Feel refreshed

Happy Sunday! i hope you're all having a wonderful relaxing day! This post is going to be a little different from most.. no new photo updates today, but look for a new one tomorrow! It's been laying heavy on my heart to share what's been going on here in the Magnuson home. 

I recently picked up some new devotions to read daily, whether it was while lounging in the pool or curled up on the couch. I started these new ones to really draw closer to God, and in my business obey Him. After only a few days, i felt i needed to be spending more time reading the Bible and getting a clearer understanding of what's in store for me, and Davista Photography. 

One reason i started a business in the first place was to bless others. Whether it was as simple as showing love, and making them feel better about themselves, or starting a friendship which i could be there in a time of need. 

Brandon and i watched church online today (he sleeps during the day on this shift! bummer.) Pastor Jud talked about how "God wants to bless you to bless others." It immediately spoke to me, i knew it was something i was meant to hear. After, i spent some time with my new devotions, i came across this verse... " A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." - Proverbs 11:25. 

My purpose for this post is to reach out to all my friends, family and even people i haven't met! my purpose isn't  solely to be your photographer. I want you to know you have someone that cares about you. So, if you have a need, a prayer request, or something you just need to talk through, i'm here. you can send me an email if you'd like, even if it's a question about the books i'm reading! I'd love to get together for a coffee date, hear good things going on in your life, encourage you with your photography or really just shut up and listen :) 

Devotions i found that i'm recently reading (at savers!) 

i hope to hear from you and will be praying for a wonderful week! 

Make all the difference in your marriage

keep your relationship fun, stay in love, and great books to read!

Lots of fascinating things have come out of using Pinterest. the most recent find is a new blog, i've still only read the first post i stumbled upon, but it's a great marriage encouragement! It was a list of 10 things that make all the difference, i wanted to see if Brandon and i were on the right track, and so far we're doing okay. Good news huh! The post describes what has helped their marriage stay fresh, stay friends, stay in love, they also suggested to use some of these tips for your own , and make some for your relationship! so if you're part of a couple, or engaged, or already married, i'm encouraging you to sit down and go through some of these tips, and see what you'll be able to do together to grow strong and stay in love. I'm going to also suggest to write a few of your own. 

click here to see this couple's suggestions that make all of the difference in a marriage. my favorites from the post..

1-  Weekly Questions- The Loerke's said they have been asking each other the same five questions every sunday night.. check out these questions here.

 

2- Small Metal Box- after reading a story that encouraged them, they decided to put a dollar in a special metal box after every time they made love, and they would save up for a trip to Hawaii. Also they advised not to constantly count the money in the box, and that it was about quality not quantity. 

 

3- I skipped a few of their tips BUT you can check them all out, and i suggest you do! my next favorite was playing together. I changed this slightly to adventures. this is really what we call any dates, or vacations. If you know me, you'll know i love some Angels and Airwaves, my all-time favorite song "The Adventure" also has special meaning since it was our fist dance song. This is all to say, we decided our life together, our time together are all adventures. And these are so important! Simple things like going out to eat, hiking, or like the post suggested building forts or going on walks, which i loved. They explained how it's a way to connect emotionally and physically.. really i just am so thrilled to apply some of these tips to my marriage!

4- Praying together- this is another suggestion by the post, and Brandon and i did such a great job of this before we were married, and even right away after we were married, but we have gotten caught up and don't always spend time in prayer, but i agree that it's a great way to stay spiritually connected. 

5- Celebrate each other- You don't need to make a huge deal of holidays you're not crazy about, spending tons of money, BUT you should make a big deal out of anniversaries, birthdays and small accomplishments. It shows you're each other's biggest fans. 

6- don't do marriage alone. i have a fun (short) story that helped me realize this. We were having a minor disagreement that another couple were also having, we all sat down together and had our first couples fight. we did fight fair though! Everyone took their time talking, explaining concerns, and still arguing out of love to help the other side (guys vs girls) understand where they were coming from. It might sound crazy, but when Brandon and i left, i was really thankful to have friends that we were comfortable enough to not just have fun, but disagree too. 

