Lose you

When your intentions are pure,

you don't lose anybody,

they lose you.

~Nipsey

Bravest thing

"Pooh, what's the bravest thing you've ever said?" asked Piglet.

"Help" said Pooh.

One day

 God created heaven and earth

in six days

Who's to say He can't

change your life in one.

STAY FAITHFUL

Your potential

 People who repeatedly attack

your confidence and self-esteem

are quite aware of your potential,

even if you are not.

~Wayne Gerard Trotman

Heals himself

 Until a man heals himself, he will

be toxic to every woman who tries

to love him.

Motivation

 When there is no consequence for

poor work ethic, and no reward for

good work ethic, there is no motivation.

Marriage advice

THE BEST MARRIAGE ADVICE EVER

• Choose to love each other even in those moments when you struggle to like each other. Love is a commitment, not a feeling.
• Always answer the phone when your husband/wife is calling and when possible, try to keep your phone off when you're together with your spouse.
• Make time together a priority. Budget for a consistent date night. Time is the "currency of relationships" so consistently invest time in your marriage.
• Surround yourself with friends who will strengthen your marriage and remove yourself from people who may tempt you to compromise your character.
• Make laughter the soundtrack of your marriage. Share moments of joy, and even in the hard times, find reasons to laugh.
• In every argument, remember that there won't be a "winner" and a "loser." You are partners in everything so you'll either win together or lose together. Work together to find a solution.
• Remember that a strong marriage rarely has two strong people at the same time. It's usually a husband and wife taking turns being strong for each other in the moments when the other feels weak. Prioritize what happens in the bedroom. It takes more than sex to make a strong marriage, but it's nearly impossible to build a strong marriage without it!
• Remember that marriage isn't 50-50, divorce is 50-50. Marriage has to be 100-100. It's not splitting everything in half but both partners giving everything they've got!
• Give your best to each other, not your leftovers after you've given your best to everyone else.
• Learn from other people, but don't feel the need to compare your life or your marriage to anyone else's. God's plan for your life is masterfully unique!
• Don't put your marriage on hold while you're raising your kids or else you'll end up with an empty nest and an empty marriage.
• Never keep secrets from each other. Secrecy is the enemy of intimacy.
• Never lie to each other. Lies break trust and trust is the foundation of a strong marriage.
• When you've made a mistake, admit it and humbly seek forgiveness. You should be quick to say, "I was wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
• When your husband/wife breaks your trust, give them your forgiveness instantly which will promote healing and create the opportunity for trust to be rebuilt. You should be quick to say, "I love you. I forgive you. Let's move forward."
• Be patient with each other. Your spouse is always more important than your schedule.
• Model the kind of marriage that will make your sons want to grow up to be good husbands and your daughters want to grow up to be good wives.
• Never talk badly about your spouse to other people or vent about them online. Protect your spouse at all times and in all places.
• Always wear your wedding ring. It will remind you that you're always connected to your spouse and it will remind the rest of the world that you're off limits!
• Connect into a community of faith. A good church can make a world of difference in your marriage and family.
• Pray together. Every marriage is stronger with God in the middle of it.
• When you have to choose between saying nothing or saying something mean to your spouse, say nothing every time!
• Never consider annulment as an option. Remember that a "perfect marriage" is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other.

Current trouble

How is God using this current trouble?

1. To test the strength of our faith.
2. To humble us.
3. To wean us from earthly things.
4. To call us to heavenly hope.
5. To reveal what we truly love.
6. To help others in trial.
7. To bring himself glory.

~John MacArthur

Nothing whatever

 Nothing whatever, whether

great or small, can happen to a

believer without God's ordering

and permission. There is no such

thing as "chance," "luck" or

"accident" in the Christian's

journey through this world. All

is arranged and appointed by

God, and all things are "working

together" for the believer's 

good.

~J.C. Ryle

(Side note: For some reason, I have a hard time wrapping my head around this. It's both comforting to know that nothing happens without God's involvement but also terrifying at the same time)

Entitled

 There isn't a single person

on this planet who is

entitled to treat you badly.

Remember that.

Defeated me

 From Philosophy Insights

I traded my borders to fill all of your pain into my life. I gave up my peace to calm your chaos. I forgot my worth, so you didn't have to change. I forfeited the right to feel my pain, because it was too much for you to carry. I erased the idea of being loved because you said you're incapable. I stopped questioning because answering wasn't worth your effort. I surrendered my fight to be understood because you defeated me before understanding me.

~ANANYOMOUS

-- A. Starr (?)

Alone

 It's beautiful to be alone.

To be alone does not

mean to be lonely.

It means the mind is not 

influenced and contaminated

by society.

~J Krishnamurti

A means

 People who cannot love other

people, start loving money because

money is a means to possess things.

~Osho

Because of you

You took her heart,

ruined her trust, and

tainted her views on love.

I am not saying that you are fully 

responsible,

because she must learn to get up on her

own strength,

but her knees are weak because of you.

Not because you swept her off her feet

but because you pushed her to fall into

the worst kinds of things.

Don't underestimate

 Ruth in the Bible went

from gleaning in the field 

to owning the field. Don't

underestimate how fast

God can turn things 

around.

Better

 Risking is better than regretting

Perspective

By Randy Alcorn

Prosperity theology claims that God's love causes Him to withhold suffering from His children. The Bible, on the other hand, insists that God's love empowers His children to live gracefully and gratefully with their suffering. We do not testify to the world that we suffer less; we testify that God empowers us to face suffering with perspective. "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as  you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." (1 Peter 4:12-13).

We do not testify to the world

that we suffer less; we testify that

God empowers us to face

suffering with  perspective.

Sabotage

 A man can meet an absolutely perfect

lover who is ready to go the distance

with him. Yet no matter how head-over-

heels in love they are together, if he has

not gone the distance for himself by 

facing his shadow and healing his

wounds, he will inevitably sabotage their

relationship.

Then?

When she brings it up once...you say

she's complaining.

When she brings it up twice...you say

she's nagging.

When she cries about it...

you say she's being too sensitive.

My good friend, let me ask you this:

When she leaves, what will she be then? 

Enough

 There's a time to be a nice

person and there's a time to

say enough is enough.

~TheOldWords

imagine

imagine being loved

the way you love.

~s.colinson

I pray

 I pray because I believe

in the power of prayer.

I pray because I have no

doubt that God has answered

my prayers. I pray because

God allowed me to wake up

to see another day. No

matter what others think

or say, I will pray.

Positive people

Positive people

are not ignoring

the darkness of this world

they have dragged themselves

painfully

into the light

and are choosing

to share it

with you.

~Donna Ashworth

Grown man

A woman should never be

struggling financially, spiritually,

insecurely or emotionally with a 

grown man laying next to her.

Take note

From A Woman's Soul

Men, take note...

When a woman stops getting jealous, stops questioning, doesn't text first, seems unconcerned about your actions, or no longer asks about the other women in your life, accepting everything with an "its okay" or "I'm not upset", just know that last tear has dropped and she no longer cares what happens.

A woman does not make noise when she's leaving you.

She made noise before when she wanted to stay, but you didn't listen.