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Thankful Thursday ~ My Husband Is the Best

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
(Ephesians 5:33 ESV)

Love and respect go together in marriage, just as much as ham and cheese go together on a sandwich. I know, not a great analogy, but I know you get the point.

My husband is the BEST – at least for me he is. You see, in the early years of our marriage I had a little issue with the respect part. I think that love comes really easy for us women, but we have to admit that we sometimes (at least it is true for me), we lack true respect.

My beloved never has been the romantic type; well maybe when we were dating. I sometimes envied (I know bad word – but the truth) women who had a romantic husband. When they received flowers at work on Valentines Day, birthday, or anniversaries. But then again, these might have been ‘young’ relationships; I do not know.

But let me tell you, my husband is the most romantic guy; it just took years for me to realize (yes, sometimes I am a slow learner). Honestly, my husband has never forgotten our anniversary; not once in 30 years. And every year on our anniversary I get red roses (one for each year married). Mark also has never forgotten my birthday.

Lets take last weekend as an example. Imaging USA took place in Phoenix over the weekend. You have to understand, although we both are photographers, we have two different genres. My husband loves/enjoys to photograph architecture; I am on the other hand are a portrait photographer. Imaging USA was totally geared toward portrait photography. But my husband went with me, because I wanted to go. For me, this is being romantic :)…

I know that we all see ‘romance’ a little different, but I think spending time together and doing things you husband/wife likes doing, that is romance. Period!

What are you thankful for this week? Please do share with us by leaving a link to your Thankful Thursday post below.

Thank you for stopping by today. Remember: spend time with your spouse this week; put your plans on the back-burner an do things your spouse enjoys.

Love & peace,
Iris

PS: Thankful Thursday is about being thankful and not linking up to promote your blog posts via the widget below. I have deleted the links that were not for Thankful Thursday. Thank you for understanding.

Thankful Thursday Participants

1. Miriam Pauline
2. LongingsEnd/Kitchen kisses and how not to have sex
3. Just As I Am		 4. Daily Journey
5. Can anger be righteous?
6. Biology or disobedience?		 7. Bible Soap Operas & Novellas
8. Bp
9. Pamela at the Songs on the Way

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Monday Morning Minute ~ “I do” – 30 Years Ago

Monday Morning Minute

30 Years Ago

Yes, I said “I Do” 30 years ago this very day. May 20th, 1983 my beloved and I got married. Looking at this picture, I said to my hubby “What Baby-Faces”. He had to laugh too and said – “30 Years ago is ancient, they did not even have internet back then.” Goodness, how did we communicate back then? I guess the old fashioned way; by letter or regular land-line phones. No texting, no Facebook, no email. Oh, and my beloved and I didn’t even own a car back then. Ha, times have changed, haven’t they?

Has our marriage been smooth sailing? Oh goodness, no!!! There were bumpy roads, sweat, blood and tears. There were a couple times I wanted to call it quits. But God had other plans; we are still together, even though some of our old friends gave us only a couple of years. The funny thing is that those old friends are no longer married.

Marriage is hard work; it takes commitment and honesty with each other. But the most important thing in a marriage is that God leads. You have two sinful beings that want to do things their own way. But that does not work in marriage; or any kind of relationship. You have to make concessions, and you have to be unselfish. It really boils down to this verse:

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
(Ephesians 5:33 ESV)

Love & Respect in a marriage is the most powerful thing. Years ago, I read the book “Love & Respect” written by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Believe me when I tell you that this book has changed my way of thinking and our marriage. The book is one of the best resources that you can use to either save your marriage or make it better. Yes, marriage is hard work, but I tell you that after 30 years, it is very much worth it.

Lord of mercy and grace. This morning I want to thank You for Your guidance in our marriage. Lord, I ask that You continue to bless this marriage as You have over the past 30 years. Help us to stay together, for better or worse, healthy or sick, for richer or poorer. You are the source of our strength in this marriage. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Love & peace,
Iris

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Thankful Thursday ~ Attitude

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:16-17 ESV)

How we approach chores, work, marriage, or raising children, is all about our attitude we have toward these things. At least that is my humble opinion.

