Marriage from A to Z

An Amazing August!

Thank God for an amazing August! The word amazing is defined as causing great surprise or sudden wonder. When I think of the goodness of Jesus and ALL He has done and is doing, I simply want to tell of His goodness.

The month started with both of our young adult children getting sick. One had COVID and the other had fluid in the lungs. It was a bit scary but God. We prayed and God healed their bodies. Thank you Jesus for your healing power!

Thursday, August 8th, my husband and I celebrated 26 years of marriage in Aruba! This was amazing because twenty-six years ago, we went to Aruba for our honeymoon and vowed to return after twenty-five years of marriage. God kept us together and allowed us to return! Thank you Jesus!

Friday, August 9th, my favorite Aunt died. God allowed me to have my final conversation with her on Tuesday, August 6th. Since my son was in the hospital overnight, she called to pray with me. Perhaps if there was no sickness, we would not have spoken when we did. My Aunt Anne called me to pray. She prayed for the healing of my son and we talked about her health. God knew it would be our last conversation, and I am so glad I spoke to her during her last week. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Thank you Jesus!!

On Monday, August 12th, I returned to work. I have the pleasure of teaching Middle School students Workplace Readiness Skills. Thank you Jesus for employment and the opportunity to do something I love.

On Monday, August 26th, I received a letter stating I was nominated to receive the BizWorld Educator of the Year Award. BizWorld is a company in California that creates curriculum to teach kids business and entrepreneurial skills. In their words, I was selected for having an “outstanding commitment to bringing entrepreneurship education to my students.” BizWorld is sending me to California, to receive my award at their 20th Annual Event. This is truly the favor of God. Thank you Jesus!

As August ends, all I can say is THANK YOU LORD for an amazing August!!

Until next time!

Carolyn

p.s. Join me for my first Marriage from A to Z Master Class on Saturday, September 28th. Married and Single ladies are welcome! See the previous post for more information.

“Calling All Ladies!”

Join me from Monday, July 1st – Wednesday, July 31st as we Embrace Excellence! We will start with a Zoom session on Sunday, June 30th at 6:00 PM where we will introduce the book. You may purchase the book from Amazon, First Baptist Church of Glenarden Bookstore, or directly from the publisher, Ingram Spark. There is no commitment except to read the book. If you would like to engage in discussion, there will be posts on my Facebook page. I will host a closing Zoom discussion session on Wednesday, July 31st from 7:00 – 8:00 PM. Sign-up is required to be sent the Zoom link. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GDz2IqyiAS_u3uPC6idLlsE8hD3lSipVcGTA3LJvJmY/edit

Let’s embrace God’s excellence and spend the month of July drawing closer to God. Please invite a friend to join you!

Carolyn Tatem

“Giving God More in 2024”

  Happy New Year everyone! The new year is here, and many are making plans, setting goals, and seeking God for His direction.  Does anyone have a prayer list with things you want God to do in 2024? 

  As I thought about making my list, I was led to shift my thoughts. Instead of thinking about things I want God to do for me, I had to ask myself, “What am I going to do for God?” God placed the title of today’s post in my heart and challenged me to focus on giving Him more. It’s been a long time since I have posted, but one of my goals is to write more in 2024. If I can use the gift of writing to bless someone else or encourage someone on their journey, God will get the glory! Is there anyone else out there who wants to give God more?

  If we focus on giving God more in 2024, I believe our desires and dreams will become a reality. I am reminded of Psalms 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Also, Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things shall be added unto you.” 

  I want to challenge you as God has challenged me. Think about how you spend your time, money, events, commitments, and relationships. What can you do to give God more in any of these areas? Do you attend church? Are you faithfully serving?  I am thinking of one of Janet Jackson’s songs but changing the words to say, “What have you done for Him (God) lately?” 

  Giving God more in 2024 is exactly what I plan to do. How about you? May God bless you! Thank you for reading!

Until next time,

Carolyn

“What An Amazing August!”

The month of August was truly amazing! We are so thankful to God for His faithfulness, kindness, and goodness towards us. As many of you know, we celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary on August 8th and decided to continue the celebration throughout the month of August. We planned various dates, traveled, created some memories, and spent time with family and friends.

My husband and I want to say “THANK YOU” to everyone who took the time to send an anniversary wish, card, or gift. We were so blessed by all of the love and kindness we received. God is so good and worthy of all of the praise. He truly is the glue who holds our marriage together. We are thankful to God for allowing us to see our 25th Anniversary and to be healthy enough to enjoy it. Our prayer is that we get to see many more years together.

We live in a time when couples are giving up on marriage and choosing to divorce. Therefore, each year that God maintains and sustains a marriage, it is worth celebrating. Celebrate the love, the good times, and the bad. Celebrate what God has done and what He is going to do. Celebrate the special moments, accomplishments, the children you have birthed, and the milestones that you have made.

God gets all the praise and the credit because He is a Keeper. Psalm 121:5 tells us, “The Lord is your keeper. . .” That’s good news because God is the best keeper that any of us could ever have. It doesn’t matter if you are single or married, you can be encouraged by knowing that God is a keeper! The question is, do you want to be kept?

