What do you do when you have no desire to pursue your husband anymore?

What do you do when you just feel like giving up on the whole thing?

Do you live in a silent divorce?

I think far too many couples are living silent divorces…and I think it’s killing their spirits.

The first couple had their doubts about one another, I’m sure…can you just imagine the arguments and resentment that came from this line:

“The man said [to God], “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Adam, Genesis 3:12

Again, I don’t want to be trite, so I’m just going to share some practical things for those of you who are hurting in your marriages…

Some Practical Advice:

• Do not watch romantic movies or books – unless your husband is the 1 in million that actually acts like that guy on screen, bid it farewell or your heart will likely go into covet mode.
• Take resentment and bitterness straight to the feet of Jesus, otherwise, a silent divorce will demand (and usually receive) entry into your heart.
• Find encouragers – those rare friends who will challenge you to persevere, give sound advice, pray for you, and love you through the hard. Stay away from the husband bashers!
• Look up as many scriptures as you can on coveting. (Wishing you had someone else’s life or husband will only make you miserable…and it’s a sin.)
• PRAY.  If you are weary from heart hurt, pray.  If you feel like you just can’t make your marriage work, pray (because you can’t, only God can). If you don’t know what to do next, pray. PRAY.
• Cling to the truth.  The truth is that God’s providential hand is over your marriage. When you’re feeling depressed over your marriage or having “longing” thoughts about someone else, remember that God has you where you are, and He will use it all for His glory…and it will be good.
• Find the deepest, most inner part of your being, straight from your heart to your soul, and give God every ounce of it.  Man (and your husband) will fail you, it is inevitable. Find yourself – your worth and “lovability” in Him alone. You are safe with Him.

Thoughts on Affairs, Part 1

This post is linked up with Things I Love Thursday…because fighting off an affair is a worthy thing to love.

Look at this beautiful quilt! There’s only one available… (ad)

…it still wouldn’t be enough.

It never is.

“Me” time is a maelstrom that will suck you in and drown you.

$35 giveaway to Marie-Madeline-click here! (ad)

Who’s up for winning some fun stuff today?

I’ve got a Walk in Love T-shirt up for grabs (your choice – many styles and colors to choose from)…

along with a Walk in Love Tote bag…

all from Walk in Love Clothing! The mission for Walk in Love Clothing is simple:

Walk in love. clothing is simple. We are dedicated to selling well-designed, high quality clothing with a positive and inspiring message. That message is a reminder to imitate God by loving others every chance we get – no strings attached. We believe that Jesus came and showed us how to be that message.
We want you to walk in love.

Find them on Facebook and @walkinlove!

Oh, but there’s more…

I also have the Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies CD up for grabs…oh heck, I have THREE up for grabs!

My babes and I LOVE this CD! And don’t let all the silliness fool you (and yes, it is super silly), the lullabies on this CD are BEAUTIFUL – I actually teared up when I heard ‘You Can Always Come Home.’  I couldn’t find a song sample, but here are some of the lyrics:

There once were some sheep safe on the farm

One little Lamb go loose

The Shepard went out and carried it home

That little Lamb is you.

I love you today and I love you tomorrow

I love you as deep as the sea

I love you in joy and I love you in sorrow

You can always come home to me…

I HIGHLY recommend Slugs and Bugs and Lullabies.  You will have so much fun dancing your heart out, and then in the quiet, enjoying the stillness with your babes as you lullaby together.

(Grab your babes, turn up your speakers, and dance!)

You can find these fun peeps at @slugsandbugs and on Facebook.

I have MORE!  (whew!)  I also have the new game Kids Flag Page for you!

Now, I have to admit, I have not yet played this game because my babes are a wee bit too young (recommended ages are 6-11), but I really like the mission behind the fun:

“The Kids Flag Page is a fun way for moms and dads to interact with their kids and truly discover the heart of each child—who God created them to be.”

Learn more about Kids Flag Page here and also find them on Facebook and @family_matters!

Isn’t this great?!  So much fun in one day!

Here’s how to enter for the whole shebang (T-Shirt, Tote bag, CD, and game):

• Visit each of the sites (here, I’ll make it easy): Walk in Love, Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies, and Kids Flag Page, and then come back here and leave me a comment about one or all of these super fab products.

Extra Entries (you do not have to do these to be enterend!): Tweet this giveaway, post this giveaway, or Facebook this giveaway.  Leave a separate comment for each thing you do (or it won’t count!).

There will be two runners up who will also win a Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies CD (yay!).

This giveaway is open to anyone in the U.S.  It will end on Thursday, 5/27, at 9pm EST.

Good “luck!”  :)

P.S. – the winner of the Flirty Apron is Ashley Pichea and the winner of the EnviTote is whoever is married to Todd Tracy! (hehe..)

Oh my.  I’ve found the cuteness!  Lookey: nana’s dishcloths! (The woman who makes these is 94!)  (ad)

Become a Facebook “Liker” of LWCC here.

Subscribe to LWCC here.

“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.” Proverbs 31:10

What is #rubychat?

