Tag: marriage

Motivational Monday

On April 13, 2026

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends!

As most of you know, I have one son. But what you don’t know is I have 6 other “kinda” children. They are the closest thing to my own child I can get without me actually giving birth. They are my nieces and nephews. This upcoming weekend, I get to watch one of my nephews stand at the altar and say two simple words… “I do.” And isn’t it funny how something so small can carry so much weight?

I have been married for a million and one years now (just kidding! It’s been 23.5 years…). I remember my own wedding. We got married at the courthouse. Why did we choose the courthouse? Well, I was marrying a guy who really didn’t like to be the center of attention and I didn’t see spending “all that money”. We were going to have a small wedding but then it hit me. No matter the amount of spend, big or small, the end result is all the same. We still say our “I do’s” the exact same.

What I didn’t know at that time is that marriage isn’t built on one “I do.” I had no idea the roller coaster of marriage would be. And it’s not that we don’t get along. In fact, when we are in sync we can be dynamic. We really are each other’s half. But it’s buying a house, money problems, having a child, losing a loved one, making mistakes, etc. It’s all the time, we could have said, “I’m done” but we continued to choose each other. Marriage is built on a thousand little “I still do’s.”

It’s choosing patience when you’re tired, grace when it’s undeserved, and love when it would be easier to walk away. Marriage is hard. Not because you don’t love someone enough. Sometimes you just think the grass is greener on the other side. You know, the side you really don’t know but you made up in your head.

And if we’re being honest… that doesn’t just apply to marriage. That applies to our faith too.

Joshua 24:15 says, “Choose this day whom you will serve…” Not just once. Not just when life feels easy. But daily. Every single day, we’re given the opportunity to say: “God, I still choose You.” Even when we don’t understand. Even when we’re weary. Even when life doesn’t look like we thought it would. Because real love—whether it’s in marriage, in faith, or in life—isn’t a one-time decision. It’s a daily surrender. A daily commitment. A daily yes.

So as I celebrate a beautiful new beginning this weekend, I’m reminded of this: We don’t have to have it all figured out. We don’t have to feel strong every day. We just have to keep showing up… and keep choosing. Keep choosing love. Keep choosing faith. Keep choosing the life God has called you to live.

And some days, that choice might feel small. But those small, quiet “yeses”? They build something strong. Something lasting. Something God can use in ways we never imagined.

So today, whatever you’re facing—just start with a yes.

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On June 2, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! June is a big month for marriages. How do I know? Well, next Saturday, Jon and I will be celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary. I’ll be honest, some days I didn’t think 23 years would ever get here! Marriage is hard but definitely doable with Jesus (and yes! Marriage needs Jesus!) So, let’s talk about it.

In our 23 year marriage, we have had countless. Yep. I stopped there. Countless. Countless fights, annoyances, and financial hardships (I’m really selling this marriage thing aren’t I?) But, we have also had countless laughs, deep discussions, happiness, adventures, teamwork, pets 🙂, but most importantly, love. Having been married for 23 years, Jon and I have learned a thing a two and I suspect we will continue to learn a thing or two here and there. We are not experts, because the Lord knows we need help daily, but here are a few things we have learned along the way.

First, marriage is about “we” and not “me”. Listen, when we first got married, I wanted things done my way. We HAD to have certain things (that we couldn’t afford). Jon was there trying to get me to see that WE couldn’t do those things. Listen, marriage was created to embody selfless love, just as Christ poured himself out as a sacrifice (Isaiah 53:12). In a biblical marriage, God calls us to prioritize “we” over “me.” I honestly didn’t know how selfish I was until I got married.

Second, marriage is about the long haul. Nowadays, the mindset is, “Well, if it doesn’t work out, we will get divorced.” No, no. You took an oath before God. The apostle Paul begins the familiar “love” passage in 1 Corinthians with the words, “Love is patient.” Patience in marriage is vital for a healthy relationship. Relationships have seasons. Some seasons are GREAT and others not so great. But we have to be patient to wait out the bad seasons. Scripture says: The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:8-9, Rom. 2:4).

Third, marriage is a covenant and not just a contract. Jon will playfully say, “Listen. I got papers on you!” Of course, this is just a joke but marriage is more than a piece of paper. Marriage is God’s idea. Genesis 2:24 says: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Just as God created an everlasting covenant with his people, marriage is a solemn and binding covenant between a man and a woman made before God (Eph. 5:32). We are taught to treat everyone with Christ like love. And yes, that includes your spouse. It is so easy for your spouse to be the brunt of a bad day.

Lastly, and probably most controversial, marriage is counter cultural and not conformist. I’ll explain. Ephesians 5:22-24: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” In today’s time, many have an issue with this passage because some believe it justifies abuse. In a Christian marriage, a husband’s role requires that he love his wife enough to lay his life down for her as Christ did for the church. God calls wives to respond to that radical Christ-like love with submission. (1 Pet. 2:13, 22-25, 5:5, Eph. 5:21). Ultimately, God requires husband and wife to submit to Him.