I used to grumble about certain things (especially when it came to fixing meals). But God has used Colossians 3 to change my attitude. And I am very thankful for that change. Fixing meals for my beloved has become actual joy. Yes, you read right – joy. And may I add pleasure.

You see, I always sought serving others; outside the home. But in all honesty, home should be our first point of service. I just had it all backwards 🙁 …Much has changed over the past year in my home. Sure, I still work full time, but my ministry has become inside my home. The attitude adjustment has done me and my marriage well.

What are you thankful for this week? Please share with us by leaving a link to your Thankful Thursday post below.

Thank you for stopping by today. Remember: ministry is not always outside the home.

Love & peace,
Iris

Thankful Thursday Participants

1. It Feels Like Chaos
2. Pamela of the Songs of the Way
3. Kate@ Teaching What Is Good
4. You don’t get a Vote
5. Availability vs. Self Centeredness
6. Community can heal community
7. The Homemaker’s Prayer (FREE PRINTABLE
8. Chelle-A lesson in prayer		 9. Jess @ Homestead For Him
10. Kathleen – Are You Offended?
11. He Satisfies
12. On My Heart
13. LaughingLady
14. The Secret to an Unshakeable Faith
15. Tiffany
16. bp		 17. Garden Tenders/Kim
18. becky aka theRAV
19. Enjoying Life
20. He Who Is in Me Is Greater
21. Maryann
22. “Honey”: How we are homeschooling for almost free

Learn more about Thankful Thursday here.

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Thankful Thursday ~ Road to Recovery

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.
(Psalm 7:17 ESV)

I had shared that my husband had been very sick for a very long time. In April he finally went to see the doctor. The picture to your left is a month after he got out of the hospital; very skinny…He lost over 50lbs in about a month. It was very sad to see him sick like this. He had no energy left; it was hard for my beloved to stop what he loved to do – photography.

Although he has still ways to go to get his energy back, we are now back to what we both like to do: photography. Sure it hot right now, but we go out for little bit each weekend. Not only is it good for him to walk a little each day, but it makes him happy to photograph again.

I have to say that without the Lord’s Word of encouragement during this time, I would have not held up as good as I did. It was so disheartening to see my husband so exhausted, skinny. I was afraid to loose him. But I knew that God still has plans for him, so I trusted the Lord to get us through this.

I am also very thankful that my husband found his sense of humor again. This past weekend I realized how much I had missed it. It is so great to laugh again – laugh out loud and tears of joy running down my face!

Lord, thank You for Your love, grace and mercy. Without Your strength and Word I would have not made it through the past months on the road to recovery. I am thankful that You have given us another chance. A chance to see the love my husband and I have for each other. I continue to trust in Your guidance. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen

What are you thankful for this week? Please do share with us by leaving a link to your Thankful Thursday post below.

Thank you for stopping by today. Remember: tell the people in your life how precious they are to you before it is too late.

Love & peace,
Iris

Thankful Thursday Participants

1. What do midwives, chickfila and cakes have in common?
2. Trying….
3. Delightful Encounter
4. Snow Cones and Thunderstorms
5. There’s Just One Mommy -linky
6. Melanie @ M&M
7. Got Enemies?
8. Laurie @ Women Taking a Stand		 9. Deidra M. @ The Middle
10. Triplets of Praise: How to Worship
11. bp
12. Sarah – Inspiration-Driven Life
13. Daily Journey
14. Christian Gone Mute? An internet epidemic
15. Heather @ Servant, Wife, Mother
16. This Is Why He Waits		 17. Grace Centered Politics
18. The Ringleaders @Jen’s Life Between
19. Angie- What I’m Not
20. Garden Tenders: I Give Thanks
21. Sherry
22. Ms. Kathleen – Purity: Our Daughters!
23. True Hope and a Future

Learn more about Thankful Thursday here.

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