Forever Beloved

It’s the beginning of another week, y’all!  I hope your weekend felt peaceful and restful and long.  I’m ready for another week of Blogvember and I hope you are too!

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

November 4 – What five books have influenced your life the most?

I’m a reader, and adore every single thing about books.  So today’s prompt was right up my alley.  If you’ve followed my blog, you know that I routinely do book reviews.  But boy, to only choose 5 books was hard!  But here are my top 5, in no particular order.

Divorce-Proof Your Marriage: 
6 Secrets to a Forever Marriage 
by Gary and Barbara Rosberg  

I read this book during a very difficult time in my life, during my separation.  I absolutely contribute our reconciliation to God’s complete grace and this book.

There was so, so much knowledge and advice in this book and tremendously helped our marriage.  Things I just never would have thought of.  Years later there are still times I go back and pull that book out to read over a chapter or to read my notes in the margins.

You can purchase this book HERE.

Intimacy Ignited: 
Conversations Couple to Couple 
by Dr. Joseph and Linda Dillow and Dr. Peter and Lorraine Pintus  

I read this book a few years ago and I loved it.  You can read my review HERE.

I honestly never anticipated it would be one of my favorite books, and one I seriously couldn’t put down.This book gives a verse-by-verse exploration of the Song of Solomon and shows that the secret to great sex in marriage begins with a servant heart. To become servant lovers is something the authors are reminding us over and over throughout the entire book. Even giving specific traits what servant lovers do compared to what selfish lovers do, and what we can do towards that goal of becoming one.

You can purchase this book HERE.

How to Pick Up a Stripper and Other Acts of Kindness: 
Serving People Just as They Are 
by Todd Stevens and Erin Stevens

Let me start out by saying this…I knew within the first 3 pages of this book that God was going to use it to change my life. You can read my entire review HERE.

If you are like me and you want to know how to reach your neighborhood with the love of Jesus, this book is for you. If you feel God is telling you to just go love on people right where they are, then this book is for you. If you feel like we need to SHOW people Jesus love rather than just telling them {although telling them is important too}, then this book is for you.

Time and time again I found myself saying “Shut up, I’ve felt this same way!”. I would read a page, get super excited and tell my husband he HAD to read it. My mind would fill with tons of ideas and my mouth would ramble on and on. So many ideas that I intentionally pursued putting into effect.

You can purchase this book HERE.

The Unveiled Wife: 
Embracing Intimacy with God and Your Husband 
by Jennifer Smith

I have been reading the Unveiled Wife blog for quite a while now, so I was ridiculously excited to be chosen to be on Jennifer’s book launch team!  You can read my full review HERE.

As I began reading the book, I was blown away by how much I could relate. I wish I could put into words how this book spoke directly to my heart. I absolutely couldn’t put it down, I felt as if I was reading my own story.

So many times I had to cry with her. The feelings she experienced and the situations they were in, I could relate to. Her insecurities created so many other problems in her marriage, my oh my could I relate to that! She so bravely opens up and allows you see the heart change that she allowed God to do in her. How wonderful to know if we allow Him, He can do the same in us!

You can purchase the book HERE.

One Light Still Shines: 
My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting
by Marie Monville

If I could sum up this book in one word it would be AMAZ-WOW-RIFFIC!  Y’all, I could not put this book down once I started it. And when I wasn’t reading it, I couldn’t wait until I finished my chores so I could get straight back to reading it. You can read my full review HERE.

Marie revealed her heart through her book and shared her struggles as she began to pick up the pieces and move on after the tragedy. She reflected on God’s love surrounding her and the support of her family and friends as each day passed.

You can purchase this book HERE.

Three days into the Blogvember Challenge and it’s already been so worth it!  You gals have jumped in full force!  I absolutely loved reading where everyone’s blog names came from yesterday!

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

November 3 – What are your current goals?

November goals:

1. Host the Blogvember Challenge – And here we are, three days in already!
2. Continue healing + listen to my body – I had surgery last month and my body is still healing.  I have a hard time with those days when you FEEL normal remembering my body is still healing.
3. Winterize the coop – cold weather is fast approaching, and there is some work that needs done to get the chicken coop ready.  We don’t like to use heaters in there because of the fire risk, so insulating needs done.  And one more good cleaning before we start the winter deep bedding method.
4. Read a book – when cold weather hits so does my desire to just snuggle up with a good book.  I’d like to get in the habit this winter of reading one book a month.
5. Bible journaling – this is something that I absolutely love doing but I’ve gotten out of the habit of it.  I adore having that creative outlet AND being in Gods Word at the same time!
6. Begin Christmas cleaning – one thing that is a must before I start decorating for Christmas is my house absolutely has to be in order.

I can’t wait to read all your goals!  See y’all here tomorrow!

Welcome back, everyone!  It’s time for Day 2.  I was blown away by the wonderful new friends joining in The Blogvember Challenge. I loved reading your stories, getting a glimpse into your lives and hearts, and I’m just as eager to find out more along the way! Don’t forget to say hello to your neighbors in the link up.

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

November 2 – Tell us about your blog name.  What did it come from?

When I began my blog thirteen years ago, it began as Cutler Family Chronicles. It was a way to share my scrapbook pages and a way to keep in touch with family.  I would share our daily happenings, funny stories and my scrapbook pages.

As the Lord started working on me and changing my heart, my writing changed as well.  I found a post that I wrote during a hard season in our marriage.  There is a paragraph in it that was the pivotal point where my writing style changed:

I know this is probably hard for some of you to understand. All I can ask is that you respect me and trust me enough to know this is what is best for everyone right now. Just support us, pray for us and encourage us. And hopefully in the end everyone can look at us and what we have been through and find one encouraging thing in it to put to use in your own life and marriage.

From that point on, my heart was in helping marriages and encouraging women.  It still remained Cutler Family Chronicles for quite a while.

A few years ago I was reading a book on the Song of Solomon and relating it to intimacy in marriage.  I fell in love with Song of Solomon 6:3 and even got a tiny tattoo of it.

While thinking of the verse one day, I realized I’m not only my husbands beloved but I’m also Gods.  He loved ME enough to send His son to die for me.  And I will forever be His beloved.  Even during the seasons of my life when I didn’t even give Him a second thought, He was still pursuing my heart.

And that is when Forever Beloved came to be.

I can’t wait to read all about your reasons for your blog name!