Coming up soon is another Bridal Show, please start praying with me now that those who need a book will walk my way and not be afraid to stop.  September 12th is a day I have been waiting for since the last bridal show I attended in January.  Lord, use me, fill me with your love and speak your kind words of encouragement through me for those who cross my path at this upcoming bridal show.  Thank you to all who have donated books for my booth, you are touching lives right along side ToBeABride.com!  Philippians 4.

I have been so blessed this week!  My nephew has taught me unselfishness this week and is so EAGER to listen to Christian Music when we're getting in the car, pray at night, give money whenever he can to good causes!  He gave his heart to the Lord on our drive down and then I've been able to spend a whole week with him, precious time.  I've been seeing first hand a child-like faith all week and this little guy has been learning how to live life as a BRIDE!  I've definitely learned a thing or two:)  Matthew 19:14

I just got home from such a touching sermon about SERVING and there were three examples given about the lives lived by three people or 4 I guess and they were so amazingly touching...and I never knew these people and I was attending this church for the first time.  God wanted me there today because those three people have impacted my life and make me want to SERVE my heart out! 

I miss SERVING and it has been too long since I've SERVED regularly, okay I take that back :) I serve regularly in my home and I do not take that away from SERVING at all for all you wonderful women who stay at home and take care of your kids and home.  That's what I want to do when I have children as well and I have been fortunate enough to work from home for the past three years and what a blessing it has been!  But I want to do more.  I think as we mature in our faith, we become more efficient with our time and ability to bless others.  I think I've reached another level of love and faith and I want to give more and I have a couple opportunities coming up that I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store with them.  Use me Lord, I want to SERVE and show others what a blessing it is to be part of your BRIDE!  The theme of the sermon this morning was Ephesians 2:10.

I have been absolutely down in the dumps lately and there are just some people who you know you have in your life that you avoid because they will make you get that yucky attitude out of your system.  For me it's my Mom and a couple Christian friends...well, I'm SO thankful for my friend who slapped me around the other night...okay so maybe she didn't slap me, but she showered me with prayers and what a blessing it was!  I have had a completely different attitude and outlook on what I need to improve upon in my life.  Thank you Lord that my friend was such a Bride to me and let your love shine through when I needed it most.  I love you.  1 Kings 8:37-39

I was at a professional networking mixer tonight and was touched by a friend when she mentioned how she had shown appreciation to Father's today in celebration of Father's Day.  She chose her top 10 clients who were Dads and presented them with a thank you in person for all they do in life for their children, a small token of appreciation good for any man - a hamburger flipper with a fish de-scaler and bottle cap remover attached for the male multi-tasker!  Try to think outside the box this Father's Day to thank your Dad and really let him know that he is one of a kind!  Matthew 19:19

I had the best birthday this year, it was such a sweet precious time with great girlfriends...and their husbands!  I am so thankful that I have such sweet precious friends, but I'm even more thankful that all of them are in beautiful marriages and talk kindly of their husbands.  I am very encouraged to have friends that appreciate their husbands, what a blessing to be surrounded by such women on a day celebrating my life.  I turned 30 this year and felt like it was a year to celebrate.  My husband does a great job every year to not only make me feel special on my birthday, but he gives me a birthday week.  This year we joked about me throwing myself a surprise birthday party because I love to plan parties, but then I thought why not?  I do love to plan and who better to make my birthday exactly the way I want it, but ME!  Well, it was beautiful:)  My husband came home in plenty of time to make sure I didn't need any last minute help, several of my girlfriends were able to attend, we had a beautiful picnic down by the beach in gorgeous weather and no wind, the guys stayed down to play on the beach with the children while the girls went back up to our house to make soy-candles and then we wrapped it up with the guys and kids returning.  It was so beautiful to see the families that surround us as well as friends who have passed that stage in life and were there as beautiful "brides" setting an example with peace, patience and kindness all during the party when the silly girls were laughing immaturely!  I will never forget this day and how each of you showed me the "brides" I want to be...to my husband, to my future children, as a mother-in-law, as a mentor and as a life-long friend.  Thank you Dorothy, Sol, Tanya, Mary, Diane, Alyssa and Carolyn!  Galations 5:13

