Category: Encouragement

• Book Review and Giveaway – Doing Life with Your Adult Children

  

  My husband and I now have an empty-nest and are no longer expected to parent our adult children. Correction: we’re no longer “welcome” to parent them! 😉 So what’s an older mom to do? Sign up for senior aerobics? Spend her time at the mall, grieving away her sorrows with purchases-a-plenty? Being a mom is…

  BethSteffaniak

  March 24, 2019

  About Me, Acceptance, Alienation, Boundaries, Change, Choices, Communication, Conflict, Connection, Discouragement, Empty-nest, Encouragement, Expectations, Identity, In-Laws, Marriage, Messy Mom’s and Dad’s, Motherhood, Parenthood, Perseverance, Positive Focus, Realistic Expectations, Respect

  Adult Child, Adult Children, Boundaries, Communication, Empty-nest, Parenting, Respect

• Are You a More Perfectionistic or Realistic Spouse? Take the Quiz!

  

  My husband and I are both perfectionists—meaning we have double trouble when it comes to being realistic in our marriage. No wonder we had a very messy start and still dip into messy moments more often than I’d like to admit! 😉 And maybe, if you’re a perfectionist like us, you chant these words to…

  BethSteffaniak

  March 17, 2019

  Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Apologies, Attitude, Boundaries, Choices, Christ-Centered, Communication, Confession, Conflict, Connection, Criticism, Desires, Discouragement, Encouragement, Expectations, Failure, Faith in God, Forgiveness, Grace, Jesus’ Sacrifice, Love of God, Marriage, Nagging, Patience, Perfectionism, Personality, Positive Focus, Prayer, Realistic Expectations, Resentments, Self-awareness, Self-Reflection, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Spouse I Want to Be Series, Support, Surrender, Unity, Wounds

  Acceptance, Limitations, Love of God, Perfectionism, Perfectionistic Spouse, Realistic Expectations, Realistic Spouse, Trust in God

• Are You More of a Humble Spouse or Insecure Spouse? Take the Quiz!

  

  I’ve always wanted to become and be known as a humble spouse. But for the life of me I can’t seem to grasp this elusive quality. It feels very much like chasing after a butterfly. The more I try to capture it, the faster it flits away beyond my grasp. Part of my problem stems…

  BethSteffaniak

  March 10, 2019

  Acceptance, Anger, Choices, Christ-Centered, Communication, Confession, Control, Encouragement, Entitlement, Expectations, Faith in God, Fear, Forgiveness, Grace, Humility, Insecurity, Jesus’ Sacrifice, Marriage, Negative Self-Talk, Perseverance, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Pride, Resentments, Self-awareness, Self-Reflection, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Spouse I Want to Be Series, Vulnerability

  Bible Verses, Confess to Spouse, Faith in God, Humble Spouse, Humility, Persevere, Perspective, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

• Check out My Book Review and Giveaway of The Marriage Knot!

  

  I’ll be honest. Most marriage books do not hold my interest, unless they point me back to Christ in some form or fashion. So, I’m happy to say that the book I want to review and giveaway today does exactly that! It anchors the reader in the truths of Scripture—challenging us to live out the…

  BethSteffaniak

  March 3, 2019

  Acceptance, Affairs, Affection, Betrayal, Bonding, Book Review, Boundaries, Brokenness, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Communication, Conflict, Confrontation, Counseling, Discouragement, Divorce, Encouragement, Expectations, Faith in God, Forgiveness, Give-Away, God’s Redemption, Intimacy, Love of God, Marriage, Marriage Mistakes, Marriage Spark, Perseverance, Positive Focus, Prayer, Redemption, Self-Reflection, Spiritual Growth, Trauma, Trials

  Affair, Book Review, Faithfulness, God’s Redemption, Gospel-driven Marriage, Infidelity, Love of God, Marriage Mistakes, The Marriage Knot

• 5 Inspiring Examples of Perseverance in the Bible

  

  I’m excited to have Landen Melton as my guest today—offering inspiration from the Bible on how we can persevere like Job, Jeremiah, Apostle Paul, the Persistent Widow and Jesus. What does the word perseverance mean to you? Perhaps you haven’t had to endure a lot of life’s ups and downs. Perseverance might not mean much to…

  BethSteffaniak

  February 28, 2019

  Bible Study, Christ-Centered, Encouragement, Faith in God, God’s Redemption, Jesus’ Sacrifice, Love of God, Marriage, Pain, Perseverance, Positive Focus, Realistic Expectations, Redemption, Self-sacrifice, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Surrender, Trials, Trust

  Devotions, Faith in God, Inspirational Verses, Pain, Perseverance, Scripture, Suffering, Trust God

