WORTHY Bible Studies

How Prayer Improved My Marriage

As you might already know, I’m beginning a new series on how we can “Persevere in the Lord” in our messy marriages and lives. Last week I shared how challenging our faulty thinking is one powerful way to persevere. You can read that post by clicking here. This week (and every week in this series)…

BethSteffaniak

May 8, 2016

About Me, Acceptance, Bonding, Choices, Christ-Centered, Discouragement, Encouragement, Faith in God, Love, Love for God, Love of God, Perseverance, Persevere in the Lord Series, Perspective, Positive Focus, Prayer, Priorities, Proactive, Resentments, Spiritual Practices, Surrender

Encouragement, God’s Love, Perseverance, Perspective, Prayer, Priorities
My Failures, God’s Inroads And WW Linkup!

I’ve been studying in 1st Samuel and God has been bringing to my attention all the times that people either wrongly let pride overtake them or rightly let humility be their response to circumstances. [Tweet “I honestly think God brings to our attention the very things we need! #Ineedhumility”] In fact, humility is one area…

BethSteffaniak

May 3, 2016

About Me, Acceptance, Anger, Attitude, Blaming, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Confession, Conflict, Criticism, Denial, Discouragement, Emotions, False Beliefs, Fear, God’s Redemption, Grace, Humility, Love of God, Mess Makers, My Failures Series, Negative Self-Talk, Perspective, Pride, Self-awareness, Self-deception, Victim Mentality, Wedded Wednesday

Competitiveness, Conflict, God’s Redemption, God’s Refinement, Humility, Perspective, Pride, Sober view
Giving Up on Your Marriage?

I started blogging (another blog) back in Feb. 2009, and have been blogging at Messy Marriage since October 2010, so it feels like quite a long journey in many ways. For the record . . . I’ve wanted to give up on this blogging endeavor many times! I’ve felt like it’s not worth it more…

BethSteffaniak

April 30, 2016

About Me, Anger, Attitude, Blaming, Blogging, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Discouragement, Emotions, Encouragement, Expectations, Faith in God, False Beliefs, God’s Redemption, Love of God, Magical Thinking, Negative Self-Talk, Pain, Patience, Perseverance, Perspective, Proactive, Realistic Expectations, Resentments, Responsibility, Self-awareness, Self-deception, Self-Protection, Trust, Victim Mentality

Change, Discouragement, Divorce, Faith in God, Patience, Perseverence, Seasons
How Grief and Humility Can Set You Free

Early on in my marriage, when we were full-throttle in the messes of our own making, the last thing I wanted to do was admit my part in those messes. And the more I ran from taking responsibility and the more I pointed the finger of blame at my husband for “driving me to make…

BethSteffaniak

April 26, 2016

About Me, Addictions, Anger, Authenticity, Blaming, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Confesional Culture, Confession, Control, Desires, Faith in God, Grace, Grief, Humility, Jesus’ Sacrifice, Marriage, Negative Self-Talk, Pride, Resentments, Responsibility, Resurrect Me Series, Self-awareness, Self-Reflection, Surrender, Truth, Vulnerability, Wedded Wednesday, Workaholic

Addictions, Bad Habits, Confession, Freedom, Grief, Humility, Pride
How to Replace an Addiction or Bad Habit And WW Linkup

Today we are continuing the “Resurrect Me” series by delving into what it means to surrender and replace our addictions and habitual sins. I’ve been using a passage in James as our roadmap throughout this series. So let’s look at what’s next . . . “Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he…

BethSteffaniak

April 19, 2016

Accountability, Addictions, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Commitment, Confession, Denial, Desires, Expectations, Faith in God, Love of God, Marriage, Perseverance, Positive Focus, Prayer, Resurrect Me Series, Self-awareness, Self-deception, Self-Reflection, Spiritual Warfare, Submission, Surrender, Truth, Wedded Wednesday

Addictions, Bad Habits, Change, Commitment, Idolatry, Love of God, Spiritual Warfare, Submission, Temptation
Coming Out as a Christian to Your Unbelieving Spouse

I’m excited to have yet another edition of “Picking Hubby’s Brain” as we endeavor to answer one of the many questions we’ve been given from you our readers/viewers on how to navigate challenges in marriage. This husband’s question deals with “change” and in particular dealing with a drastic change in marriage, moving from atheism to…

BethSteffaniak

April 17, 2016

Acceptance, Attitude, Authenticity, Avoidance, Bonding, Change, Christ-Centered, Communication, Confession, Conflict, Differences, Encouragement, Faith in God, Fear, Love for God, Marriage, Openness, Positive Focus, Respect, Spiritual Mismatch, Truth, Vulnerability

Atheism, Belief Systems, Change, Christianity, Confession, Courage, Faith in God, Fear, Truth, Vulnerability
Call it what it is—Adultery! And WW Linkup

I have a confession to make … I’m an adulterer. 😦 Sadly, I have sins in my life that have moved from a one time offense, to a habit, to a compulsion, to an addiction. I mentioned some of those in my last post that you can read here. In fact, we all need to…

BethSteffaniak

April 12, 2016

About Me, Addictions, Betrayal, Choices, Christ-Centered, Confession, Desires, Faith in God, False Beliefs, Grace, Jesus’ Sacrifice, Love for God, Love of God, Priorities, Resurrect Me Series, Self-deception, Self-Reflection, Surrender, Wedded Wednesday

Addictions, Adultery, Christ’s Bride, Habitual Sin, Idolatry, Surrender, Temptations
When Addiction is Subtle And WW Linkup

Today I want to move forward in our “Resurrect Me” series on the addictions, compulsions and bad habits we ALL have in our lives by focusing on the next verse in our key passage (James 4:1-10), verse 3 … “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may…

BethSteffaniak

April 5, 2016

About Me, Addictions, Choices, Christ-Centered, Comfort, False Beliefs, Pain, Resurrect Me Series, Self-awareness, Self-deception, Self-Reflection, Truth, Wedded Wednesday

Addictions, Bad Habits, Compulsions, Desires, Pain, Pleasure, Suffering
De-stressing My Life

I’m entering a really busy season in my life and that’s saying a lot because I’m always busy! So during the month of April I may be less “present” here than I typically am or would like. But I want you to know that I always read your comments and try to get to the…

BethSteffaniak

April 2, 2016

About Me, Balance, Boundaries, Choices, Christ-Centered, Love of God, Positive Focus, Prayer, Priorities, Realistic Expectations, Rest, Spiritual Practices, Stress, Support

Balance, Busyness, Delegation, Peacemakers, Priorities, Rest, Stress, Support
Resurrect Me from the Pull of My Desires And Linkup

In my new series—Resurrect Me—I want to explore all the ways you and I let addictions, compulsions and bad habits drag us back to the “grave” of our former selves (Rom. 7:22-25). This unbridled and relentless hunger can be especially destructive in marriage—making it so very messy and ugly. There’s an important passage in James…

BethSteffaniak

March 29, 2016

About Me, Addictions, Anger, Attitude, Change, Choices, Christ-Centered, Communication, Conflict, Desires, Emotions, Faith in God, Grace, Humility, Negotiation, Resentments, Respect, Resurrect Me Series, Selfishness, Surrender, Unity, Validation, Wedded Wednesday

Addictions, Anger, Arguing, Bad Habits, Communication, Conflict, Desires, Selfishness