Lavish Hospitality 7

posted in: 31days, lavish hospitality, marriage | 0

Sorry for the delay, we have been fighting with our internet reception at home.  But, I’m still here.  An update: I want to use this month to get the quotes and start the stories for Lavish Hospitality.  Then use NaNoWriMo to really write it.  I’ll keep you posted.  Thank you for reading.

This past weekend we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary.  I have found in marriage it is very easy to show grace for the big things, but so much harder for the small things.  One area that my husband and I need to both work on it love: not being easily offended.  When one or both of us have been offended, we are not hospitable to each other.

The other night I just didn’t talk – that is my normal mode of response when I’m hurt.  So, we watched Bull in bed without saying a word.  Turned off the computer and went to bed, all without saying a word.  That is not hospitable.

That is not how we are supposed to act.  Love doesn’t act this way.  I’m not very welcoming to my husband when I don’t even talk to him.

God always need to radically work on my heart when I am offended.

Quote from Tim Keller, The Meaning of Marriage.

Love Every Day

posted in: marriage | 0

This past weekend my mister and I got to head just a ways out of the metro for an overnight date which we only get about once a year.

I know to some of you that is extravagant because you never get to for different reasons.  To some of you, that isn’t enough, and you go lots more whether its because you have more money, more babysitters, or less children.

Either way, I think little getaways are crucial to good marriages (not necessities, but really really good ideas!)

But, just in case you can’t go on an overnight trip, don’t get many out of the house date nights, here are some ideas for loving your spouse well every day.  Just like I’ve told girls getting married and my top piece of marriage advice (besides love Jesus first): study your spouse!

So, maybe these ideas might not be exactly what you would do, but hopefully they will spur you on to loving your spouse well in meaningful ways that will affect your marriage!

  1.  Leave little love notes.  I love leaving little notes to my mister throughout the house or in his car.  It doesn’t need to be a special day.  It doesn’t even need to be a special card.  Just a dry erase marker to the mirror, a sticky note, or a nice card you bought.  Even write it out in blueberries.  The card featured above is by Instead of Ashes, a little Durham designer that I love!
  2. Pray for your spouse.  You probably do this every day, but maybe one day, specifically ask your spouse how you can be praying for them.  It might surprise you what they say.  And then, go pray for them.  Make sure to follow up with them and ask how God is answering the prayer.  You might be surprised how short the time is for answers like that (uninterrupted conversations with my mister are hard to come by).
  3. Drop by their work with lunch or a drink.  It doesn’t have to be expensive, since I know budgets are tight.  I will sometimes run by with a CFA milkshake in the middle of the afternoon.  Today, we took my husband a Zaxby’s salad.  Know their favorite drink and drop it by.  Sometimes, you might not even need to see them, just have their receptionist give it to them.
  4. Do the one thing that he loves.  Ok – so my mister has always wanted a peaceful house.  And in the 5.5 years we’ve been married, I think it would never be defined as peaceful.  With 5 moves (6 for me, moving into his house), 2 kids, change of jobs, etc – that doesn’t sound peaceful.  But, maybe sometimes you can have the kids in bed, tv off, couch cleaned off, kitchen sink cleared, and just chill and talk.  We like to unwind after the weekend with taco night couch nights on Sunday nights.
  5. Ask them what they need done for the day.  I did this a lot more when I didn’t have kids.  I would ask my mister what was one or two things that he would like for me to do during the day.  Now that I have preschoolers, its just survival mode, maybe an occasional thrive mode!  But, sometimes I am reminded that I can love him well by asking him this simple question.  Maybe its ironing his favorite shirt for a big meeting the next day.  Maybe its cooking his favorite meals.  Whatever it is, just say ok honey!  And don’t argue.  It kinda ruins it!

Loving well takes intentionality and purpose.  Don’t let a day go by when you aren’t striving to love your spouse well.

Ways to Fight for Your Marriage (Giveaway)

posted in: Uncategorized | 6

 

Some things in life are not worth fighting over: team sports, lesser theological topics, some political issues, etc.  But, there are definitely some things worth fighting for: marriage is one of them.  And the only one you are totally responsible for is your own.  Yes, you can pour into other couples and their marriage and you can disciple others, but ultimately you are only responsible for your own.

Being married for 5 years, and having gone through some really difficult circumstances in those 5 years: out-of-state moves, job changes, traumatic birth, another birth soon after, commission jobs, change in life direction, loss of friendships, damaging personal relationships…we’ve had to fight for our marriage.

Here are some things we do to fight for our marriage:

