Set Yourself Free



Attention! Attention! I hereby declare:
A revolution on our underwear.
Bikini, hip hugger, boxer or brief;
Add colors, patterns, style...good grief!
Panty lines are just simply wrong.
Be brave, be bold, go for a thong!
Abolish slavery, (I don't mean to make light).
But set yourself free from the bondage of white.















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Mari is a middle-aged woman who thrives on her husband’s love, mixed with generous portions of good chocolate and daily lattes. She serves beside her husband as they pastor a small church in the mountain community nestled among the Cascade foothills in Washington.

Married for 28 years, she has three adult children, two of which are married. With five grandchildren, ages three and under, Mari feels she taught her children the concept of loving their spouses quite well. Mari is enjoying this season of life as a grandmother and a new empty nester.

Mari began to pursue a long hidden desire to write and is seeking areas to develop this passion. If she can get her ADD, middle-aged, menopausal mind to focus once in awhile, she may actually accomplish something.

You can find Mari online at her blog.

Why I Want to Grow Old

...with you

Have you ladies seen or heard of the Valentine's Day contest Focus on the Family is holding?
The theme is Why I want to grow old with you.

Here's the scoop:
Write a love letter to your husband telling him why you want to grow old with him, in 300 words or less. You can enter one letter a day through February 11th. (There's more information here.) Each day a winner will be chosen and posted on the site.

They're offering some great prizes including a grand prize trip to Colorado for their marriage conference.

Go and check it out and write your man some love notes!
Valentine's Day contest

It was suggested you write several between now and February 11th, and then, for Valentine's Day, give them to your husband. A gift from your heart. =)

Colorful Pillows for Sweet Dreams

One of our zesty chics wrote in with a topic idea and it's a great one. She called it pillow talk—complimenting each other, expressing to your man what you're going to do, how you're feeling, and how good he's making you feel.

For many, this kind of zesty talk enhances their intimate times and can be capitalized on. It can start as foreplay before you're anywhere close to the bedroom—a text or email with a code phrase or two, whispering over the phone what you're going to do later (Yes, whisper. Some phones let bystanders hear both sides of the conversation!), drop a hint at supper—as clearly as you can if there's kids at the table with you. This not only starts his engine, but it starts yours too.

Then, when the real zest begins, you can paint a picture with words of what you're going to do, or even doing at that moment. This is definitely one of those times when being colorful is good and it's also a good time to let the words flow. It's like comparing colorful pillows to plain white pillows. Sure, those white pillows may have crisp, bright white cases, but white is white, and if you're wanting fun color, they just won't do. Go for word pictures in full color.

Another idea along these same lines is to ask him what he'd like you to do. Be like a waitress telling him about the specials of the day and let him choose--or watch his eyes and use that to decide what you'll do. Be sure to be a good waitress and really tell him about the day's specials, don't just zip through a memorized list, pop a bubble like a waitress in a diner and ask “So, what'll it be?” Unless... No, we'll save that for another post. =)

Remember, you aren't in the doctor's office so you don't need to use the correct words for your anatomy. If there are other words you use for body parts, use them! But you also want to be careful of the terms you use. As Christians, Christ is in our lives. Yes, we want to enjoy and celebrate all He's given us, fully enjoy and celebrate, but we don't want to do or say anything that will offend Him. This is something you and your husband will have to work out together and if that means you limit your vocabulary to the doctor's office standard—do it.


Colorful, zesty times with your man lead to sweet dreams for both of you.


And a big thank you to you (LoL--you know who you are *g*) for your topic idea and questions! =)

A Sanctuary



The candle flickers.


Soft music fills the room.


We lay silent, satisfied, sanctified as husband and wife.


I revel in the warmth, the security,
the sanctuary of marriage.


This is good.


The candle flickers.


Two hearts, two bodies bound together,
resting as one without shame.


God's blessing.


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Tami shares her life with husband, Kevin, a Creative Arts Pastor and their four children in Beatrice, Nebraska. She considers her marriage God’s big miracle in her life and has enjoyed being Kevin’s wife for 23 years. Tami fills her time staying on top of her kids and their activities, leading Ladies’ Bible studies, writing, singing in choir and worship team, playing clarinet and saxophone, lunching with friends and hanging out with her husband. Get to know Tami at her blog, The Next Step.

Winter Camping

Winter is heavy on us right now, so it's time to do some winter camping! Aren't you excited? No, stop groaning. I wouldn't send out into that cold and snow and ice. We're women, not polar bears. LoL But we can do some winter camping—especially if you have little ones at home.

Children love tents and they'll spend hours building them in the living room. When the weather outside is frightful, pull out those old or extra blankets and sheets and let them build a castle. You could even help them by rearranging some of your furniture for them, to help create walls and hidey-holes.

Now, why would you want to do that? Because you have an ulterior motive! The kids think they're building tents for them to play in, but your purpose is a little more involved than just child's play. It's for lover's play, too!

Let the kiddos leave their tent masterpiece up overnight and let your husband know you have special plans for the two of you in there. That way he won't be so tempted to complain about the jumbled living room and the mess. He might even help the kids and turn their tent into a real castle.

When the kids are down for the night, that's when you can go in and spread a bed for you and your man. This is one time to skip the candles and go for the flashlights. Much safer and it adds to the camping experience.