In closing, I want to reiterate that August was an amazing month because God is amazing! The word amazing is defined as causing great surprise or sudden wonder. Life and marriage with God is amazing. No matter what you are facing, remember that God is an Amazing God! Nothing is too difficult for Him. Remember, God specializes in difficult situations. His track record is excellent and He can do exceedingly and abundantly above anything you can ask or think! (Ephesians 3:20)    

Until next time,

Carolyn

Enjoy this song!

Something Great Happened on Aug. 8th!

It’s been a year since I have written a post but today is a special day! I had to take a few minutes to write about the goodness of God. On August 8, 1998, my husband and I were married at First Baptist Church of Glenardern in Maryland. We are thanking and praising God because we are still here, still married, and still happy about the choice we made twenty-five years ago. It’s all because of Jesus!

Just as God has kept us, it is our prayer that He will continue to bless and keep others in their marriages. A good marriage requires work and with God’s help we can do it!

How Did We Make it?

I am so glad you asked. The following are twenty-five things that we do to maintain a happy marriage.

1. Allow God in your everyday marriage. (Pray, worship, acknowledge Him, and tithe)
2. Read God’s Word together (Discuss what it means to you).
3. Establish accountability with another couple.
4. Love and respect each other.
5. Take your marriage to church every week. (Go to church and sit together)
6. Get involved in something together. (Take a class, join a ministry, work out together, etc.)
7. Do something that you enjoy together and individually.
8. Be kind to one another.
9. Strive to give your spouse what they desire when it is within your power.
10. Have regular dates together.
11. Speak well of your spouse to others.
12. Take the criticism to Christ and the compliments to your spouse.
13. Laugh together and smile often.
14. Kiss each other daily.
15. Forgive each other.
16. Look your best for each other.
17. Listen to each other.
18. Serve each other (look for ways to please each other).
19. Practice Healthy Communication every day. (never use profanity)
20. Tell the truth and don’t lie.
21. Cook and eat meals together.
22. Have sex and practice intimacy on a regular basis.
23. Travel together (See new things together)
24. Maintain yourself and practice regular self-care.
25. Compliment each other.

There are several Bible verses that reinforce everything that I have shared. However, I Corinthians 13:1-13 sums it all up by teaching us what it means to love. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up, does not behave rudely. . .” Practice God’s love in all of your relationships!

Until next time. . .

Carolyn

“Speak it!”

What have you been speaking? Your words are powerful! Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” If we were to examine your words over the past seven days, would we find that you have been speaking death or life? Have you been talking about good things that you would like to see happen? I want to encourage you to be intentional about speaking good words, positive words and blessings over you, your marriage, your family, and your friends. Speak it!!!

This week’s topic was inspired by the picture above. This is a picture of my husband and me with my beautiful college girlfriend (Terri) who happens to be Bermudian. We met at Morgan State University and over 30 years ago, I traveled to Bermuda to visit Terri. She showed me around and took me to Horseshoe Bay Beach. The beach and the Island of Bermuda was so beautiful that I said, “No disrespect to you Terri, I must come back to Bermuda with my husband.” At the time, there was no man/husband in sight. That was over 30 years ago, and God brought life to those words this week.

Glory to God, I was able to celebrate my 24th Wedding Anniversary in Bermuda. My friend Terri has never forgotten the words that I spoke. She has shared my story with many of her friends. What’s amazing is that this week, the words that I spoke over 30 years ago, CAME TO PASS. Thanks to Facebook, God allowed my friend Terri and me to reconnect in Bermuda. I went back to Bermuda with my husband! Only God could do this. We must be patient and wait on God!

In my Bible, Romans 4:13-25 is titled “The Promise Granted Through Faith.” When we speak in faith, we must believe in the power of God. Verses 17 -18 say, “As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations) in the presence of Him whom he believed God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, so shall your descendants be.” (Key: If what we speak and believe lines up with God’s divine plan for us, it WILL come to pass.)

Be intentional about speaking life and don’t be afraid to say your dream even when you can’t see it. Remember faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. You don’t have to see it to hope for it. What are you hoping for? Pray about it and believe in God! Speak it!

Until next time,

Carolyn

“God Is A Keeper!”

Happy August! This is a special month to me because, in just a few days (August 8th), my husband and I will celebrate 24 years of marriage. There have been some ups and downs, but God is a keeper! Marriage takes intentional work, but God is a keeper! Being single and trying to maintain abstinence is challenging but God is a keeper! Do you want to be kept? God is able!

What does it mean to be a keeper? There are several definitions, but two that resonate with me are: 1) A person who is responsible for the maintenance of something. 2) A person charged with responsibility for the preservation and conservation of something valuable. Marriage is valuable to God therefore, He wants to help you maintain a good marriage. Ultimately, God is the Keeper. One of the things that I love about God is when you are going through a storm, He will preserve you and bring you through just like you never went through. You don’t have to look like what you have been through, because God is the Keeper! God is a gentleman, and He doesn’t force Himself on anyone. Therefore, if a husband, wife, or a single person wants to be kept, God will do it!

