Marriage Builders at Christian Women's Resources
First, many thanks to Lori Arriaga, founder of Christian Women's Resources, and Giant Squid Connie Walcott who are fellow lens masters and sisters in Christ who share my desire to give hope and healing to women in all walks of life.
The Marriage Builders lens is one of five lenses that are part of the Editorial Department at Christian Women's Resources. Along with Faith Builders, Heritage Builders, Home Builders, and Kingdom Builders, it is our desire to minister to families around the world and give them joy and hope through the encouragement of fellow believers and the love of Jesus Christ.
Plans For the Marriage Builders Department
Not one to put much stock in the words of men, there are two quotes from famous people that I can recall off the top of my head. One of them is from Mark Twain, "I can live for two months on a good compliment."The other is a response that George Burns gave when asked about the secret to a successful marriage. In my mind I can see him saying this, perhaps on the Johnny Carson show (which reveals something about my age), but that might just all be in my my head. However, I distinctly remember his wise words about his successful marriage to Gracie Allen, his partner in life and on the stage for many years. When asked about the key to their successful marriage, he responded simply "Marry Gracie."
Marry Gracie. In those two words George Burns gave the most wonderful and heart-felt compliment a man could ever give his wife, and he spoke to women everywhere to "be the woman your husband needs you to be."
Encourage His Golf Game
Romance your husband by encouraging his golf game with this "Sweetness" putter
The G.R.I.P. Sweetness PutterMy Journey to "Be Gracie"
Does 40 years of waiting sound familiar?
At 47 years of age, I have been married for just 7 short years! Yep, I was a single woman until about 5 months after my 40th birthday!
But God used those 40 years to train me to "be Gracie." I learned a great deal from a wise woman named Hazel who mentored me without even knowing it. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and then later Gary Chapman of Family Life Today and various Christian authors and counselors who shared their wisdom of a Biblical marriage in books and on the radio also helped me, but I know that God put Hazel in my life because she is like Gracie.
Not only is she funny, but she and her husband are a pair unlike any other I've seen. After more than 40 years of marriage, they love being together. They share life together and laugh and hold hands every chance they get. They still sit close in church - and everywhere else for that matter - and neither of them comes or goes anywhere without a kiss from the other. You will never see them in a Vaudeville act or hear from them on a radio program, but they showed me how to love and be loved in marriage.
Say "I Love You" with Flowers
Fresh flowers, bonsai plants, and dwarf fruit trees (for real) direct from the grower. Grower Flowers delivers in 1 to 2 days. Helping Other Women "Be Gracie"
God has given me a desire to see successful, joyful marriages
My desire in working with Christian Women's Resources is to help build strong, joyful marriages that are built on God's Word. Through articles and life experiences, I hope to provide encouragement to women who are struggling in their marriages as well as to women who are in good, solid marriages.
I want to help women learn how to love their husbands as Hazel taught me.
You are not alone. Wherever you are in the emotional and spiritual journey of your marriage, there are others who are at the same place or who have been there and are ready to help you. Don't let the cares of this world and the lies of our society break into your marriage and steal your joy.
You were in love once. Do whatever it takes to regain that joy in your marriage.
Do what it takes to "be Gracie."
But, enough about me
Great Books to Strenghten Your Marriage
The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate (Men's Edition)
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 12/02/2008) 
Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 12/02/2008)
Created to Be His Help Meet: Discover How God Can Make Your Marriage Glorious
Amazon Price: $9.60 (as of 12/02/2008)
Love Must Be Tough
Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2008)
For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 12/02/2008)
Great resources to strenghthen your marriage
Lots of good information on marriage and family can be found on the web
- Simply Romantic Tips
- Choose Simply Romantic Tips for Her or Simply Romantic Tips for Him and get fresh ideas to romance your spouse. Yes, men need and want romance, too! You can subscribe to the tips to have them delivered to your inbox or you can click on the links each day to get a new tip.
- Focus on the Family
- Focus on the Family provides hundreds of excellent resources for marriage, parenting, faith, entertainment, life challenges, and social issues. Fantastic resource for all ages.
