Love Is....

 I want to include my guest posting in my blog as well so that I will be able to look back on it when I print my next blog book.

Hi friends, my name is Casey and I'm so honored to be guest posting for Amber today! I love her blog, her heart and passion for Jesus and her kindness that has reached me through the blog waves on many occasions.  She also takes such beautiful pictures of her little boy!  Here below is one of our family pictures taken shortly before Christmas last year.  My  hubby's name is Joe and our little girl's name is Daisy and she is now 15 months old.  She is pretty much the spitting image of her Daddy both in appearance and in her heaps and bounds of energy and strong will! hehe

Marriage- I am passionate about marriage relationships and I desire to see not only mine but, others thrive and flourish. I love studying healthy marriages that have lasted for 30+ years and learning more about what it takes not only to stay married but, to love being married.  The first five years or so of our marriage were pretty ordinary and though we had our share of difficulties here and there it was never a huge challenge to press through.  To make a long story short, around the latter part of 2009 my husband began to struggle with health issues, depression and anxiety. To this present day our journey continues and my hubby and I are still going through the challenges of working through these trials.  One thing I am learning is that long seasons are very tiring and thus staying joyful, hopeful, patient and obedient is no easy task.  Have you ever endured (or perhaps you too are currently enduring) a really long trial, test or painful season in your life?  What promises in God's word did you lean on to get through?

God's Promises-  Psalm 119:71 "It is good for me when I am afflicted; that I might learn of your ways."  This verse has completely transformed the way I view pain, trials and suffering in life.  It's a life song verse for me if you will.  We can run from the fact that life is full of pain and hardship and never learn from those things when they come, or we can buckle down, face things head on and trust in the Lord with all of our hearts to teach us and grow us as we face the inevitable challenges in life.  And, as mind boggling as it may seem, scripture actually states that afflictions are good for us because they teach us more about who God is.  My husband and I often say to each other in this season, "It's all good," and the reason we can say that is because scripture says it is.  No matter what we face in life, no matter how severe or awful, God is still good and we trust His promises but, I'll be honest...the only reason I can say that and believe it is because my heart knows it to be true because God has always shown himself faithful in my life.  Reading a verse is one thing...but, knowing it to be true and believing the power behind it is an entirerly different thing.

 Love Is...- Wow! So, love is not a Hollywood chick flick, or a steamy romance novel, it's not a warm fuzzy feeling in my chest, it's not a bouquet of roses, or a box of chocolates, it's not a candlelight dinner, or an amazing vacation.  Bummer, because it would be so much simpler if that was the case. hehe.  Those are the actions that people carry out because they love each other but, those things in and of themselves are not love.  Love is patience (I'm being stretched a lot with this one lately), love is kindness, love is not selfish, love keeps NO RECORD OF WRONGS...(ooo that one is annoying me), it does not boast, is not easily angered (Houston we have a problem!), it protects, hopes (it is so important to hold tightly to hope in a long trial!) and what a beautiful ending to this sentence....IT ALWAYS PERSEVERES!!  Not sometimes.  Not only when things are easy.  Not just when my husband is in perfect health and is a blast to be around.  Always. Always. Always.

Wherever You Are At- Times may be good for you right now and if so praise God! That is wonderful and I pray that you are able to soak it up to the fullest.  On the other hand, times may not be so good for you right now and I am not just referring to health or marital troubles; financial, family issues, health issues, conception difficulties, personal troubles, confidence battles, friendship troubles, spiritual lows or funks, trust issues, broken heart, loss, etc.   I pray that this verse can bring you some comfort now or in the future when you do face these trials, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.  Wherever you are at, God is working for your good.  We may not always be able to see or even understand why He allows all that He does but, we can choose to trust Him one step at a time.  He will see us through!

Rest In Him- I just love this dreamy picture of my little one.  She used to only nap curled up on our couches like this, out with us in the living room with all the warm light and noise around her.  She felt safe and secure in our presence.  Likewise, I want to rest in the arms of Christ and let him handle the heavy burdens that life presents.  I want to soak up his warm and soothing light and just slumber peacefully in his presence, because I know that I am safe and secure in His care.  I hope that you also feel the same safety and peace in the arms of Christ!

Thank you- so much for letting me share my heart with you all today.  It has been a pleasure to guest post and I hope to meet more of you in the future!! xoxo Oh, and I promise my blog isn't always this serious! LOL.  Come visit and you will see that I share our adventures of parenting, being a horrible cook, my passion for decorating, photography, occasionally fashion, my goofy personality and our day to day family fun through pictures. I look forward to meeting you!