There's the book, but where's the worm??? | Check It! Thursday

Wow.  Reading back on my recent posts, I have now crowned myself the TYPO QUEEN!
All hail.
Thankyouverymuch.
haha. Please forgive me and my thousands of typos in each post.
I promise, I'll try better. =]

[[Thursday's are all about advertisements! Whether it be for myself (wink*wink*), or for whatever else I recommend your ojos (and wallet) to oogle!  From music, to books, to household items, to decorating, to movies...you name it!  Whatever's blog worthy, you'll see it up here! If you own a small business and would like to advertise your awesomely awesome talent, feel free to contact me, and we'll get'cha on here!]]

Well, as some of you may know, come September, I will be launching my boudoir website!  

Already purchased the domain name:  www.MadameAmourBoudoir.com (don't click on it...yet) <3   

Researching the perfect name was def lots of fun, and def made me wanna take a trip to Paris! Who wants to take me???? So yes, it will be in full swing come September! If you'd like your beautiful face to grace my website's launch, contact me to book your very own boudoir session!  Book your session before Wednesday September 1, 2010, to take advantage of the current pricing. =D

Alrighty, on to older new things!

How many of you peeps are bookworms??? I will be the FIRST to say the longest book I've EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE was Twilight (and I didn't get past the 3rd ch. in Eclipse).  That's sad, I know. haha  I told my friend the other day, I just can't seem to REALLY get into a book unless Edwards name is printed all over, in, and around it.  [[PROUD MEMBER OF TEAM EDWARD!!!!!!!!! WOOT! WOOT!]]  

So if you get my gist here, I don't really dig reading, HOWEVER, lately I've become obsessed with Christian based books... self/spiritual growth, if you will. And I'd like to share an excerpt with you from this totally beyond awesomely awesome book!  The author's name is Stormie Omartian, and girlfriend preaches it like no other! She's amazing with every single word she writes! Her books are convicting, and will def put a sista in her place!  Right now, I'm reading "The Power to Change Your Marriage".  Before you X out the screen, hear me out for a sec...

For all the married folks, or even those who have been in long lasting relationships, or heck...ALL OF US, AS HUMAN BEINGS- we're all on the journey to find, what? LOVE.  Nowadays, this word is thrown and tossed around like a hacky sack. Not to mention its used and re-used like a dirty pair of chones. YUCK!  I'm traditional is lots of areas of my life...not like a "stuck up" traditional LOL, but one who's morals are tucked deep down in my heart.  I stay close to them, and like my mother always told me, and still does to this day, "Remember who you are." ...  The Bible talks mucho mucho about L.O.V.E.  And how HE created it to be.  You know, the kind that's unconditional... the better or for worse kinda love.  Just like the newest fashion smashion handbag out there, I want a LOVE like THAT! (of course not referring love to materialism, but you get the point).  As soon I as balled my way through the words, "I do.", it was no longer about ME, but instead, just as the Spice Girls sang it, "...two became ONE."  And how I love my husband (and vice versa) determines what kind of life we will lead.  It determines our over all happiness not just as a couple, but as a family. I'm all about making it WORK, rather than throwing in the towel.  With Him ALL things are possible! And its possible for the most broken of broken marriages to be healed, and its possible for the most perfectly imperfect marriage to be healed. A marriage is a marriage, and with Him, ALL things are healed. So yes, I'm a lover and a fighter, and I'm gonna fight for what I love, and that's a marriage I hope and pray that God will be proud of.  [[Proverbs 31 is my go-to verse, these days! Check it out! You'll be glad you did.]]

When Jr and I first started dating. HA! We were 2 crazy nuts in love...or so we thought, anyway. Heck we thought we were REALLY in love even after we had our daughter, Aislynn.  Nah-uh.  We didn't learn of this love until we "reached out and touched faith". When we allowed God to come into our home, and into our marriage, that is when our marriage took a complete 180, and we haven't looked back.  We're looking forward, and we can't wait to see what the Good Lord has in store for us!  This is why Jr and I about to embark on Marriage Coaching.  Next Thursday is our first "session", and to be quite honest I'm kinda nervous. lol  Yesterday, we had to fill out an assessment that was errr 200+ questions. Some of the questions, like Clayton's, I had never even thought of, until of course I HAD to answer it, and on top of that in multiple choice format.  And to be honest, I'm quite nervous to see how Jr answered them... like he secretly thinks I need to get a life or something. lol I dunno... And we won't find out until Thursday. GAH! The anticipation is gonna kill me!! THIS is where I must practice that crazy virtue they call, "patience." What silly insane person invented that anyway?!?!

So, in the weeks to come, I will blogging about our sessions, as crazy and emotional as they may be.  (don't say I didn't warn ya!) I'm not here to say Jr and I have the perfect marriage, cause we're farrrrrr from being even in the same vicinity as "perfect".  But we are def a prime example of the perfectly imperfect couple.  We have our good days, and we have our bad days...choosing how we act upon them is an entirely different story.  Doesn't mean we love each other any less, just means we have a lot of growing to do. And we're excited to take this next step together! I mean what do we have to lose right?  But def oh so much to gain! 

