A Pair of Bartletts

Marriage Monday--He Speaks: A Revealing Interview With My Husband

Well, it's finally here!  Marriage Monday is back, but most importantly, it's officially (to me) the Christmas season!  I know that there are lots of folks out there that just can't get "into it" until it gets much closer to the date, but NOT ME!  This is hands down my favorite time of the year...and I've been "into it" since before Thanksgiving!  

And, when E-Mom recently let us in on the topic for Marriage Monday, I was even more excited.  While I always like for Rob to read my posts for Marriage Monday, that's just it...they're posts that I write.  But this month, he's actually able to participate in the writing.  Our topic this time  is not really a topic this time, but an interview with my precious husband.  It's so funny...an "interview".  It sounds so "TV-ish"!  I live in the same house with this great guy and know him inside and out.  But to "interview" him, well, it was just intriguing to me.  So, I'll guess I'll get right to the good stuff!  Here are the five questions (and his answers) that I posed to my greatest earthly gift....my sweet husband.

  

QUESTION #1:

Describe your ideal Christmas.  

Rob:  To one day see the excitement of our own children waking up on Christmas morning.

Okay, I'll have to say that his first answer made me tear up pretty quickly immediately.  I would elaborate more here, but if I do, I'll never type the rest of the post.  Just suffice it to say that we believe in a mighty God, who does great things, and loves to bless His children.  He's made many promises to us in the scripture, so we stand on Psalm 37, which says:

¹ Do not fret because of evildoers,
         Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
 ² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
         And wither as the green herb. 
         
 ³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
         Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
 ⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,
         And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 
         
 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
         Trust also in Him, 
         And He shall bring it to pass.
 ⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
         And your justice as the noonday. 
         
 ⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
         Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, 
         Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
 ⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
         Do not fret—it only causes harm. 
         
 ⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off;
         But those who wait on the LORD, 
         They shall inherit the earth.
 ¹⁰ For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
         Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, 
         But it shall be no more.
 ¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth,
         And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 
         
 ¹² The wicked plots against the just,
         And gnashes at him with his teeth.
 ¹³ The Lord laughs at him,
         For He sees that his day is coming.
 ¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword
         And have bent their bow, 
         To cast down the poor and needy, 
         To slay those who are of upright conduct.
 ¹⁵ Their sword shall enter their own heart,
         And their bows shall be broken. 
         
 ¹⁶ A little that a righteous man has
         Is better than the riches of many wicked.
 ¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
         But the LORD upholds the righteous. 
         
 ¹⁸ The LORD knows the days of the upright,
         And their inheritance shall be forever.
 ¹⁹ They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
         And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
 ²⁰ But the wicked shall perish;
         And the enemies of the LORD, 
         Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. 
         Into smoke they shall vanish away. 
         
 ²¹ The wicked borrows and does not repay,
         But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
 ²² For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
         But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. 
         
 ²³ The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
         And He delights in his way.
 ²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
         For the LORD upholds him with His hand. 
         
 ²⁵ I have been young, and now am old;
         Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, 
         Nor his descendants begging bread.
 ²⁶ He is ever merciful, and lends;
         And his descendants are blessed. 
         
 ²⁷ Depart from evil, and do good;
         And dwell forevermore.
 ²⁸ For the LORD loves justice,
         And does not forsake His saints; 
         They are preserved forever, 
         But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
 ²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land,
         And dwell in it forever. 
         
 ³⁰ The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
         And his tongue talks of justice.
 ³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;
         None of his steps shall slide. 
         
 ³² The wicked watches the righteous,
         And seeks to slay him.
 ³³ The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
         Nor condemn him when he is judged. 
         
 ³⁴ Wait on the LORD,
         And keep His way, 
         And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; 
         When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
 ³⁵ I have seen the wicked in great power,
         And spreading himself like a native green tree.
 ³⁶ Yet he passed away,^[a] and behold, he was no more;
         Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. 
         
 ³⁷ Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
         For the future of that man is peace.
 ³⁸ But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
         The future of the wicked shall be cut off. 
         
