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Marriage. Is it all you expected it to be?

Life happens to all of us.
How we respond to the unexpected is the difference between surviving and thriving.

Welcome to Staying Real About Faith & Family. If you’re looking for a community where you can get real about life without resistance, you’re in the right place. I’m Linda Goldfarb. Each week, Heather Greer, I, and our guests offer personal insight to encourage transparent living from a biblical viewpoint with practical applications. Staying Real with the Holy Spirit’s leading is what we’re all about—we pray today’s episode blesses you.

Today’s guest is Lori Ann Wood. Lori Ann lives with her husband in an empty nest in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. After discovering a serious heart condition almost too late, Lori Ann became an award-winning author and speaker whose passion is to explore deep faith questions along the detours of life.

We’re happy to have Lori Ann join our conversation as we discuss – Bridging the Expectations of Marriage with the Realities of Life.

Today’s thought Consideration –Balancing Grief and Gratitude is Possible With God’s Grace.

LINKS

Lori Ann Wood

Lori Ann's book - Divine Detour: The Path You’d Never Choose Can Lead to the Faith You’ve Always Wanted

Lori Ann's giveaway - 6 Tips for Making Gratitude a Way of Life

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Let’s Journey Together and spend a Moment with Father.

I’m Linda Goldfarb, and I want to encourage and inspire your walk with the Lord. For more encouragement, please visit LindaGoldfarb.com. I’m so glad you’re here.

How often do you open your umbrella?

I carry a small just-in-case umbrella in the car. Sam and I love getting on the road for our next adventure. As I’m reminded by my coffee mug this morning, the fun thing is that “Life is my favorite adventure,” and it’s not 100% planned.

Sam and I know where we’re headed and what we’d like to accomplish, yet the weather can be unpredictable. Therefore, we are always prepared with two umbrellas. The collapsed one on the floorboard and the Holy Spirit in the backseat.

Truly, the Holy Spirit is our spiritual umbrella.

• When the pain pours down, He comforts us.
• When the heat of anguish comes, He protects us.
• When showers of confusion roll overhead, He brings peace.
• When enemies abound, He is our shelter.

"The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night" (Psalm 121:5-6 NIV).

I’ve learned not to leave either umbrella in the corner thinking, "Oh, I'm sure I won't need this today."

I depend on the physical umbrella for shade and as a barrier from the rain.

The Holy Spirit serves to nudge, alert, and protect me throughout the day.

How about you?

Life is an adventure, so let’s not journey unprotected.

We open our spiritual umbrella by recognizing how the Holy Spirit cares for us.

• The wind will blow.
• The storms will come.
• The Sun's heat will be scorching.
• And through it all, the Holy Spirit watches and cares for us.

How is the Holy Spirit caring for you and your family?

Let’s journey together.

Holy Spirit, thank you for the blessings and protection covering me today. Help me know where to go, what to do, and when to do it. Guide my every step and shade me from harm. Remind me of who You are in me so that I may walk mindful of Your presence throughout my day. Hallelujah.

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves; do what it says. James 1:22

May YHWH bless you, keep you, and guide you in all you do. Until next time, this is Linda Goldfarb, and I’m so glad we are on this journey together with Father.

Staying Real Just Got Easier!
Discover Your God-Designed Personality
Follow Linda Goldfarb on Facebook
Leave a comment for Linda and Heather
Check out Linda's Books
Check out Heather's Books

Join our conversation!

Let’s Journey Together and spend a Moment with Father.

I’m Linda Goldfarb, and I want to encourage and inspire your walk with the Lord. For more encouragement, please visit LindaGoldfarb.com. I’m so glad you’re here.

Emotions can be sticky.
In fact, emotions can shut us down and hold us back from experiencing God’s next best step for our lives, personally and professionally.

Consider what's holding you back.

It could be…

• Doubt.
• Fear of failure.
• Fear of success.
• Fear of change.
• Health factors.
• The unknown.

Perhaps the difficulties you’ve experienced are threatening to reappear.

Though past difficulties are real, they don’t define the reality of your future.
God has truly made a way where there seems to be no way. All we need to do is step out in faith and walk in it, assured of who we follow.

One beautiful thing about adding year upon year is witnessing God’s provision.
He has walked me through times when doubt was my daily companion and fear held me fast. And through it all, I can share a truth no one can deny—God is faithful and true, and He has never failed me.

I’m reminded in Scripture that nothing is impossible for God.

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:2 NIV).

If we truly desire a new life, our first step is to release control of our old life and turn it over to Father.

When we release our way, we can embrace the way of Christ—His heritage, His power, and yes, His suffering. Life is not an easy road, and the path to righteousness is narrow, yet through Christ, the Father promises to lift us onto a firm place to stand, where we are never alone.

Let’s journey together.

Praise You, O LORD, for You are mighty to save.
You are my Strong Tower, my Refuge in darkness.
Let all that I am worship You.
Hallelujah.

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves; do what it says. James 1:22

May YHWH bless you, keep you, and guide you in all you do. Until next time, this is Linda Goldfarb, and I’m so glad we are on this journey together with Father.

Staying Real Just Got Easier!
Discover Your God-Designed Personality
Follow Linda Goldfarb on Facebook
Leave a comment for Linda and Heather
Check out Linda's Books
Check out Heather's Books