Joie Magazine : Issue 1

Issue One, Summer 2014

Welcome!

Welcome to the first EVER issue of Joie Magazine! A magazine for Christian women looking for inspiration for not only their weddings, but also for the new life adventure that awaits. Because, yes, we do believe in lovely celebrations, but we believe even more strongly in true love and lasting marriages. We’re so excited to finally be sharing this passion project with all you lovely women!

There’s a little bit of everything in this inaugural issue. From delicious cupcake shops around the country (page 3) to creative outdoor date ideas (page 17) to diving deeper into what being a virtuous woman really means (page 7). Our readers are all in different places in their lives, but we hope and pray there is at least one article in this magazine that speaks right to your heart.

This little magazine has been in the works for 7 months and even though we did a lot of research on how to start a magazine, we are not professionals. We know that it isn’t perfect (in fact, the reason it took so long to launch is that we WANTED it to be perfect, but finally realized that it will never be that way!) However, God knows the direction this magazine will go and the kind of impact it has the potential to make.

Joie is an experiment. It’s a process, and we want you to be part of it! If you have article ideas or know any women who may want to contribute, or have feedback that you would like to share, please email us! We would love to hear anything you have to say and will do our best to respond to each of you.

Thank you so much for being a part of Joie’s story! We hope you love it.

Love, Stephanie, Taryn & Sarah

ISSUE ONE

TABLE of CONTENTS 1 Jen and Stan’s Perfectly Timed Adoption Story 2 Carissa and Pat’s Long Distance Love Story 3 Cupcake Lovin’

“For the Lord your God is living among you.

He is a mighty savior.

He will take delight in you with gladness.

With his love, he will calm all your fears.

He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Zephaniah 3:17

4 Spotlight on Pamper Me with Paper 5 Katie and Aaron’s Real Wedding 7 What is Virtue?

9 Suze and Jeremy’s Real Wedding 11 Learning to Rest 13 Tirzah and Juan’s Real Wedding 15 Dove’s Eyes 17 Date Ideas: Outdoor Creativity 18 Day Trip: Portsmouth, NH 19 Colors of Spring

inspire words and photos by Jen Fauske

Jen and Stan’s Perfectly Timed Adoption Story

For me, the possibility to adopt a child had always been in my heart, even in high school before I met Stan. In January of 2008, after 13 years of marriage and having three beautiful daughters, I brought the topic up to Stan.

He ultimately wanted to wait and pray on it for a while. We casually discussed it over the next three years, but God was doing a work of patience in my heart and teaching me to really trust Him through this time. Finally in January 2011 God put a peace in me, that if this was something Stan really didn’t feel called to do, I was accepting of that. But finally Stan said “Yes, let’s go for it!”

We adopted our son through foster care. We felt a great need to adopt within our own country. America has 175 million children in the system. Our story was unbelievably easy, but why were we surprised when God’s hand was in it the whole time?! After our training and clearances, we began to peruse websites that had available children, which was a little strange

for us. It almost felt like puppy shopping, but we were talking about the lives of real children!

After only 6 months of waiting, a case worker who had been given our home study contacted our worker. He thought he had found a possible match

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for our family. We met Ahmaad on April 13, 2011 and until the moment I met him I never believed in love at first sight. But it happened and there was no turning back from that point!

Through this journey God taught us all patience and really to know His peace and sovereignty. His timing is perfect and it is freeing to be able to rest and trust in that promise, rather than to always try to do it on our own power and strength.

Ahmaad brings us joy daily. He is caring and so sweet. His smile and genuine laugh are contagious.

Our home is rarely without laughter with his all joke telling. It feels wonderful to have been praying for this little boy with our daughters and then for all of us to see a clear answer to those prayers. The girls have been so accepting of him and he of them. Adoption truly is an example of our adoption into God’s family as one of His own.

Some people are surprised that we wanted to add another child to the family since we already had three, but I had always wanted a boy! Having a boy adds a whole new dimension to our household. It has been fun to add Legos and Nerf guns to the mix of nail polish and American Girl dolls. And my trips to the grocery store have definitely increased!