 ³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
         He is their strength in the time of trouble.
 ⁴⁰ And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
         He shall deliver them from the wicked, 
         And save them, 
         Because they trust in Him.

QUESTION #2:

How do your think our expectations differ at Christmas?

Rob:  I am not sure that our expectations at Christmas are that different.  We both seem to enjoy spending our time with our family at Christmas.  I just believe Christmas has become too commercialized and that the true meaning of Christmas has been kicked to the curb.

He's SOOOO right and I TOTALLY agree!  Society has worked (and is still working) so hard to squeeze every single drop of Christ out of Christmas.  Gracious, The ACLU practically works around the clock to see to it that no one is "bothered" or "offended" with Christ at all.   I know that the God that Rob and I serve promises this:

Philippians 2:10-12 (New King James Version)

¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

QUESTION #3:

Share your thoughts about exchanging gifts.

I am more interested in seeing the expressions of the children when they receive gifts.  I, like most people, enjoy receiving gifts, but as I have grown older I am more interested in giving others gifts.

 I know that we do not have children yet, but I cannot tell you what it does to me to see my husband with our nieces and nephews (from both his side of the family and my side of the family). He will be a wonderful father.

QUESTION #4:

Some years you're just not into Christmas. Explain why.

I can remember a few years as a child when my mother was having a rough time financially.  I could see the disappointment in her face because she could not afford much.  This will be the sixth Christmas since she passed away.  I do not own anything materialistic of greater value than the my years growing up with her and my grandma.  My fondest memories of Christmas are the times spent with my grandmother at Central Assembly of God.  I remember singing Christmas carols and the pastor handing out bags of fruit as we left the church.

It breaks my heart thinking of some of the things that my husband had to endure as a child.  But God is gracious and He is merciful.  He promises us:

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (New King James Version)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

QUESTION #5:

How do you focus on the deeper meaning of Christ's birth at Christmas?

It is not very difficult for me to focus on the deeper meaning of Christ’s birth because my grandmother always explained the true meaning of Christmas to me and my younger sister.

Of the multitude of things that my husband and I share in common, the one thing that I am more thankful for and grateful for above all else is that we share the same saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and we are both have assurance of our eternal salvation in Him.  This Christmas, as we celebrate in a world that seems so far away from the Lord, I pray that the Lord would enable us to focus on the real meaning, the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  From our home here in the Deep South, we both wish you a very Merry Christmas and pray that you will find the true meaning of Christmas in this passage from Luke:

Luke 2 (New King James Version)

Luke 2

Christ Born of Mary

 ¹ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,^[a] who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

   
⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold,^[b] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 
       ¹⁴ “ Glory to God in the highest, 
      And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”<sup>[c]

15</sup> So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely^[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

 

For more Marriage Monday articles, please stop by Chrysalis and check them out!

 

Want this button?

It's a big day tomorrow!

Just wanted to drop a quick note about tomorrow...please stay tuned for a Christmas themed installment of "Marriage Monday".  We'll be meeting over at E-Mom's blog, Chrysalis to post our articles.  Here are the details below....I hope that you can join us there!

Dear Blogging Sister,

 

Please join us for Marriage Monday this coming Monday (Nov. 30, 2009). This time, we'll be covering the general subject of Men & Christmas. By majority vote, this month's group topic is "He Speaks: A Revealing Interview With My Husband."

Help your Husband Express His Feelings

This month our challenge is to get help your man express his honest feelings about Christmas. I suggest you come up with three to five questions. I've emailed mine to e-Dad,because I know he likes to write his answers down, rather than be questioned verbally. You can try that, or do whatever works best for the two of you.

Here are my interview questions. (You can use these if you want.)

1. Describe your ideal Christmas.
2. How do your think our expectations differ at Christmas?
3. Share your thoughts about exchanging gifts.
4. Some years you're just not into Christmas. Explain why.
5. How do you focus on the deeper meaning of Christ's birth at Christmas?