Realize that this will mean that you'll have to be adventurous. You won't have the safety of a locked door, but a sense of 'danger' never hurt anyone and some people love the combination of adventure and loving. Of course you could set up a camp alarm system just to play it on the safe side. It can be as simple as something that will rattle or fall if a door is opened or even a kiddie gate to slow them down and give you an extra moment or two. Use your imagination, or ask your husband to rig an alarm system. Be wise, but be daring too!

An easy option if you have a small tent is to set it up in your living room. The kids will love it and you can zip it closed in case those little feet pad to your door and ask what you're doing in there. =)

Sure, it's cold outside and may be chilly in your house, but if you give it a chance, your tent will heat up as you do and soon your hidey-hole will be toasty warm.

So, what do you say?
Anyone interested in some winter camping?

Events for Involvement

Hi ladies!
Just a couple of things to pass on to you that our friends are doing...

Are you in a spiritually unequal marriage? If you are, be sure to check out this post at Spiritually Unequal Marriages. I'm so excited about what God is doing over there! =)

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The other thing is a new round of the Love Dare going on at Christian Women Take Root. Here's what Julie sent out...

"Approved female members at christianwomentakeroot.com can join the free group, The Love Dare. It's ongoing, but for those that like a scheduled kick off, we have one planned January 11. They can purchase the book on their own, or there is a PDF download available on the Love Dare discussion page. Members can take the dare alone, or with husband. The group exists as a help so women have accountability and resources. So many of us confessed that we needed a group situation to keep us active with the dare. On our own, we quit.

The Dare has discussions every day for members to read and/or participate if they choose. Our goal is not to do the dare in 40 days, but go as the Lord leads. I took three weeks on one day, and that's ok. The group also has an accountability option, chats, and fellowship."


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And while I'm at it, have you seen Exemplify's new site? It's gorgeous! =)

A Zesty Year

A new year is here and many of us made some resolutions and goals for the year. Did you set any for your love life with the man of your life? It's not too late to make some if you haven't already. In fact, I let this wait until after the New Year rush so it wouldn't get totally swept in with all the others. =)

Now that life is returning to normal, and the other resolutions may be settling in some, or even waning a little, let's think about some resolutions for your love life.

The most obvious resolution that comes to mind is the number of times you carve out time for intimacy. For some of us a resolution like that will work, but for others of us, sometimes it's best to not go with the obvious.

What about deciding that during the times you spend with your husband, you decide that you'll be fully there in the moment? Not mentally going through the kitchen cabinets working on your grocery list, not trying to figure out how you can fit 36 hours of work into a 24 hour day and still get some sleep, and not wishing that you were sleeping. Fully present with your husband, physically and mentally. For some of us, that will be a big accomplishment.

What about deciding to do something unexpected with or for your husband? Something intimate and unexpected. Something that just might knock his socks off before he takes them off himself.

What about trading babysitting with a friend so you can have the house to yourselves for a night, or a weekend? Pull the shades and let him know clothing is optional until it's time to get the kids, and that you'll match him. (Any guess which option he'll choose?)

What about resolving to learn a new way to please your man, like oral sex? Or simply being more adventurous—in a way that he would consider adventurous.

Pick an area of your love life to work on this year, and go for it. Diligently pursue whatever it is you've chosen. Because it involves two of you, you and your husband, be aware that you might not be able to work on it on your time table. You'll have to take your husband's needs and desires into account—but isn't that what marriage is all about?

Go for it, girls!
Make this a year to be remembered in your marriage.

All He Wants For Christmas Is You

"Mom, what can we get Dad for Christmas?" My son whispered in a conspirator's voice. We were in the kitchen making dinner while pondering what we would put under the tree this year.

"Hmmm ..." I was wondering the same thing myself. Gift buying is difficult overseas where we live. Our city has recently added a new wholesale warehouse where we can find some American items ... but somehow I don't think a 10 lb pack of ground beef is what either of us had in mind for Christmas.

(But we are praising the Lord for ground beef!)

"Why don't I go ask him what he wants," my son continued, "then I'll tell you." He went to ask my husband who was in the next room over and I overheard the reply: "All I want for Christmas is your mom."

That figures!

So this year I'm giving him what he wants. Under the tree, my husband will find a Magic Box. Inside the box I am putting ... well, I'm not going to tell! But I will say that my theme is "Date Night In--with All Options Open."

If you are looking for the perfect gift for your mate, look no further than in the mirror! Consider making your own Magic Box to put under your tree and fulfill your man's secret Christmas wish.

Much better than hamburger meat :)

Quiet Here

I know there's not been much going on here--I'm sorry about that. My life slipped into overdrive again and I'm just now coming up for air, and I have a feeling that it's just a quick gulp before diving back in to things here at home. If you're interested, here's an unimportant update on a small part of what's been going on in my life, excluding all the church activities that have consumed a huge chunk of my time. =) It really is exactly what it's titled: unimportant, but I wanted to let people know I haven't totally disappeared. =)

You ladies, out of everyone, know how life gets at times. Thanks for understanding our short posts with just a link for you and our silence. Sooner or later we'll get back to some kind of normalcy around here, until then, know we love you. =)

Merry Christmas!

Romancing the Holidays

I came across this article on Family Life Today giving some great ideas for adding some romance to your holidays. Check it out!

The Family Room archives - FamilyLife.com

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