Love Your Spouse Challenge

Have you heard of the Love Your Spouse Challenge?

It’s simple.

1.Post seven pictures (one a day for seven days) of you and your spouse and tell the world why you love your spouse.

2. Tag your married friends and encourage them to do the same.

Why do the Love Your Spouse Challenge?

I like what Dr, Weiss said….

“Any time couples do anything together, whether it’s cooking, shopping, playing Pokémon Go, or posting photos on social media to keep up with a challenge, it’s all good. Smiling once a day for seven days straight with your spouse is a great way to bond and spice up the routine. Showing that love can still be done in the 21st century — with all of our added technologies and social media pressures — is a great thing for couples everywhere.”

I was tagged by lots of friends so I decided to join in and post for 32 days on both Facebook and Instagram in honor of our wedding anniversary.

Before I posted, I read each post to my hubby Forrest. We relived moments and rekindled our love for each other. It made for a very special anniversary!

So here is my shout out for my husband, Forrest.

#loveyourspousechallenge Day 1

The day we married we had 300+ beautiful people stand with us to celebrate our marriage. Forrest and I are overwhelmed with what God had done in our lives! If you were at our wedding, thank you! It meant so much to us. It was a day that we will never forget. It was the day that “Team Forrest and Beth” was formed. 

Pictured: Our Wedding Day, September 6, 1997

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 2

Our love story began with two broken hearts. Forrest’s first wife suddenly passed away, leaving him with two-year-old twins. My first husband divorced and left me with three boys without support. God’s grace wrapped us in His love and the warmth of good friends and family.

The funny thing was, I remember signing a “group card” from our church’s women’s ministry to Forrest with a money offering for the kids. I lamented and prayed as I was signing it, “Lord, these kids don’t need this money, they need a mom. I don’t understand. Please fill their need.” (Little did I know….)

#loveyourspousechallenge Day 3

Forrest proposed to me by giving me four different colored roses. Each rose came with a promise.

Yellow-He promised me our marriage would be filled with laughter and joy.

Pink- He promised me that we would always be best friends.

Red-That our marriage would be grown in love and passion for each other.

White-That our marriage would rest on the foundation of Christ alone.

Of course, I said, “YES!”. On special occasions, he still gives me bouquets with this color scheme. In 2009, he commissioned this painting from an artist friend and gave it to me for our anniversary. The painting hangs in our bedroom. My man is one of the original promise keepers, and I love him for it!

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 4

I have fond memories of dating my man before we wedded! We were in L-O-V-E! Yup, head over heels! (still that way today!) We kept a commitment to purity and didn’t shy away from the “hard” questions. We talked about everything! I asked him what it would be like under his leadership. He asked me about giving up my career to homeschool and raise our kids. We talked about how we would train/discipline our children and what values we lived by that were not up for discussion. We each would rather part company than compromise. I grew to respect him with each answer I received.

Pictured: Bridal shower/going away party at the home health agency where I was supervisor of the Rehab Department.

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 5

Pictured: Forrest and I sang Amazing Grace (every verse). All 300+ guests joined in the last verse (a cappella). It was a moment I will never forget.

So many had come alongside Forrest during his darkest hours, and so many came alongside me during mine. To hear the voices of friends and family lifted in praise to the one who healed and made our union happen was one of the closest hints of heaven I have ever experienced.

I remember my man’s strong voice as he firmly stated his vows, and how he sang with the conviction that it was going to be God’s grace that would carry us through the ups and downs of life.

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 6

Forrest and I met because of our friend’s love of the Green Bay Packers! Forrest’s Sunday School teacher, Lon was hosting a Super Bowl party and needed a big screen TV. (Go Green Bay Packers 1997!) Lon was also the head of Crown Ministries (A program like Dave Ramsey) and had helped me with my caving finances. Lon asked Forrest to pick up and deliver my big screen TV to the party. (The TV was the only thing of value I owned and later sold to pay for daycare expenses. #lifeofasinglemom). That’s when we met. Love at first sight? Not sure…. but we both admit our hearts quicken when we saw each other for the first time. We definitely kept our eye on each other at the party. His strong arms cradling his two toddlers, caught my attention. One week later, Forrest asked me on our first date. I said, yes!