It also has not been without its challenges.

Stan and I often disagree about how hard to be on him when it comes to discipline, so communication between us is key. It is also so important to still carve out one-on-one time with the girls, so there is intentional time where the focus is on each of them.

If adopting is on your heart, pray continually for the child that God already has planned for your family. Be willing to wait and be flexible, but also make sure you do your end of the work. Most importantly, trust in the Lord! He has an amazing plan for your family!

Carissa and Pat’s Long-Distance Love Story The first time we met was in 2001 on Pat’s summer orientation before beginning at Le Moyne College.

I was living and working in Syracuse for the summer, and my friends in orientation convinced me to work that one weekend. I happened to plop myself down on the arm of a couch with two guys. It was that night that I first made an impression on Pat, and I have to admit, I wasn’t all that phased by the interaction!

Fast forward to January of 2004 when we were reintroduced by a mutual friend. By March, Pat had made his first move. I was in denial, since I was a few weeks from graduation, but everyone around us knew there was something special between us. We were seen together at the cafe, at church and around campus holding hands. Looking back, I know that God had a plan that we would end up together.

Our long distance relationship started as soon as I graduated. We knew we both cared about each other, so we decided to “take things slow” and we would try to see each other as much as we could. We made sure to talk to each other every day. There was one weekend that we were not planning on seeing each other, but on a whim decided to drive two hours each and meet in the middle for lunch! Our relationship was built over the phone and enjoying every second we had with each other on the weekends.

inspire words by Carissa Miles | photo by Andrew Hodgdon

that, trusting God that there was someone out there for each of us). We were constantly trusting Him that we would find our way to each other and finally be together. We needed to do our own work, and take care of what we needed to, but we trusted that the distance was temporary and that we had a plan. We knew that in God’s time, when the time was right, the plans would fall into place. It was a balance of trust and working hard. Long distance isn’t hard work, but we each had to work hard at it.

The biggest joy of our first year of marriage has been FINALLY being together forever! We also just celebrated 10 years of being “us”. We have built friendships that are ours and not just his friends/her friends from work or school. We love exploring and are enjoying OUR new city. And of course, we love to laugh together a lot!

“long distance wasn’t hard work, but we each had to work hard at it.”

I think the biggest thing that God taught us was to really enjoy our time together and not take each other for granted. We learned to put each other first, but understood that we each had family, friends, and school obligations as well. We supported each other through my masters program and his doctorate.

There were times he had to focus on school first and there were times when I was tied up with work all weekend. Sometimes the only time we would get to see each other was to drive to visit our families, but we would make the effort to see each other.

Above all, we learned to trust. Truly, our entire love story is built on trust. Trusting that we would find each other when the time was right, (and even before

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sweets

Cupcake Lovin’

If you’re like me, stopping by your favorite cupcake shop for a sweet treat is one of the highlights of your weekend. Here are some delicious shops we love all around the country! Indulge if you’re in the area!

“Cupcake City’s primary location is Reading, MA. They also service a Mobile Cupcake Truck throughout the Greater Boston area and a small shop in Newtonville where we visited. It is a cute little store and the gentleman working that day was the owner’s father. He was very hospitable and made us feel right at home! The cupcakes were moist and are made fresh daily. Some of our favorite flavors were Lemon and Mint Chocolate!” -Taryn + the Joie Mag team

Cupcake City - Reading 137 Main Street Reading, MA 01867 Twitter: @cupcakecityMA

Cupcake City - Newton 313 Walnut Street Newton, MA 02461 cupcakecityreading.com

South Florida last year, we would often take a little drive to Boca Raton to pick up a dozen of our favorite cupcakes at All-Star Gourmet Cupcake Factory. They offer such a different variety of flavors and they have a perfect ratio of cake to frosting. Some of our favorite flavors are S'mores, Key Lime, Golden Oreo, and classic Red Velvet. Did I mention they deliver? You can taste these delicious cupcakes no matter where you live in the country!” -Taryn allstarcupcakes.com // Twitter: @AllStarCupcakes “When my husband and I lived in

sweet yum! special party!