7- Study each other- THIS is a strong point of mine. Brandon and i have our talking time once we're laying in bed, no electronics, and talking about the day. i come up with the most random questions, and although he sometimes thinks i'm crazy for asking these, we end up learning new things about one another! The article talked about how people change, and there's always something new to learn, so interview one another. 

8- Dude time/girl time- Time apart. the article said it best. She said it blesses her and her husband Tim when he can take trips with his buddies, since they meet certain needs that she can't and the opposite is true as well. 

SO technically i skipped 2 of their tips, BUT i thought i'd spin off it a little. Also it'll lead you to want to read the ones i skipped!  Thought i'd suggest some books to read together too! (or apart and talk about it later like we did while living in different states!) 

quick little blurb about these books- first if you've read other posts, you've read about Captivating, if not click HERE for more information.  Wild at Heart is the version for Men, i've read part of it, and Brandon read it too! i really suggest this! John and Stasi Eldredge also wrote Love and War, which i've only started to read, but i've heard some great reviews, same with Love and Respect, both of these couples' books have a notebook to fill out everything too! The Five Love Languages is one i read while in high school, and it's great to read to figure out for yourself, and your significant other so you can communicate the way that you feel and show love! 

Before You Say I Do, i wouldn't say is the best book we've read together, but it was a good book that got us talking, and thinking about things before we got married. Sometimes praying can be a difficult thing to start, i makes you so vulnrable, and a book like this will help both of you become more comfortable with it! the last book, a two-parter, the most important day of a woman's (man's) life. i haven't even bought this one yet! but one of the photographers i follow Zach and Jody suggest it. to see their page click here. (LOVE them, heard them speak at WPPI and they are a photography couple. CUTE) 

Do you have any great books you and your spouse have read that has encouraged your relationship? I'd love to find some more great reads! Also, would love to hear about any tips YOU suggest to keep the marriage going strong. 

Marriage encouragement

today is about encouragement! i'm going to start out by talking about these DVD's called "Laugh your Way to a better Marriage." Before we got married, Brandon attended a class at his church called marriage 101 which in itself i was impressed with. on a visit from Minnesota i got to attend one of the classes and each week they'd watch little clips from those DVDs. It is biblically based Christian organization that believes in healthy marriages, but even if you don't call yourself a Christian, it still has so much for you! He couples humor and biblically based teachings and principles to help sustain a healthy relationship. 

The first time Brandon and i watched it together we were not having any issues.. so don't think just because you're doing great right now you don't need this! the videos are increments of about 40 minutes, so they're great to watch as a tv show with your spouse, enjoying a closeness that you two can talk about! and laugh about too. one great thing i love about these dvds is you learn so much, tons of helpful insight, but it's presented in a way that makes helping your marriage more fun, and leaves you wanting to hear more!

Mark Gungor conducts these seminars around the U.S. and i have to say i think he's amazing! He's a senior pastor at a church in wisconsin, has been on focus on the family, and wrote a book about this too! click on his name to find out more about who he is and what the organization does. 

sorry about the low resolution here! click on the image to find out more! (image found online)

so if you want to try something to help or just encourage your marriage, try these DVDS out, it's a little bit easier way to do a seminar without the extra cost of going out of town, it's easy to do, and there's no excuse not to! i really think all couples should watch these together. you'll learn so much and have fun doing it!  

i think the best part about these dvds is that after watching them, and then talking to other friends of ours, we have directly seen exactly what Mark Gungor talks about, it's a great tool not only for your marriage, but recognizing the deeper issue of each argument. 

if you are interested or have any questions about these DVDS, let me know, and i'll make sure you get one! to this day my husband and i still quote some of the stuff Gungor says, and we get such a good laugh out of it. so if you're interested i'd be willing to talk about each session with you afterward too! 

Marriage. just wanted to encourage you today that it can be amazing! and here's one tiny step in helping, healing, or growing in it. 

Laugh your way to a better marriage! (click link to see a clip on youtube from the dvds)