That Time I Tried to Start a Fire
That Time I Tried to Start a Fire

How hard can it be to start a fire? 

This was my thought the other night as I planned to enjoy a quiet fire in our backyard pit. The garden hose was close by in the event it became too excited.

My pile of dead lilac branches and my few crumpled pieces of paper seemed full of promise as I took the lighter to them. The paper went out as quickly as quickly as my confidence without a single branch catching the flames. Apparently, sparks come easy, but starting and sustaining an actual fire is an entirely different story. 

Determined, I marched back inside and rummaged around until I found plenty more paper and several chunks of cardboard. Back outside, I placed them underneath the twigs and branches providing ample opportunity to ignite.

This time, the spark was sustained, and I enjoyed being captivated by what fires do: consume. 

As I sat, my thoughts wandered to spiritual fire. Experiences with God seem to spark fires of faith, but after the weekend retreat, the end of the blog post, the conclusion of the conference, the last chapter of the Bible study, or the closing song of the worship service, why are they not easily sustained?  

Read More
Following JesusStephanie BeaulieuComment
Hope for Humboldt
Hope for Humboldt

As we made our way home from school, my littles began noticing the plethora of hockey sticks decorating the front porches of many of the homes in our neighbourhood. I explained that people had put out their hockey sticks for relay a message to Humboldt: "We're with you."

Another why followed and I explained that when you're hurting, the biggest thing is you want to know you aren't alone.

In pain, our first need is presence.

Read More
Tough StuffStephanie Beaulieu Comments
How to Ruin Valentine's Day (or any other day)
How to Ruin Valentine's Day (or any other day)

I held up my hand like a stop sign, warning him not to come any closer to this ticking time bomb, along with a verbal warning declaring I did not want to talk in that moment. I continued my cleaning storm around the kitchen, bulldozing over my own marriage LESSONS #1-7 in record-breaking time. He was trying not to laugh aloud at his wife-turned-Hulk -meets-Tasmanian-Devil. His obliviousness to why I was upset in the first place only fueled my fire.

I refused eye contact, staring only at the ground, my thoughts returned to the mounting pile of verbal dirt I wanted to throw. But even in my rage, I knew I would have only seconds of satisfaction before we would both pay the price. Sin is expensive that way. It would bulldoze the hard-fought love, safety, and closeness in our relationship to the ground.

But I wanted to throw dirt, because I was feeling hurt.

Read More
MarriageStephanie BeaulieuComment
When the Storm Rages
When the Storm Rages

After my dad’s diagnosis in May 2008, our family was blessed with a trip to the Philippines by a very generous friend. It was quite an experience for me, having never left the comforts of first world before. I was excited to see pieces of history from both my dad’s life and Mike’s, as well as spend some concentrated time with the whole family.

Those times were precious given that we suddenly had a heightened awareness that our days together were numbered. I was thrilled to journey outside of North America but I must confess I was a little nervous as both the men in my life warned me of the potential “discomforts” and teased me about not lasting a day.

 

Read More
StephanieComment
This is Your Best Marriage Move When You Want Change.
This is Your Best Marriage Move When You Want Change.

Have you ever wondered, "How do I get him to change?" 

I did. I'm slightly/extremely ashamed of just how much I did.

How do I get him to serve at church? How do I get him to want to go to church? How do I get him to want to read His Bible? How do I get him to be more thoughtful? How do I get him to write in his journal? How do I get him to start doing this? How do I get him to stop doing that?

It's exhausting trying to be omnipotent. Perhaps you've done more than wonder — you've planned and persuaded, and, like me, discovered you in fact do not possess the same giftedness as the Holy Spirit. We can't make someone change, but oh, we are stubborn to try. We inform minds; we cannot transform hearts.

I'd be willing to bet if you didn't already know you couldn't change someone, getting married lead you to experiential knowledge of this truth.  

Read More
MarriageStephanie Beaulieu Comments