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 7

To prepare for marriage, we met with our pastor and his wife. At the time, they had never counseled a “Brady Bunch” couple. Our pastor went to the local Christian book store and bought us about six different books on the subject of blended families. He asked us to read them and recommend the best one to him. (FYI-The Smart Step Family by Ron Deal remains our favorite. Ron partners with Dennis Rainy from FamilyLife. com) Through the weeks of counseling, we grew closer together. I really appreciate that about my man. Some men (and women) are afraid to look at themselves in order to learn and grow and will shun opportunities such as counseling. Not my man and together we have reaped the benefits of happily growing old together. 

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 8

We spent four wonderful days honeymooning in the coastal mountains of Big Sur. We spent hours walking along the shoreline and hiking through the redwood scented woods. We talked about our young and eager children who were awaiting their first day of homeschooling. We decided, our family motto would be “Grow in Wisdom”. I love that my man engages in prayerful thought about our family’s future.

Pictured: Our beautiful family at the lake where Forrest and I had our first date.

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 9

Our song? “I Want to Be Like You” from Jungle Book sung by King Louie, the jazzy orangutang and Baloo the lovable bear. Our kids loved the movie Jungle Book. Cuddled with five kids in PJs on the couch, we would hold hands and watch Jungle Book for the 50 thousandth time. Over time it became “Our Song”.

“Our Song” can play anywhere, (and I mean anywhere!) and my man and I will break out into a wonderfully embarrassing dance that sends children of all ages either to bed, out of the house, or at least out of our personal space. I love my man who is willing to dance with me anywhere and anytime!

Pictured: Forrest and Beth Circa: 1997 Post Wedding Day/At a Friend’s House31-days-of-loving-my-man-009

#loveyourspousechallenge Day 10

No, I didn’t go into our marriage loving motorcycles. (Remember, I worked with spinal cord injury patients, high-level quadriplegic, and paraplegics, many who sustained their injuries from MOTORCYCLES!) But my man LOVES a good motorcycle ride, always has since he was a boy. The Lord really had to help me release my fears. I’m so glad He did! We have had the best time wearing down asphalt through some of the most beautiful roads in Northern California.

Best ride? Yosemite National Park! We had praise and worship music blaring, my hands were lifted high in worship, and we both sang at the top of our lungs!

One time, we were “kicked out of a beach resort” because the lady shaking the broom at us said, “We don’t serve your kind!” (It’s funny how black leather outfits can cause some people to prejudge.)

Another time at a restaurant, we clasped hands and bowed our heads to thank the Lord for our meal as we always do when we felt the stares and heard whispers of an elderly couple. “Look, the “Hell’s Angel” couple is praying before their meal. How sweet!” the lady said to her man. (I guess we looked the part.)

Wonderful husband and wife memories are made when there are only two seats! I LOVE my man’s choice of recreation!

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 11

How do you spell family love? We spell it C-A-M-P-I-N-G. In fact one year, we went to a “fancy” hotel for our family vacation, and the kids asked us if we could camp the following year.

Camping memories don’t happen without hard work! I can’t honestly recall a time when I heard Forrest complain while erecting our tents or hauling rubber made totes of food with little kids underfoot. Hiking 5-7 miles with wee ones? No problem. “Our family isn’t afraid of hard work!” is our chant. I love my outdoor man! As the kids grew, so did their love of adventure and making memories around a campfire. Our son, who is a chef by profession cooks for all of us. We now gain weight on our camping trips, and our son, the mechanic uses jumper cables to get our blender whirring.  Although we now love “Sushi Night” we still enjoy a Mora tradition of homemade clam chowder and grilled cheese sandwiches. (Although we have to say it like “rrrrilled shhheese sandwiches” because that’s how one son at five years of age use to say it.) Everything tastes better in the great outdoors!

Pictured: Circa 1998 Family Camp with our church.

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 12

My man makes my dreams come true! No literally, he does. Our first year of homeschooling I was reading aloud to the kids, Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. I said to my man, “I wish I could take the kids so they could actually experience the islands.” Without much thought, he said, “Why not? How about this summer?”

I informed him that there were pit toilets, no showers, no running water, and we would have to haul our own drinking water 1/4 mile to the campsite. (For you math-minded people, that’s 1 gallon/person/day times seven people in our family=28 gallons of water!) In fact, the island has zero amenities or a convenient store. I also informed Forrest that we would need to book passage on a boat. (I wasn’t sure if he heard the word “island”)

The new information I delivered meant nothing to him. Despite the ages of our children, (our oldest was eleven, and our youngest was 3 1/2 years old) my man made it happen!