Lord, I pray for you to continue using me beyond my comfort level to share about YOU!  I am going through something SO awesome right now and God has given me multiple opportunities to praise Him in front of my family during the process.  The tough part is that these family members are unbelievers so there is never an easy time to share what God is doing, but it is SO obvious right now and I believe it is making an impact!  I can't wait to share more, but will hold off for now:)

Please keep my husband and I in your prayers as we begin an unforgettable journey in life!  Draw us close to you God and all those who end up as part of this process.  We love you, praise you and thank you, in Jesus' name-AMEN.  Matthew 19:14

Don't EVER let ANYBODY let you think they have the whole marriage thing down, no matter how perfect they seem as a couple in front of you. Things go on behind doors in EVERY marriage.  There are a couple MAIN things to keep in mind:

You are the ONLY one who knows BOTH sides of your marriage (your spouse does too, but I mean for people you will ever talk to or consult about your marriage)

Once you evaluate your marriage appropriately, you really need to decide whether you are IN or you are OUT and STICK with that decision otherwise it's not fair to yourself, your spouse or your kids to go up and down up and down emotionally...I know we should have made this decision when we said our wedding vows, but things change and people change after that day UNFORTUNATELY.

Are you and/or your spouse Christians and how is your RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ? Not just attending church or doing prayers, but your direct relationships with Jesus Christ? You both need to have this relationship on your own before any marriage can work the way marriage was made to work. So if one or both of you is not close to Jesus Christ then 1st YOU need to become a Christian, I can help you do that if you want and 2nd YOU need to live a life as a beautiful bride so that your spouse will be drawn to that lifestyle.  This is THE determining factor in your marriage along with knowing that YOU are the ONLY thing you can change.
Hopefully these are some good things to think about:) I Corinthians 7:12-16

What would I have to do to get you to see that Jesus Christ is real?

Once you see that Jesus Christ is real, would you be willing to surrender your life to Him?

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, according to scripture...
He was buried and then rose from the dead, according to scripture...
He's alive and living in me and can live in you as well.

What are you going to do with that information?

Please read John 3:16. I love you!

vs
a couple who is married, has a loving companionship, is homeless, has no vehicle and no consistent shelter, yet still remains to do all they can to get back on their feet financially?

Bridal Shows now officially hold a precious place in my heart.  If you missed out on the stories from the 1st Bridal Show in September, read them at ToBeABride Hit the Road.

Below are stories from yesterday's Great Show in Santa Barbara!  Enjoy and please pray for these stories with me.

A sweet young Christian woman is engaged to an Agnostic, but he is not holding her back from her attending church, bible study, values etc so she wants to continue praying for him and marry him anyways.  I gave her the book "Loving Your Husband" and reminded her it is not going to be easy.

A lady who has never been married herself, dropped by and felt it heavy on her heart that she give "The 5 Love Languages" to her Agnostic landlord.  She says he is a gentle personality who is always trying to figure out how to get along better with his spouse.  Let's pray this book helps out his marriage as well as enlightens him about Jesus!

A very energetic precious lady wants her marriage to be blessed and wants to do everything right in God's eyes and she is so thankful that her fiance is like minded.  She was so excited to take the Workbook for "Before You Say I Do" so that they could focus on what is most important in these last days before their wedding...knowing that it's still not too late to pray and evaluate any issues that come up in conversation because of this study they will do together.

A fellow vendor stopped by and mentioned that she and her husband have been needing a retreat to go to and that they are definitely going to see about attending "Weekend to Remember."  I was given several flyers for the Weekend to Remember and if you sign up through the following group, you will receive a substantial discount:
www.familylife.com/groups/feltes

I was encouraged several times as well with the following story and statements.  Thank you, I am loving this ministry so much:

"Thanks for doing this."

"There should be more booths like this."

"This is what's most important isn't it."

One young couple had the absolute sweetest spirits about them...they are going to have such a sweet blessed marriage.  They didn't need to stop, but it was so great to sit there and enjoy their smiles and love...Jesus poured out of their hearts by just having them stand to talk with me for a few short minutes...thank you for stopping!

