Currently reading: Love That Lasts (along with many other magazines)

Sunday my family came back from a wonderfully refreshing and relaxing four days in the Sequoias. Well, for some of us it was refreshing and relaxing...on the way up the windy roads my family and I discovered that dramamine and the dosage of muscle relaxers that I'm taking don't mix well (for the rest of the day I looked and felt drugged up, I was struggling to wake up and keep my eyes open, I felt as if I had just been sedated or something...weird feeling to have in my most favorite vacation spot on Earth), Heather was fatigued and on the verge of getting a cold, Hunter and my Dad were getting over their wicked colds, Brent had a wicked cold, my sister-in-law drove up the windy roads to the Sequoias with a headache AND nausea....but for the rest of the weekend I was fine, other than one gallbladder attack that was instantly demolished by this awesome pain medication that my doctor prescribed me.

So getting down to the business of why I titled the post the way I did. The reason I look back on that weekend as so wonderfully refreshing and relaxing was because of the precious time I got to spend with God, Brent, and a fabulous marriage book called Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace. We got a little over half-way through the book together, and have been so blessed by the wisdom from the authors, a couple from Covenant Life Church in Maryland. We have to admit, the book is geared more for couples who have been married for several years and need a marriage refresher, but the authors also say that engaged couples will benefit from the book to, and boy do I agree with them! Ever since my relationship with Brent started, I realized it was actually time to really start digging into the wisdom God has given us in His Word about godly marriage relationships. For these past six months I've learned a ton about godly relationships and marriage, but I've been frustratingly confused because I KNOW that the gospel, the good news of Jesus' sacrifice for us on our behalf, relates into every aspect of life. I don't know if it's just me, (it probably is just me), but even with all the Scripture relating to marriage I was having a difficult time seeing how the gospel flows into marriage. I strongly recommend Love That Lasts because for the first time in life I'm learning from their exposition of Scripture how and why marriage is all about God and the gospel, how I can daily be reminded in my marriage of the gospel, and how the power of the gospel is going to be working in our marriage to make it the example of Christ's relationship with the Church that He wants it to be. And the book is FULL of reminders of GRACE. Grace grace grace grace grace. I think that might be my favorite word...considered in the theological context. The authors are down to earth and admit their own continuing struggles in their responses to each other and in following God's design for marriage, but they continuously remind their readers and themselves that God's grace and forgiveness, because of the Cross, covers their mistakes and allows them to start each day, each minute with a fresh start.

Let me end with what may be my new favorite Bible passage:
"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24