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“Definitely some of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had! I’m always looking for an excuse to go get one!” -Amanda Sinful Bliss Cupcakes 35D Crescent Drive Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 sinfulblisscupcakes.com Twitter: @SBlissCupcakes

Pamper Me with Paper Giovanna, owner of

vendor spotlight

what is the mission or goal behind your business?

The mission behind Pamper Me with Paper is to offer a unique quality design, and expertise in every piece of stationery. PMwP offers invitations and announcements for all occasions - from weddings to baby showers to birthdays, and any other occassion you are celebrating! In addition to offering my clients invitations that are uniquely customized to their event, I also offer my experience and genuinely care about look, quality and detail. I like to think that Pamper Me with Paper is part of the “Dream Team”…with combined efforts and working together as partners, I am not only proud, but just as excited to bring vision and dreams to reality!

what has been a favorite project you’ve worked on + why?

Truly they are all my favorite because they each have something different than the one before. However, I would say that there are two that stand out the most to date because they were theme based. Those can be more “fun” from a design aspect. The first was an invitation suite for a wedding that took place in Las Vegas. The other was an invitation suite based on a Muppet Theatre theme. Coming up with the design, die-cut shaped cards for different card inserts, and using a variety of papers, embellishments and colors was so much fun!

tips for future brides: 3. Saved the best for last: HAVE 1. When comparing and price 2. Work with an invitation shopping, please be sure you are comparing apples to apples. Many times something may “look” the same, but in reality, it is not the same at all. Quality of paper used is a big factor, as is design. What you see online is usually not what you actually get.

designer, if possible. They will help when it becomes overwhelming and will guide you through the process, especially when it comes to proper etiquette, which is an area most Do-It-Yourselfers miss.

FUN WITH YOUR INVITATION DESIGN! The options are endless.

Bring in color through paper and inks. Use embellishments to take your invitation to the next level!

Even if your taste is traditional and clean, you can make the ordinary, EXTRAORDINARY!

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real wedding

katie+aaron

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Venue Manor House at Prophecy Creek, Ambler, PA

Photography Jillian Bauer Photography Philadelphia, PA

Flowers Fleur De Lis Floral Paoli, PA

from the bride: “Aaron and I were married on August 3, 2013 after dating exactly 4 years to the day! Family and memories are very important to us and we wanted to show that at our wedding. We had pictures of family and friends scattered throughout the venue and we also incorporated the theme in our centerpieces, attire and escort card table.

The whole day was amazing. The weather was not ideal to begin with, but the rain stopped just in time to be able to hold the ceremony outdoors and take pictures. It was still a little cloudy during the ceremony, but I heard from many guests that during the vows portion of the ceremony the sun came out. It was a really special moment. I don’t think I stopped smiling that whole day! Other fun things that went on during the day included an original song written and preformed by Aaron’s sister, Sarah, at the ceremony, a flash mob, and staging a fun photo of us running from Otto [the Orange]. It was a wonderful day to share with so many of our family and friends and I wish we could repeat it over and over again!”

Wedding Gown Country Bride and Gent West Point, PA

Bridesmais Dresses David’s Bridal

Invitations Katie Sciandro Jackson printed: Cards and Pockets

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Virtue?

What is words by Taryn Dunbar

“Who can find a virtuous woman?

For her price is far above rubies.”

P roverbs 31:10

T

his verse means a lot to me and my husband.

While we were dating my husband used to sign every letter with this verse. Although I thought it was so sweet and kind at the time, I didn’t fully understand the context of the verse and what actually qualifies a woman as virtuous. The Bible does an excellent job of showing us a woman of virtue. We can read about her in Proverbs 31, so let’s delve into this woman’s attributes a little deeper.

Respect. It’s one of the hardest things I had to learn when I got married. I always had respect for my parents, because well, they were my parents.

However, respecting someone that required it and needed it right after “I do” was a new challenge for me. In verse eleven and twelve of Proverbs 31 we read that, “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall

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have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

We all know that love and respect go hand in hand, however, I believe that trust does as well.