Pictured: Channel Islands National Park/Santa Cruz Island 1997

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 13

Life as a homeschool dad means your kitchen has maps and educational posters hanging on the walls. It means you don’t eat anything out of the refrigerator without asking for fear it might be a science experiment. It means you offer your shoulder to your wife when Kleenex isn’t enough to dry her tears. It means eating food from different eras and cultures such as ancient Rome, or Africa. Life as homeschool dad means listening to your wife rehash the whole day or question her curriculum choices for the gazillionth time. Yes, I did the actual teaching but without Forrest’s constant support, success would have been unreachable.

Pictured: Homeschool Co-Op Presentation Day showing off our “Rancho Mora” family T-shirts and our family’s yearly presentation. Circa 1999.31-days-of-loving-my-man-013

#loveyourspousechallenge Day 14

No, we didn’t plan on baby number six, but God did! I gave Forrest my positive pregnancy tester all wrapped up with a bow for Christmas. Okay, I actually gave him a total of three positive pregnancy testers. I thought the other two were “broken”.

However, our good news and “surprise” ended in a miscarriage. God had changed our hearts and our plans; we wanted new little feet to go pit-pat on our hardwood floors. Sadly though, we suffered through multiple miscarriages that year. Another pregnancy and my body showed signs of being worn out. A uterine hemorrhage was detected and off to bed rest I went while homeschooling five kids from the couch.

Our church family was AMAZING! They brought food and even cleaned our home. Forrest not only worked all day but then worked all night doing the jobs that were needed to keep life going. After two months, my insides healed and our baby girl was growing neatly tucked away in my calmed womb. God is so good!

My changing body image always wrecks havoc on me about the eighth month. I’m too big and uncomfortable to think otherwise. I’ll never forget Forrest’s words to me, “Sweetheart, you are carrying our baby! You have no idea how beautiful that is to me.” Our daughter was born healthy and happy.

Pictured: Days before baby number six was born. Circa 2000.31-days-of-loving-my-man-014

#loveyourspousechallenge Day 15

Over the years, my man has helped our kids build 48 pinewood derby cars for the AWANA Grand Prix event, and he has helped raise and transport 61, 4H hogs. He has listened to, no less than, 50,000 knock jokes. He built a “Blue Man Group” style pipe drum set (8’X 5’) so our drummer boy could go crazy with recreating the Blue Man Group’s wild sounds. He bought ten pallets (Did you stop and let that word sink in? I said, “10 PALLETS!”) of computer parts because our boys were interested in computers. He has taught the kids to shoot a gun and skin an animal. When it comes to character, he leads from the front with actions and sometimes with words. Every year at Thanksgiving, he would play mud football with his boys, and willingly would get his hair done at our six-year-old daughter’s unlicensed “hair salon”. Our adult children call for his advice. I can’t think of a better father for our children. 

Pictured: Homeschool Graduation/Moving Up Day Circa 2000

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 16

We started our homeschool journey in Southern California and like any good typical homeschool family of the era, we purchased seven chickens, one for each member of the family. Unbeknown to us there was a city ordinance that stated a city lot could only house five chickens, and someone turned us in. Desperate little children looked to their dad and wondered, which two chickens would get the eviction notice and have to pack their grain feeder?

“Not one chicken will have to leave our family!” Dad announced.  “Barbie”, our daughter’s chicken breathed a sigh of relief. “We are moving to the country!” My country loving man continued.

So with a pregnant wife, five kids, and all seven chickens in their cage safely secured to the top of the truck, we moved our family to our Placerville homestead to farm and home grow some kids. (The Beverly Hillbillies had nothing on us. Note: Young folk, ya might have to google “Beverly Hillbillies to get the full scope of the situation.) One chicken even laid an egg on Interstate 5!

Pictured: At our new home in Northern California-Circa 2002

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 17

How a man responds to his own mishaps tells a lot about the man.

It was O’Very Dark Hundred by M.M.T. or Mora Military Time.

Commence– Operation Family Vacation.

Side Note: My man is an expert packer. How he crams the entire family’s luggage, camping food, supplies, bikes, and kayaks is something I can’t wrap my brain around. In fact, his inspiration usually comes when my Doubting Thomas gene kicks in, and I say, “I don’t think all of this is going to fit.” His muscles tighten, and he clenches his teeth in determination. He doesn’t speak until every last sleeping bag and beach ball is willed into a crevice in our van. He then walks into the house and sits at the table with complete satisfaction on his face. “Done?” I ask. “Oh yeah, done baby!” he replies with confidence. This particular year, he added, “All except for the ice chest, just like you asked so that you can put the cold food in tomorrow.”

