By Ashley McIlwain Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. –Ephesians 4:31-32 If there is one guarantee in relationships, it is that you will
By Ashley McIlwain If there is one thing I can guarantee you about your marriage, it is that your spouse will hurt you. You read that right. Your spouse will inevitably hurt, disappoint, frustrate, and anger you at some point in time during the course of your marriage. The reverse is true as well. You
By Ashley McIlwain Like most ladies out there, I grew up on fairytales. Those feel-good Disney movies filled with princesses, princes, singing, castles, “true” love, and happy endings. My sisters and I would dance across the living room twirling, singing, and acting out all of our favorite parts. All the while, deep down inside creating
By Ashley McIlwain Something that many of us don’t realize is that the decisions we make linger long beyond when they are made. This is a fact and realization I wish I’d come to fully discover and appreciate much sooner in my life because it would have saved me a lot of heartache. At the
By Ashley McIlwain If someone were to keep a running list of all of my mistakes and missteps during my life, they would need the world’s largest notebook and a tenacious writing hand. The truth is I screw up all of the time and have since I can remember. Constantly, I battle between what I
By Erin Hensche Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, at least that’s what the old adage says. But is there any validity to that statement? If you had asked me that question at the beginning of mine or my husband’s aviation career, the answer would have been a resounding no. After a few years
By Ashley McIlwain In my experience, life is an adventure. Granted, I haven’t always viewed it that way. Those all-time lows and moments of despair hardly feel like just a fun thrill ride that I should wave my arms in the air for, although the screaming part is on par. In fact, those moments usually
By Coleen York When something is wrong I have the tendency to keep to myself. I hole up in my room, close the door, and create my very own personal pain closet. Whether it’s an argument, an emotional day, or a shameful feeling, my instinct is to ferret away and shack up in my room
By Trisha Davis Foreword by Ashley McIlwain Justin & Trisha Davis just released a new book that you’re going to want to get your hands on . . . that is, if you are ready to join the movement away from an ordinary marriage. It’s called Beyond Ordinary. In this beautifully written book, Justin and
By Ashley McIlwain There you are feeling hurt, frustrated, confused, and most of all disappointed. Once again, you’ve been let down by someone, and the sting of the disappointment leaves you stunned. What now? How do you move forward? How do you trust? Questions whirl as you retreat inwardly to a safer place where you
