Lifestyle
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Sustaining Friendship in Marriage
Divorce plagues half of marriages. Perhaps because of money. Perhaps because of infidelity. But maybe it’s simpler. Maybe we have forgotten friendship.
Today Was the Due Date: My Miscarriage Story
Today was the due date for our first baby. This baby was only five weeks along when we found out and just under six weeks when God pulled him or her home. It was early. So early that I have a hard time even claiming it as a loss. Even still, tears well up in my eyes...
An Anthem Worth Falling For
Earlier this week, Austin and I were listening to worship music when the following lyrics caught my attention: "This will be my anthem song: Jesus we love you, oh how we love you. You are the one our hearts adore." You can probably guess that it was the word "anthem"...
When Marriage Was Not the Vacation I Imagined
I heard a line the other day in a spoken word poem that really resonated with me: …because dating feels like vacation and marriage is a job. You could not have convinced me that this was true while Austin and I were dating–or even engaged!! I just know that marriage...
Jesus, Calm My Storm
Everywhere we look these days we are getting news of storms. Whether it is a physical storm like Hurricane Harvey or Irma or the sudden passing of a family member or just feeling like we cannot catch up with our schedules, As the season of fall approaches, I can't...
Dear White Christian
Dear white Christian, I am you. I am overwhelmingly and uncomfortably aware right now that racism is still alive and well in our country. Yet I have not always been this way. If you haven’t perused this blog, you may not know that I have been married to a black man...
20 Ways to Intentionally Love your Wife: a Husband’s Thoughts.
In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:28 ESV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . This week I decided to meld together my guest post and marriage post from the voice of my favorite human: Austin...
Journey to Eden | Our Unmedicated Hospital Birth
Eden Celeste Groves entered the world on May 18, 2019 via an unmedicated vaginal birth. This is her story.
How to Road Trip from Nashville to LA (Or Just Across the Country in General)
At the beginning of the summer, my husband approached me about a little vacation he wanted to take--and I am ALL about vacation. However, this one freaked me out a little bit. He wanted to travel across the country and visit his siblings in Los Angeles. LOS ANGELES....
Why We Must Embrace This Ariel
Earlier this week, Facebook let me in on the best news: Halle Bailey was cast as The Little Mermaid. I'm pretty pumped up about it for a few reasons. Let me be clear, I don't usually get overly excited about who Disney casts in their live-action films. It's just that...
Hurry Up and Rest… To Discipline Your Desires
Here we are at the end of our resting challenge. Yes, it has lasted a little longer than we initially agreed upon, but a week of rest has been so sweet. Don't get me wrong, it has been a busy week! Over the last seven days, we have gone back to our hometown, attended...
Hurry Up and Rest… to Prepare for War
Hey friends! I hope you guys have had a sweet couple of days of rest. I'll tell you, what. These days have been difficult and the enemy has been working. At the times I know I need to put everything down and focus on Jesus, something has come up. A conversation is...
Hurry Up and Rest… To Gain Perspective
Welcome back, resters! You have made your way to the first official day of our four-day resting challenge. Over the next few days, we are going to make a habit of intentional, spiritual resting before the Lord. If you haven't already check out yesterday's post, Hurry...
Hurry Up and Rest: A Four Day Challenge
Wake up. Make coffee. Drink coffee. Put on clothes. Go to the gym. Come back. Shower. Get ready for work. Take the dog out. Go to work. Work, work, work. Drive home. Gather dirty clothes. Do laundry. Cook dinner. Eat dinner. Switch clothes. Watch weeknight drama. Fold...
Almost But Not Yet
It seems like from the age of seventeen on, we are continuously in the "almost but not yet." Almost graduated from high school or college, but not yet. Almost working our dream job, just not yet. Almost dating, almost engaged, almost married, but slow down, not yet....
To My Little Sister (And All Other High School Graduates)
Congratulations! You have officially worn the hat and turned the tassel. You have closed your locker, walked down the grand staircase in the front lobby, and said goodbye to some people who have impacted your life even more than you even know right now. You have made...
The Absurdity of Young Marriage
Well, if you are at all familiar with me or this blog, you know that I haven't been able to shut up about my recent move from my hometown into a near city. Besides getting married nine months ago, this has been the greatest transition I have experienced thus far. In...
Messing up My Order
At the start of my last semester of college, I sent in what I thought would be my best paper yet. It was for my advanced composition class, so I wanted the professor to know that I was indeed advanced. It was beautifully laced with headings, and each paragraph argued...
The Good Gift of Transition
In light of resting in a God who transcends my transitions, let’s dive into the book of James. It is a book that encapsulates the early Church’s transition period post-Messiah and pre-second coming.
