Covenantstrong.org

Real talk family. There are many sacred promises hidden inside our traditional wedding vows. One of the most emotional moments for me is when I hear the couple promise “To love and to cherish, till death do us part” Often times, these words indicate we are coming to the end of the ceremony. But not before couples solidify their covenant, for a lifetime, in front of witnesses. The magitude of our vows normally causes guest to grow quiet. People smile through tears as everyone anticipates the beauty of forever. “To love and to cherish, till death do us part” are promises meant to shape how people live, love, forgive, connect, and remain faithful to one another in their marriage for a lifetime. These words actually are evidence that love was never meant to be casual. As shared in one of my previous blogs, love should not be treated like a feeling that comes and goes. Emotions are too fleeting for that. When emotions are high, love feels easy until life becomes stressful. In fact, some peo...

 

Some parts of our vows sound poetic on a wedding day. Because it is tradition, we recite vows before they become real. But these vows specifically, like the ones last week, are vows that life gives weight. And if I am honest, these vows are deeply personal in my own story. Many of you that know us, know that we almost lost James. And that changed everything. But if you talk to our children, family, and close friends, they will tell you life changed for us early in our marriage when sickness changed our lives and family dynamic. Hospitalization and quietness in our home became routine as I went from specialist to specialist to find out what was happening to my body. Eventually, praise God, we learned our to manage our diagnosis to enjoy a good quality of life.  What does “In sickness and in health” mean? An example that I often share is an early memory of my marriage. As you know, music is an important element of our love story. James and I enjoyed Flashback festivals in Atlanta whe...

Heavenly Father, Our God. Thank You for bringing us together in Covenant relationship. Thank you for the love we share. Father, please help us to choose one another with intention each day. Teach us to listen with understanding, speak with kindness, and respond with grace, regardless of what season we are experiencing.  Father God, strengthen our connection emotionally, spiritually, and physically. When life feels heavy, remind us that we are on the same team. Help us to communicate with kindness as we listen to understand, not just respond to win. We promise to keep You at the center of our marriage so our love may grow deeper, stronger, and more secure, to bring You glory. Father, we place our relationship in Your hands, trusting You to guide us, sustain us, and grow us together. Thank you for our marriage. In the Name of Jesus.  Amen. 

It’s funny how the people closest to you can see love forming before you ever recognize it. My best friend saw James’s devotion long before I did once James stayed in the ER with her, refusing to leave her alone, even though he only knew her name. There was always something about the way James looked at me. Something that felt good, sincere - something that felt like home. It was then I suddenly realized - maybe love had been there all along. Maybe I had just been too guarded to see it.  Love doesn’t always arrive with grand gestures. Sometimes it arrives quietly through consistency, loyalty, gentleness, and a steady presence that you didn’t realize had become essential to your life. I believe God's design for love is similar to how he created sunrises. The sun reveals itself slowly at first, then suddenly everything is flooded with light. The sunrise is like a glimpse at greatness, followed by the fulfillment of God's promise.  Our love story was a whirlwind that wasn’t chaot...

During hard seasons, couples often lose their sense of physical closeness. Physical intimacy is still possible during periods of difficulty. Intimacy is not about performance, it’s about choosing to be present despite disagreement,  disappointment, or frustration. Life may stretch your marriage thin. But love chosen has the power to rebuild what hardship tries to break. Physical intimacy may not return overnight but will certainly return through tenderness, forgiveness, prayer, presence, and unity. Remember, you don’t have to feel close to choose closeness. Even if you don’t feel desire, always protect your connection with your spouse whether you feel in love or not.  Actions don't have to be big but should be genuine. Even small action matter. Focus on emotional safety, kindness, and tenderness. Physical intimacy returns strongest when each of you to feel secure in your relationship  regardless of what is going on. Practical Step: Establish “pressure-free closeness time”...

Sometimes life gets so loud, stressful, or heavy that couple intimacy gets caught in the crossfire. Intimacy often fades because life pressures pull couples' hearts into survival mode. The truth is that conflict, trauma, financial strain, health scares, or emotional exhaustion can shake intimacy even in the strongest marriages. And it’s not because the love is gone but because life can be so stressful and heavy that intimacy gets caught in the crossfire. For a healthy marriage , it is important to restore intimacy . Choose to rebuild intimacy . Think of intimacy like a garden. Storms may flatten the flowers, but storms don’t destroy roots. With the right care, what once looked fragile can grow back stronger, deeper, and more connected than before. Rebuild slowly, intentionally, and beautifully for a great harvest. Here’s something every couple should know - stress impacts intimacy. Not because anything is “wrong,” but because the body is designed to prioritize survival over connec...

Every couple argues. Even the most loving, faithful, God-centered marriages have moments when conflict occurs and sparks fly - and not the romantic kind of sparks. Couples who endure are not the ones who avoid arguing. Couples who endure are the ones who refuse to stop choosing each other. James and I often tell couples in counseling that love is not a one-time “I do.” It’s a lifetime of “I still do,” spoken in a thousand small ways — through forgiveness, patience, laughter, and loyalty. Your commitment is eternal. When you keep choosing love, feelings follow and connection deepens because love practiced becomes love felt . “Let all that you do be done in love.” — 1 Corinthians 16:14 When couples choose to live as partners on the same team, everything shifts. start seeing each other as opponents instead of , even small disagreements can turn into major battles. But when we remember that we’re  Love isn’t about avoiding conflict but about handling conflict together. Choosing love i...