It's all about marriage.....

It has been quite a week. :)  Let me correct that, it has been quite a month.  I was in a situation where I knew that I had to change my outlook on things or I my heart would not be able to withstand the frustration.  Let me just tell you the story.

A friend of mine posted a video online of a vendor making a flower out of cotton candy.  You see, my husband is a glass blower, a lover of children and all things that make children happy.  And cotton candy definitely fits that bill.  Look at it.  Isn't it yummy?!

So my husband does what he does best, researched out the best cotton candy machine made and bought one just to make cotton candy for the local kids this Halloween.  He is such a kind man and believed that this may be the only opportunity some of the local kids may ever get cotton candy, and well every kid deserves to have cotton candy and so, we were going to fill the bill.

Here he is handing out cotton candy: pink (vanilla), blue (blue raspberry), purple (grape), red (cherry), orange (orange).  The kids were so excited. Over and over again, we were told that we were the "best house!"  We had several people helping and in just over an hour we were out.  We handed out over 500 bags!!

But the title of this blog is "It's all about marriage," so what does all this have to do with marriage?   I am not a healthy person.  I may do my best to hide it, and I am truly so grateful to the LORD for the strides that I have made; where I am today, but I have a spinal cord injury.  In short, my body just doesn't function like a normal person any longer.  I rely on rest, regularity, and complete management of all actions in a day...week...month.  One big factor is fatigue, so I don't have as many hours in a day available to me as others.  So, when my sweetie decides he wants to learn how to make cotton candy and build up inventory, I have to figure out how to do that with all of my other commitments and you know....life.

I love my hubby, he so enjoyed making the cotton candy, being together, that he found so many other people to give the candy to, which meant we made more.  Plus it gave us practice time, right?  Oh, back to that life business.  I really enjoyed the time with my sweetheart.  But there were strains in the beginning on my health physically.  In addition, as I said, I was trying to uphold my other commitments.  As a wife I wanted to try to keep the house picked up, dishes, food, clothes clean, which frankly, I have a hard time doing with my health on a good day, and with my new cotton candy role, it was impossible. I am just like everyone else, I got irritable, especially the more my health was effected trying to keep up.

So I turned to God's Word.  And at first I became conflicted.  I started just seeking scriptures that I knew like Eph 5:22 Wives submit to your husbands.  Now I know there is a lot to this scripture, and it is definitely not linked to "make cotton candy because your husband asked you to," but that first came to mind. :)  But that was in direct conflict at least for me and my health with the Proverbs 31 woman. She has things all together and would be able to take care of the house and make cotton candy.  I do not mean to make light.  These are wonderful scriptures to lean on for God to give us direction.  But you understand, sometimes, as a woman, and I am sure as a man too, well let me just speak for myself...I get worn out!  I cannot do it all!  Huh.  There, I said it.  And I am not always sure how to figure it all out.  So I made a choice.  I was not going to sit in anxiety over having to do it all, I was going to choose.  What should I do Lord?

So as I prayed I asked the Lord to change my heart.  My sweetheart is doing a wonderful gift for these children, my body is weak, and my mind is conflicted.  Clear my head and strengthen my body so that I can support him wholeheartedly.

What I heard in my spirit was clear.....love one another.  The laundry could wait.

This is a picture of my husband.  After we finished a run of cotton candy.  Look at the joy on his face! That same joy was on the face of every kid that came to the house Friday night.

We effect one another through our love for each other.....love one another (John 15:12)  The laundry can wait.

I made a conscious choice for self control, to pray, ask the Lord to change my heart and joy was ever-reaching.


Thank you Lord for all of your many blessings.  I pray that you can reach each child, sibling, each parent, aunt, uncle.....that came in contact with a bag of cotton candy. May they see your joy, your light, your hope and may they seek you with all of their heart.  Lord we do not know what touches the heart of another, we put all actions in your hands.  Blessed be your Holy Name!  In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.