When our Husbands Hurt
My dear fellow wife, I know. I know you've been thrown a curve ball. I know your heart is hurting. It's hurting because your husband's heart is hurting. Your sweet rock has been cracked. He has been kicked, bruised, torn down. He has been rejected. He is suffering...
The Lie That will Ruin Relationships
That's just the way I am... I just like to be in control. I'm just a yelling kind of person. I just don't like talking about conflict. I just can't find the time to get into my word every day. I just can't help but gossip. I just tell little lies. It's for the good...
Dear Husband… Thank You
Three years ago today, my life-long love asked me to be his girlfriend. When I think back to that day, I had absolutely no idea that I might be sitting here, three years later, his wife. I was so young. I am still so young. But I could not be more grateful that...
Dating Post-Baby
Here we are, nearly nine months in to parenting, and we are learning more every day about what marriage looks like as new parents. And can I tell you a secret? It’s a lot harder and a lot sweeter.
To the One who is Tired of Waiting…
When I take a step back and look at this blog from a distance, I can see how it might be a little off-putting to some. Some specifically who may be single and frustrated, in a messy relationship, or too young to be considering this kind of relationship. It looks like...
Lifetimes of Wisdom to and from Women: How to Perceive Marriage
After a few short months of being married, I understand more and more that learning from others is the best kind of learning. My last few years have been a whirlwind. I went from a year and a half of singleness to two years of dating, eight months of engagement, and...
The Resolution Worth Everything
I've never been a big "New Year's Resolution" kind of person. The few times I have tried it I've created your stereotypical goals for the next stage of life: go to the gym an extra day a week, save up for a better car, get a job I love, write more, get a healthy...
If You’re Going to Post About Pelosi, Don’t Ignore Limbaugh | A Plea to Christians
This week, my newsfeed has erupted with anger–even hysteria–over Nancy Pelosi ripping up the State of the Union address.
But all the while, none of those people have called out the fact that Rush Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The highest civilian honor there is.
What 2016 Taught me about Relationships
2016 has been a huge year in my world. I entered as a Sledge and am leaving as a Groves. I was engaged, planned a wedding, and am now in the fifth month of marriage. To say I know everything would be foolish, but I have definitely been taught some major lessons...
Surviving the End of Pregnancy (Even When You’re Two Weeks Late)
The end of pregnancy is hard, but it doesn’t have to be miserable. With intentionality, it can be the sweetest time of your life.
My Favorite Mom Podcasts
The women who host these podcasts have become very special voices to me. They’re encouraging and uplifting and most of them bring my focus back to where my identity lies: Jesus.
5 Reasons to Rest during Holiday Madness
Hey friends! If you are reading this right now, odds are you are taking a break from the hustle and bustle of this season. With friends at our door steps ready to visit, home cooked meals in the oven, and presents waiting to be wrapped and placed under the tree, spare...
Christmas Traditions: Our First Year Together
I LOVE TRADITIONS. And I made sure to push them on my family from day one. If we did something once, I have always been sure to remind everyone that it has to happen the next year. For example, every Christmas eve we go to the 5:00 pm Christmas Eve service, then eat...
Hello Parenthood!
Our daughter, Eden Celeste Groves, made her appearance on May 18, 2019 at 3:18 pm—two weeks late exactly. She is far more than we could have ever asked for or imagined.
My Husband is not a ‘Good One’
Marriage is so good. Marriage is also hard. There are many reasons that these statements are true, but one is very specifically on my heart today. It is a racially belittling phrase I have almost grown accustomed to hearing from people I love dearly. For a while now I...
10 Free Things to do at Christmas Time
If you are anything like me, the month between Thanksgiving Dinner and putting away the Christmas tree is typically defined by spending money and eating until I gain five extra pounds in cookies. Then the beginning of the year becomes defined by undoing all of that! I...
Our Wedding Day
After a week of hospitals, family, and funeral homes, looking through wedding pictures has been therapeutic to say the least. I have spent the last few days going through all 800 of them and picked out about 80 of my very favorites. Brides, if you spend money on...
I Pray My Marriage Looks Like That
In the midst of this crazy day, social media is telling a lot about our human nature. There are videos of people celebrating; there are photos of people sobbing. We point fingers, we blame, we brag, and we puff up in pride. All the while, I am sitting beside the...
15 Unforgettable Date Nights
I heard a quote the other day that really challenged the way I think about my marriage: "We are either working into oneness or drifting into isolation." Man, is that statement true. The more used we get to one another, the easier it is to drift into our own thing--or...
It’s a Relentless Pursuit: Hosea 2
I will never forget my first giant fight with Austin. It was while we were in the early stage of dating. The funny thing is that I have no idea what it was about, but I can guess that I was desperately needing to be right about something. I was driving my little...