One gentleman came to the booth late in the day and seemed to have gotten stopped in his tracks, turned back, took a deep breath and smiled before sharing the following:
His fiance got food poisoning and she couldn't make it, but really wanted the info from the show.  He agreed to go, but knew he was going to have a hard time figuring out what he should do while he was there, but he said as soon as he saw the ToBeABride booth, he knew that this was the reason he was supposed to come to the show! 

Just remember...there is so much more to marriage beyond that awaiting wedding day and hopefully you are preparing your life for the MOST IMPORTANT Wedding Day of ALL!  John 3:16

The Lord put it on my heart to have a Christmas Tea about a month ago and as everything God puts on my heart always is, it was SO worth it!  I put a ToBeABride.com magnet in everyone's goodie bag that went home with them.  We had fun, drank cozy drinks and enjoyed some sweet and funny Christmas memories with each other.  What a great time of fellowship with each other, thank you Ladies for coming, you helped make a new beautiful Christmas memory in my book! 1 Peter 4:8-11

The fun part was the Girly Swap Meet where we had a table full of prizes  we would win throughout the evening.  We all had brought items that had either been given to us and we never used or we had bought (probably on sale) and never used...unwrapped so we could see what we wanted.  As you won a game throughout the night, you got to go pick a prize or two or three, whatever you wanted!  We sang Christmas Carols (like Hot Potato or Musical Chairs or a Combination of the two) and played Christmas Trivia for the prizes. 

One of the ladies saw a "Love Dare" book at the beginning of the night and had her heart set on it!  She has been wanting that book for some time and is so excited to read the book and watch "Fireproof" as well!  That was a precious moment confirming that this Tea was supposed to happen and for me to always follow through whenever there might be doubts on my view of something being a "success".  We did have a lot of fun, just the 3 of us...and God showed me all the while that those 2 people were exactly the 2 people that should have and needed to be there for themselves and me, we LOVED each others company.  And best of all, we loved sharing about YOU Lord!  Silent Night, Holy Night, All is Calm, All is Bright, Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child, Holy Infant, So Tender and Mild, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Sleep in Heavenly Peace! 

May the JOY of family, friends and Jesus be with you this Christmas Season as we celebrate the birth of that Holy Infant in a manger. Luke 2

So the verse this time is an amazing passage that came to me the day I learned about Sadie's illness (John 16:20-24).  The Lord gave me this precious dog and now he is taking her away from me, but I will soon have those children I have been longing for and begging him for for so long.  It's another season in our lives of the Lord giving and taking away.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families~may we be thankful for every precious life that we are able to touch and have touch ours~enjoy a time of fellowship this Thursday!

I am SO proud of my husband and how he has the Lord's touch in helping men and their marriages!  I really think ALL of us have that certain type of somebody or some way we get across best to a certain kind of people...for me, I think I am a good listener and encourager to women who are having a tough time in marriage and for my husband, I think he is good at doing the same thing for men, but in a "Men kind of way" :)...you know, not saying much, but saying enough to make the man think and then checking back in at a later date to see if anything struck a chord. 

We are seeing the Lord's work right now in a married couple that we care so very much for and it is such a beautiful thing.  We feel like we have ridden the roller coaster with them for the last few years and they are back on God's side again, it's so beautiful!  We wish them well and know that with God at the Center, they can do it!!!  Mark 10:27-28

My husband and I are going through the application process to become Foster or Adoptive Parents, whatever our future holds.  I know my heart wants to be an adoptive parent and I know when God's time is right, I will be.  But a thought came to mind today and that is that I am not eager to be a Mommy just because of the whole Baby thing...believe me, YES, I do know how precious that is, but I am eager to have children in my home because:
I just want to love and be loved and love those who need it...every day there is someone we walk by and that someone just might be that one person who needed a smile or a hello so just give it away. It's worth the chance of a slight bit of uncomfortableness to let them see that glimpse of Jesus that they may not have otherwise ever received in their entire lifetime!

