LOVE NEVER FAILS!

My sister, Kaci, got married today.  She was the most beautiful bride ever and it was so obvious that her adorable new husband, Seth, agreed because he just beamed throughout the entire wedding and all of the other wedding festivities!   Aren't they just the cutest little newlywed couple ever?  :0) 

With any wedding (but especially with those that you love so much), we are reminded of our own weddings.  My own wedding was the BEST day of my life and I hope that Kaci and Seth are able to say the same!  There are MANY things that I have learned about being married, though, and these are the things that I have thought about a lot today as we celebrated Kaci and Seth's new union.  These are things that I have learned that have caused me to fall more in love with my husband the longer we have been married and the longer we have grown together. 

The preacher today really focused on 1 Corinthians 13.  I have always loved this passage but whether or not I realized it, I used to only see this as a beautiful passage.  It took a few years (and several trials) of marriage to truly understand this passage and to learn to really live it out in our marriage.

1. Love is PATIENT.  

    I sure do praise the Lord for the EXTREMELY patient man that I married!  He knows that any husband of mine would most definitely need this virtue.  This is something that I have to remind myself of often.  If I'm not willing to wait or be patient... it may not be love.

2.  Love is KIND.

     That's pretty self explanatory.  Just be nice.  Even when we have an argument, I know that I can't say something that I know would hurt my husband.  I love him.  Therefore, I should always strive to be kind to him and to build him up instead of tear him down.

3.  Love DOES NOT ENVY.

     There's no room for jealousy in a marriage.  I can't say it never happens.  I'm human.  He's human.  Envy and jealousy, however, do not come from love.

4.  Love DOES NOT BOAST and it is NOT PROUD.

     We can't brag about being better than the other or be to proud to admit our mistakes.  Pride has crept in way to many times.  It's so hard not to be stubborn and wait for the other person to apologize first when feelings get hurt but we must set our pride aside.  It is toxic!

5.  Love DOES NOT DISHONOR others.

     We are silly and we both have a sarcastic sense of humor so it's very important that even in joking and kidding that we don't dishonor one another.

6.  Love is NOT SELF-SEEKING.

     Our parents have been teaching us to share since we were little but if we are completely honest, it's so hard at times not to be selfish.  Love is putting someone else before ourselves.

7.  Love is NOT EASILY ANGERED.

     Sometimes this is hard, but I know my husband's heart and his heart is good.  As for him, let's go back to #1.  God sure did bless me with a patient husband!  There are so many times that my crazy self could so easily anger him, but he truly is SO PATIENT!  :0)

8.  Love KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.

     Oh goodness!  God is working on me every single day with this one!  It is so easy any time a disagreement arises to just come up with a list of all the things that my husband has ever done wrong in our relationship since the day we met.  I used to do this.  I would be lying if I said that it NEVER EVER happens now but this is detrimental to any marriage or relationship!  The thing is... when I do this, do I ever bring up the list of the things that I have done wrong?  Nope.  This is just bad.  Very bad.  Love forgives and doesn't keep a list.  :0)

9.  Love NEVER DELIGHTS IN EVIL.

10.  Love REJOICES WITH TRUTH.

       I have yet to ever hear of a solid relationship built on lies.   I'm really bad at lying anyway.  I've been told that I should never play Poker.  LOL!

11. Love ALWAYS PROTECTS.

      It is our job to protect each other and our marriage.  

12.  Love ALWAYS TRUSTS.  

       Again, just be honest so that trust isn't broken.  We MUST be able to trust one another!

13.  Love ALWAYS HOPES.

       There is ALWAYS something for which to HOPE!  ;0)  

14.  Love ALWAYS PERSEVERES.

       We can make it through even the toughest times if we love by this definition.

LOVE NEVER FAILS!!

I have read this chapter of The Bible HUNDREDS of times!  It wasn't until I got married, though, that I really dissected it and understood the meaning of true love.  I often think of this chapter and this definition of love.  I remind myself of it every time I lose my patience and also with every HOPE!  Love isn't just a feeling.  It does take hard work.  Love is SO WORTH IT, though, and the best promise of all is that LOVE NEVER FAILS!!  

Kaci and Seth, I am praying for you all and I am so excited for you all as you start this journey of NEVER FAILING LOVE together!!  I love you both!

Dreams of Tea Parties and Golf Clubs

I don't know how many of you watch the TLC show, "The Little Couple," but I am just so inspired by this sweet family and their beautiful children!  Will is adopted from China and Zoey is adopted from India and they are both just absolutely adorable!  I love to watch the whole family interact as they not only face life's daily challenges but as they adjust to being a forever family through adoption as well.

Last night, Jen (the mother) and her precious baby girl, Zoey, got dressed up and had a tea party.  To some, this might seem like no big deal.  This is something that moms do with their little girls all the time.  During this episode, Jen talked about how special she wanted this to be for Zoey... and how she wanted her to remember dressing up... and how she wanted her to remember drinking from her tea set... and how she wanted her to remember getting to eat in her room... and how she wanted her to remember this very special time of the two of them just enjoying this moment TOGETHER.

Here's a picture of Jen and Zoey enjoying their tea party.  Isn't Zoey just too cute with her diva sunglasses on?  Jen looks pretty adorable with her hat and boa, too!  :0)

I LOVE TEA PARTIES!!  I'll admit it.  I got a little misty-eyed last night as I watched this (I know everyone is SHOCKED by me getting emotional!  HAHA!) because as cliche' as it may sound, this is truly something that I look forward to... something that I DREAM of doing with my own little girl (should Baby Cherry be a girl) some day!  Ok!  OK!  While I'm being completely honest, I'll just say it.  Baby Cherry may or may not already have a tea set (just in case).  :0) 

There are plenty of other things I dream of as well.  Anyone who is or who ever has longed for a child has wishes and dreams for things that they would like to do with their child(ren), things that they would like to teach their child(ren), and special traditions, morals, and values that they would like to instill in the lives of their child(ren).

Tyler LOVES golf!  He loves all sports, but golf is really his thing.  I've gotten a few little shirts that say, "Daddy's Little Golfer," and other golf related things.  He doesn't get super excited about the baby clothes, but I do know that he has hopes of teaching his son or daughter how to play this game that he loves so much.  I know that is something that he is looking forward to doing... just like I'm looking forward to tea parties!

Right now, we continue to dream... and HOPE... and PRAY!!