Have you ever worked out to a point where you were on the verge of tears, you were hyperventilating and your throat felt like it was on fire? 
Me neither. Until recently. I walked into the gym one evening and was brutally honest with my trainer. “I have a really hard time coming here lately. Actually, I hate it.” She was taken aback a little as I continued to explain. “I feel like it always takes me such a long time to finish and I’m not getting any better.” After a little more discussion, I finally admitted that I probably (actually, definitely) was not giving it my all. Her solution: increase the intensity of the workout. She wanted to get me to push myself more than I had ever done before by completing three rounds of a prescribed workout as quickly as possible.
By the beginning of round 2, I was hyperventilating and near tears. A voice in my head said, “Forget this. I quit. I’m outta here.” Just slightly louder was my trainer. “Come on. Keep going. Give me one more.” And I did. Each time I wanted to quit, she was right there, telling me that I needed to keep going. I couldn’t quit. Quitting wasn’t an option. I completed the workout. Mind you, I was laid out flat on the mats. I was sweating profusely, tired and pretty sure I just burned a hole in my throat.
And so it goes with marriage. There will be times when you are hyperventilating, near tears, ready to quit and about to walk out. Don’t let quitting be an option. Surround yourself with people who love you enough to fight for your marriage when you don’t think you have it in you to fight anymore. People who will love you, encourage you and pray for you. People who will say “Give me one more.” And you will. Continue reading →
I love Christmas time. I love the smells. I love the lights. I love that people tend to show kindness a little more often. I just love it. Even buying presents now is wonderful. Thank you, Amazon!
