Minggu, 30 September 2012

Revive Your Marriage - Revive Your S*x Life

womenlivingwell.org   |   tolovehonorandvacuum.com   |   unveiledwife.com

Note: The use of the asterisk is to avoid conflict with certain computer programs that protect the user.



Yeah, I'm going there this week. I haven't really touched on this topic before and to be honest with you I normally prefer to leave it to the experts like Sheila (tolovehonorandvacuum.com). But sometimes we're called out of our comfort zone that we might share every aspect of the gospel.

The truth is, I'm kind of glad that I did. After mulling this over for a week I realized that s*x is an important part of every marriage and it's a topic that God wants us to address. After all, the Bible is rich when it comes to instruction on marriage, including s*xual relations between a husband and wife. The one that I often come back to is this:

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. - 1 Corinthians 7:1-5

When you think about it, there are all kinds of reasons that women withhold s*x or lose that loving feeling, and from some of the questions I've received I see it goes both ways.

Since I'm speaking to an audience that's primarily women, let's examine a few of the things that drain us of our libido:

1. Stress. Family and finances can stress people out. And unfortunately stress has a way of zapping the zip out of your drive.

2. Exhaustion. Young children can be exhausting. After a long day of taking care of the kids, breastfeeding a baby, and climbing over mountains of laundry there are days when a woman just wants to walk into her room and fall into bed--for some sleep. But the minute we walk into the bedroom we see the look in our husband's eye that tells us we won't be sleeping anytime soon.

3. Anger. I remember a friend of mine had a huge fight with her husband once. He was so mad that he threw the phone book into the wall. About fifteen minutes later he walked into the bedroom and asked, "So I guess we're not doing it now, huh?" I had to laugh when she told me about that the next day, but the truth is that anger is a reality and it's hard to get in the mood when tempers (and phone books) are flying.

4. Low Self Esteem. I picked up a book once because the cover read, "Not Tonight Honey, Wait til I'm a Size Six." It made me giggle, because I've been there--felt that! Although my husband has been attracted to me regardless of what size I am or how bad my hair day might be, I don't always feel the same. If I'm carrying a few extra pounds or a few extra zits I don't feel anything close to s*xy. I don't know about you, but I think it's really hard to get in the mood when I'm not feeling s*xy.

I've listed just a few of the things that can dampen a s*x life, not to mention medication, menopause, and hormones. It's really a wonder there's any s*x in the world at all, isn't it?! *wink*

But here's the thing: God has a way of giving us just the right partner who learns to read our signals, knows what makes us tick, and provides what we need at just the right time. Doesn't He?

I love that about my husband. After 24 years he's learned to speak my language which might very well include the word "chocolate" around the 20th of the month. He knows when I'm exhausted, how I look when I have a killer headache, how to make me feel beautiful, and that a back rub goes a long way in relieving stress--he's good! He also senses when I'm in the mood to snuggle, when I want him to sit close, or when I'm craving intimacy. I swear that man is a mind reader!

As much as I'm crazy about this man and love being intimate with him, I will tell you this: there are many days when I'm tired, when I'm stressed out, or when I'm not feeling like a rockstar, that I choose to put all that aside for my husband's needs. Because I know that in order for our marriage to survive I must be willing to give sacrificially in every area of our life. That's what love does, and that's what he does for me.

As I examine myself I hope that I am meeting his expectations as well.--that I'm reading his signals and learning what makes him tick. That's all a part of growing together as a couple, and it's essential that we don't ignore or abandon this area of our marriage.

Let's bring it to prayer:

Father, my prayer today is that I am reading Michael's signals as well as I should be. That I'm speaking his language and fulfilling the desires of his heart. If I'm lacking then I pray that the You will open my eyes to see what his needs are and how I might grow in this area. Knowing that every man is different, I want to be the kind of wife that is a perfect fit for him, Lord. Please transform me to the woman Michael needs. Amen

I'm ready for a challenge, are you?



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You are loved by an almighty God,



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Sabtu, 29 September 2012

class update


larger than life

I have a quick class update- 
Two spots have opened up in my Larger Than Life class (1 day class in my studio!) Due to the nature of this class- I am keeping it very small so we can spread out and create so it will be a very 1x1 personalized learning experience!