A husband cannot trust his wife if she does not respect him. Why would he allow himself to put his trust in someone who showed a lack of godly character? I believe that every wife hopes that her husband trusts her, and with that trust comes respect for him.

We also see that the virtuous woman does her husband “…good and not evil all the days of her life” (Proverbs 31:12 KJV). I know this seems like an obvious statement, but think of how many times we fail at this simple command everyday. I’m not just talking about respect; I believe the heart of the issue lies in an ugly, sinful and selfish behavior.

In today’s society, everything is about the individual, while a Biblical marriage boasts that, “The two shall become one flesh” (Mark 10:8a ESV). This doesn’t mean, “When I feel like it, we’re one flesh,” because, honestly, most of the time you won’t “feel like it.” Marriage is acting on the commandments of God, not your feelings. But don’t worry… those warm and fuzzy emotions will be a result of your obedience to God through your submission to and respect for your husband.

I know many of you are thinking of that one word in the last sentence. Yes, submission. It’s a word most women don’t enjoy hearing, but the Bible clearly calls us to submit to our husbands.

Ephesians 5:22 (KJV) states, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the Lord.”

Yikes! How many times have I blatantly been unsubmissive to my husband? At the beginning of our marriage it felt like a constant power struggle, but thankfully after four years, by the grace of God, it has gotten easier. Submission doesn’t mean, “I’m just going to stand there and not say a word… because that’s being submissive, right?”

No. We see the virtuous woman uses her voice.

“She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26 KJV). It comes full circle; she respects her husband, her husband trusts her, and therefore her husband seeks her council because of her pre-established respect of him.

Just as she opens her mouth with her words of wisdom, she also “worketh willingly with her hands” (Proverbs 31:13b KJV). This woman is never idle. We see her preparing clothing for her family, planting and tending to her garden, buying fields, selling handmade linens, in addition to the everyday tasks of taking care of her husband and children. That is a lot to get done in one day. When I’m able to knock one or two things off my list for the day, I feel like I’ve accomplished something!

We read in verse eighteen that “…her candle goeth not out by night” (Proverbs 31:18b KJV). She is such a diligent worker that her “…children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her” (Proverbs 31:28 KJV).

However, none of these are her greatest attribute. What truly makes her a virtuous woman is her fear of the Lord. “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30 KJV).

It’s so simple. Her manner and all of her actions bring us back to this one verse. The virtuous woman fears the Lord, so therefore she trusts and diligently seeks His Word. There is no questioning what is required when she knows what her Lord commands.

“The virtuous woman fears the Lord...she trusts and diligently seeks His Word.”

Titus 2:3-5 says, “The aged woman likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husband, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (KJV).

If you are not doing so already, seek out holy women whom you have seen adhere to these principles. They can instruct and admonish you on how to be a godly wife. You will also be able to observe their humility, love for their family, how they keep their home, and respect for their husband. In like manner, a wife striving to be virtuous needs to first and foremost know what it means to be virtuous. She needs to read her Bible daily and grow in her relationship and fear of the Lord. In doing so, God will instill a desire and a drive to implement the attributes of a virtuous woman.

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from the bride: “We got married on my favorite day of the year, March 24. I am not sure why, but ever since I was little 324 was my favorite number. The year after we got engaged, it happened to fall on a Saturday, so naturally that was the day we picked! The only “problem” with that was that it only gave us 3 months to plan the wedding since we had gotten engaged on my birthday, which is Christmas Eve! We both love the outdoors and I wanted to get married on a beach, but March in New England doesn’t provide the ideal climate for that. We chose our backup location, a mountainside, at Steele Hill Resort in New Hampshire.

I love winter, snow and ice, so I picked “Winter Wonderland” as our theme. I imagined walking down an aisle of freshly fallen, pure white snow, but God had something else in store. That year, New England had one of the mildest winters on record and it was 60 degrees outside everyday the week before our wedding!

Needless to say, there was no snowy white aisle and no making a snow bride and groom with our rings on them. But we still had our snowman wedding cake and we passed out bags of artificial snow for people to throw over us as we walked down the aisle.”