Let's make it our goal to create some wonderful memories for our husbands this year!I'm excited to find out what pleases e-Dad, and also what troubles him about the holidays. I hope you'll take some time to do the same for your own sweet man.

Bring a Friend

Feel free to copy any part of this announcement and post it on your blog. As always, the more participants we have, the better.

 

See you at Chrysalis on Monday!

 

Blessings,

 

e-Mom :~D

http://chrysaliscom.blogspot.com

Thankful for Thursday

I found these great reminders for all of us this Thanksgiving week.  I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I did!

 

 I pray that you will spend incredible family time together doing the "little things" together.

 

I pray that you'll get "the perfect bird" for your perfect Thanksgiving table.

And lastly, that you stay one step ahead of the arrows of the Enemy! 

From my family to yours I pray that you will have a very peaceful and very meaningful Thanksgiving celebration with your families.  I pray that you will speak words of edification that others may be built up.  I pray that you will stop and remember all of those things that should make us fall to our knees in humble gratitude.  I thank God for my precious family and friends, but most of all I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for my salvation in Him.   I'll leave you with one of my favorite Puritan Prayers, "The Valley of Vision". 

The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.

 

 

What's Cookin' ??

 

This is what I'm curling up with tonight!  This is the coolest book!  It's not entirely a cookbook, but more of an encyclopedia of all of the greatest instructions and "how-to's" composed by Julia herself....and straight out of that genius brain of hers.  I'll have to report on some of her cool tips once I've had a chance to peruse the pages.  

Julia is one of my all time favorite "pre-Food Network" chefs.  As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say that she is one of the greatest chefs of all time.  I love the new guys just as much as anyone else, but Julia will always be the best in my book....a class act of all class acts.

What book are you curling up with?

 

Memory Monday--Colossians 4:2-6

 

I pray that the Lord will remind me daily of the Christian graces of the words in Colossians.  I come in contact daily with people that I know that I should be more prepared with my "answer" to them.  It's not something that is a surprise to me...it's one of those things that we (as Christians) always know.  Why is it that we get so "comfortable" that we forget the reason for our calling?  The Lord has called us to provide answers when called on to do so...and I know that this is something that I should be better prepared to do.  It's not that I have never given answers when called upon, but i know that I have many more opportunities to do so that what I take advantage of.   These verses spoke to me deeply today and I pray that they will speak to you as well.  

What Christian graces do you want to improve on in your walk?

Colossians 4 (New King James Version)

² Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; ³ meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, ⁴that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 
⁵ Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

O Holy Night!

Okay, okay okay already!  I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet........but I CAN'T HELP MYSELF!  I'm totally in the Christmas spirit and I decorated my blog early....so sue me!

Today was a great day....Santa came a little early.  I got to pick up my new car today....and love it!  God gives great blessings, and I thank him for the one that He gave me (us) today.  So, I'll leave you with a picture of my sporty new ride....I'm the official owner of what they now call a "crossover vehicle".  I'll let you look at my new Caliber and listen to a few Christmas tunes!  I've got to hit the hay, because tomorrow, we're leaving early to go to the Alabama game!  Roll Tide Roll!

So what do you think about my new festive and oh-so-Christmasey blog banner? Amber at The Shabbee Chick Designs did an outstanding job, don't you think?  If you need a little sprucing up at your blog, I HIGHLY recommend Amber!  You can't go wrong with her...her work is "not to shabbee"!

 

Pom Pom Pomanders!

Ephesians 5:2 (New King James Version)

² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

I absolutely LOVE the smell of spices, but especially cinnamon, cloves and all of those great "Christmasy" spices that make it holiday time.  What's even better is making a fun craft with my niece and nephews.  I had a great time with them last year during Thanksgiving. We did a craft project on Thanksgiving day and made some "apple turkeys" . They were SO cute!   But, this year, I thought it would be fun to make something new. It didn't take me long to think about what would be fun for them to do while making something decorative that everyone can enjoy. SOOOOO, pomanders it will be!  I remember that my grandmother always loved pomanders.  I wish that she could be here to make them with the children...she would have been right in the middle of all of the festivities!  