As sassy and headstrong as I am, when Jon says stop or no, I listen. I don’t do it because I don’t want to fight. I don’t do it because I’m scared of him. I don’t do it because I am a submissive person. I do it because I trust him. I KNOW he’s looking out for me or us. When he speaks authoritatively, I listen. And to be clear, he doesn’t abuse this either. In fact, he knows me well enough to know that I am more prone to do the EXACT opposite if he gets too sassy.

Listen, my marriage is not perfect. It won’t ever be because we are two flawed people trying our hardest to be the best for God and for each other. I have learned that our marriage is not defined by our disagreements. It is not defined by a bad day or the times we thought about giving up. Our marriage is about trusting God to be the driving force. And just like everything in the world, you start at the top and it trickles down from there.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday June 10, 2024

By Jennifer Robbins

On June 10, 2024

In Motivational Monday

Hey friends! Man, we had a FANTASTIC vacation bible school. If you missed it, our church almost has a 1:1 ratio for volunteers and kids. I have been a part of churches in the past that had to BEG for volunteers. Not with us! Our church really invests in the kids and I love it. Kathy Huggins is a genius when it comes to these kids and how to keep them engaged. Kathy, your hard work does not go unnoticed. Thank you to everyone that made it possible.

As for this week’s motivation…

This past Friday was my 22nd wedding anniversary. Like anyone who has been married 22 years, we celebrated by eating Mexican food and then going grocery shopping. 🙂 While we were eating, we shared with the server that it was our anniversary. She asked what was the secret. I looked at her and said, “Just don’t give up.” This got me thinking about why I won’t give up. So let’s talk about it!

There are some people who never argue with their spouse (or so they say). Well, for the record, we have and do. To be fair, it doesn’t happen often anymore but that’s probably because we have melted to be the same person at this point. But there were alot of times, I thought marriage was just too hard and we weren’t compatible. Thankfully, Jon saw my spunky, sassy attitude as a challenge and he has never been interested in leaving. But when we got married, we took a vow before God and it was my every intention to honor our vows. Listen, I am NO marriage expert but God has taught me a few things.

First, you have to love. I realize this should be a no brainer but we can’t not talk about it. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 defines love. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Notice the scripture talks about love and not being IN love. Why is this important? If you are like Jon and I (and not a unicorn couple) there will be times, you love each other but you don’t like them at that moment. But just because you have a fleeting thought of not liking them doesn’t mean you leave them. And you need to recognize that you can mentally blow up a minor argument into a full blown, “I’m done” thought. You have to keep a check on your anger.

Second, you have to trust your partner. I can honestly tell you that I trust Jon with all my being. And when I say trust, I mean it every way possible. I trust him with my heart, my soul and my physical self. Proverbs 31:11 states, “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack in gain.” More times than not, when marriages fail it is due to trust (or lack of). It is not always pleasant admitting things to your spouse but being open and honest is vital to a marriage.

Third, respect. 1 Peter 2:17 says, “Show proper respect to everyone.” I mean, it’s pretty simple. After I make dinner, I plate Jon’s food. I don’t do this because he asks for it. I don’t do it because I feel like it’s my “job”. He can physically make his plate of food so there is no issue there. I do it because I love and respect him. I WANT to do this small gesture so he sees I appreciate him. Which leads into number 4…

Understanding. Every time we go to Taco Bell, Jon will ALWAYS look at the menu like he’s never seen it. 🙄 Lately, he will just look at me and say, “Order for me.” Want to know why? I KNOW this man like the back of my hand. There are times I order things for him he’s never eaten because I think he will like it. And this helps push him to try new things. I realize this is just Taco Bell but knowing him didn’t happen overnight. And there are times, one of us is upset over something. We have to stop and have a conversation and try to understand what happened that caused us to be upset. It’s imperative we understand each other’s point of view and respect it enough to work on not doing that in the future.

Lastly, the cornerstone of marriage is faith. For many years in our marriage, faith was a sensitive subject. One day, I sat down with Jon and explained my stance on my faith. And guess what? He honored it. Not everyone has a strong faith initially. Some people have to grow in their faith. That’s where we are and that’s ok. I grow in my faith everyday and so does Jon. I’m just a little further ahead and that’s ok. Because we are BOTH growing. Because of faith and that promise we made as a couple before God makes our marriage unbreakable.

Some of you read this and thought, “This doesn’t apply to me because I’m not married.” Hold on! Are you looking for a partner? Do you want to get married? Before you say, “I do” make sure the boxes above are checked. Marriage is not about being perfect because the Lord knows, we aren’t. But what I CAN tell you is I love him more than he knows and I KNOW he loves me more than I know.

This week, evaluate your relationships. Are you deficient in some of these points? If you are, first, it’s ok. Every relationship is deficient in one or more. And sometimes, your deficiencies shift around which is a ton of fun! Pray about your deficiencies. Ask God for help. See where He points you. THEN, talk to your partner. Be honest. Show your partner love, respect, trust, understanding all while honoring Him.

Love you all and see you next week,

Jennifer