Sharing My Jennarocity

Once the decision was made that I would be at home working instead of at an office, we started making a few decisions with the way Avery is spending her week as well. Since Avery has been 6 weeks old, she has gone to full time, at home daycare. I've loved at home daycare so much, especially for little ones. They get socialization but not super strict time tables and are able to be loved on by the same person every day. I've always thought when Avery turned 3, we would put her in a more formal preschool environment. Now, since I am home, there is just no need for her to be in daycare full time, but I still wanted her to continue a few days a week in a more formal environment. I found a really great Mother's Day Out program - we tell Avery it's "school" - and today was her very first day.   (I ran out of chalk and so this is white crayon, which is why you can't see it, ha ha!!)   We went last night, got her a lunchbox to match her backpack, I pack...

Well, this was the first challenge I've ever completed. Did I write every day? No. Did I get behind? Yep. It's hard to always be in the mood to write about one topic for 31 days, but I completed the challenge, which is what I set out to do.   I've learned that being a writer with purpose for a long period of time is really hard and challenging. Writing out the days' topics in advance really helped, though. Without that guidance, I probably would have given up on it!!!   I will do that again, but not soon. :-) I felt like my blog was high-jacked and I couldn't write about anything else!! But I am glad I did it, and hopefully, my words will help someone's marriage in some way.     Ha ha!!!  

  Thank you so much for joining me on this journey and sticking with me!!!   If there was one thing I'd hope you would take away from this month, it's to lean on God and make Him the most important thing in your marriage. God has the power to heal all wounds, right all wrongs, correct all paths, change hearts, alter the course of relationships, and allow forgiveness. In fact, He is the only one who has that power, no matter how smart and educated we think we all are. Lean on Him and you can never go wrong.   I am praying for you!!  

  Something that simply can't be overlooked is having your own identity and having your own walk with the Lord. Just because you are married doesn't mean you have to share everything with your spouse, as in, you need to do everything as a married couple. You are on your own journey and need to have your own personal conversations and studies with God. You need to be able to pray for things that sometimes just need to be prayed for individually. God can teach you things about your own personality on your own and help mature you in His ways and doing these things by yourself can work wonders in your own life.   Joining a ladies' or mens Bible study can incredibly beneficial. It allows you to therapeutically work through sex-specific concerns with other members of your own sex. Retreats are another great way. I encourage everyone to have a life of their own, in addition to having a life with your spouse. '

  Sacrifice for another person is a lost art. Most people just aren't willing to do much sacrificing. "It's my way or the highway!!"   Sacrificing your belief in God or your morality isn't what I am talking about, here. I am talking about now having to always have things your own way. And it's not needing your needs met on a 24 hour a day basis. Sometimes, you have to meet someone else's needs, despite not meeting your own.   Perhaps it's giving a back rub that really don't want to give because your spouse has had a stressful day. Maybe it's giving up your savings for a new purse so your spouse can have that new golf club he wanted. Or, allowing your spouse to sleep in, even though you are tired as a dog, to make them happy.   Sacrificing your own needs for your spouses, and not for the idea that they will return the favor, can be very freeing. These small acts, listed above, can mean the world to your spouse and can heal a lot...

  I personally believe this is something that happens more commonly in marriages than anyone ever talks about. People have this idea that once you get married, you will always make decisions that are in tune and align with the other person's decisions. You will both always be on the same wavelength and have the same dreams and ambitions.   Well, this just isn't the case. Let's pop that bubble now, shall we?   We are all on a journey. Some of us are on a journey as individuals and as a married couple, so it can be difficult to always be headed in the same direction. Selling a life-long family home and traveling the country, quitting a job to start a new business venture, having kids now or later, living in Texas or another state, these are all times when dreams and ambitions clash with the demands of family life.   At one time or another, you will probably be asked to put a goal on hold to be supportive of your spouse's journey. And guess what - that ...

  Trust is a very important part of a relationship, I don't think any would argue that fact. When that trust is broken, it is hard to get it back.   Broken trust is something I think almost everyone goes through at one time in their marriage. It doesn't always have to be in the way of infidelity - it can be one spouse sharing confidential information with someone else, spending money without the other knowing, or keeping things secret that shouldn't be a secret. When your spouse violates your trust, how do you deal with it?   I know we'd like for our spouses to be perfect and never do anything wrong, but the fact is that is just not true. People are going to make mistakes from time to time. Sometimes, letting it go is the best way of dealing with it. However, sometimes letting it go just isn't an option. If your spouse is violating trust by keeping secrets or spending money you don't know about, it might be the symptom of a larger issue or addiction...