- Family Life Today
- More incredible resources for marriage, singles, parenting, and life issues. You can also send DaySpring greeting cards from this site. More information here than you could ever use, but it's worth a try!
- Love and Respect Live Conference
- Emerson and Sarah Eggerichs seminars to help men and women understand a man's need for respect, a woman's need for love, and how both of you can fulfill your mate's desires in these areas. Find a conference near you.
- Weekend to Remember Conference
- Find a Weekend to Remember conference near you. These conferences hosted by Family Life Today will put your marriage back on track or strengthen the marriage you already love.
- Marriage Partnership page from Christianity Today
- Another site with valuable resources for marriage as well as parenting, single, social, and life issues.
Other Lenses to Help Strenghten Your Marriage
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Anniversary Diamonds - Past-Present-Future, Journey, and Eternity
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Love is a journey, not a destination. What begins as an attraction takes many twists and turns to arrive at love, and love continues to grow and change as you experience life together. Anniversary jewelry - Past-Present-Future, Journey, and...
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Celebrate Your Wedding Anniversary
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There could be a million reasons why I celebrate my wedding anniversary - but in reality there's only one: marriage is a gift from God that should be celebrated every day, not just the anniversary of the day you were married.
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Marriage: Keep it Fresh Headquarters
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Marriage: Keep it Fresh A friend of mine who has been married for 40 years told me recently that the secret to marriage is to keep it fresh. From this simple advice comes this group committed to encouraging and supporting marriage.
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Speak Your Mate's Love Language
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Frustrated because you don't feel loved? Feeling unappreciated no matter what you do for your spouse? Ready to give up on a mate who doesn't talk any more? Then this lens is for you! In The Five Love Languages, Dr. Gary Chapman gives...
More Great Resources for a Happy Marriage
Read a book, buy a gift, do something new or something you haven't done in a long time
Here are more great resources to help you keep your marriage fresh.
- More Books on Marriage
- We live in an age where there is an abundance of good books to offset the bad that we see on bookshelves and on TV.
- The Anniversary Shop
- Find anniversary gifts by year and gifts for all special occasions here. From paper, 1st anniversary, to diamond jewelry, 50th anniversary, you will find the perfect give for your spouse at The Anniversary Shop.
- DaySpring eCards
- Send an ecard to your husband or wife and keep the home fires burning.
- Relationships
- Relationships pages from the Lifestyles section of BBC in the United Kingdom offers links related to love and intimacy including 70 romantic ways to have fun.
- Romance Tracker
- At Romance Tracker you will find 101 ways to show your love. Pick 1 or 2 or 10 and start showing your love today!
The Whosoevers of the Gospel
3:16: The Numbers of Hope
You may have heard of it already. His books usually appear on the Best Sellers list before they hit the market - if that's possible.Max Lucado's newest book is out and it's already changing lives. It changed mine!
My husband and I were fortunate enough to hear Max Lucado as a plenary speaker at the National Conference of the American Association of Christian Counselors. His new book, 3:16: The Numbers of Hope, focuses on 26 of the most-oft recited and best-loved words of the Bible:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
As only Max Lucado can do, he masterfully and gently pulls us into God's presence through this powerful message that the Gospel - God's saving grace - is for whosoever (forgive me, I love the King James version of this word) will come to God and believe in him.
The whosoevers of this world are you and your husband; they are your kids and your parents; they are the president of the bank and the man or woman who lives on the street; they are sitting next to you in church and on the commuter train. They are everyone who has ever lived, and Christ died for all of them - for all of us - before we were born, while we were yet sinners!
There are no words more central to God's perfect plan than these
Repeat them again, slowly, and drink in every word until it fills you from head to toe.
For - God - so - loved - the - world - that - he - gave - his - one - and - only - Son, - that - whoever - believes - in - him - shall - not - perish - but - have - eternal - life.