If Fostering is what is going to give these children the only love, peace, joyful surroundings that they would know during this time of transition for them, then Lord USE US!  Psalms 51

I got some great one on one time with many family members this last weekend, it was so precious!  But one of these moments is unforgettable:)  My niece asked if she could ride home with me from the Pumpkin Patch, only about a 20 minute ride if that.  We were just talking away, like girls have the gift of doing, when God came up in conversation.  I really don't remember how it happened, but it doesn't matter as far as I'm concerned, it happened!!!!!!!!!  She is 6 years old and seemed to be holding very good conversation, so I began asking her questions about.....OH WAIT, I REMEMBER HOW IT CAME UP:)  I was talking to her about my new house and how we have gotten to see dolphins, seals and whales and she said she's afraid of the ocean and all those animals.  We talked more about whales and I asked her if she had heard the "Jonah and the Whale" story (Jonah 1:17), NO, Do you go to Sunday School, NO, Do you know what a Bible is, YES my brother gave me a Bible and I went to Vacation Bible School.  OKAY, so now I knew we were getting somewhere...we kept talking and I finally asked her if she wanted to have Jesus in her heart and she said YES!  She prayed with me and she was so happy, so I told her she needed to share this with her Grammie and what a site to see.  When she shared this news with my Mom, I melted since it is because of my mom and my grammie that I love the Lord so much, so to see this Legacy passed on was so beautiful!  Thank you Lord for such a precious moment. OH, BUT WAIT IT GETS BETTER!  I was saying goodbye to everybody later and couldn't find my nephew...when I hollered up the stairs, my niece peeked around the railing and said they were busy because she was sharing with him about God!  YOU GO GIRL! 

I've always been one to not really have Faith that young children really do understand what they are being told and probably don't really accept Jesus into their hearts, BUT now I have solid evidence that they really do GET IT!  Thank you Lord for showing me this beautiful soul and her glow of your JOY!

We enjoyed a great day of fellowship with fellow Cal Poly Alumni at the Cayucos Walk for Hunger yesterday! One thing I'm eager to do is get involved while I'm living on the Central Coast, I don't want to take this life for granted. I am so thankful to be here! I helped raise support for the Walk (ToBeABride.com was a supporter too) and really wanted to walk it myself so I asked a few friends to come along (pictured above)! Isn't that a cute baby I'm holding, don't worry, it's not mine:)

Everybody came over to our new home for spaghetti and playing on the beach afterwards. What a great day to serve, it was so much fun! I love being around kids too, so I was blessed yesterday for sure! The guys are great mechanics too, so my husband was also excited to have both of them in the same garage with his Harley, great times for the boys! Looking forward to the next opportunity to serve Him as a joyous Bride of Christ! Romans 12:10-12

I have a friend who it has been so BEAUTIFUL to see her transform into such a wonderful BRIDE to her husband. The Lord confirmed His love for her the other day through her husband when He used her husband to tell her...I would never be able to stay home and do what you do, I'm so glad you have chosen to stay at home and be there for our kids! This melted her and it was so sweet to listen to her share it with me:) Thank you Lord for an honest husband that is not afraid to tell his wife how much he appreciates her!

It's all about YOU, Jesus..And all this is for you...for your glory and your fame...it's not about ME or that You should do things MY way...You alone are God and you are worthy...to be praised! I so often wish I had a better voice because music sounds SO good in my head, especially when it's worship songs! This one came to mind, so I thought I'd just go with it:)

I have to start this off by thanking my wonderful "Fair Friend" connection who made this all possible, God works in mysterious ways and according to HIS purpose...Romans 8:28:) I had the opportunity to take the ToBeABride.com Blog on the road and have a booth at a Bridal Show in Santa Barbara this last Sunday. And just how he likes it, Satan was trying to tear me down and make me doubt myself during the whole drive there and boy did God step right in and blow him away ALL day long! The booth consisted of a banner stating "ToBeABride.com: Live your life as a Bride to both your husband and Jesus Christ...You'll be glad you did!" and about 30 or so sample books to show women's, men's, general and pre-marital perspectives. I have been building an inventory since I started the blog so that I can have them to be given away and this was definitely a place to do it! I gave books away to engaged men, engaged women, mothers & in-laws and even some who weren't related to a "Bridal Show" situation at all, but God led them to the booth that day! The following are several stories from my day at the Bridal Show and please check back now and then to see if I added anymore stories because if I forget any by the time I post this, I'll just add them on. Please enjoy and provide comments wherever the spirit leads you. I love you all and am so thankful for how God is using this Blog for ALL OF US to encourage each other along life's roads.

