Forever Beloved - Faith, Love & Truth

November 18, 2019

Blogvember Day Eighteen | Guest Post

For a complete list of The Blogvember Challenge prompts, click HERE!

November 18 – Share your space for the day and grab a guest post.

It is with such pleasure that I introduce today’s guest blog writer, Michael. And today we have the pleasure of hearing about holiday heartache from a mans perspective. He reached out to me recently and was interested in being a guest blogger this month, I jumped at the opportunity! Please give a warm Forever Beloved welcome to Michael! Show him how much you appreciate this post by sharing and commenting!

Coming into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, it is easy to get ultra happy and down on people that don’t wish you a Happy Thanksgiving or Merry Christmas. It is not always because they don’t share your beliefs or views. They may have literally nothing to be happy about, and that this season reminds them of pain and heartache.

Sometimes people, through no choice of their own, may have no choice but to spend the holidays alone. Be it a tragic loss or separation. Put yourself in their shoes. As stressful as the holiday season is, imagine going through it with no one. And you are reminded constantly how much you have lost instead of what you have left. It’s easy to get depressed thinking of happy times gone by knowing they will not be happening again. Maybe a father or mother that is not able to be with their children, a soldier on deployment, an elderly neighbor that has been widowed. Someone that has lost family tragically. It is painful to think of. So maybe people aren’t as friendly as you think they should be, maybe not everyone smiles when you say Merry Christmas and returns with a Peace be with you, God bless. In some instances you may need to let it go. Pray silently, give freely and love openly.

Thank you and you all are Forever Beloved.

My name is Mike Edwards. I am 38 and I have two children, Lauren and Jason. When we can we like to fish, play backyard ball, listen to music, and watch movies. I am employed as a coal truck driver. I like to sing along with the radio when I drive and play “lightning round” with the guys I’m driving with. It’s a quick answer game that we made up.

November 17, 2019

Blogvember Day Seventeen | Room Tour

For a complete list of The Blogvember Challenge prompts, click HERE!

November 17 – Show us your favorite room in your house and give us a tour around it.

This is my favorite room in our house. A room that I spend so much of my time in…my kitchen.

We live in my Grandparents farmhouse, also the house my father was born in and grew up in. For me, this house holds so many cherished memories. I grew up right next door, in the house my parents still live in. My Grandparents house always felt like home to me. We had family holiday meals around my Grandma’s dining room table, running around the yard with my cousins and scooting down here every day to play with her dog. Every day after school I would walk down from the bus stop, directly to their house and into this kitchen. I knew as soon as I walked in the door that my Grandpap would have my after school snack ready…a slice of bread with apple butter. Her kitchen always smelled so good, like spices. And I knew the cookie tin would always be full of either gingersnaps or mincemeat cookies.

I adore my kitchen sink and it’s probably my favorite part of my kitchen. It was my Grandmas sink and I love it so much I’ve never even thought of replacing it. It’s old, worn and chipped but that just gives it character. I love knowing when I stand at it, I’m standing right where she did. When I wash dishes, I’m washing them where she did. When I stand there and can for hours on end, I’m doing it at the same spot she did.

When I stand at my kitchen sink and look out the window, I can see all my chickens busily running around the yard. And I must admit, I normally talk to them out my window and in my mind I like to think they give me a holla back.

Below on the right you’ll see the only built-in cupboard we have in our kitchen. And while that has been a big drawback, and slight annoyance, I do love how much character they give my kitchen. I built the wooden counter-top myself years ago. And am dreaming of a DIY upgrade to it within the next year.

I’ve also saved many of my Grandma’s vintage utensils and cook wear and display them in my kitchen. You can see many of them hanging over my table. On my hutch, I have more of her items. Her beautiful old scale is proudly displayed on my top shelf. On the bottom shelf in the center is my favorite bowl of hers, a vintage Halls China bowl in the red poppy pattern.

I’m also very fortunate to have a local husband and wife team that builds this gorgeous primitive furniture. I have many, many of their pieces in my house. They built my kitchen table with matching benches, the hutch and the cupboard to the right of it. I absolutely love their pieces!

I’m so excited to take a peek into your house today and see all your favorite rooms!

November 16, 2019

Blogvember Day Sixteen | Favorite Blog Posts

For a complete list of The Blogvember Challenge prompts, click HERE!

November 16 – Make a list of your favorite blog posts you’ve written.

This is such a great prompt. With having my blog as long as I have, there are lots of posts that qualify as favorites. I tried to narrow it down as much as I could, and came up with nine. So in no particular order, I give you my favorite posts.

Five Words That Shaped My Life // As parents, we have the power to use our words to build our children up. One of the most powerful parenting tools we can use is our words.

When Your Child Has Anxiety // Anxiety will tell you that you can’t handle this. But the truth is with God we are stronger than we think, because in our weakness He is the strongest!

Ignite Intimacy // I strongly feel the only way to arm our children with the tools to strengthen their marriage from the start is to talk honestly about the hard subjects. And let’s be honest, there isn’t one much harder to discuss than sex.

To My Son’s Girlfriend // It’s so important to show our love to the people our babies love.

To The Wife Who Just Found Out // A letter to the wife that just found out about her husbands unfaithfulness. Through all the conversations and deepness, you now know each other differently.

When Someone Doesn’t Like You // The thought of not being liked makes my heart race and makes it hard to breathe.I have to force myself to step back and gain perspective.

Putting Your Spouse First // Does your spouse come first, or do your kids take the number one spot? Pour your heart into those littles, but don’t neglect your man.

Daily Love // He has continued to choose me, even on days I wear sweat pants and a messy bun. He has continued to choose me, throughout every sickness and surgery. He has continued to choose me, even when I’m undeserving. And I’ve chosen him. This is daily love.

A Letter To My Husband // While we are completely unaware of what the years ahead may hold, I know you will be right there as we walk through the valleys and reach the mountaintops.