Grace

"He rescues us from that sin and shame, even at the expense of his own life" 

Romans 8:31-33

I cannot help but look at this photo and see God's grace. I believe that these days a lot of marriages start out saying their vows. Saying "I do" but not realizing what and who they have committed to. It's not only a commitment to your spouse but to God. Our wedding rings demonstrate our submission to God's authority over our marriage. Isn't that beautiful? To let God be in control. In doing this you reap the blessings and gifts He has to offer. Love can get us married but it's God's grace that keeps it strong. I didn't fully understand my husband and I needed His grace until I picked up the book "Grace Filled Marriage" by Dr. Tim Kimmel. I'm only a few chapters in but have already taken in so much. I'm always looking for ways to strengthen anything and everything I can in my life through the power of His word. First I look to strengthen my relationship with Jesus. Second ... My relationship with my wonderful loving hubby. Very important. Without my husband and his encouragement and also his strong FAITH that I'm blown away by everyday... I would not be able to be so calm about Haiti coming up. My husband reminds me about what's important. It's not money, clothes, or objects. It's about our hearts, family, friends, strangers, the church and Jesus. Let me tell you a little secret that some of you may already know, I'm a HUGE worrier. I worry about everything. Part of that is my heart towards people, which I think is Gods love in me, or so I like to think. The other part is am I making enough money? Will we be able to pay this bill? What does the future hold? My socks don't match... J/k I love mismatch socks.

Anyway, my point is and if you are a worrier you will understand. None of that stuff matters. Obviously paying your bills and having a roof over your head is important but you can't make yourself sick over it. I've learned to simply give it to Jesus. Trust. Believe. Have faith and He will carry you. God is so AWESOME. It's been 2 years since I made the decision to follow Him. I've worried a countless amount of times about many things. Small and big. God always lifts me up and never fails me! It's absolutely amazing. I'm sure He laughs at me constantly. I continue to here Him say "rest my child, I will carry you". Ya know, I'm not sure how I lost my subject of grace but I guess it goes hand in hand. God and my husband both remind me to Trust. Without grace in your marriage I imagine this being difficult. 

Let me define "Grace". It's the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it not because of anything we have done to earn it. I want to give you a passage from this book so you can have an idea of what this amazing book has to offer. 

Grace isn't blind. Nor is it without nerve endings. A call to a grace-filled marriage doesn't mean we ignore, trivialize, or excuse our spouse's unacceptable behavior. Grace doesn't mean we lose our voice when it comes to dealing head-on with things that are clearly out of line. And grace doesn't remove consequences. God's grace is offered to us, but it isn't realized if we're unwilling to receive it properly. We have to repent. And our repentance must be more than an "Oh, excuse me Lord, I'm sorry." It requires us own our actions and refuse to continue in our self-destructive ways.

I loved this passage. It spoke to me. I can relate it to my friends, family, and marriage. I leave you with this, take action and BE who God made you to be. Extend grace to your loved ones and to your neighbor. I love my husband so much. I am so grateful he extends me Grace every single day. This is why I fell in love with him. I see so many qualities of Christ in my husband. I thank the Lord everyday. Now go out there and hug your loved one! This one is for my husband whom I admire with all my heart.

If anyone is interested in Grace Filled Marriage I will leave you with a link. You will find so much truth in this book. 

Grace Filled Marriage

Blessings!

Ashley