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
A gentleman walked up to the booth and was looking at the books and gasped before he said, "Oh, The 5 Love Languages, that book saved my marriage." As we continued to talk, he shared how he and his wife have passed the book on to several other married couples who they feel the book has done the same for them and he even recalled one couple getting REMARRIED as a result! God, THANK YOU for using this book to touch so many marriages!
That is the point of this blog is to encourage each other and pass on ways that we can keep our marriages ALIVE and CONNECTED and following God's plan for our lives by remaining with the one He chose for us to share His roads with. Each of us can touch someone else by sharing how a book worked in our lives and these one on one heart to heart conversations share our passion for how sacred marriage is to each of us. Don't hold back if you think you have a story that can help someone else!

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
This was the MOST commented on book during the whole day. You'd think that the women would be the talkers, but actually the men shared how touched they were all day long and especially by this book! One gentleman was at the booth with his fiance and mother/in-law and he noticed this book. He mentioned to the ladies that a friend had told him what a great book it was, so I gave it to him after he promised to read it. I gave away four of this book that day and each time I shared my husband's point of view on this book, it melted every single guy. When my husband first read this book years ago, he called me and said, "If you want to understand me, read this book called Wild at Heart."
Another Mother-in-law was at the show and has been praying for her engaged daughter and her fiance non-stop. Her daughter is letting her know how tired she is of hearing, "Have you prayed about that?" and so the mother has been trying to find other ways to let her know her daughter that she cares. She mentioned that she knows her future son-in-law really likes to read and glanced down at the books and thought out loud, "Maybe that's what I need to do is try to find something for him since he's the reader." I immediately picked up Wild at Heart and handed it to her, again sharing my husband's story. She was so excited to get that book and send it to her future son-in-law.

Romancing Your Husband by Debra White Smith
This is the cutest story! A couple walked by the booth and were standing on the corner talking when the man turned and was looking at the books on the corner of the table where Romancing Your Husband happened to be placed. He was definitely eyeing that book then he walked away for a moment. As soon as he walked away I teased the lady, "Quick, hurry, he's gone, grab that book. I'm telling ya, he was looking at that book right before he left, he'd want you to have it." She began laughing hysterically and I convinced her that I was serious and she could have the book for FREE, so she finally took it and placed it in her bag just before he returned. I'd LOVE to hear the results of that book, I hope they have fun with it AFTER their big day!

God's Word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs Bible
There was a sweet lady who stopped by the booth and mentioned that she used to have a Bible, but doesn't really know where it is now. She was thumbing through the Hugs Bible when I mentioned that I'd love for her to have that Bible if she promises to read it every now and then and she agreed. She was so thankful, it was precious!

God's Word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Women of Faith Bible
I only left my booth two times on Sunday, once to use a restroom and once to say a quick comment to the photographer across the way. When I glanced back at the booth, there was a young lady standing there looking at the books and I didn't want to miss anyone, so I returned. Thank you God for prompting me that she was an important person to return to! I gave her my normal comment, "I have a blog that encourages marriages and these are a sample of books that can help us along the way." I got nothing, but she was intently thumbing through the books and gazing intently. I asked, "Are you engaged?" No. "Are you dating?" Finally a smile, but a response, "No, none of that, I'm just working here today." Well, this just happened to be in the last 45 minutes of the show when nearly every vendor at their booths didn't pay hardly any attention because they were restless to pack up and leave. Thank you Lord for giving me patience this day and being attentive because where the conversation led next was unbelievable! I asked, "Have you ever owned a Bible?" and she responded "I've never even gone to church before or anything, I don't know about any of this." So I began to share about a relationship with Jesus Christ and kept going from there...she was SOOOO open and just kept listening and making eye contact and just thirsting for more. I told her I would love for her to have that Bible if she promised me she'd read it every now and then, but she said she didn't think she would...so I told her I'd love to make that sacrifice and chance that she would.