Why You Should Hire a Wedding Videographer
https://vimeo.com/188891464 I have said it before and I will say it again: your wedding day will be the fastest day of your life. You plan every detail with such precision, you spend hours making decisions that seem so small, and you spend money you probably...
Doing Life Together: The Good, Bad, and Beautiful
When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of one thing. Not my career, not my wedding day. My marriage. I would play pretend as Arial--only after she was married to prince Eric. I would lay awake at night imagining what my life would be like when a man committed to...
12 Dates to Keep Valentine’s Day from Dying
A few weeks ago, I was serving in the children's ministry at my church. It didn't take long for the kids to get bored with playing with the toys they brought and start asking to pull out the play dough. I was low-key pumped. As we pulled out the different colors and...
My Favorite Marriage Podcasts
Let me start by saying this: I am not really into the whole “how-to-marriage” thing. We are all different people married to different people. What does matter is that we are standing on a solid foundation: Christ.
3 Ways Marriage Reflects Relationship with Jesus
Have you ever had a moment when something just clicked? Something you had such a hard time conceptualizing before? Nine times out of ten these moments don't just happen. They take time, consideration, and maybe even practice. I remember having my first great run. I...
The Lie of Having My Life Together
The balanced Christian life cannot stay in the extreme of corporate spirituality, nor retreat into a radically individual spirituality. Rather, a balanced, stable approach to spirituality must simultaneously embrace both corporate and individual means of...
6 Things Learned in 6 Weeks of Marriage
Marriage is so fun! I think the world looks at it through this super serious lens, and while it is something to be taken seriously, it's also just a good gift God has given us here on earth. It should be enjoyed in every capacity. So far, I'm loving it. Today I am...
Imitating Jesus in Marriage
When I walked into my apartment from class, I remembered I had received an email notifying me I had a package. Since I still haven't gotten over the whole extreme-excitement-of-getting-mail thing, I rushed upstairs without even waiting to open it. Why wait when your...
Time Stands Still | Cherishing the Little Moments of Motherhood
I am breathing you in and all of the sudden loving you even more than I did just a second ago. Holding you close. Hugging you tight. Etching this brevity into my mind.
On Wednesdays We… Talk about Marriage!
If you know me at all, you know that I simultaneously want order to everything, and yet can't ever find my phone because I put it in the wrong place. I may not be the most organized person, but I am going to try to do better with this site! Here's the plan. Wednesdays...
Prayers We’re Praying for Our Daughter
Pregnancy has made my prayer life more tender and more intentional than I ever imagined. So before it is over, I want to document some of the prayers God has laid on my heart to pray for my daughter.
25 Things in 25 Weeks of Pregnancy
My sweet (and really hard) experience up to 25 weeks of pregnancy.
Your Righteousness Is Not Your Relationship Status: A Letter to Singles in the Church
Holiness will not earn you a spouse. Righteousness will not make you a wife. Marriage is not your prize. Jesus is.
Learning to Lean Not On My Own Understanding
I wrote this post days after losing our first baby. It is raw and real and exactly how I was feeling in those moments. Since writing these words, God has taught me SO much which I cannot wait to share with you in future posts, but for now, I hope you will read with...
When Work Seems to Creep into Marriage
“Leave work at work” is an easy thing to say when we ask ourselves how to balance work and marriage. But more and more, it becomes second nature to bring work home.
The Struggles of Christian Dating
I think we can probably all get on board with the truth that dating is awkward. What do I want? What do they want? How do I know whether it will work out? NOOOO I don't want to DTR yet! As believers in Jesus and followers of Scripture, we have a pretty solid picture...
Valuing Souls Over Winning Arguments
For those who don't know, Austin and I met on our Speech and Debate team in college. Our love for speech bred so many things within us that are helpful to our marriage. We are both outgoing. We tend to be confident around groups of people. We can both talk until the...
Becoming an Effective Leader
Let’s be honest: leadership has many stereotypes in this Genesis 3 world. The world tends to see leadership is seen as a “manly” term. Sometimes it’s associated with people who bark orders to others. I have even this word to describe athletes, CEOs, and all the others...
Compromise in Marriage: the How, When, & Why
Tuesday mornings are a big deal for we bachelorette fans who don’t have cable. Though it’s hard to take the show very seriously, it’s an easy one to get sucked into. At the beginning of each season, the suitors get out of a limo one-by-one, approach the bachelorette,...
31 Prayers for Your Husband
Routines. We are obsessed with them. We get into morning routines, work routines, bedtime routines, and even Bible study routines. They are great in some ways because they help make us more productive, and they are detrimental in some ways because they rarely...