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real wedding

suze+jeremy

Photography Krista Photography Woburn, MA

Venue Steele Hill Resort Sanbornton, NH

Bride’s Shawl Honey Birch Crafts Etsy

Wedding Gown Priscilla of Boston Boston, MA

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Learning Rest. I couldn’t be writing about a more foreign concept in my personal life. Despite the struggle that it’s been to understand what exactly this word really means and the challenge of allowing it to affect change in my life, I believe very strongly that it’s imperative to a healthy and full relationship with God. Over the past few months, God has been opening my eyes to the purpose and necessity of rest. Whether you are a newlywed, a first time mom, a newly engaged woman or a woman trying to stay afloat of many responsibilities in a career (or combinations of all the above!), this idea of rest is crucial to your wellbeing.

My most recent interaction with this theme of rest came in the beginning of February 2014. I hit a major wall of exhaustion early in the month and found myself wondering why I was at a place where my energy was completely depleted by Wednesday. I still had four days left in my week! I

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was canceling meetings because I didn’t have the energy to talk. Just the idea of listening to music on my car ride home made my eyes throb and my head scream. Quite suddenly, I woke up to the fact that my work/life balance was severely out of whack. I began to understand that I couldn’t continue living in the schedule and routine I had been attempting to maintain up until that point.

Given the circumstances, the need for change shouldn’t have been that hard to believe. Still, I was obstinate about making them. I thought I was being selfish by wishing for change. Yet the feeling persisted. I was deeply tired and it began to affect more than just how many times I hit the snooze every morning. It started to affect my jobs and my relationships. Needless to say, it was greatly affecting my relationship with God. I ignored it, but it became unavoidable when it started to affect my physical health.

to Rest On that Wednesday in early February, I knew that something needed to change. I finally understood that when I don’t take care of myself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, I damage my ability to minister to others. When I let myself get to the point that holding a conversation seems like running a marathon, I have absolutely nothing left to pour out of myself. My well is frighteningly dry. Not surprisingly, this is a bad thing for someone in a ministry profession. It’s bad for someone in any profession.

I also realized that physical health is important, but not nearly as important as spiritual health. I had been neglecting my own personal relationship with God because I’d been filling my time worrying about and working for other’s relationships with God. In my mind, that made sense. It’s all God time, right? That must be okay, I thought. I was very, very wrong. Friends, don’t mistake time working for God as time with God. While they can be the same, they are not inherently synonymous. We cheat ourselves out of a whole and healthy relationship with our Creator if we believe that they are.

I had to remind myself then (and still have to remind myself now) that if I am not receiving water from the ever-flowing Well, I will have nothing of value to give out of my own cistern. If I am not spending time with God, my work for God will

words by Sarah Elyse

be less effective as a result of less reliance on His power. Honestly, it’s arrogant to believe that I have anything good within me that isn’t from the Giver himself. For so long I had been trying to give out of my own supply. Obviously, that supply is limited.

We need to receive from God in order to give to others.

The receiving end of the bargain is this: communion with the Lord. In order to recharge and refuel, I absolutely need to spend time with God. I need to make time for rest; not just for sleep, but for real Scripture reading and prayer too.

I need to prioritize the rest that is found only when I lay everything I am before the King and ask Him to rejuvenate the withering parts of me and revive the dead parts. No one and nothing else can do that for me. Only God. He can do it for you too! God isn’t interested in letting us stay the same wretched sinners that we have a knack for reverting to. He wants us to move up and over these hurdles into something greater and healthier. That something greater is also going to be better for the people we are in relationship with. I encourage you to join me in this journey of rest-finding. Make it a priority daily. Read the Word, pray fervently. Fall and fail hard, but always see that grace is waiting for you to get up and try again. I hope you will find the reward of your efforts life-giving and refreshing; just as true rest should be.

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real wedding

tirzah + juan

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from the bride: Photography Simple Wish Photography Lakeville, MN Wedding Gown Oleg Cassini

“Our wedding was a classic garden wedding shared with our closest family and friends. We exchanged our vows and promises to each other.

