprehend and wrap our arms around this extremely valuable, priceless gift  that we do. not. deserve. we must be intentional in learning more about God’s character.

Personally, I did not understand the significance of grace and what it meant for me in my life and through me …until a couple of years ago.  I lived the majority of my life carrying around loads of shame, guilt, and condemnation.  Salvation and Grace offer us FREEDOM — growing in grace allows us to receive that freedom and extend grace to others.

What does it mean to G R O W in grace?  I believe it is…

1. learning more of what God wants through His Word.
2. being able to do more of what God wants.
3. living more of the love of God.

As we grow in grace and knowledge the evidence will be an increase of faith, knowledge of God, and the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

How does God help us G R O W in grace?  I believe there are many ways, through…

1. our life experiences, trials
2. His Word and devotionals
3. connecting with others
4. service and worship

We are just beginning this journey through these virtues and I can already see, there is just as much in this for ME as there is for me praying for my children.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Father, may I continue to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, along with my children. Amen.

For a FREE printable version of 31 Biblical Virtues graphic go here
On Pinterest? Follow the board created here — and “pin” this page! =)

If you are joining us on this journey and you haven’t already joined the Keeping it Personal Daily KIP e-mail list, go HERE  and sign up — my daily virtue reflection will be emailed to you.

To start at the beginning and see the initial invitation/announcement about this, go HERE

Her and I talk frequently about parenting, how to be better moms, how to deal/cope/handle the different personalities of our precious-little-nuggets — SO, of course the piece of paper looked to be something worth taking action on…praying specific Biblical virtues for our children.

Admittedly, I folded the piece of paper in half, tucked it into my Bible and didn’t look at it again…

…UNTIL a week ago.

You see, my same sweet friend that gave me that piece of paper, last week shared with me that she had dusted off her piece of paper and stated to talk with her 3 kids {ages 3-7}, every morning at breakfast, about these virtues.

She told me that some of the virtues they don’t really understand, but others they do — she also shared that she’s seeing fruit as a result of their daily discussions as they are interacting with others they come in contact with.

This encouraged me and fueled me to do something too!

SO…here’s what I’m up to –> Starting March 1st — I will unpack a “virtue” a day…sharing my reflection here, on this website {the 31 days in March}, and discuss the daily virtue with my two little nuggets.

Do you want to JOIN me?

There is…P O W E R…in prayer.

Let’s pray these Biblical virtues, these scriptures, into the lives of our nuggets.  If it’s appropriate and doable, lets create awareness in our children’s lives by talking with them openly about these virtues.

I had my amazingly talented graphic designer Sue create this picture for us to make it easy to follow along…

Whether your children are young or old, whether you’re expecting or hope to be expecting, whether the children in your life are biologically yours, adopted, step, or they are just precious to you — you can join in and pray for them!!

Are YOU IN?

Will YOU journey with me and watch how God shows up as we seek Him and believe in Him for our children?

IF so, let me know by leaving a comment below.  And, if you haven’t already joined the Keeping it Personal Daily KIP e-mail list, go HERE  and sign up — my daily virtue reflection will be emailed to you.

“Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” – Chuck Swindoll

For a FREE printable version of this graphic go here
On Pinterest? Follow the board created here — and “pin” this page! =)

* These 31 virtues were written by Bob Hostetler and published by NavPress to learn more about the author go to his website, follow him on twitter, or connect with him on facebook.  They also offer prayer cards to purchase, you can find them here.

(If you received this post via email, be sure to click here to watch the video.)

This is week 4 — the final week of unpacking 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 — here we are with verse 7…

“L O V E –> always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

SERIOUSLY?!?!  A L W A Y S <– that is a tall order!  I am unequipped. period. to love like that!

BUT what I’ve discovered through unpacking this popular scripture is that. there. is. hope.

As I draw near to God, as I grow in my relationship with Him, as I get to know Him and His character, He will equip me to love how He loves.  God IS LOVE!

