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 Marriages are boring, affairs are fun! That’s what the spam email said that was sitting in my inbox staring at me candidly and shamelessly. My heart ached as I saw the words beseeching me to believe their ridiculous claim. Unapologetically this lie dared to even show its ugly face. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed
By Ashley McIlwain My sister, her daughter, and husband came to stay with us over Labor Day weekend. Together, we laughed, played, and made memories along the way. It was so much fun being together. One of the best parts though was having my 3 and ½ year old niece there. Seeing the world through
By Ashley McIlwain September thirteenth was Steve’s and my fifth wedding anniversary. Everyone says it will, but it’s still hard to believe how quickly that time has flown by. In a blink of an eye, we’ve found ourselves five years in, celebrating the love we’ve shared, the memories we’ve created, and the commitment we’ve held
By Ashley McIlwain Do you want to know my favorite thing about being married? The simple pleasures that come with it. There are so many wonderful benefits of marriage. Research shows a plethora of mental and physical health benefits, and of course there are other huge pluses like more financial stability, shared responsibility, and the
By Ashley McIlwain I had gone to the post office and was met by a line of people out the door. My shoulders sank at the reality that I couldn’t just come back and was sure to be waiting for quite a while in this long line. Sure enough, over 20 minutes later, I finally
By Ashley McIlwain Something that frequently comes up in correspondences from people relate back to their inner circle. Your inner circle is that group of people that you most frequently surround yourself with, seek counsel from, confide in, and that influences you most significantly. We all have an inner circle whether it’s two people or
By Ricinda Perry Over the past couple of weeks, I have been hearing so many sad family stories. These stories grieve me because I know how much I treasure my family time and how much joy is added to each day from my family ... everyone should have this. I will never have the answers
By Ashley McIlwain He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. –Proverbs 18:22 Over the course of my life, I have held many roles. From various job titles to daughter to sister and friend. Labels such as Christian, athlete, helper, student, and graduate are all part of who
By Coleen York Ever have to work on a project with someone in school, or college, or even at work? I’ve been there. And at first (before you know what a group project REALLY means…) you’re excited about it. Obviously if more than just you is working on it, it’s going to be SO MUCH