  1.  Sometimes, you go to bed angry.  Ok – we’ve all heard the saying don’t go to bed angry, and the principle is biblical (don’t let the sun go down upon your anger).  We’ve learned that one thing we can do when we are angry with each other is sometimes just go to bed.  When we are tired and crabby and angry – we usually don’t have healthy conversations.  So, we will call it a night, go to bed, and typically by morning, we are better.  We will still have some things to talk about, but we have rested, prayed, and calmed down.
  2. Taco Night.  Often times during the week my husband and I don’t eat meals together.  He’s at work, I eat with the kids, he gets home late, etc.  But, on Sunday nights, as far as it is up to us, about 830pm, after the kids are in bed, I get Chipotle tacos and guac – 12$ if we buy two guacs.  We sit on the couch, talk, eat, laugh.  Sometimes we will talk for about 3 hours – something we did when we were dating, married but didn’t have children, you know the scene.  Sometimes we will watch a show on Netflix (right now: Leverage, West Wing, Blacklist).  Just sitting shoulder to shoulder, eating yummy food (that I didn’t have to cook), and talking or just being with each other – ends our weekend, long Sunday, and spurs us on to be married another week.  I love it!
  3. Being in the Word.  We do not do our devotions together.  We actually find it hard to pray together and it is something we are working at.  But, we do each have time in the Word each day, and that helps us love God and love each other better.  I often tell him what I need: more of Jesus, more of him.  Two things I can never have too much of.  Cary and Dena Dyer have written a book for couples, a compilation of their story as a couple, humor, biblical wisdom for married couples, and discussion questions.  A couple things I really liked about the book was they shared their own stories.  Some marriage books give tips and pointers but don’t delve into their personal marriage any.  I love people’s stories and I want to know how they live their marriage each day.  Another thing I liked was the talking points at the end of each chapter.  Some couples find it hard to talk – or find things to talk about – and need help.  One thing I didn’t like was that I couldn’t see my husband reading this book.  It didn’t seem to fit a guy writing/reading style.  I know most books are bought and read by women.  So, maybe how a wife could do incorporate Love at First Fight into her marriage is by bringing up some of the questions to her husband.
  4. Get the long vision.  I heard one time that marriage is a long walk in the same direction.  Get a long vision of marriage.  We seemingly have been in one hard season after another in our 5 years of marriage.  And maybe one day the hard season will end, but we know that we wouldn’t want to walk these hard seasons alone, or with anyone else.

If you would like to win a copy of Love at First Fight, just leave a comment on your best marriage tip.  Sponsored by Shiloh Publishers and Sidedoor Communications.  All thoughts are my own.

kcreatives photography: lindermans on the chattahoochee

Averi and Grant

I’ve said before that living in ATL provides me great benefit because people often come here to travel, see the sites, or since it is a big city, they may have multiple friends here – and I get to be privileged to see them when we they come visit.

I met this sweet girl right after she married her handsome husband.  I was facilitating a small group Bible study at our church and she was in it.  I remember praying for her as a teacher and a newlywed. A few months later I would meet my now husband and those girls were giddy for me to grow in that relationships.

A & G

More than 5 years later and a few kids between us – and I love this girl, yall.  I love her beauty and her realness, and her hope in Christ, and her taste in clothes, and her little home in Raleigh – oh, gracious – so much style and class.  And that she has a husband who knows photography and helps me learn on shoot – and that she fits me in to a busy schedule on the road.

Always laugh and love

Every one needs a friend like this in their life.  Averi girl – I’m glad you are in mine!

Averi Girl

Sweetheart Sessions

posted in: photo shoot | 0

love

February is a month filled with LOVE.  Well, here is your chance to get a session with just you and your sweetheart – for the walls in your house, the pocket in your billfold, for your website, or for a special treat for the one you love.  I’ll be doing a photo session here in Little Rock on the afternoon of February 22nd and have room for one more couple.  You can be married, dating, engaged…in whatever stage your relationship is in.  Maybe you’ve been married for 50 years.  Maybe you’ve been dating for 2 months.

So, let me know you are the one couple who wants to do the shoot!

Details:

When: February 22nd.

Where: Little Rock, AR

Cost: 50$

What that includes: 45 minute photo shoot, CD of 15-20 edited photos

I look forward to working with you:  Contact me here at kimddavidson @ gmail dot com or via social media.  First one who responds gets this spot.  If you can’t do that date, but still want a sweetheart shoot, contact me and we’ll work around our schedules.

Love is a beautiful thing.

 

O Holy Night

posted in: sin, Worship | 4

Have to admit: this is definitely in my top 3 favorite Christian Christmas songs. Each year I hear it there are different truths I hear and remember. Here is my favorite rendition of it. And here is my second fave. With that last one, the cool thing, so many of those on the video are worshiping Jesus around His throne this Christmas).
So, here we go…

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining; (I love how God made even the stars to glorify Him)
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth! (How dear is Christ to me really? Do I really know Him to be my only Savior?)
Long lay the world in sin and error pining, (What does pining mean? to lose vigor, health, or flesh (as through grief), to yearn intensely and persistently especially for something unattainable. And oh, how I do that. I persist in sin when I know Christ is better).
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, (Sin is very tiring and exhausting)
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! (This is the immediate necessary response to seeing Jesus.)
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. (Do we readily admit/recognize that Jesus came in human form. Dr. Moore just wrote a great post on this: So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, (Really, Jesus, the Name Above all Names, King of Kings…born in a dirty manger? Andrew Peterson’s Labor of Love tells this beautifully)In all our trials born to be our Friend!
He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger. (The Bible tells us He knows all of our struggles, He is our great High Priest, our Perfect Sacrifice.)Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another; (If we name Christ…this should be evident in our lives)
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother (I am in such bondage, without Christ. Why do I continue to live in the bondage with Christ?)And in His Name all oppression shall cease. (Help me, Jesus, to know the power of your name over all my temptations)Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name! (Worship should be 100% of us: dancing, singing, joyfully rejoicing)
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever! (one day, everyone will bow. This side of eternity effects the other side of eternity.)
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

So…how do you celebrate Christmas? Everyone has a thought on this. I’ve read some that are depressing and some that are grand. After working retail for many years at the holidays, it is very hard for me to celebrate Christmas at home. But…I love focusing on the gospel. The gospel that Christ came to earth in the man, Jesus. This holiday is His. This holiday isn’t mine. This holiday isn’t mine to get and give gifts. This holiday is His. How will I celebrate when (if ever) I get married and have kids? I don’t know. But, it is something to think about.
May you celebrate well, this O Holy Night.