He demonstrates His love to me every day — He is patient and kind.  He keeps no records of wrongs.  He does not delight in evil.  He rejoices with the truth.  His character shows me how to love — with Him living in me, through Christ and the Holy Spirit — I will grow in this area, I can love as He loves.  I will never be perfect, I will ALWAYS make mistakes, but because He extends this beautiful definition of love to me, I can pick up right where I am at and press on…I desire to love bigger.  love better.  love like that!

How about you?  Have you been on this “love” journey with me?  What does this last verse mean to you?  How will you grow in love?

Week 1: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
Week 2: “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
Week 3:  “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
{IF you missed my video/reflection on either of those, you can find them here –> Week 1, Week 2, Week 3}

Photo Credit:  yourfuturemd.tumblr.com

(If you received this post via email, be sure to click here to watch the video.)

I’m on week 3 unpacking L O V E through 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Week 1: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

Week 2: “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

{IF you missed my video/reflection on either of those, you can find them here –> Week 1 and Week 2}

This week, verse 6, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

Delight means to find pleasure, enjoyment or happiness in.  It means satisfaction or contentment.

Evil is sinful or immoral things.  It can be crazy anger, corrupt, harmful, bad, spiteful, wrong, hateful, wicked.

Love does not delight in evil, BUT rejoices…is very happy about, celebrates and finds joy in things that are valid, authentic, accurate, reality.

What does this passage mean to you?  Are you “delighting” in evil?  Think about this…what thoughts run through your mind when something goes wrong in the lives of those who have harmed you?  Do you ever secretly or openly say things like, “I hope they get what they deserve” — we are called to love our enemies, how are you doing in that area?

Loving like 1 Corinthians 13:6 is to genuinely rejoice and celebrate with others in their victories and genuinely grieve and mourn with others in their struggles.  Are you loving like that?

Photo Credit: Karlstrom Photography

I spoke at our church’s marriage retreat last year. My topic: Personalities in Marriage…

…I know about this all too well.

You know the saying, “Opposites attract.” I totally agree with that statement. However, I can also add, “Opposites attack.” Yes, there is only a slight difference in the words attract and attack, but a huge difference in results. So, what say ye?

I will speak from my own experience. My husband and I are complete opposites. I know that some of those differences are what attracted us to each other in our dating days. But those same differences have proved to be both challenging and rewarding for the last TWENTY years!

Differences like:

He likes adventure. I like comfort.

His favorite TV shows are Storage Wars and Swamp People. My faves include House Hunters and The Next Food Network Star.

In the morning, he whistles and sings. In the morning, I bristle and swear. (Not really, but almost.)

For fun, he likes to ride four wheelers, hunt, and fish. By himself. I like to ride in air-conditioned vehicles, shop, and chat. With others. Lots of others.

His bedtime is whenever he lays horizontal on our living room couch. (Could be 7:30pm!) My bedtime is whenever I tell him to move from the couch to the bed.

His favorite meal requires meat. My favorite meal requires dessert.

He is organized, detailed, and tedious. I am. NOT.

When we have a sitter, he wants to stay at home and eat in. I want to go to a restaurant and eat out.

He rolls his toilet paper over the top, I am lucky to remember to make sure I have toilet paper.

Different as night and day.

But I had a friend tell me at the marriage retreat last year something I will never forget: When night and day meet, God makes something beautiful happen. Sunrise or sunset. Either way, it is beautiful.

I so agree. Though we may have many differences, my hubby and I seek to make each other happy. We put each other first. God has used our differences to help us understand sacrifice, selflessness, and compromise. God can actually use our spouse to deliver us from ourselves and our selfishness!

What does that mean?
I end up watching Swamp People at least twice a week on the DVR. He takes me shopping and to a fancy restaurant for our anniversary. And we have lots of steak…and creme brûlée.

“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.” 1 Corinthians 13: 3 – 7 (MSG)

Photo Credit:  Samuel_Leo

I’m talking about LOVE…what it IS and what it is NOT.  Last week, I started to unpack 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 starting with, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”  If you missed that, you can click here to check it out.

This week?  Oh my goodness, slap. my. face. I’ve got some work to do in the L O V E category.  Here’s what LOVE is NOT, “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

…O U C H

I’m giving myself grace, yes I am.  I’m grateful for this awareness and the opportunity to look at how I can love better. love bigger.

