She Shall Be Praised

A Threefold Cord: Why God Must Be at the Center of Your Marriage

In this video, I reflect on a viral social media comment suggesting our grandmothers only stayed married because they had no other financial options. That sparked deeper thoughts: How have modern expectations of marriage shifted, and what are we wrongly asking our spouses to provide? Growing up in the mid-70s, I absorbed the cultural idea that a husband or wife should “complete” us—be our missing half and fill every inner emptiness. But Scripture reveals the truth: we are truly incomplete without God. Only our union with Jesus—our divine Bridegroom—brings real wholeness and fulfillment. Earthly marriage isn’t designed to make us complete; it’s about walking life together with God at the center. As Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” When husband, wife, and God are braided together, we become stronger—supporting one another, sharing duties, sharpening each other, and learning to love as Christ commands—far more powerfully than we could alone. I explore the beautiful biblical metaphor of marriage that runs through Scripture: God as husband to Israel in the Old Testament (seen vividly in Hosea, Ezekiel 16, Isaiah, and Jeremiah), where He passionately pursues, protects, adores, and covenants with His bride—despite her unfaithfulness. This imagery carries forward to the Church as the bride of Christ. When we expect flawed humans to meet needs that only God can fulfill, disappointment and despair follow. But when God fills us first, we stop draining our spouses and can truly give and love in marriage. I share personally how I once sought fulfillment in relationships—my “drug of choice”—only to find lasting satisfaction when I entered into relationship with Jesus. That shift freed me to love my husband without impossible expectations. If you’ve ever felt let down by modern marriage ideals, this is an invitation to rethink it through God’s design. I’d love to hear your thoughts—what stands out to you, or what else would you like me to explore? Have a blessed Saturday, and I hope to see you worshiping with me on Sunday! #ThreefoldCord #ChristianMarriage #GodAtTheCenter #BiblicalMarriage #BrideOfChrist #FaithAndRelationships #Ecclesiastes412

How God’s Love Changes Everything: ”We Love Because He First Loved Us” (1 John 4:19)

Have you ever wondered why we can truly love others? It all starts with God's perfect love for us. In this in-depth Bible study, we explore the powerful truth of 1 John 4:19: "We love because He first loved us" — and dive into the full context of 1 John 4:7 through chapter 5. We begin by unpacking why Jesus had to die for us: because of sin, we "missed the mark" of God's perfection and separated ourselves from Him — the Source of all life, goodness, and thriving. This separation brings death, but in His incredible love, God sent Jesus as the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice that satisfies God's justice and turns away wrath) for our sins. Through Christ's death and resurrection, we're reunited with the Source of life and goodness! From there, we discuss what it means to love as God loves: loving what He loves, while recognizing that not all "love" is healthy. We examine examples like enabling controlling behavior, avoiding truth to preserve relationships (which can be selfish), or failing to confront self-destructive paths. True love, like godly parenting, includes discipline — not to harm, but to teach self-control so children (and we) can flourish. We also connect this to God's original design in Creation: He set up the world (and His laws/rules) like a protective fence — keeping good things in and bad things out — so humanity could thrive in relationship with Him. This message will challenge and encourage you to let God's first love transform how you love others, yourself, and Him.Key Verse: "We love because he first loved us." — 1 John 4:19 (ESV/NIV) If this teaching stirred your heart, like , share how God's love has changed your view of love in the comments, and subscribe for more Bible studies that deepen your faith and daily walk! #1John419 #GodsLove #BibleStudy #JesusFirstLovedUs #Propitiation #ChristianTeaching #TrueLove #FaithEncouragement #1John4 #GospelTruth #christianlivingtips In the video, I mentioned a couple of things. First, I mentioned a quote about not tearing a fence down until you know why it was put up. Here is the exact language by G.K. Chesterton, ""In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, 'I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.' To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: 'If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.'"

Feeling Distant from God? My Journey of Faith, Trials, and Discovering True Comfort in Scripture

In this live video, I share my personal testimony of coming to Christ as an adult — how I set out to test if the Bible was really true, dove deep into study (writing my own Bible studies and reading through the Bible yearly), and built a strong foundation of faith.But even after years of faithful study, I’ve struggled with feeling God distant at times. The closest I’ve ever felt to Him was during a desperately hard season when I was praying daily on my knees. I don’t want closeness with God only in crisis — I want consistent, daily prayer and Bible time in every season, good and bad.Today I’m unpacking something that encouraged me deeply: the word “comfort” in 2 Corinthians 1. The Greek word behind it (parakaleo) means so much more than just consolation — it paints a picture of God walking beside us and advocating for us. Learning a little Greek (something I started while homeschooling) has opened up richer layers of Scripture for me, and I’m excited to share that with you.If you’ve ever felt far from God, wondered how to stay close in the ordinary days, or just love digging deeper into God’s Word — this is for you.Let’s encourage each other to choose daily closeness with Jesus, no matter what life brings. Drop a comment: Have you ever felt distant from God? What helps you stay connected? Subscribe for more live Bible studies, testimonies, and word studies. #ChristianTestimony #FeelingDistantFromGod #BibleWordStudy #2Corinthians1 #Parakaleo #ChristianLiving

Feeling Distant from God? This was supposed to be the Live, but I recorded it instead of streaming.

n this recorded video, I share my personal testimony of coming to Christ as an adult — how I set out to test if the Bible was really true, dove deep into study (writing my own Bible studies and reading through the Bible yearly), and built a strong foundation of faith.But even after years of faithful study, I’ve struggled with feeling God distant at times. The closest I’ve ever felt to Him was during a desperately hard season when I was praying daily on my knees. I don’t want closeness with God only in crisis — I want consistent, daily prayer and Bible time in every season, good and bad.Today I’m unpacking something that encouraged me deeply: the word “comfort” in 2 Corinthians 1. The Greek word behind it (parakaleo) means so much more than just consolation — it paints a picture of God walking beside us and advocating for us. Learning a little Greek (something I started while homeschooling) has opened up richer layers of Scripture for me, and I’m excited to share that with you.If you’ve ever felt far from God, wondered how to stay close in the ordinary days, or just love digging deeper into God’s Word — this is for you.Let’s encourage each other to choose daily closeness with Jesus, no matter what life brings. Drop a comment: Have you ever felt distant from God? What helps you stay connected? Subscribe for more live Bible studies, testimonies, and word studies. #ChristianTestimony #FeelingDistantFromGod #BibleWordStudy #2Corinthians1 #Parakaleo #ChristianLiving

Finding Peace in Family Life Through Faith