Dear Husband...

Happy Father's Day to my AMAZING Husband!

Dear Chaz,

I hope you know how much I treasure you. I hope you know how much I pray and thank God each and every day for bringing you into my life and blessing me with such an amazingly incredible husband. I don't know if you know how many times I've thanked your mother for raising an unbelievably giving, trusting, loving son. To watch you in our walk of faith together, grow into this God-filled man, is astonishing to watch. 

I know we live a non-stop crazy fun-filled life, but you always have time to make everyone in your life feel special. Especially me. You remember the simple things, the everyday things, that after 10 years of marriage others have forgot. You hold my hand everywhere. I don't think I've opened a door for myself since I've met you. You give me the "look". The look that you adore me, and that you love me. You don't have to speak a word, its shown in our action. You show the truth behind the verse: Love is a Verb {1 Corinthians 13:4-8}. Its shown in all your actions.

You are astounding father. They always say little girls grow up to look for a man like their daddy. All I can do is pray they are as blessed as I am. You've set bar high. 

Honestly, you spoil me. I haven't vacuumed the house, washed the dishes, done the laundry in I can't remember how long. You want me to spend my time with our girls and reaching for my dreams. You support every little thing I've wanted to accomplish. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Well guess what? All my dreams have come true, because of you. You've given me everything I've always wanted, not just worldly things, but spiritual.  I've never met any other man like you.

You are my best friend and my hero. 

I love you.

Your Wife "Mrs..."

All photos by Jessica Velarde Photography

Love is a Verb

What is a verb? 

A verb is an ACTION word.

LOVE is a verb.

Some think of it as a feeling or emotion, but love is actually something you do. It's a choice.

My husband and I have been married almost 11 years and we still get asked if we're newlyweds. It feels like it was only yesterday. When he walks into the room, my stomach still gets tingly. I feel that spark when he touches my hand. When people find out that we also work together, {in the exact same room}, spend nearly every second together of every day, they wonder how we do it. We wonder how someone couldn't. Why are we so different than the "norm"? 

God is the center of our marriage. We live by 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

"⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails..." 

Source

Think of it this way....

Be patient. It's not easy with the world moving at light-speed, but don't rush life. 

Enjoy it. Especially all the little things that you miss when you're rushing though it.

Be kind. Not just some of the time, all the time. Live by the Golden Rule,

"treat others the way you want to be treated."

Don't be envious. Seriously. Change your outlook on life. 

Replace the "I wish I had..." to "I'm thankful for...".

Don't be boastful. Being proud and full of yourself is not attractive. 

Instead be modest, humble, and unassuming.

Records of wrongs. Life is not a game, so don't keep score. Be forgiving. 

Letting evil in, will destroy your relationship. Even a smigin. It can be an addition, dishonesty, or betrayal. Then celebrate and cheer about your dedication an loyalty.

Changing these things in your relationship, you'll have the marriage of your dreams!    

It worked for us. 

One other tidbit of advice, join a couples bible study.

Pray together.

What comes out during a couples prayer time, will change your life.

We're not just saying this, we're living it.

  

Is a Blog Name Really Important?

Is a blog name really "that" important? 

Should you completely stress yourself out over it? 

I guess I answered yes to both these questions because that's what I did. For weeks. Seriously. If I was going to jump into the world of blogging, I wanted our name to reflect who we really were. I came up with a list of at least a dozen possibilities but they had already been taken. I was literary beating myself up with why couldn't I come up with a simple blog name. Then it hit me. "I" can't do anything on my own. I needed to take the advise I'm constantly giving to others, step back and pray about it. And that's exactly what I did. 

God knew my thoughts. I didn't need to do a hour long prayer with "thees" and "thous" for God to understand what I was trying to say. I simply asked God to use me as a dispel for His will. To be someone who would help spread His word though my blog. Not being someone throwing a bible at you, but by leading by example.

My husband and I are in a couple bibles study and one night when he was speaking about how husbands should treat their wives, he turned at looked directly into my eyes and said, "When I look at my wife, I see Jesus face transparent before hers. There is nothing I wouldn't say or do to her, that I wouldn't say directly to Him." 

I was breathless. So beautifully said, I was bit in aw. My husband is an amazing, admirable man. I rehearsed in my mind, over and over those words he spoke to me that night. My husband is the reflection of a mighty and faithful servant. That was it! That's how I wanted our family to be known, as faithful servants. And to be this, we needed to live in His reflection. 

That's how our little blog came to life. I made my news years goal and on January 1, 2012, Our Reflection came to life. I have my weekly link up parties but I'm now focusing more on posting what's in my heart. What we can do to make a difference in the lives of others. What we can do to live in His reflection.

I hope you found this encouraging. I would love to hear your stories of how God's working in your life. Happy June!

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Spur of the Moment

I'm very much a planner person. We have our vacations scheduled at least a year in advance. Seriously. 

Many of you might not know, my husband and I work together. Not only for the same company, not only in the same building, but in the very same office. I turn my chair around, and there he is. When people here this for the first time we always get asked, "How on earth do you live and work together all day long, everyday?" Our response, how could we not. We have God in the center of our marriage. We're inseparable.

I found the one my heart loves.

Songs of Solomon 3:4

 My husband and I have lunch together everyday, but lately it has become a routine where we spend a a little while eating together and its back to work. Earlier in the day he had told me what a gorgeous, warm day it was outside. When he brought lunch in, something in my mind clicked. A memory of what we used to do earlier in our marriage. We were heading to the beach for a picnic. 

Remember to treasure the little moments in life. 
Some of the best ones will be spur of the moment. 

Casey Wiegand's