Far Above Rubies

In the fall of 2015 I was asked by Becky Bennett , creator of To Choose Joy , if I would be a guest blogger on marriage.  This is an opportunity I've been very excited about and am happy to share this post with you, my faithful readers! Our (Almost) Happily Ever After. by: Cassie Wilson  I grew up admiring characters from movies like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.  Those enchanting stories where the beautiful teenage princess lands the handsome prince and they run off into their happily ever after.  I assumed that marriage must be similar, and that once I found the perfect guy we would create our own romantic fairy tale ending.  Unfortunately, time and experience have taught me otherwise... I met my husband in the spring of 2000. I was a junior and he was a senior in high school.   What started out as innocent flirting developed into something much deeper very quickly.   High School Prom.  May 2000. Dave an...

Everyone has a specific date that holds a special significance in life.  It could be: the day you graduated college, the day you married your best friend, the day you welcomed that beautiful baby into the world, the day the doctors told you about a life long illness, the day you said "goodbye" to a beloved family member or friend, the day you committed your life to Christ, the day you were finally able to retire, etc.  There are many milestones in our lives that are remembered and referred to on our calendars.  In our home, one of those days is January 13th. Daddy & Aidan - Spring 2015 This date first became important to us in 2012.  It had been almost 1 month since we found out Dave had testicular cancer (you can read more about this in Cancer: The Aftershock and In Christ Alone: This Wife's Perspective on Cancer ) and he was in the hospital undergoing surgery to remove the growing tumor.  As we said "caio" to that terrible ...

I had the honor of being asked by Becky Bennett , creator of To Choose Joy , to share about our family's journey through cancer and foster care in her Perseverance is the Evidence of Love podcast during the 5 Day Joy Challenged back in December. You can listen to the full interview here  or read below for a summary. Thank you, to the many listeners and readers, who have been a huge support and encouragement to our family.  And thank you, Becky, for the incredible opportunity to share our story with so many people.   Tell me a little about your life right now. What’s your story?  I’ve been married to Dave, my high school sweetheart, for 11 years.   We have two beautiful daughters.   Isabella is 6 and Abigail is 4.   We are foster parents in hopes of adopting our 11 month old foster son, Aidan, who came to us as a newborn.   I love being a wife and enjoy every aspect of the stay-at-home mom life!       Tell me ab...

I've been asked, by several people, about the resources we use in our home during the month of December to prepare for Christmas Day.  While it's true that our kiddos believe in Santa Clause and the magic he brings, they also know that Christmas is not about a jolly man in a bright red suit.  While stockings, Christmas trees, lights and presents are fun, our littles understand that the first Christmas morning was in a humble stable full of (smelly) animals and exhausted travelers.  Here is what Christmas means to me... I desire for our children to know the truth about Christmas.  Details like:  An old man and his aging wife suddenly pregnant with the boy who would prepare people for the coming of Jesus.  A young woman, yet to be married, joyfully accepting God's call of becoming the mother of Christ.  A noble man willing to care for God's son, here on earth, as his own.  A group of magi in search of worshiping The Savior.  A horrible kin...

As I had mentioned in a previous post ; from the time I found out I was going to be a mom, I began praying that my children would come to know, love and accept Christ.  As a Christian parent, I realize that teaching Jesus in my home is the most important thing I should be doing.  I try to be intentional and find ways of bringing Biblical truths into our everyday lives. There are several things we've taught to our kids and are constantly reinforcing... * Sin is anything we say, do or think that makes God sad. * We are all sinners. * Sin separates us from God. * Jesus is perfect.  He is the only person who has never sinned. * Jesus choose to sacrifice Himself because He loves you. * The only way to someday be with God in heaven is through Jesus. On January 21, 2014, on our way home from a Good News Club I had just finished teaching at a local elementary school, Isabella began asking her own questions about God and Jesus.  You could sense the Spirit work...