I can be rude. selfish. angry.  I can keep records of wrongs. {I’m really good at doing that with some, unfortunately it’s with those closest to me.}

What I’m realizing is this, my wounds prevent me from loving like “that” — like 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 — when I’m un-loving, that’s my sign, my prompting to  shine a light into my heart and uncover what’s going on with me.

How are you doing with what love. is. not?  Are you loving like 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 — what action can you take to move towards loving like that?

L O V E <— how are you doing with this in your life…loving?

Each week in February I’m going to talk about…

L O V E

I know it’s a little “cliche”  to be talking about this in the month of February, but stick with me as I unpack the most commonly sited scripture verse in weddings…

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

This week I challenge you to think about verse 4: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Are you patient?  Are you kind?  Are you envious? boastful? proud?

Looking in the mirror I know there is work that needs to be done in my life…

Patience?  This “fruit-of-the-spirit” –long-suffering– isn’t always present.

Kind?  There are times I say things to people I “love” that are NOT kind.  Most often it’s my words that are not kind {sometimes, the look on my face, or rolling my eyes can reveal this too!}

Envious?  This is one area of my life, thankfully, that I’m genuinely doing good at.  I am authentically happy and excited for others.  I rejoice with others in their successes and want the best for all.

Boastful?  Reflecting on this one…my desire is to share life with others, celebrate victories and exciting life happenings — not to brag, be arrogant, snotty, or egotistical.

Proud?  I bring this one to God in prayer often.  My desire is it to be humble, but I am aware that pride can sneak in when we least expect it.  I know that I. am. nothing. without God and everything with Him and because. of. Him.

That’s my honest look in the mirror as I reflect upon what L O V E is…

What does this look like in YOUR life?

Photo Credit:   Freeman Mester

I have written this beginning no less than 7 times.

The words have weighed on my heart and rattled around in my brain, but for some reason, they just don’t want to sit on this screen and communicate my heart.

You see, I’m a perfectionist. At least, that’s what I always thought.

‘Perfectionism’ has been my excuse. It became my scapegoat long ago, giving me a defense, a pardon, for my scrutiny and toiling, my procrastination and avoidance. When I lacked inspiration and just. couldn’t. get. it. right, perfectionism wore the blame.

…if I couldn’t do it well, I didn’t do it at all.

After all, shouldn’t a perfectionist deliver stunning results? Have something to show for all of that time spent planning, preparing, practicing, producing? In that wastebasket full of wadded up efforts, shouldn’t there be at least one bestseller, a master-piece of me?

It’s not that I’ve wanted to be perfect — I’ve always known that what I do … who I am … is far from perfect. It hasn’t even been about being the best.

I think what I have finally come to realize, is that perfectionism, at least for me, is far more about significance and meaning. I want to do something that matters.

Something that matters!

I want my life, my efforts, all of me to count for something.

Do you ever feel that way?

Friend, you do matter. In fact, you matter far more than you think. Not only are you a daughter of the King, God has gifted you and called you. He has put desires and dreams in your heart. For most of us, we have let distractions, busyness, good intentions, and worries mute the cry of our hearts and bury those God-given dreams. But they are there. Find them. Ask Him to open your eyes and soften your heart, that you might know His calling for you.

And as those dreams come alive again, trust Him. Follow Him. Obey His calling.

Maybe it’s true…

…maybe perfectionism is part of my nature, maybe it’s part of yours.

But either way, that label, that excuse, can no longer bear the blame. For it’s not perfectionism that stops us, that holds us back. It’s fear. Far too often, fear is the dictator of our lives.

And that’s not how we were called to live. He came,“to enable us to serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days!” (Luke 1:74)

“Through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set [us] free! … [We] did not receive a spirit that makes [us] slave[s] to fear!” — Romans 8:2, 15

May we walk in that freedom, abiding in Christ Jesus’, perfect Love who drives out all fear! (1 John 4:18)

Have you ever let fear hold you back from pursuing God’s call on your life?

Photo Credit:  Dawn Camp