About Unveiled Wife

Jennifer married her best friend Aaron in January of 2007. They jumped straight into missions living in three different states and three different countries during their first two years of marriage. Her passion for missions, writing, and marriage led her to create Unveiled Wife, where she blogs about being a wife with every intention to inspire other wives to develop God-centered marriages. Her and her husband are expecting their first child later this year. You can find Jennifer on Twitter and join the Unveiled Wife Community on Facebook.

Walking With Your Husband

May 15, 2013 By Unveiled Wife

My husband and I love to walk side by side and talk about our marriage. Our favorite time of day to go for walks is during the evening when the sun has a warm glow. We seem to go on walks more regularly since our son has been born, and sharing something we have always loved to do with him makes it even better.

Going on a walk with your spouse has the potential to inspire new goals, put you and your husband on the same page and reconcile issues you have been dealing with. Going on walks may spark the conversation to cover topics you may have never talked about before or it can be a time of bonding where talking does not take place at all. You just do.

You just walk side by side, an outward expression of your friendship and love.

Walking with your husband also encourages health and wellness. Walking gets your heart rate up, it burns calories, being in the sunshine will give you vitamin D, and walking has been proven to reduce stress. Walking is good for your body. Walking with your husband will motivate both of you to do it regularly.

I always love how every walk my husband and I take is different… even if it is the same road, with the same turns, and the same view. The weather changes, the colors around us change, the clouds in the sky always paint new pictures, the aroma depends on who in the neighborhood decided to cook and our conversations change. The new experiences we encounter together on our walks encourages and benefits our marriage and I am confident that going on a walk with your husband will bless your marriage too!

Don’t hesitate and don’t delay! Go for a walk with your husband today!

- Jennifer Smith unveiledwife.com

photo credit: @unveiledwife

5 Comments | Filed Under: Marriage/Relationships Tagged With: activities to do with your husband, better marriage, things to do in marriage, walk with husband

7 Tips For A Healthy Marriage

April 9, 2013 By Unveiled Wife

A healthy marriage is a beautiful thing. I believe a healthy marriage is a desire of every husband and wife when they say “I Do!” Unfortunately we live in a fallen world, full of sinful people who are capable of making mistakes and capable of hurting others. As husbands and wives experience the ebb and flow of marriage, the good times and the bad, the joy, the tears, and the anger, there can be moments of weakness where our fallen nature exposes the marriage relationship to erosion.

I believe it is wise for both husbands and wives to remain teachable, humble, and constantly investing into their marriage in order for them to experience a healthy marriage. With that I would like to share this friendly reminder with you today, a list of tips to help each of us through our journey of marriage. Of course all of these are in addition to the greatest thing you can ever do for your spouse… love them! I am aware that there are many more tips that I could have included, but I thought it would be great if you shared some too! Please share your tips for a healthy marriage in the comments below!

7 Tips For A Healthy Marriage

1. Be Polite - When we first meet our spouse we strive to impress them. We are appropriate, we use manners, and we are polite. Somewhere down the road, once was new becomes familiar and comfortable, it can be easy for our bad habits and unruly behavior to slip. However, if we desire to please our spouse by showing them respect, honor, and courtesy, then we need to be willing to be polite!

2. Use The Critique Sandwich - I also call this the manwich, because guys are sensitive to criticism, as it can seem disrespectful. If you have a constructive critique that you believe will help your spouse be better, use this technique of sharing a compliment, then the critique, followed by another compliment. This is a nicer way of sharpening your spouse!

3. Don’t Play The Blame Game - By always blaming others for your problems, you neglect the fact that you have things that you also need to transform. Instead you must be willing to admit that you are wrong sometimes, that you make mistakes, and that you have flaws that need correction. By taking the responsibility you will grow into a beautiful person, a mature person, and happier person.

4. Forgive Often - Please realize that your spouse is only human, meaning that there will be times that your spouse will not meet your expectations, may be forgetful, neglectful, or may even hurt you. Know that they are a work in progress just like you! Extend grace, just as God gives us grace for our shortcomings. This will remove those negative feelings of resentment and bitterness that try to build walls between spouses and by forgiving you will open the doors to intimacy.