With Christ as our witness, we promised to “love and respect one another, to be true and honest for the rest of our days.” And most importantly to always keep God first.

My wedding day was truly special to me, and I have to say my favorite part was sharing our first dance together as husband and wife!”

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D OV E ’ S E Y E S for your husband, your best friend and lover words by Dr. Dianne Sunderwirth

Oh, what a wonderful and precious gift to give to our husbands, eyes only for him. Yes, the gift of a heart and desire only for him. The gift of thoughts and passion only for him. In the Bible, the Proverbs 31 woman inspires her husband’s confidence in her. She has earned that confidence and trust because she has consistently acted responsibly.

She consistently acts respectably, makes smart decisions and wise choices knowing she represents her husband and that everything she does both privately and publically is a reflection of her love for him. This is not just a onetime or short-term event. As Godly gals we must build a track record of consistently doing wise things. Then, over time, confidence and trust will naturally follow and “our man” will have full confidence in us and we will reap the reward and great benefits that his full confidence inspires.

We want to inspire the Lord’s confidence in us also. The word tells us in Luke 19:17, that if we are faithful in the small things, He can trust us with bigger things. This carries a great responsibility on our part to be faithful in every matter that concerns us, even if it seems small or insignificant. Even if it is seen and known only by us. As He knows He can trust us in the small and private things, we can be trusted with bigger and bigger gifts and greater

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and greater assignments from the Lord.

Your husband will appreciate it when he feels that he is number one in your thoughts, desires and decisions. He is more productive even while at work because he knows what he loves most is waiting for him, proud of him, and thinking of him.

He knows that upon his return home to her he will be greeted with delight, exhibiting a welcome smile and the open arms. Make sure your face lights up and exhibits the joy of your heart when you see him, as he comes home from work or even when he just enters a room. Even when you are tired, stir up that joy and love within you and let it show in your face when you see your husband. This builds confidence in him! He needs that from you!

Let him know how appreciative you are, for how hard he works for you, for how he wants to please you and how he wants to provide for you.

Don’t give your husband any reason to be jealous of you. Show respect and love for your husband through modest clothing and a countenance and behavior that are evidence of your virtue. Exhibit evidence through your body language, demeanor, clothing, conversations, and actions that you have eyes only for him. What a great gift you give to your husband daily and continually.

You, as his beloved wife and lover, need to continually recognize it is a privilege of being the single most important person in the world to him. This is not only when you are his bride, but always. To earn and keep this status you must likewise reciprocate the honor, always thinking of, and looking out for, his best interests above your own. I know this is not a popular concept in this self-centered, modern society, but it is the way of Scripture and the true way to lifelong love,

fulfillment and happiness in marriage.

Your husband will not envy those who are monetarily wealthier than he is because he already has all he could ever want or desire in you. Happy is the couple that has such satisfaction in each other. The key to this includes mutual respect, mutual unselfishness and mutual commitment to fulfill God’s purposes.

The Lord also desires to have full confidence in us and wants to be able to trust us with all the blessings He has for us. We know that we can have full confidence and trust in Him. We know He has our best interests in mind with all that He does for us. Song of Solomon 5:12 reads, “His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.” Dove’s eyes are fitly set and can only be focused on one thing at a time. If our eyes are as dove’s eyes, fitly set, and focused on the Lord, we see only Him and desire only Him. With dove’s eyes we do not become distracted with the turmoil around about us but we remain focused on our Beloved.

Then He can entrust us with all He has. When we are found faithful in the small things He will always expand our capacities to receive from Him and will trust us with more. So, Dove’s eyes are a key to build confidence and strength in the marriage relationship. Dove’s Eyes focused only for each other, that are not distracted to the left or the right. Without Dove’s eyes you can be distracted by other men and women, or by other family members, jobs, friends, Facebook, shopping, or school. You fill in the blank for your situation.

Dove’s eyes are a precious gift to give to your husband, eyes only for him. Yes, give your husband the gift of a heart, pure desire, thoughts, and passion only for him. PRICELESS. 16

keep dating

Outdoor Creativity

words by Brittany Stites

Now that spring is here and summer is around the corner, it’s time to throw on some sneakers and enjoy the warm energizing sun! This next season is by far the easiest and most inexpensive time to enjoy your Love.