Back to the story:

In the wee hours of the morning when the stars twinkled sweetly, Forrest proudly put the ice chest on the back of the van and pulled the bungee cord taught to fasten the ice chest down. The tension-filled bungee slipped out of Forrest’s hands, sprang, and swung in a perfect arc targeting the back window. The beauty of the morning shattered into a thousand pieces exactly like the back window of our mini-van. Our family stood without breath for a moment. Even the stars winced in fear at what would happen next. Anyone in similar circumstances could justify a few angry or frustrated words. My man quietly asked for garbage bags and tape. We swept up the glass and secured the back window with plastic that would flap in the wind for the next 16 hours of our drive reminding us of the days beginning. I was very proud of Forrest. It was a lesson our adult children won’t ever forget. I coached our daughter to save some of the broken glass. It made a beautiful Christmas ornament that proudly hangs on our tree today. We all get angry at life’s mishaps. When a man (or woman) relies on God’s grace and strength to not allow anger to ruin moments, it’s a beautiful thing.

Pictured: Christmas 2002

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 18

We do get on each other’s nerves. He leaves his tools out after he finishes a project. I leave my crafts on the table, and I promise I’m going to get to it this week. He steals the covers although he will say, without question, I’m the guilty one. He procrastinates on a project and I’m late to church…again.

I say I’ll remember.

He says he won’t forget.

I don’t.

He does.

We both really try to work on the pet-peeves that wear out a soul when you live another.

But there are “BIG” things too. We misunderstand each other. We ascribe unjustifiably ill-will towards the other.

But we have a mutual agreement to be a safe place for each other to bring up the hard stuff. We have a phrase, “May I have an umbrella of grace?” At that moment, we ask of each other for an extra covering of grace in case of what we are about to say comes out wrong or hurtful.

My man is so good about this, and he will tag on to our phrase, “I don’t want ANYTHING to come between us” But as much as we work on taking care of the debris that comes between us we also work on overlooking matters that really don’t matter. I love that he cares enough to settle matters quickly.

Pictured: Co-ed Softball Team Circa 1997

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 19

My man is a practical joker, and he goes out of his way to get the laugh. He has (with the help of a friend) delivered a barbecue on the roof (well almost….that’s another story).

He posted a For Sale By Owner sign in front of our friend’s home and paid two dollars for an ad in the local paper telling the world their house was for sale.

To welcome our new pastor, he converted a urinal to a bubbling fountain and installed it in our pastor’s office.

I recently received 19 bags of ice because we were having a “discussion” about my need for more ice!

He texts our kids the latest joke he just heard or a funny pic for everyone to shake their head and smile. Rarely, a day goes by that Forrest and I are not laughing about something. Yes, even on our darkest days he somehow can get me to smile and laugh, and I love him for it!

Pictured: Church Harvest Party poking fun at the old Wendy’s commercial while promoting Marriage Ministry Circa 2007

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 20

Our kids grow our hearts, and in 2004 our hearts fell in love with two more. They arrived as bouncing baby teenage boys. When we found out these two needed a home, Forrest and I didn’t talk about it. We knew their new address, our home. However, Forrest insisted this was a family decision. So he called a family meeting, and we asked our six children to pray and see if this is God’s will for our family. He wisely knew this was going to affect everyone, and he wanted to make sure every heart was on the same page. All six kids answered yes. I am so impressed with my man’s gentle way of leading our family. Our family grew, and we were and are blessed by these two boys. It has been an honor to watch these two boys grow into fine young men and see the relationships in their family restored with love and faith.

Pictured: 2004- One of our sons insisted that we take a new family portrait. “Our New Family”

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 21

We drove for miles along the banks of the Sacramento Delta, to a small community perched at the end of a canal. October breezes stirred the scent of river silt and ocean seaweed growing along the estuary. We checked into our little cabin, put on a sweatshirt, and went walking in search of a place to dine. There was only one restaurant, a country bar that advertised good times, country music, and karaoke. The local dive was not really our “thing” but hunger dictated our decision to push the creaking swinging doors. Spurs and old wagon wheels decorated the weathered plank walls. We ate seafood and pasta and lingered over our iced teas talking about life and reminiscing a bit. As the advertisement promised, the country music began blaring right at 7:00 pm.

