Category: Perspective

• 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

• How Can I Honor My Spouse When He Asks Me to Sin?

  

  Recently, I shared a post on how I choose to submit to my husband. My article prompted one reader to ask me to write on how to honor our husband’s, even when they ask us to sin. That’s quite the challenging maze to successfully navigate through to the other side! But it’s so very important…

  BethSteffaniak

  December 2, 2018

  Abuse, Accountability, Anger, Attitude, Authenticity, Blaming, Boundaries, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Communication, Conflict, Confrontation, Deception, Expectations, Faith in God, Grace, Marriage, Negotiation, Openness, Patience, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Respect, Responsibility, Self-awareness, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Submission, Surrender, Truth

  Accountability, Bible, Guard Heart, Guard Marriage, Honor Spouse, Prayer, Respect Spouse, Sin of Spouse, Spiritual Encouragement, Spiritual Practices, Submit to Spouse

• 3 Ways to Fix Broken Communication in Marriage

  

  Today, I’m honored to offer one more post in my “Lessons Learned in Marriage Series”—this time on communication by guest blogger Crystal Twaddell. I hope you’ll read Crystal’s insights to find out how to navigate this challenge in marriage better. And be sure to check out her bio below, as well as supporting her with your…

  BethSteffaniak

  November 25, 2018

  Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Attitude, Avoidance, Boundaries, Christ-Centered, Communication, Confession, Conflict, Connection, Conversation, Counseling, Differences, Discouragement, Emotions, Empathy, Encouragement, Forgiveness, Grace, Lessons Learned in Marriage, Listening Skills, Marriage, Negative Self-Talk, Openness, Pain, Perspective, Positive Focus, Proactive, Resentments, Self-awareness, Self-Reflection, Toxic Baggage, Unity, Validation

  Communication, Counseling, Emotions, Filters, Grace in Marriage, Listening Skills, Openness, Processing Pain

• 4 Reasons to Make Love Even When Angry at Your Husband

  

  It was the eve of our one-year wedding anniversary, and my husband and I had one of our biggest fights. We went to bed angry. Rather, he went to bed, and I went to the couch. I wept through most of the night, mourning the death of the marriage of my dreams. Sprawled on the…

  BethSteffaniak

  October 14, 2018

  Acceptance, Affection, Alienation, Anger, Attitude, Avoidance, Bonding, Choices, Christ-Centered, Commitment, Conflict, Connection, Desires, Differences, Discouragement, Encouragement, Expectations, Faith in God, Gender Differences, God’s Redemption, Intimacy, Lessons Learned in Marriage, Love, Marriage, Newlywed, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Priorities, Redemption, Resentments, Responsibility, Self-awareness, Self-deception, Self-Protection, Self-Reflection, Self-sacrifice, Sex & Sexuality, Sex-Drive, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Surrender, Withdrawal

  Anger, Conflict in Marriage, Love for Mate, Prayer, Sacrifice, Sex in Marriage, Sexual Connection, Sexual Intimacy

• 6 Lessons that Motivate Me to Forgive My Mate

  

  I’ve always struggled to let go of offenses and forgive my husband from the heart. In the moment it feels like God needs my help to point out my spouse’s sin or at least to stop it from happening again. When I give in to that thinking it mushrooms. I feel like I need to…

  BethSteffaniak

  September 23, 2018

  About Me, Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Blaming, Choices, Christ-Centered, Confession, Conflict, Control, Denial, Emotions, Entitlement, Expectations, False Beliefs, Forgiveness, God’s Redemption, Grace, Lessons Learned in Marriage, Marriage, Marriage Mistakes, Negative Self-Talk, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Pride, Realistic Expectations, Resentments, Responsibility, Self-deception, Self-Protection, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Surrender, Victim Mentality, Wounds

  Anger, Bitterness, Christ’s Forgiveness, Forgive, Forgiveness, Realistic Expectations, Redemption, Surrender, Trust in God, Wounds

