Don't Be The Same. Be Better

So Jody and I are doing a marriage class at our church. And no, our marriage is not in trouble. We just want to make it better. No relationship is protected from breaking down without intentional effort to build it up. Jody and I have been married for 19 years and have had our ups and downs just as other married couples do. No marriage is perfect. We are all broken...every single one of us. I wanted to share a statement I read in our lesson for this week that I think is so very true of our perception of marriage in our world today. "We all want the ideal, end up getting an ordeal, and because our idea of love is distorted, start looking for a new deal. Maybe what we need, however, is not a new deal, but a new vision - a new understanding of what real love is." Emotions alone will not last. We need and were intended to experience and enjoy something more. Much more. God deserves first place in our marriages....and we deserve the experience of putting Him there. ❤️✞❤️

Blessings,
Dalinda

Stand Out

When I take Drew to school in the mornings, sometimes we see this older gentleman walking down the sidewalk with his cane. He doesn't stand out because of his cane. He stands out because he always has a huge smile on his face as he raises his hand high in the air and waves at people driving by. You can read his lips say, "Good morning!" This always brightens my day and I'm sure others as well. My point is, whether you're pushing a stroller, a grocery cart, or an aluminum walker--your life counts. It counts in a mighty way. Go make a difference in our hurting world. Have a blessed day! ✞ 

Celebrating Nineteen Years With My Best Friend

Yesterday, Jody and I celebrated nineteen years of marriage (love and hard work). 

Thanks to Jody, I'm a little more fun, a little more vibrant, a little more youthful, and a little less worrisome. 

He makes me smile when I'm feeling down and manages to make me laugh out loud even as I'm mad. He reminds me life doesn't have to be so serious and teaches me how to be more spontaneous and positive. 

He teaches me the importance of gratitude, forgiveness, and letting go. And despite all the ups and downs of marriage, I know he loves me inside and out, for who I am, not for who I appear to be. 

Blessings,

Dalinda