We glanced at the dance floor in the adjoining room and smiled. Every square inch was occupied by elderly couples all decked out for a night on the town. Every man had his gray hair slicked and combed. Smokey-colored beards with white streaks were trimmed and their cowboy hats were tilted at the same angle as they had been tilted in former days. The ladies wore brightly colored checked shirts, denim, and pearls. Some had matching flowers in their silver ponytails or perfectly coiffed hair. This batch of senior citizens could move to a country beat like we had never seen! I extended my open hand to my man and invited him, “Come on let’s dance, just one!” Smiling, we held each other in our old familiar dance embrace. We hugged the edge of the dance floor, intimated by the rhythmic 2-step that these elderly boys and girls executed like a precision drill team.

In between sets, I told the MC that we were celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary. “I got a song for you!” the man in overalls with the mic said. He announced our special day and began to play Forever and Ever Amen by Randy Travis. Without any further direction from the band leader, the community at the end of the dock encircled us as we danced. I received bright smiles from the old ladies and Forrest received pats on the back from the old men. “It only gets better honey, we’ve been married for 60 years!” one lady sang out. Each couple took turns shouting over the music to tell us how long they had been married like comrades at a veteran’s reunion. They delighted in our young love, and we delighted in their golden love.

Each year we go away for a weekend, just the two of us. We farm out the kids or ask grandma to come for a “visit”. Nothing fancy and only what our budget allows. One year, we only had $150.00 but we made it work. Our little yearly escape is an investment in our marriage that fans the flames of marital passion and helps us renew the fun-loving friendship we enjoyed while dating. My man takes the lead in planning and makes sure our “marriage retreat” gets on the calendar.

Pictured: Valentine Dance 2011. Don’t ask us to pose for a picture, because you’ll end up with lip-locking pics like this.

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 22

Every year tucked in our kid’s Christmas stockings; there’s an expected surprise…

…..a small token gift with a note announcing the destination of our yearly family vacation. We have not missed one year since we have been married.

Forrest has made sure that every year our family weaves another memory into our family tapestry. He begins researching and planning for the next year’s trip a few weeks after we have returned from our latest adventure. If you ask him why he does this for his family every year, he’ll tell you that when his first wife passed away, God’s strength and the memories they shared carried him through many private grief-filled moments. He treasures the few vacations they had, and he longed for more. He lives with the fact that every day needs to be cherished and lived. I love the way my man passes this truth onto to me and our kids. Pictured: 2016 Homeschool Convention

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 23

Dave Ramsey (Financial Guy) says, “If you want to know what you value, look at what you are buying; look at where your money is going.” In contrast, I say, if you want to see what relationships you value then look at your day-planner. Love is spelled T-I-M-E. My man makes time for me, not just once a week but daily. I know I’m number one on his calendar and oh, do I love him for it!

Pictured: Riverboat Dinner Cruise-Branson, Missouri 2016

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 24

My man is a #hardworkingman, and when he speaks to men’s groups, he reaches that tractor-pulling, contractor, get-your-hands-dirty-kind-of-man who wants to be the best man he can possibly be. I’ve sat in the back row during his sessions, and you can feel the energy and focus from the men listening to my man talk straight and man-to-man about life and priorities with the respect that commands respect in return. 

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 25

It was a year of trial after trial.

Loss, grief, and loss again.

Family and friends chose not to ask, how are things going? I couldn’t blame them. It was a very hard year. We spent most of that year on our knees. My strength was waning and my faith at best was wobbling through long shadows in a valley of grief.

I am not sure what was the straw that broke me, but I broke. My anger was real and raw. My man listened to my tangled emotions unwind. He wisely knew this was not about him or us. My words were swirling in faithless bitterness while I fought back tears that I should have released months ago.

He waited.

I stopped.

He remained motionless giving me his full attention.

A tear rolled down my cheek. He lifted his hand and gently brushed it away. In that moment, a thousand chapters describing his love towards me were written on my heart, chapters that I reread when day-to-day marital struggles surface.

I have read in Revelation 21:4 that at the end of ages, Jesus will wipe our tears. I know it will be a beautiful moment because my man gave me a glimpse of what it will be like.

Pictured: Circa 2010 Valentine Dance

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 26

I face-off with a foe named Fear often. In fact, I have more scriptures memorized about conquering fear than on any other subject. I frequently rename Fear and call him… “anxiety”… “panic”…”worry” ….  or “doubt” but the bottom line is, his name is Fear. 

My man offers his strength to me by praying, holding my hand, or allowing me to rest in his arms. But what I really love about him is that he kicks my butt into action! He has taught me that most fears fade when I put my pity party into forward motion and trust God and His promises.

Pictured: Homeschool Conference 2016 with a new friend.