Here are four ideas to inspire you to make many adventure-filled memories this year!

1. Good Morning Sunshine:

Scope out a large hill or viewpoint. Pack an easy breakfast like cereal or fruit and enjoy an early morning hike or drive. Once you arrive at your destination, unpack and take in the beauty the sun brings as it wakes. Things to add to this adventure; prepared coffee, blankets, the newspaper, Bibles and journals.

2. Taste of the Locals: Find out when and where your local Farmers’ Market is being held. Make sure to bring some cash and I guarantee you will find something new that makes your taste buds dance! This is a great way to try new things and to support local businesses. And don’t be too shy to grab a few new and unexplored foods and create a delicious meal!

3. OK DO THIS

: Check out www.okdothis.com! Download the app and take your Love on a photo scavenger hunt! This is a fun way to explore, find adventure or make a simple walk together even more exciting!

4. Throw Back

: Become kids again! Go to a park, climb a tree, fly a kite, play tag, jump off a swing, hang upside down on the monkey bars! Don’t be afraid to explore the kid in you and take lots of silly pictures.

Kite photo by Sara W Photography

An extra money saving tip: When exploring a new place, especially one with great food, share

everything! Even drinks! Think in terms of snacking instead of full meals and you will get to taste a wide variety of delicious foods while spending less! When it comes to going on dates with your Love, remember it is all about the quality, not the quantity of time spent. Keep it simple, get out of the house, and do something amazing together!

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Portsmouth, NH

daytrip words and photos by Stephanie Krist

Are you itching for a unqiue weekend day trip? Look no further than Portsmouth, New Hampshire! Take a quick drive up I-95 and find yourself in a quaint little downtown square right on the water. You could easily spend a whole day exploring! Here are just a few favorite spots to hit while you’re visiting.

Visit the famous Popovers Bakery right in Market Square. Yummy croissants and fresh coffee will fuel your adventure! (If you’re into a more hipster coffee experience, go across the street to Breaking New Grounds!)

Take your time exploring the cute, narrow streets! Stop at the many fun & eccentric boutiques like Pickwick’s Merchantile, or get lost in the “off the beaten path” book store called Sheaf Street Books.

Indulge in homemade sweet treats at Byrne & Carlson Chocolatiers!

Don’t leave Portsmouth without wandering into the lovely Gus & Ruby Letterpress shop! You will find lots of cute gifts and clever cards for your closest friends!

After dinner (try Flatbread Pizza!) catch a late concert at The Music Hall.

You’ll love this unique venue, especially if you’re an Indie music fan. Or if you prefer hanging out by the water, take a short walk down to the ocean to admire the sunset view.

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Colors of Spring

We instantly fell in love with Placid Blue when it was released by Pantone as one of their Spring 2014 colors.

So much so, that we planned our entire spring styled shoot around it! And what goes better with Placid Blue than Blush Pink? Our table design showcased an array of vintage bone china pieces and was accented with a sweet pop of color from the delicious cupcakes. The crystal candle holders, a simple hydrangea and baby’s breath floral arrangements added a classic touch to the overall look. The burlap table runner and custom hand-lettered sign on reclaimed wood were both added in order to bring a few rustic accents to the set up.

We hope this mini styled shoot inspires you in your own wedding or party planning endeavors!

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Photography: Stephanie Rita Photography | Boston, MA Styling: TarynAlyse Weddings+Events | Keene, NH Hand-painted sign: HeartCrafted Co. | San Francisco, CA Cupcakes: Cupcake City | Reading, MA, Newton, MA Florals: Whole Foods Market | Wellesley, MA Hair+Makeup: Kathy Dunbar | Whitman, MA

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Dress: La Reine Bridal | Waltham, MA Lace Chandelier: DIY (tutorial www.julietgracedesign.com) Dinnerware: Thrifted Candle Holders: Heirloom Models: Sarah and Alex Location: Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA

Special thanks to our incredible friends and supporters!

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