For more information visit my online shop HERE

Kamis, 27 September 2012

Friday Five - September 28

It's time for the "Friday Five" and here are five of my favorites from around the web:

1. Ignite the Fire - Freedom Is Real Education

About 10 years ago--before I started blogging--I had just started a career in book cover design. One of the first covers I put together was Ignite the Fire by Terri Camp. Just so you know, I didn't illustrate the cover, I just worked on putting it together.

Anyhoo... this week it went up on Amazon Kindle! And so if you're a homeschooling mom, you might want to check this one out. I was a homeschooling mom at the time and I loved it.



2. Caramel Apple Cupcakes - The Girl Who Ate Everything

Aren't these cute and creative? Visit The Girl Who Ate Everything for the recipe and instructions. 



3. What if? Meeting Life's Disappointments With Truth

What if you are looking at life with disappointment and weariness? Fear not, friend. His GRACE is sufficient for you. His Word is more than plentiful to turn your self-focused mind CHRIST-WARD. Join Ruth as she takes her gaze off of the “What ifs” and onto the beauty of the Gospel! Visit Grace Laced for encouragement...



4. The Best Homemade Hot Cocoa Recipe! 

Janelle writes, "There is nothing more comforting on a cool day than to walk into a nice warm home and be welcomed with a cup of homemade hot cocoa. This is a special treat I make for my children and my neighbors. It is simple and can be kept warm in the Crockpot. This recipe combines cocoa with chocolate chips to make it extra chocolaty. I also add 1 container of cool whip to make it extra creamy.”

Visit Women Living Well for the recipe - yum!


P.S. For more recipes like this, visit Janelle's site: Comfy in the Kitchen


5. Just a Stay-at-Home Mama - Ungrind Webzine

Whether you are a stay-at-home mama or a mom who's run off her feet, this article is encouraging. Melanie Brasher reminds us of what an important job we have, and that being a mom is enough. 

Read more at Ungrind...



You are loved by an almighty God,



Visit Time-Warp Wife on facebook: Click here

If you would like to have Time-Warp Wife delivered to your inbox daily, simply click here: Subscribe to Time-Warp Wife

Check out my book, The Good Wife's Guide: Embracing Your Role as a Help Meet

Classic Japanese anime comes to YouTube, with fansubs from Viki

Collaborative subtitling hub Viki has opened a new channel on YouTube called tezukaanime bringing classic titles like Astro Boy to a global audience. The original animation series are in Japanese, but thanks to Viki’s crowdsourcing, polyglot community, the YouTube videos have captions available in as many languages as the community contributes.



The channel currently hosts 16 full-episodes of the iconic Astro Boy series from the 1980s, with subtitles uploaded so far in English, Arabic, Romanian, Turkish, Spanish, French, and transcribed Japanese. As more translators finish captions in new languages, Viki will add them to the videos on YouTube. The channel’s videos are available everywhere other than Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Italy and Spain.

Other titles on the channel include Jungle Emperor Leo, Black Jack, Dear Brother, The New Adventures of Kimba the White Lion, Don Dracula, and Marvelous Melmo, with more exciting titles to come soon. Subscribe to the channel to find out anytime new episodes are added.

Jean Huang Lundgren, Head of Video Partnerships, YouTube, Greater China and South East Asia, recently watched “The New Adventures of Kimba the White Lion - Full Episode 1.”

Our September featured On The Rise partner is GonetotheSnowDogs

Congratulations to Jessica of GonetotheSnowDogs! Her channel, featuring her huskies Shiloh, Shelby, and Oakley, is our September featured “On The Rise” partner. Check out the “Spotlight” section of the YouTube homepage today to meet these quirky, entertaining pups.

Jessica has been filming her dogs and sharing their antics with the world via YouTube, of course for the last three years. While all centered around the three star huskies, the videos run the gamut from fun and entertaining to educational and instructional. Head on over to Jessica’s channel to see Shiloh and Shelby ‘singing’ a duet (it earned them a feature on Animal Planet!) and all three dogs reacting to a new present meant to help them cool down in the summer. If you have a dog of your own, you might be interested in Jessica’s tutorial videos, which cover topics like how to make your own chicken jerky dog treats.