So this year, we're going for the sweet smelling craft.  I think that their smell is so yummy and I love how they look all piled up in a bowl.  It will be a lot of fun but I always love to have the opportunity to teach them something at the same time.  There is a history lesson in the pomander, but I think that there is a biblical application as well.  Pomanders were carried by the ladies in the 15th century.  They would wrap them in handkerchiefs and carry them while they were walking along the streets.  To prevent smelling the rancid smells of the streets in the town, they would hold them to their noses and sniff the pomander ball instead.  From the biblical perspective, I think that the story of the pomander could be a very practical reminder to us as Christians.  I think that the smells that the women in the 15th century were trying to avoid represent our sin in the nostrils of our Lord.  And the pomander ball is the sweet smelling aroma that we bring to the Lord when we walk in love.  I pray that I would bring a sweet smelling aroma to my Lord and that I would be reminded of the story of the pomander ball on a daily basis.  I don't want to be the cause of a stench in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.   

What crafts will you do this Thanksgiving?

Another Great Recipe Find--Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I wanted to share this article with you from my new favorite kitchen website. The site is called My Kitchen Cafe and it has some REALLY great finds.  The instructions are super easy and the flavors are really great!  My sister in law made this recipe for my Mom and I on our last trip to visit.  The flavors of the honey, the chili powder and the lime put these over the top!  I hope that you will try them too.  I'm going to make some this weekend for sure.  Simply DELECTABLE!  Go check out their site!  You won't be sorry!  This dish was good to the very last crumb!

 

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
from Brittany at The Sisters' Cafe

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

*Freezable Meal: Freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top.

via mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

My Kitchen Cafe: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

I am SOOOOO going to make some of these. They just scream out Fall!   Also...this is my new favorite website, thanks to my sister in law, Julie....thanks Julie!   You have to go and visit My Kitchen Cafe !  I think it might become your new favorite website too!  

 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture

*Makes 24 muffins

For the muffins:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice*
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the streusel topping:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar and whip until smooth. Form into a log on plastic wrap or greased foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours.

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In another large bowl combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well 1/3 of the way with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice on top of the batter in each muffin well and gently press (don't press all the way to the bottom but just slightly into the batter). Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the top of the muffin (about 1/3 of the way down) comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

*My tip: if you don't have pumpkin pie spice, use the following combination: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon cloves. Mix together and you have the equivalent of 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

Recipe Source: adapted from Annie's Eats

Be Different.....Stay Married

 

It all began on a beautiful Fall candlelit evening on November 17, 2006.  That is the day that I met my sweet husband at the beautiful antique altar of this very old and very beautiful chapel.  It was an evening that fell out of the pages of a magazine.  The candles on the steps of the chapel....the black candelabras in the chapel with randomly sized glowing ivory pillar candles....the hundred year old wooden pews...the beautiful wooden floor....I get the shivers just thinking back to it.  

This was the night that I told my best friend and my God sent soul mate that I would spend the rest of my earthly days as his wife.  I thank God every day for my sweet husband, Rob,  and everything that he means to me.  I love him more and more every day and can't imagine a day on this earth without him.  We serve a mighty God...He is a God that is a Giver of perfect gifts and blessings.  I pray that the Lord would continue to bless us in our marriage and I pray that He will do the same for you.  

Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband!

I leave you with these verses, which we hold very dear in our marriage:

Ruth 1:16-17

“ Entreat me not to leave you, 
      Or to turn back from following after you; 
      For wherever you go, I will go; 
      And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; 
      Your people shall be my people, 
      And your God, my God.

 ¹⁷ Where you die, I will die,
      And there will I be buried. 
      The LORD do so to me, and more also, 
      If anything but death parts you and me.”