Books by Max Lucado
3:16: The Numbers of Hope
Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2008)
Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 12/02/2008)
Cure for the Common Life: Living in Your Sweet Spot
Amazon Price: $12.98 (as of 12/02/2008)
He Chose the Nails
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 12/02/2008)
It's Not About Me: Rescue From the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy
Amazon Price: $12.91 (as of 12/02/2008)
Articles on Marriage at Christian Women's Resources
- Raise a Harvest of Righteousness
- Once war breaks out in a home, it is hard to bring peace talks to the table. Learn how one woman initiated peace in her home and reaped a harvest of joy, love, and righteousness.
- Don't Let Your Marriage be a UFO
- Are you in the habit of starting a project and never finishing it? Do you have unifinished projects (UFOs) around the house or around the office? Just as you wouldn't give up on your kids and let their lives be unfinished objects of your life, don't allow your marriage to be a UFO either.
- The Couple that Laughs Together Stays Together
- Science has caught up with the Bible (again!) and has found that laughter makes the heart grow fonder. Take time to laugh with your spouse. Tell jokes, try a new activity together, get away without the kids and just smile at one another. Better yet, look at each other face to face and try not to laugh like you used to do when you were kids. It will do your heart - and your marriage - good.
- Overflowing Fruit of the Spirit
- Take a good look at yourself and determine today to let the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - rule your life and your marriage. Your family will thank you for it.
- The Ultimate Love Language
- I am a big believer in Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages (can be bought from the book links above). However, God has shown me that the ultimate love language is prayer. Find out how you can add this ultimate love language and see your marriage changed forever.
Romancing Your Husband
Go on an adventure together. (I love this picture because I'm actually in there - even though you can't see me! Our first rafting trip together - and it was a blast!)Accompany him to a computer, music, or hardware store and encourage him to buy himself something ... something that HE's been dreaming of!
Cook a fabulous dinner for two, put fresh flowers on the table, and show up in your fanciest little black evening dress!
Ok, guys, tell us how you like to be romanced
Romancing Your Wife
There's More to Romance Than Just Flowers...
Being practical can be very romantic too!Set aside a special day to spend time alone with the kids so your wife can go shopping and run errands alone or with a girlfriend...she'll love you for it, and may even come home with a gift for YOU!
Take the kids to a movie...giving her some "quiet time" at home alone.
Ladies, it's your turn. How do you want to be romanced?
Finding out that your husband has planned an evening together without with kids
0 points
A Gourmet Meal Delivered to Your Door
Filet Mignon by Candlelight
Grilled beef tenderloin in a red wine sauce made with shallots, thyme, and spices served with creamed potatoes and cut asparagus spears.Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce
Treat Yourselves to Dinner Out
A Weekend Getaway Just for the Two of You!
A great weekend on short notice!
Rekindle the Romance at a B & B
Search for B&B's in your area or in any area you wish to visit.
You will not be disappointed!
Bed & Breakfast Gift Certificates
It's Your Turn
Give me your input
I need some input on romantic gestures for men and women. After I get a few ides from the squidooees, I'll add them to Plexo List module for all the world to see and vote on. Let's get some romance happening around here!
familychristianmedia wrote...
Great Lens, 5 stars all the way. Good to see other Christian Len's on Squidoo.
Posted October 30, 2008
savvygrandmother wrote...
I loved reading your lense - great job and great information! Congratulations on your happy marriage. I have been married 40 years - wow - who would have thought it.
Posted July 19, 2008
GypsyPirate wrote...
Thank you. This lens is beautifully written and crafted. You had some things to say that I needed to hear. Keep saying them, 'cause there are more women out there like me I think. More importantly, keep making great lenses, I love reading your work.
Posted October 11, 2007
JanaMurray wrote...
This lens is fantastic I will refer to it often, My husband and I need this after 18 years together...
Posted October 03, 2007
Besides my husband, my other great love in life is travel
So far, my only travel lens is on The Black Forest. Check it out.
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Germany's Best: The Black Forest
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Nestled in the southwest corner of Germany, bordering France and Switzerland, lies the heavily forested region of Germany known as the Black Forest. This is perhaps the most beautiful part of Germany, a place that beckons me to come and linger...
