Category: Prayer

• Are You Invisible or Transparent in Life and Marriage?

  

  Over the years, I’ve discovered just how important being transparent is to the health of my life and marriage. Sadly, in our day and time, transparency has been replaced with either pretentious posturing or defensive dodging. I’d like to refer to pretentious posturing AND defensive dodging as actually choosing to be “invisible.” People who react…

  BethSteffaniak

  August 5, 2018

  Acceptance, Authenticity, Bonding, Christ-Centered, Communication, Confession, Connection, Humility, Insecurity, Love of God, Marriage, Openness, Prayer, Self-Protection, Truth, Vulnerability

  Deception, Honesty, Image Management, Prayer, Transparency, Truth, Vulnerability

• 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

• 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

• How Being Broken in Your Marriage is a Good Thing!

  

  Ever ignore something that is or might be broken in your life or marriage? It can be scary and intimidating to face this harsh reality. I know, because I did so with one of my my sons and also with my marriage to its detriment. Years ago, my two oldest sons were enjoying a fun…

  BethSteffaniak

  June 24, 2018

  Accountability, Attitude, Bad Habits, Brokenness, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Confession, Denial, Discouragement, Emotions, Entitlement, Expectations, Failure, God’s Redemption, Grace, Laziness, Lust, Marriage, Marriage Mistakes, Perfectionism, Positive Focus, Prayer, Pride, Redemption, Responsibility, Self-Reflection, Self-sacrifice, Spiritual Practices, Surrender

  Broken, Brokenness, Confession, Entitled, Laziness, Lust, Perfectionism, Perfectionist, Prayer, Self-deceived, Self-Righteous

• 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

• The Unfair Task to Avoid Lust and Attraction to Others

  

  When I first got married I was under the mistaken notion that I would never feel attracted to anyone other than my husband. I was, after all, deeply in love and thought that “love was all I needed” to fight back any desires, urges or attractions to others. This made me a prime target for…

  BethSteffaniak

  June 3, 2018

  About Me, Accountability, Affairs, Alienation, Attraction, Bad Habits, Betrayal, Bonding, Boundaries, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Commitment, Contentment, Desires, Discouragement, Emotions, Encouragement, Faith in God, Infatuation, Love for God, Lust, Marriage, Positive Focus, Prayer, Resentments, Self-Reflection, Self-sacrifice, Sex & Sexuality, Sex/Porn Addiction, Spiritual Practices, Unfair Realities in Marriage

  Accountability, Attraction, Boundaries, Desire, Faithful, Guard Heart, Guard Marriage, Love of God, Lust, Prayer, Unfair Realities

• The Unfair Task of Holding in Your Personal Truth in Marriage

  

  Did you know my husband is an open book with a transparent cover and see-through pages?! I always know exactly where I stand with him at just about every moment of our marriage. This can be a good thing most of the time. I’m grateful for his openness and willingness to clear the air. But…

  BethSteffaniak

  May 20, 2018

  Acceptance, Anger, Attitude, Authenticity, Blaming, Boundaries, Christ-Centered, Communication, Confession, Conflict, Confrontation, Connection, Criticism, Discouragement, Emotions, Empathy, Encouragement, Grace, Listening Skills, Marriage, Openness, Pain, Patience, Positive Focus, Prayer, Realistic Expectations, Relief, Respect, Safety, Self-Protection, Self-sacrifice, Spiritual Practices, Support, Truth, Unfair Realities in Marriage

  Boundaries, Communication, Discretion, Hold Tongue, Kindness, Listen, Openness, Respect, Sensitivity, Timing, Truth, Understanding

• The Unfair Task of Praying for Your Marriage Even If It Feels Passive

  

  We all have heard the phrase, “Well, if all else fails, at least we can pray about it!” It’s like you’ve tried everything else to get your marriage back on track and nothing has worked. So, I guess it’s time to get busy praying! 😉 Well, yes and no. It is time to pray. But it…

  BethSteffaniak

  May 13, 2018

  Acceptance, Accountability, Alienation, Anger, Apologies, Attitude, Choices, Christ-Centered, Conflict, Discouragement, Encouragement, Faith in God, Marriage, Marriage Mistakes, Positive Focus, Prayer, Priorities, Proactive, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Practices, Surrender, Unfair Realities in Marriage

  Conflict, Encouragement, Faith in God, Healing, Marriage Prayer, Peace, Prayer, Unity

• The Unfair Task of Accepting Your Mate’s Aging Body

  

  I’m no fool. The reflection in my mirror clearly reveals to me just what age I am. And I’d be crazy to think I could keep my weight the same as the day I walked the aisle. Not only that, but I’d be in for the biggest inferiority complex ever, if I thought I my…

  BethSteffaniak

  May 6, 2018

  Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Attitude, Attraction, Bonding, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Commitment, Connection, Contentment, Desires, Discouragement, Encouragement, Expectations, Faith in God, Love, Love for God, Love of God, Marriage, Negative Self-Talk, Perfectionism, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Realistic Expectations, Spiritual Practices, Unfair Realities in Marriage

  Acceptance, Aging, Aging Body, Aging Face, Attraction, Changing Body, Love, Love for God, Love of God, Marriage

• Unfair Task of Forgiving an Unapologetic Spouse

  

  Back in the early days of my marriage, I would shut down emotionally whenever my husband did or said something to hurt my feelings. And I wouldn’t open up to him or forgive him until he apologized. This was one of the stupidest moves I made back in the day! It fueled even greater conflict…

  BethSteffaniak

  April 15, 2018

  Acceptance, Alienation, Anger, Apologies, Blaming, Christ-Centered, Confession, Conflict, Confrontation, Forgiveness, Grace, Humility, Jesus’ Sacrifice, Marriage, Negative Self-Talk, Positive Focus, Prayer, Resentments, Responsibility, Self-awareness, Self-Reflection, Self-sacrifice, Unfair Realities in Marriage, Vulnerability, Wounds

  Acceptance, Anger, Apologize, Bible, Encouragement, Forgive, Forgiveness, Scripture, Unapologetic, Unfair, Unfair Realities