• 2 Devotionals Offering Encouragement and Relief

  

  Today I want to point you to some encouragement and relief by sharing two devotionals I’ve recently written, which are featured at two inspirational Christian sites. The first devotional starts off by pointing you to see the unseen. An impossible sounding task, I know! But read on to find out how … I’m about to…

  BethSteffaniak

  August 30, 2018

  About Me, Acceptance, Anxiety, Bible Study, Christ-Centered, Discouragement, Encouragement, Faith in God, Fear, Hope, Insecurity, Love of God, Patience, Perseverance, Perspective, Prayer, Relief, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Thankfulness, Trials, Trust

  Anxiety, Faith, Faith in God, Patience, Prayer, Thankfulness, Wait on God

• 7 Ways to Develop Empathy and Gain Insight into Your Mate

  

  Have you ever struggled to truly understand your mate’s feelings—feeling empathy for what he/she is going through? I sure have! 😉  But it’s important to examine this important responsibility from every angle. So, first off …  What exactly is empathy? Empathy is the ability to come alongside someone, and not only understand a person’s point…

  BethSteffaniak

  July 15, 2018

  Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Bonding, Boundaries, Christ-Centered, Codependency, Communication, Connection, Discouragement, Emotions, Empathy, Encouragement, Forgiveness, Listening Skills, Love, Marriage, Pain, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Resentments, Self-Reflection, Toxic Baggage, Validation, Wounds

  Communication, Emotional Wounds, Empathy, Pain, Prayer, Trust God, Understanding

• Feeling the Forgiveness

  

  I’ve talked a lot about forgiveness on this blog over the years, because I’ve learned first hand that it’s what brings calmness out of messy moments in my marriage. So it only makes sense that it should be the foundation of marriage, since forgiveness is the foundation of what Christ did for us in all…

  BethSteffaniak

  July 8, 2018

  Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Blaming, Boundaries, Choices, Christ-Centered, Forgiveness, Grace, Jesus’ Sacrifice, Love of God, Marriage, Perspective, Positive Focus, Resentments, Self-awareness, Self-Reflection, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Truth, Wounds

  Acceptance, Forgiveness, God’s Love, Offended, Offenses, Perspective

• 5 Battle Tools to Help in Hard Moments

  

  I’m excited to have a guest blogger and author, Kelly Balarie, with me today! I’m honored to be on the launch team of her latest book, Battle Ready, that is available starting today, July 3, 2018. (You can find the link to her book on Amazon by clicking on the book cover below.) Kelly offers such…

  BethSteffaniak

  July 3, 2018

  Attitude, Bad Habits, Choices, Christ-Centered, Deception, Discouragement, Encouragement, Faith in God, False Beliefs, Identity, Insecurity, Negative Self-Talk, Perfectionism, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Realistic Expectations, Self-awareness, Self-deception, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare, Truth, Victim Mentality, Wounds

  Faith in God, Fear, Insecurity, Perfectionism, Prayer, Rejection, Satan, Spiritual Tools, Spiritual Warfare

• The Unfair Task of Making God Priority Over Your Mate

  

  Ever find yourself frustrated or even embarrassed by your mate’s devotion to God? Or maybe it’s your own spiritual fervor that your mate feels bothered and/or intimidated by. Maybe you both feel like your marriage is faltering, even though you’ve focused intense energy on each other and your family. So it just doesn’t add up…

  BethSteffaniak

  June 17, 2018

  Acceptance, Alienation, Avoidance, Christ-Centered, Commitment, Conflict, Differences, Discouragement, Expectations, Faith in God, Marriage, Perseverance, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Priorities, Realistic Expectations, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Mismatch, Spiritual Practices, Spiritual Warfare, Spiritually Unequal, Unfair Realities in Marriage, Withdrawal

  Devotion, Devotion to God, Division, Jealousy, Priority, Resentment, Retaliation, Trust God