Saving & Budgeting 101
Last week, Austin and I came home from camp with our church, ready to get great sleep for the first time in a solid five days. Much to our dismay, we walked into our brand new home at a sweltering 90 degrees. The air conditioner we were told was brand new had...
Why I Don’t Want to be the Single Girl “in Waiting”: Hannah Beth’s Story
With singleness, many of us are prone to believe that we are “in waiting” for a grand love story. I am one of those. For quite some time I have anxiously awaited the arrival of an amazing, God-fearing man to come sweep me off of my feet. I have spent endless time...
Forgetting the Point of Jesus’s Ministry
One minute his body was covered in boils. He could barely speak. He could barely see the Savior. His pain was a constant ache, riddling his body for years. The world shunned him as unclean, unworthy, and unknown. The next minute it was as if he had been in a time warp...
When Procrastination Sneaks into our Walk with Jesus
It's a trait we all struggle with at some point or another. It sneaks in without our consent, and all the while we are luring it in by our own volition. Procrastination. When I hear the word I immediately think about it in the context of school. Students putting off...
A Letter to Ms. Beth: Thank you.
...By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35 Dear Ms. Beth, Earlier today, my friend Joy asked me if I had read your blog post yet. I said no, but knew by the eagerness in her voice that I should as soon as I...
Hurry up and Rest… To Renew Your Thirst
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:2 I have to apologize. I said that I would be posting about rest four days in a row, and this is the first time I...
Books Christian Women Should Read | Bible Study GIVEAWAY
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION AT BOTTOM OF POST. Let the wise hear and increase in learning and the one who understands obtain guidance. Proverbs 1:5 In different stages of my life, I have loved reading very differently. As a kid, I got lost in mystery books like nobody's...
Creating Better Cooking Habits
If you know me, you know that food and I have a very weird relationship. Let me clarify. I LOVE FOOD. But not all food loves me back. Just before my senior year of high school, I found out that me and gluten do not get along. So no more donuts for Lauren. I also took...
MLK50 Conference: Reflections from Our Living Room
About a month ago, I heard whispers of a conference that the ERLC and TGC (Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission and The Gospel Coalition) would be putting on in remembrance of Martin Luther King Junior's passing half a century ago this month. The conference would...
How to Save your Money without Storing your Treasures
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20 Baring...
How to Make Bible Study A Habit
Studying the Bible. It is something we all know we should be doing because of God's commands and straight up conviction. It is also something that we are really good at making excuses for. From the new Christian to the old soul who grew up in church to the seminary...
How to Deep Clean | Spring Cleaning Checklist
If you are anything like me, cleaning isn't your favorite way to spend the weekend, but a clean home is your favorite place to be. The catch 22 is real. But spring is upon us which means that we are all reminded of the need to reorganize and degrossify...
How Direct Sales Helped Me Come Home & Follow My Calling
We have all been there: someone we barely know adds us into a group or comes knocking on our door or invites us to a party to sell a product we didn't need twenty minutes ago and don't think we need now. To say that Direct Sales has gotten a bad rap is a vast...
The Undone Mother | And The One Who Puts Her Back Together
Momming is hard. Jesus Holds it together.
I Promise, You Do (And Should) See Color
"I don't even see color!" He said from the pulpit as he gazed into the sea of his ivory-skinned congregation. The news had been rippling with stories of unarmed men being shot and killed for what one side said was no reason and another side touted was deserved. His...
Loving Others as they Grieve
What a sweet post this is to go back and read. I wrote these words over two years ago, but they reign true perhaps now more than ever. Since experiencing this grief, we have endured a miscarriage and walked with friends and family through trial and test. Storms don't...
How Eating Gluten-Free Changed My Life
Well folks, you asked for it, and I am going to attempt to deliver. At the beginning of this year, we decided that this blog would be transition to a faith-based lifestyle blog. I want to let you guys into my day-to-day life a little more, and what better way to start...
Biblical Self-Care
Welcome back to the Living Loved community! I am so excited to share with you a sweet post that one of my new friends has written. Let me give you the premise before we begin. There is something about believing in Jesus that sets us apart. We do things differently...
How to Enjoy the Mundane
Cleaning. Laundry. Cooking. Managing Finances. Discipline. It's the throws of adulthood. For many of you reading, not only are you doing all of these things, but you are doing them with babies at your feet, a job to take your attention, or both at the same time. My...
Here’s to New Beginnings
Well hello, my friend. It's been a while, hasn't it? I am writing to you to update you on what has been going on in my life and give you some exciting news about the future of this space. To make a long story very short, God has been doing a huge work in me in the...
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