OH WHAT A DAY, THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE, I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT, THIS IS THE DAY, THIS IS THE DAY, THAT THE LORD HAS MADE!

You may be laughing when you first see this video because it IS very fun! But I found myself bawling when thinking about what a PERFECT example it is of how our wedding day with the Lord will be!!!!!!!!! I love it:) Enjoy this video.

I usually don't write the whole verse, but I am too overwhelmed with Jubilation today:)Revelation 19:6-8 (New International Version)
6Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

I got married almost 5 years ago now and I will never forget the peaceful feeling of knowing that my wedding site was in good hands with my two great friends from High School! Well, it was time to return the favor last month and serving with a happy and loving heart is such a great feeling. My childhood friend got married and I was able to be there for HERfinally and take a look at the Photographer's blog to see how much it stood out (the photographer was also a high school friend, she did a beautiful job and travels anywhere - http://www.lisafitts.com/)! She noticed that there were so many people helping out for this wedding that's what she chose to reference in HER quote for HER blog, it was definitely a great group of gals this Bride chose for her wedding party!

I used to serve with Every Generation Ministries in Temecula, CA and still have a deep love for the ministry they do around the world! Please join me in praying for this cause they are celebrating on Facebook along with a dear friend of mine's birthday:) By following the link above, you will read about a great Bride of Christ in Romania, I have met his brother who also serves with EGM in Romania and is doing great work there. You can also read more about EGM at their website. "Transforming children in Christ through HIS church" is the mission of EGM. Never will a child be passed by. Mark 10:13

It's been 1 year already since my precious Grammie passed away. We just buried her ashes on Friday and I am convinced she left a legacy that will NEVER be forgotten! The memories that were recalled among us ALWAYS referred to her sweet sweet personality that would never say anything bad about anyone, always on her knees in prayer when she was going through hard times and always encouraging others during their times of distress. My Grammie is a prime example of how we should live our life as a member of the Bride of Christ. Grammie quoted Ephesians 4:32 in the Memorial DVD from her interviews in 2006 when I recorded her talking about her life story.

I have been wanting to share something for a few months, but have been scared too. BUT that's what I want this Blog to be about, is helping each other on the things that really ARE tough. Even though I have God in my life everything isn't easy, BUT how can I look at a glass half empty when I know that God WILL take care of me...and now when I look back at the last several months, it is all the more encouraging how much He carried me!

I have been able to share with two marriages what I am going to share with hopefully many many more now as I write this and please pass it along to all you know because it seems to hit me every time I say it, just how important it is to remember. When my husband and I got married, we agreed that we would NEVER mention divorce and so we never really ever even think that way, let alone say it. Well, we had some rough times these past 6 months and I never thought my marriage would get to that point so it was then that I had to make the decision so that I WOULD NOT think that way anymore. It was like I had to renew my vow to myself. My choices were 1) Do you want to stay with this man no matter what? If yes, then you must continue trudging forward and never look back, working every situation through and continue living according to the promise we made when we married, Divorce is NOT an option. 2) Do you want to keep letting yourself get SO angry every time we hit a rough spot and let my mind get to the point of hurt and sorrow that it was at? If so, then you will not be happy and you are not living as God would want you to live with this husband of yours.

If you would simply love your husband the right way and look at the situations/confrontations the right way, ALL will be at peace. Thankfully I chose option 1 and I am so blessed that I did. I'm not saying it was easy from that day forward, but it really was because I chose not to look back, I made a decision to live a certain way and without God, it would NOT have been possible. I looked at the Glass Half Full and it was way more than half full when I relied on God and now when I look back, that's what got me through without a doubt! Thank you Lord for saving me, what can I say, You are my Everything, I will sing Your praise! Great are You Lord, Your truth has set me FREE! Revelations 21:2-4