#rubychat is a weekly conversation held on Twitter that brings together a gathering of women who are pursuing the heart of God.

What will we talk about?

We will pursue various topics pertaining to becoming a virtuous and godly woman, wife, mother, and home-keeper. The goal of our discussions is to learn, grow, and encourage one another in grace and truth.

When is #rubychat?

#rubychat is held on Monday nights from 9-9:30pm EST.

What do I have to do to join #rubychat?

All you have to do to join #rubychat is to get your favorite slippers on, grab your favorite drink, curl up in a comfy chair, and hop on Twitter using the hashtag #rubychat to start chatting away with other women seeking the heart of God! (A hashtag is just adding the number symbol before words to set apart a specific topic/conversation.)

I use TweetChat.com during the chat.

You can follow me on Twitter @sarahmaeblogs. Hope to chat with you soon!

Photo: Ruth in Boaz’s Field by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1828

Women who are seeking to become more precious than rubies? Meet the Long Ladies. (ad)

We know the story…

Woman feels neglected…unloved…forgets what it feels like to be wanted by a man. Her heart aches.  She longs for something more.

Man feels neglected…unloved…forgets what it feels like to be wanted physically by a woman.  His spirit suffers. He longs for something more.

The lure of passion and excitement and freshness traps many souls to a dead end.  But that need to be wanted is so powerful…life feels dull when we just get by...when we co-exist…when we except “normal.”

Are you Just getting by?

Are you longing for something more?

Is your spirit drying up within you?

I’m not going to claim to have the answers – they would all sound trite anyway – but I think I have something to offer up (to women, that is).

If you want to be pursued, be someone worth pursuing.

We are loved unconditionally by our heavenly Father once we’ve been adopted into His family, but on this cursed earth, love is a daily fight…and the enemy is in full battle armor.

Are you worth pursuing or are you just hoping that your DNA is enough?

There is a reason that a noble wife is worth far more than rubies…she is rare and precious.

As these thoughts swirl around in my brain today I am humbled because as much as I want my husband to pursue with the passion he did nearly seven years ago, I haven’t been pursuing him with passion.

Heck, I haven’t even made the bed.

Perhaps if us wives would take more time to cultivate our homes, our inward beings, and our appearance,we would find our husbands with lips of praise for us?

Just something to think about.

Just something I’m thinking about.

If you have not taken the time to check out Marie-Madeline Studio, please do – they are lovely and wonderful and everything nice! (ad)

I was asked the other day how I would define my “why?”

What is the “why” behind what I’m doing in this connective space?

The timing of this question could not have come at a better time, as this month marks a milestone for me of two years in the blogosphere.  Two years of learning, growing, stretching, observing, swaying, and focusing.  Two years that have gone by in a snap.

Lately, I’ve been distracted.

When I started this blog I wanted a place for women to journey together as we figure out the eternal in who we are and all we do…the good, the hard, the crazy…

I also wanted to make some money to be able to afford homeschooling supplies, as our budget didn’t allow for that expense.

I stayed on track for a long time with my vision for this place, but recently I’ve lost my way.  My passion for the heart of women turning their hearts toward home has burrowed too comfortable somewhere in the deep of my being, while the desire for success has bubbled to the top.

I’m sorry.

In my God’s gracious and gentle wisdom He has allowed me to sway…but ever so quietly He has been nudging me back.

Back to the purpose.

Back to His glory.

Back to eternal.

I don’t have it figured out yet, and my flesh still creeps with the putrid oder of self.  I am prone to sway.

But,

He has me.

So, my why…

I am here to lay bare the flesh on my soul.

I am here to journey with you, faithful sisters, as our spirits transform into good, life-giving death of self.

I am here to encourage women to pursue the most beautiful calling given by our Lord – that of woman – helper-completer, soul grower, home nurturer.

I am here to have some fun and meet new friends.

I am here to earn some money for my family.

I am here to extend grace to the broken…and Jesus truth to the wanderer.

I believe that God has given me this platform for His purpose and glory, and I intend on doing my best to honor Him with my tiny piece of His grand puzzle.

I’m just a small piece…a bent and tattered piece.

One day you and I will see all the pieces together in one beautiful, glorious picture.  I think one day we will be brought to our knees with how perfect it will be.

You have a piece of the puzzle as well.  What is your why?

With all these amazing, pretty fabrics, what would you make? (ad)

Link-up your “why” posts here!  If you’re so inclined, return the link love by linking back here? :)

Pretty please take my poll? Answer all that apply…

On Facebook?  Do you “like” Like a Warm Cup of Coffee?  Become a “liker” here!

Subscribe to Like a Warm Cup of Coffee by RSS or get all my posts delivered to your email!

If you’re seeing two headers, click on “Compatibility View” (an icon right after the URL that looks like a piece of paper ripped in half) and that should fix it immediately. It’s an Internet Explorer (IE) issue.

What do you think about these shoes? (ad)

Today’s post is from vlogging queen Jendi – enjoy!

