Marriage is tough. Parenting seems tougher. How can you strengthen your marriage team in the early stages of parenting? Check out my articles “New Mommy Secrets” and “New Daddy Secrets” on GrowthTrac Ministry’s site. Tweet

Hello SCB fans, Thank you for your patience with me on my (very long) maternity leave.  Motherhood has been a joyful journey so far! On that note, it is with both delight and sadness that I announce the end of my active authorship of The Sweet Christian Bride.  I will still post occasionally and I…continued here

I am officially on maternity leave.  Thank you for your patience as I enjoy time with my little one. In the meantime, please enjoy The Purposed Bride or download the free bride’s devotional. A happy and blessed engagement to you!

I love when brides and grooms tie in a cultural family tradition to their wedding celebrations because it serves as a reminder that the bride and groom are products of the families who raised them; a marriage is a joining of families and all the heritage and traditions that go into that. The caveat, of…continued here

Calling all recent Christian brides! In the near future, my book The Purposed Bride will become available.  Each chapter has a sidebar with a story from a bride about her wedding. There are five sidebars left that need to be filled. I’m looking for recent brides to submit their story. If you are interested, see…continued here

SCB will not be posting until January 3 due to travel. Looking forward to reconnecting with you in 2012!

Each parent got his and her own note. Simply a jotting of memories, appreciation, (I might have even thrown in an apology or two in there), affirmations, and wishes slipped under their door during sleeping hours. A note to let them know that they were deeply loved and appreciated, not just for the wedding they were about to give me, but for the life and the upbringing that they had offered me.

It cost me nothing except for the stationery, the time, and the price of reflection, yet it was one of the most valuable gifts I could have given (for my parents, hopefully, but for me, absolutely).

1) Introduce yourself. How do you know the bride or groom? If your audience knows your credentials, they will respect your thoughts more. Knowing that you truly know the bride or groom allows them to care more about what you say.

Vows capture the essence of marriage as a covenant relationship.  What I love about the traditional vows below is how marriage is put in the context of the Kingdom. It’s not simply an insulated relationship between the two of you.  Husband and wife are meant to pour into each other, yes, but they are also meant to pour…continued here

I’ve noticed an increasing awareness for guests’ food restrictions at weddings beyond the traditional vegetarian option such as making one small layer of the wedding cake gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free or [insert allergen]-free. Or something as simple as a card on the table listing allergen-friendly courses is significantly helpful.

No one expects to be individually catered to at a wedding, but if you have the capacity to address individual dietary needs of your guests, your service will be noticed and appreciated.