So anywho...here's a few excerpts from Stormie's book!

Don't worry, they stung my heart a little too.  

I read a sentence, and thought without a care.  

Re-read it, and thought, "Nahhhhhhhhhh." 

Re-read it, and then proceeded to highlight it. lol 

Promise you, at least every other sentence in this book is highlighted! THAT is how awesome it is!

Hope you enjoy! And don't forget to take a look at Stormie's other books that, from what I've heard, are just as amazing this one, here.  I'm also reading, "Power of a Praying Wife", and Jr has began to read, "Power of a Praying Husband."  The best $13 I've spent in a LONG time! And trust me, coming from someone who'd rather flip a tortilla than flip the page of a book, THIS is DEF worth your time, and def worth the read! Besides, the chapters are less than 5 pages long. Can't be that, right?! =D

__________________________________________________

"If you WANT to, you can change..."


"You can find the success you desire in your marriage if you do things God's way and refuse to give up."


"Its not that a person CAN'T change. It's that the don't WANT to change. Or they don't want to make the effort to do anything differently than they always have. Or they don't care to seek God about what changes He would like to see worked in them. Or they are so totally happy with themselves that they don't think they need to change..."


"Each one of us always needs to change in many ways, some more than others, but God will start with the one who is willing. And the good news is, this is where His blessings with be directed first as well."


"We have to learn that it's not OUR job to change our spouse, anyway. Its the work of the Holy Spirit... God made each of us in HIS image, and He doesn't want us to try and make our spouse over into OUR OWN image. Our job is to accept our spouse as he (she) is and pray for the Lord to make the necessary changes in him (her)."


"...You don't see how you can ever bring it all back together again because the damage seems irreparable. But in the Lord NOTHING is irreparable."


And last, but not least...

"Lord, change me into the person YOU want me to be, and show me what I need to do."

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And lastly... (yes, this is where God tickled my heart just a tinyyyyy bit. Okay. Okay. He smacked me over the head with wisdom and the virtue of being humble!)

1. Stop communicating openly and honestly.

2. Be consistently angry, selfish, rude, and abusive.

3. Refuse to forgive your spouse for any offense, no matter how small.

4. Stay depressed and negative as much as possible.

5. Convince your spouse that your children are far more important to you than he (she) is.
(FYI: God comes first, folks. Then your spouse. And THEN your children.)

6. Be consistently lazy and refuse to do much around the house or on your job.

7. Spend money foolishly and continually run up great debt.

8. Give place to addictions or annoying habits and defend your right to have them.

9. Don't care about your spouse needs sexually as long as you get what you want.

10. Habitually look at explicit films, magazines, or advertising and compare your husband (wife) to the glorified images you see there, and especially mention others whom you find more attractive.

11. Allow your heart to grow hard toward your husband (wife) and refuse to ever say, "I'm sorry, "Forgive me," or "I forgive you."

12. Make something other than God and your spouse your top priority.

13. "Threaten to get a divorce every time something comes up between you and your spouse that needs to be worked out.

14. Have an affair or entertain an obsession of the heart over something other than your husband (wife).

15. Move our of the home and don't try to reconcile your differences.

16. Give up and refuse to believe that God is a God of miracles who can restore love and hope.

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Got you thinking???
Yeah, me too. So much, that the first night with this book in hand, I just kept on reading, and before I knew it, I was on page 20! lol and I promise you, my highlighter is about to lose it's light(er).  These books are just too good to put down!


Hope you all are having a wonderfully blessed week!
Those that are going through the poops of life right now, keep your head up, and eyes on HIM! HE is the prize! He'll get you to where you need to be...just gotta have the faith. He didn't promise it would always be easy, but He did promise He'd stick to us like glue the ENTIRE way! Don't let go of His hand...keep a firm grip, cause you already know He's never gonna let go of YOU.  Being nailed to that cross wasn't just for show.  If anyone knows pain, its Jesus.  If anyone truly understands, its Jesus.  If anyone can get you through WHATEVER it is you are going through now, its Jesus.  Leave your worries at the cross and and cast your fears to the heavens. JESUS' GOT THIS! He knows what's up.  Even when you don't speak it, He hears the cry in your heart, and He knows your pain... LET GO & LET GOD!


With that being said, I received this in my inbox this morning, and it literally shouted out at me. I do love when God shouts at me. He knows I'm a stubborn, hard-headed, selective hearing kinda daughter.

"Sometimes God has to put us flat on our back before we are looking up to Him." -- Jack Graham

 

 

(CLICK HERE! They're on SALE, NOW!)    

PS. If you know of any GREAT books out there, feel free to leave a comment! 

I'd love to read your suggestions!

Highlighters, prayers, and HUGE love,  

-Casey <3