Don’t miss two great posts by Jess over at Making Home: Intimacy is a Step (on a One-Way Street) Study Your Husband Like Jess, I wish I had heard (and LISTENED TO!) advice like the first post when I was still single/in my teens and twenties. And the second post? Well. Let’s just say that I’m a) convicted; and b) grateful for the Cross.   Hope your Friday is a great one! Yours, Tara B.  

Do you ever find yourself tempted to FIGHT when you are on a family vacation that is supposed to be FUN? Fred and I had a few minutes of that temptation this morning when, on his day off, we started to fall into this TRAP: Tara: “Fred, how would you like to spend your day off?” (Wanting to bless him.) Fred: “Oh. I don’t know. What would YOU like?” (Wanting to bless me.) Tara: “Well, we could hang out at home after gymnastics and violin. Or we could go for a hike. We could be productive or totally relax and just veg out / play games / read. What would…

Carolyn McCulley has a great post over at RadicalWomanhood and I encourage you to check it out: Advice for the Set-Up In it, she responds to a single woman who wrote this: “Mandy said that her cousin invited her to dinner to meet Randy. This is where my question comes in…what do you think about being set up to meet a person of the opposite sex? I am 23 and single, and have encountered a few instances where people have wanted to set me up with a guy. I tend to back away from these opportunities because I do not feel like I should play any part in trying to…

TakeYourVitaminZ posted a great link that I encourage you  to check out: This Floored Me Today  

Another thing I filed away for Fred and me to discuss and use personally (and to share at the marriage retreat weekend my pastor and I are leading this spring on the east coast) is from the wonderful men at IX Marks: Rejoice in the Wife of Your Youth–A Do It Yourself Marriage Retreat Great stuff in the attached .pdf file! I hope you’ll check it out. It’s interesting to me that my attention would be drawn to both of these posts this morning because I was just remarking to Fred (on the drive home from the hospital last night) how I am beginning to catch even a glimpse of…

Someone just put up a new comments on this discussion thread on PeaceGals and I was really blessed to re-read it. Is Your Marriage in Danger? (Honestly? I had forgotten about this discussion thread entirely, but I really would like to discuss it with Fred–Hi Fred!–when we get a chance.) Hope it’s a blessing to you all too!   Happy Thursday– Yours, Tara B.  

I (unintentionally–she was talking very loudly) overheard a conversation on our way home Monday night. The woman’s tone was extremely condescending and biting. Her words were even worse. It was hard to have to listen to–but I was in a situation where I really couldn’t move. I cringed for her and I cringed for the man to whom she was speaking. But mostly I cringed for me. I am so ashamed to admit it! But I heard MY tone in her tone. I heard MY words in her words. Especially in certain conversations with Fred. Especially when I am tired and not feeling well Oh oh oh! All I could…

I still have this recording on an old audio cassette (although I did donate all of my old Walkmen and a bunch of old sermon tapes and unused Bibles–what a SHAME to even to say that phrase, eh?!?–to CRI last Christmas). I remember when Dr. T.R. Harris (an organ professor of mine at Augustana College back when I was still a piano performance major) gave me the recording and said, “You have to listen to this.” He was right and I did. Over and over again. And now you can too!   Dr. E.V. While Preaching at His Wife’s Funeral (HT: TakeYourVitaminZ for the link!)  

IX Marks linked to a great (and short!) DesiringGod article that is directed at church leadership, but relevant for everyone: How Can Pastors Guard Their Time with Their Families Listen to just a snipppet of Pastor Piper’s wisdom on this important topic: “A pastor needs to work with his leadership, either lay leadership or other pastors, to come up with some kind of plan like we did, so that you all have common expectations. You don’t want to feel guilty when somebody sees you out cutting your grass on Thursday afternoon at three o’clock or sees you at your kid’s soccer game at two and says, “Oh, I thought you…

Preach, preach, PREACH IT sister MakingHome! The Intentional Marriage