Here are a few words from Jessica:
Almost three years ago, I put up a silly video of my dogs onto YouTube, and look what it has now grown to! I never thought that our dogs would be so loved by people all over the world! It started off as just showing the dogs and the silly things they do day by day, and it has turned into a combination of fun, and educational videos uploaded 3 times a week. You ask, and we will do our best to answer when it comes to questions about Siberian Huskies, or dogs in general! We are always willing to help when we can! We hope you enjoy what you see on our channel! How can someone not love dogs! And with the three we have, you get a variety of personalities you will come to love! Shiloh is the quite one, Shelby is the crazy one, and Oakley is the oddball still finding her place here (we just adopted her this past February.) We want to say thank you to YouTube for giving us this amazing opportunity, Thank you to our fans, friends, and family, for all of your love and support! Thank you to the stars of the channel, Shiloh, Shelby, and Oakley, for allowing me to point a camera at you all the time! Subscribe to our channel, and experience the joy that a dog can bring into your life! 
If you’ve enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise channel. Keep an eye out for next month’s blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!

Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “The Hunger Games - A Bad Lip Reading.”

a peek inside my sketchbook- deconstructing fall

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Rabu, 26 September 2012

The Wife My Husband Needs Me to Be

Image by prayerstochrist.tumblr.com

The other day I shared this quote with my readers on facebook, “God I pray that You would mold me into the wife my husband needs me to be.”

While the quote was favorable among hundreds of readers there were a few that didn’t see it quite the same way.

One reader said, “My husband loves and accepts me just the way that I am. I don’t need to change myself for him.” That’s not so uncommon. In fact I can’t count the number of women who would agree with that statement. All we have to do is turn on the television to see that it’s a popular mindset.

I mulled that thought around for a while, and after much thought and prayer I started to gain a deeper understanding of this desire to change.

Why should we change? Do we need to change? And if I do change, who am I changing for?

The bottom line is that we are molded by the Father—not according to that which our husband desires, but rather that which fulfills our purpose.
And the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” ~ Genesis 2:18, KJV

Love is a beautiful thing, but it demands sacrifice through sickness and through health. I’m prepared to meet my husband’s needs today, but what if they change tomorrow—will I be prepared? It’s easy for a marriage to thrive when conditions are good, but what about those times when the going gets tough? Stress, sickness, poverty, and distance are a reality for many families. Life tends to throw us a curve ball at times, and so in order for us to be prepared for those rough patches we must be exercised by faith.

Here’s a quote by Francis Chan who says it better than I ever could:
It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort and superficial peace.
And so, getting back to that quote we see how necessary it is to be molded into the wife that he needs. Here’s the thing, we can either refuse to grow with the mindset that we are perfect just the way we are, or we can be clay in the hands of a Potter who has our best interest at heart.

It’s through the working of patience and the endurance of trials that we grow in spirit. These are the very things that equip us to handle tomorrow.

When we allow God to shape us into the woman our husband needs rather than the woman we think we should be, we live out our purpose and bring glory to God.

You are loved by an almighty God,



Visit Time-Warp Wife on facebook: Click here

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Check out my book, The Good Wife's Guide: Embracing Your Role as a Help Meet

Setting the Stage for Their Future



I attended a wedding once where the groomsmen wore white and the bridesmaids dressed in black. Not your standard black dresses, but rather floor-length svelte dresses with long black gloves. Every detail of that wedding was breathtaking including the way that the meals were served. The waiters marched through with sparklers on trays held high in the air–evidence that this wedding was something to celebrate.
Read the rest of the article over at The Better Mom where I'm writing about setting the stage for the future of our children: 

You are loved by an almighty God,



Visit Time-Warp Wife on facebook: Click here

If you would like to have Time-Warp Wife delivered to your inbox daily, simply click here: Subscribe to Time-Warp Wife

Check out my book, The Good Wife's Guide: Embracing Your Role as a Help Meet

exploring we will go

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The places I grew up and visited more times than I can count have all of a sudden become new again- with the opportunity to share and explore them with my little family.
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