Vlogging is a casual type of online video. The term vlogging came from smooshing “video blogging” together. Some people pronounce it V-logging with emphasis on the v and others say it the same as blogging, with the first letter changed, of course. Whatever you call it it’s good to have on your website. Adding video will help your blog stand out and it’s good SEO juice. Let’s take it one more step [cue the Eva Gabor Green Acres accent] and make your video stand out and
look fabulous, darling.

Top 10 Tricks to Make Your Video Stand Out & Look Fabulous:

10 is not necessary, but really adds to a vlog. Music. Look for free royalty free music to add some pizzazz.
9 is slightly more necessary, but can be fudged in a pinch. Background. It doesn’t have to be spectacular, but it needs to not be
cluttered.
8 is always a good thing, but sometimes depends on the type of website. Call to action. Do people know where to find you or what you want them to do next? It can be as simple as “follow me on Twitter!”
7 takes some time to set up, but the pay off is great. Host. YouTube is a great place to start, but it’s even better to put your video on
more than one host.
6 seems like a no brainer, but not all vloggers have a blog. Embed. Put your video in a blog post or page so you can direct people there and get more traffic.
5 - we’re getting to the essentials now. Timing. Keep It Short and Sweet. Leave them wanting more.
4 is pretty crucial. Stability. Set the camera down. There are lots of options if you don’t have a tripod. At least steady your hand against something solid.
3 is definitely essential and crucial. Lighting. If people can’t see you they won’t watch you.
2 you’ve heard lots of times about blogging and it applies to vlogging as well. Content. Have something to say. Don’t just ramble. Outlines are a good thing!
1 is important. Everyone has one and it doesn’t cost a thing! Smile! Even if your knees are knocking act like you are having a grand time talking to your best friends. If you are doing a more serious subject you might not smile, but you should still be real.

Caution: Don’t let all this overwhelm you. Start simple. It’s ok if your very first video doesn’t have all these things. Just start and
you will improve the more you do. Happy Vlogging!

Jendi started reading blogs in 2006 and quickly became addicted. In 2007 she started her daily life blog with WordPress. In 2008 she started making videos for online. Then she looked for ways to improve her vlogging. There were many sites with complicated information, but none with simple tips for those just starting. She launched simplevloggingtips.com to help fill the gap and to encourage other moms to push record and just vlog it. She has spoken in webinars for Kelly McCausey and Maria Bailey as well as live at the Blissdom Conference. She works as a social media director for a local business, and a video marketer for a business on the other side of the country. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, stays busy homeschooling her 3 kids, and tries to make sure that the dog, cat, and rabbit get fed. Follow her on twitter @jendisjournal. Download her free report on How Video Makes You Awesome.

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Check out this apron giveaway from Marie-Madeline Studio!!!!! (ad)

I have a challenge for you.

For me.

Here it is:

Between now and Wednesday, spend one full day doing whatever your children want to do (with a few guidelines, of course).

A full day to them, for them.

Our guidelines (you create your own):

• No T.V./movies
• No all you can eat junk food fest (although some is okay).
• No outside play if weather is horrible/freezing (some dancing in the rain permitted).

We will link up next Thursday with how it went (the good, the bad, the mentally insane).

Are you in?

If you have an older daughter, perhaps you could do this during your day together! (ad)

Don’t forget to enter the EnviTote/Flirty apron fabulousness here!

“How Do I Grow My blog? Episode 6 – Advertising” is up!

I’m also at (in)courage today vlogging my heart out…and dishing about the day I didn’t brush my daughters hair. {ahem.}

I have a fun little something for you today!

As you know, I’m an OpenSky junkie…um, er, shopkeeper. I heart what OpenSky is all about, and I loooove that they are always hooking us up with fantabulous promotions to pass on to our readers!

My latest favorite thing is the EnviTote…oh how I heart thee.  My mother is a witness, I use this bad boy all.the.time (library books, toys, picnics, UPS drops, etc.)  Here’s my little demonstration of the EnviTote (yes, I know, I use “um” way too much):

Ya’ll, look at how much the EnviTote holds (no squished bread!):

Kath even showed me that you can carry a CROCKPOT in an EnviTote.  HOLLA!

Now that I’ve clearly shown my love for the EnviTote, let me now share with you another fave...a constant companion through thick and thin in the land of dirty dishes and housework…

Ah yes, the Flirty apron. Isn’t she beautiful?

She beckons to you. I know.

So here’s why I’m telling you about these favorites of mine, these staples in my everyday living:

Today through Friday you can get the EnviTote and a Flirty apron for 10% off each…

AND

whoever buys an EnviTote gets entered to win a FREE Flirty apron and whoever buys a Flirty apron gets entered to win a FREE EnviTote! Isn’t that fun?! I’m all about fun.

There are only 30 EnviTote’s available for this promotion, so GET ON IT if you’re wanting one!  :)

The winners will be announced on Monday.

Discount code for the EnviTote: TOTE10 Buy Here.

Discount code for the Flirty apron: APRON10 Buy Here.

Happy Shopping!

I also heart me some Marie-Madeline!  Fab.U.Lous. (ad)