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 27

Love multiples. As parents, we get to see that multiplication happen in the eyes of our children when they fall in love with their future spouse. We get to see a part of our child’s heart that we have never seen before. It’s beautiful. But it also means letting go and harmonizing a new relationship with our married children and opening our hearts to new “in-love” daughters and sons.

At the end of their magical day, we stand as parents watching red tail lights drive away. I feel the arms of my man slip around my waist and gently kiss me on the cheek. We stand together not confident in our parenting skills but in God’s grace who knows and treasures the thousands of prayers that we have placed before His merciful throne. My love and respect for my man widen. We clasp hands and walk back into our life together.

Pictured: At our son’s wedding 2010

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 28

I kind of expect that when my man comes home from a men’s retreat that he will be recharged and rejuvenated. Years ago, the yearly men’s retreat rendered my man piping mad. The men in his cabin were hurting, really hurting. Their marriages were crumbling and crumbling fast. His anger stemmed from the lack of resources and Biblical marriage education at a local church level. I listened to the waves of frustration and passion.

His anger moved him to action. He called our pastor Monday morning to discuss the need. That was the first brick that was laid for our church’s marriage ministry. Our passion for marriages was united with other amazing leaders in our church. Now, if anyone is struggling in their marriage, there’s a safe place at our church to learn, grow, and heal. Many divorces have been prevented, and many couples have grown closer together. I love that man is not a talker but a doer!

Pictured: 2016 Ten year celebration honoring our church’s marriage ministry. It was also my birthday, and my lovely friends felt I needed a birthday hat. I have great friends!

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 29

When the kids were little, a predictable scene occurred every evening at the back door of our home. After a long day of work, my man would come home to a wall of kids, who were all eager to gain his attention. Every evening he would yell, “Wait, Mommy first!” Occasionally, if we kissed longer than the kids could stomach, they would try to break up our embrace. At that moment, Forrest would playfully start throwing kids who attempted to separate us and say, “No one gets between mommy and me, not even you kids!” Once the kids stopped the game, he would take turns listening to each child’s rendition about what happened in their world that day. I love that my man always offers me the first kiss and his first moments home.

Pictured: 2010 We’re proud that we still can make our children sick to their stomachs with our kisses!

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 30

Okay, I’m going to share something private; our passwords are a collection of twenty years of weekly dating. Yup, our dating moments and memories are safe and secure in literally hundreds of passwords. I don’t know many who get pleasure out of typing passwords but we sure do! Dating is something we do but has looked differently through the years. Some years, it was time in front of the woodstove with a huge bowl of popcorn and cold drinks after the kids went to bed. Some years, it was a shared diet coke at McDonald’s because that’s all we could afford. Nowadays, it’s a dinner out, a picnic, an appetizer at a fancy restaurant, a stroll while licking an ice cream cone, or a fancy dessert served in our bedroom. It doesn’t matter just as long as we are together.

Pictured: 2016 A recent date at a local iconic biker restaurant. FYI-We played bean bag toss in the courtyard, and I won.

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#loveyourspousechallenge Day 31

Forrest thinks about and plans for the future with incredible imagination and wisdom. Although I’m the teacher-on-camera for Here to Help Learning, he is the vision and fuel of the whole operation! He holds a passion for the next generation and wants to leave a legacy that will inspire young people to gain skills that will change the world. Many have shared with us, if you take “God” out of Here to Help Learning’s curriculum, you will make more money. My man responds with firmness, “That is non-negotiable, we will remain a Christian curriculum and we will honor Him in all we do!”

My man encourages me to use all my talents and to take creative risks that have helped make Here to Help Learning’s lessons a hit with homeschoolers. Day-to-day operations have not been easy, but Forrest keeps the path clear of obstacles with his positive outlook. I am blessed to be working with my guy!

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Thank you #loveyourspousechallenge

A huge thank you to whoever came up with #loveyourspousechallenge. If you haven’t done it, DO IT! You don’t need to be tagged to do it. If you are reading this and you haven’t done it, well consider yourself invited.

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God has written our love story, and He gets all the glory!

I don’t want anyone to think that marriage is easy-peasy! Marriage requires two people willing to grow and become more selfless with each day that passes.

“Our marriage falters when we both dive into “Me” Mode instead of “Team” Mode.” Beth Mora

Forrest and I may not know what the future holds, but we know our God has a purpose and a plan for our marriage.

God has a plan for your marriage too!

“Team Forrest and Beth” want the same thing as we did when we first married, we want to follow Jesus and let Him continue to write our love story.

Thank you for letting me share my love for my spouse!

From Our Home to Yours,

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