Psalm 121:5-7 (Amp) says, “The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil. He will keep your life.” This passage reminds us that the Lord is our keeper. There are some things that will come up against you and your marriage but God is your keeper! If you are single and want to maintain abstinence until marriage, God is a keeper. Commit your body to the Lord and He will keep you. I know because He did it for me. He is a very present Help and you can count on Him!

May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26) Remember God is KEEPER!!

Until next time,

Carolyn

“Do you want what’s forbidden?”

There are some things that we need to leave alone! I am thinking about food, what are you thinking about? Last week, some of you started the 90-day Weight War Challenge. As we go through the next few weeks, there are some foods that probably should be forbidden. If the food negatively affects your body, it may be a sign to leave it alone. Perhaps it is good to you, but not for you. As you read this week’s post, think about what you need to leave alone.

Forbidden comes from the root word forbid. It is defined as; “to command not to do something, to hinder or prevent.” Think about it, if you are married there are things that you are forbidden to do because you have a spouse. As singles, there are some things that you are forbidden to do when you are honoring God with your body. If you want to win the war with your weight, there are some foods that you need to forbid yourself to have. Why? Because they hinder your progress. For some reason, the body seems to want what is forbidden. It all started in the garden of Eden.

In Genesis Chapter 2:16-17, the Lord God put man in the garden of Eden and gave the following commandment, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Now the Lord told Adam and Eve that they could freely eat from every tree of the garden except one but they wanted fruit from the forbidden tree. Adam and Eve knew what God said, but they listened to the serpent. Eve actually repeated what God said before she sinned, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” However, she still listened to the serpent and ate the fruit. How many times have we heard God’s voice and still made the decision to sin? (Lord please forgive us!)

I find it very interesting that sin in the first book of the Bible is dealing with forbidden food. Something that God said do not eat! The consequence is that you will die! How many of us are dead spiritually because we ate something forbidden? Those who physically died from eating forbidden fruit are not here to talk about it. There are some dead marriages because a spouse decided to eat or touch something or someone that was forbidden. There are some singles who are dead spiritually because they have eaten from the forbidden tree.

Is there something that you need to leave alone? Listen to God! Obey His voice and His word. Do not eat or touch those things that are forbidden, lest you die! Eat to live! Keep your marriage, relationships with others, and your relationship with God alive and well!

Until next week,

Carolyn

Are you in a War with your Weight?

Have you put on some unwanted pounds over the last few years? Does your weight go up and down (more up than down)? Are your clothes getting too tight? I don’t know about you, but one of the biggest battles I have is the battle of maintaining my weight. This has been an ongoing battle because I truly love to eat, love to have deserts, and if it is something that I like, I love to go back for seconds. These are some of the habits that cause continued weight gain! Gaining weight and carrying unwanted pounds can cause health issues as well as other issues. It’s been a while since I have written but this week I want to discuss my WEIGHT WAR. Is there anyone else out there in the same war?

I realize this can be a sensitive topic, but I want to talk about it because it has affected me and I am sure that I am not alone. I have been in a war with my weight for many years. My weight goes up and down. Quite frankly, I am tired of the war, and I would like to consistently maintain it without feeling like a rollercoaster. This is so important to me because whenever I am on the higher end of the scale, I feel heavier, I don’t have as much energy and often times I am dealing with a host of other issues as well. The healthier I eat and the more that I exercise, I better I feel.

If you are in a weight war, I want to share 5 W’s to help you win your weight war. These are five disciplines that will help you to achieve your goals. You have probably heard them before, but the question is are you doing them? If so, are you consistent? I want to encourage you to join me for the next 90 days as I intentionally follow the 5 W’s every day. They do not have to be done in order, just be sure to do them each day.

1. Water – Take your body weight and divide it by 2 to determine the minimum amount water you should drink.
2. Weight – Weigh in each day and deal with the number on the scale. This is a form of accountability and it will help you see how various foods affect your body.
3. Write – Write down what you are eating. Use a journal book or you can log it electronically using MyFitnesspal.com or Looseit.com. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should be concerned about what we put in our body.
4. Workout – Go for a walk or do a workout for at least 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week.
5. Word – Take in a word by watching a video on Youtube or by reading about what you are trying to accomplish. For example, if you are going to walk, listen to a video on the benefits of walking. If you are trying to eat healthier, watch a video on clean eating, etc.

Here are a few verses from God’s Word that encourage me to win in this weight war.

1. Romans 12:2 – Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. In order for you to change your habits, you have got to renew your mind daily. This is why W #5 is so important.
2. Philippians 3:19 – Don’t let your god be your belly. (Your stomach can be your god when you listen to everything that it tells you to do and eat)
3. Galatians 5:22 – Remember Self-Control is a fruit of the Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you control your appetite.
4. Phillippians 4:13 – We can do all things through Christ.

Is anyone up for the 90-day challenge? The goal is to do each of the 5 W’s for 90 days. You can start the day after you read this the 90 days will end October 31st (give or take a day or so). Send me a message to let me know and I will be praying for your 90-day journey.

Until next week,

Carolyn