• 6 Ways to Be a More Compassionate and Forgiving Spouse

  

  Have you ever noticed how hard it is to be compassionate toward your spouse when you’re angry with him or her? It gets even harder when we let our anger turn into bitterness because we’ve chosen not to forgive them. Ironically, keeping this same mindset and practice in place inevitably creates a hard heart as…

  BethSteffaniak

  February 17, 2019

  About Me, Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Blaming, Bonding, Boundaries, Brokenness, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Conflict, Connection, Discouragement, Emotions, Empathy, Encouragement, Faith in God, Forgiveness, Grace, Humility, Jesus’ Sacrifice, Love for God, Love of God, Marriage, Pain, Perfectionism, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Pride, Realistic Expectations, Resentments, Self-Protection, Self-Reflection, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Spouse I Want to Be Series, Vulnerability, Wounds

  Christ’s Forgiveness, Christlike, Compassion, Empathy, Forgiveness, God’s Love, Perspective

• 7 Ways to Become a More Passionate Spouse

  

  If being passionate was on one end of a continuum and being emotionally reserved was on the other, you would find me living at both extremes. However, a true continuum of passion would most likely have passion at one end, and apathy at the other. But that’s not the way I vacillate and vibe! I’m…

  BethSteffaniak

  February 10, 2019

  About Me, Affection, Affirmation, Attitude, Attraction, Bonding, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Communication, Connection, Desires, Emotions, Encouragement, Faith in God, Fear, Intimacy, Listening Skills, Love for God, Love of God, Marriage, Marriage Spark, Passion, Positive Focus, Prayer, Romance, Sex & Sexuality, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Spouse I Want to Be Series

  Active Listening, Affection, Affectionate Spouse, Attentive Spouse, Intimacy, Lovemaking, Passion, Passion in Marriage, Passionate Spouse, Sex

• 6 Ways to Apply God’s Word When Your Spouse Hurts You

  

  God’s word is like a salve that, when applied to the wounds and tension-filled moments we experience in marriage, soothes and heals. But just how do we apply God’s word when hurts come in life and marriage? Consider this day in the life of my marriage … I woke up to my husband’s cheerful greeting…

  BethSteffaniak

  January 19, 2019

  21 Days of Love Series, Acceptance, Affirmation, Anger, Attitude, Bible Study, Bible Study Tools, Blaming, Boundaries, Choices, Christ-Centered, Comfort, Communication, Conflict, Connection, Discouragement, Emotions, Enabling, Encouragement, Expectations, Faith in God, Grace, Love of God, Marriage, Pain, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Proactive, Realistic Expectations, Relief, Resentments, Respect, Responsibility, Self-sacrifice, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Support, Trials, Vulnerability, Wounds

  Acceptance, Affirmation, Apply God’s Word, Bible Verses, Boundaries, God’s Truth, Grace, Marriage Conflicts, Marriage Hurts, Neglect, Spiritual Practices

• 5 Ways to Prayer Journal to Improve Your Attitude and Marriage

  

  I had just finished up loading the dishes into the dishwasher, while listening to worship music and offering up a prayer of joy. Little did I know how quickly my attitude would move from worship to all-out-war! You see, our 5 yo son (who is now 25!) wanted to go out to play in the…

  BethSteffaniak

  January 13, 2019

  21 Days of Love Series, About Me, Alienation, Anger, Attitude, Bible Study, Bible Study Tools, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Conflict, Discouragement, Emotions, Encouragement, Faith in God, Forgiveness, Marriage, Motherhood, Parenthood, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Proactive, Relief, Self-awareness, Self-deception, Self-Reflection, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Truth, Wounds

  Bible Study, God’s Word, Journaling, Perspective, Prayer, Prayer journaling, Processing, Spiritual Growth

• Join 21 Days of Love to Improve Your Marriage!

  

  With the New Year upon us, it’s a great time to resolve to “love” our spouses and the Lord more! Even though it’s easy to let our resolutions slide as time goes on, there’s just something motivating about a fresh start. So if your marriage or life has grown stale, challenging or discouraging (or even…

  BethSteffaniak

  January 6, 2019

  21 Days of Love Series, Accountability, Affection, Attitude, Bible Study, Bible Study Tools, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Commitment, Communication, Connection, Encouragement, Faith in God, Love, Love for God, Love of God, Marriage, Marriage Spark, Positive Focus, Prayer, Priorities, Self-sacrifice, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Trust, Truth

  21 Days of Love, Acts of Love, Bible Study, Bible study habit, Bible Study Method, Bible Study Tools, Love of God, Love of Spouse, Loving Acts, Prayer, Praying for Marriage