By Ashley McIlwain For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. –Ephesians 5:31 One of the most important roles a man can hold is that of being a husband. Leader, lover, protector, and provider. A husband has an incredible
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 Ashley McIlwain It had been nearly 24 hours since there was any sign of life. All that was left were ashes. Gray. Cold. It never crossed my mind that anything could become of it. Yet, as I piled some newspaper and kindling wood together carefully in my usual teepee formation, before I could even
By Ashley McIlwain What does it mean to be “forward thinking?” Many of us think of it in terms of progressive thoughts and ideas. Perhaps establishing a new and brilliant way of conceptualizing and understanding life. Someone who is forward thinking is ahead of the ballgame in their thoughts, plans, and actions. They’re always one
By Ashley McIlwain We’ve all witnessed it … the meltdown of a random child. You’re trying to enjoy a quiet dinner for two, but instead you’re being served a big plateful of wailing child with a side of yelling, desperate parent. Perhaps you’re pushing your cart along in the grocery store when you meet the
By Ashley McIlwain Married life is an adventure. There’s always something to learn, explore, and overcome. You laugh, cry, fight, make-up, grow up, speak up, and shut up. It’s epic, memorable, fun, exciting, and worth it. Marriage is everything it’s cracked up to be and more, but it’s definitely a lifelong adventure. Like any good
By Ashley McIlwain Life is tough. There’s no way around it; it’s just full of valleys and mountaintops, ups and downs, highs and lows. At one time or another for one reason or another, we all experience pain, heartache, brokenness, sadness, and sickness. It’s inevitable and unavoidable. Since we can’t do anything about eliminating the
By Ashley McIlwain “So, when are you guys going to have some babies?!” This was a question posed to my husband and me … at our wedding reception. We hadn’t been married but an hour, and the baby question was already being asked. I remember being dumbfounded wondering if it was some sort of odd
By Ashley McIlwain It’s not you, it’s me. We’ve all heard this cliché line often associated with a break-up. Men and women everywhere use it as a means of ending a relationship that is less than desirable for one reason or another. Maybe you’ve used it or been on the receiving end of it. This
By Ashley McIlwain You’re sitting at a restaurant and can’t help but notice the family sitting at a table nearby. The kids are playing games on their iPads and gaming devices oblivious to the world around them. The mom and dad are completely engrossed in something on their phones not paying attention to their kids