5. Don’t Interrupt Your Spouse - This one takes quite a bit of self-control. We interrupt our spouse when we feel like what we have to say is more important, whether it is during a casual conversation or an argument. You must show honor and respect for your spouse through communication by listening intently and taking turns speaking. We should always be working on our communication skills in marriage!

6. Seek God Daily - One of the greatest ways to ever experience a healthy marriage is to learn from the One who created and designed it! God has so much wisdom, advice, empowerment, encouragement, revelations, and disciplines regarding marriage that He wants to share with us, but we must be willing to spend time with Him daily. Find a quiet spot, read His Word, and pray. Pray for you to be a better spouse, pray for your marriage, pray for your spouse, and don’t forget to thank God for all that you appreciate!

7. Pursue Intimacy - Intimacy is the act of making yourself known. In marriage it is crucial for husbands and wives to make themselves known to their spouse and for their spouse to as well. As we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and transparent and honest, we build trust which leads to intimacy. Don’t just wait for it to happen, go pursue your spouse. Inspire connection through communication, dating, experiencing new things, fun and physical touch. Take the initiative to pursue your spouse in confidence that it will lead you to a healthier marriage!

I hope that these 7 tips for marriage help you in your marriage relationship. Please share any other tips you may have in the comments below!

- Jennifer Smith unveiledwife.com

photo credit: @unveiledwife

10 Comments | Filed Under: Marriage/Relationships

My Husband Is My Helper

March 19, 2013 By Unveiled Wife

My husband has a beautiful heart. He reflects Christ’s character daily. He truly is my helper.

I have spent years getting to know my husband in an intimate way, yet recently I have grown exponentially in appreciation for him. You see for 5 years it was just us. We traveled the world, we got to participate in some really awesome adventures with God, we lived in many different places, and we have experienced extraordinary. We have seen really hard times in our marriage… and we have seen really easy times in our marriage.

So what changed?

Well almost 5 months ago I gave birth to our first child. I won’t hesitate to share with you that it has been one of the most difficult experiences, but definitely one of the most rewarding! From moments just before our son arrived I have felt deep pain, yes physical pain, but I have also felt a different kind of pain… one that only a parent could. The pain of realizing how responsible I am for another life, a vulnerable life, a life that trusts me as mom.

Being a mother is a beautiful thing, but it is also painful. Why?

It is painful because I am new at it. Although I have had a ton of experience with children since I was young, being completely responsible for my own child is a whole other challenge. This resonates in my heart every time I look at my child or think about him, and at times it overwhelms my heart. I question everything, wondering if my son is ok, if what I see is normal, if what I am doing as mom is right, and of course I am paranoid about how things will affect him when he is older. The “what if’s” and the daily doubt of whether I am doing a good job as mom is painful. Not every mother may experience this pain, but for someone like me, who struggles with fear, it is painful.

There is so much that a new mom can overwhelm herself with like paying close attention to make sure baby is healthy and developing appropriately and then making decisions such as scheduling, where baby should sleep, what kind of bottles to use, when baby should eat solids, or whether to vaccinate or not – just to name a few.

I have felt the weight of concern, worry, doubt, insecurity, and fear as a mom. I will admit that lately I have even experienced a very severe anxiety from all of this. The good news is that I have not had to endure this alone. I have a husband who has helped me through this transition into parenthood. He has helped me to think clearly, he has helped with making decisions, he has helped me take care of our son, and he has helped me calm down with words of encouragement.

My husband has helped me by reminding me that God is our King and that we submit our lives to Him daily. My husband reminds me that we should thank God, lift our requests up to Him, and that His peace will consume us. My husband also recites scripture helping me to focus on what God says is true. My husband also tells me that I am a good mom… which every mom needs to hear!

With all that my husband does to help me, it is important that I receive his help. I need to listen to his encouragement and allow it to build me up. I need to allow my husband to add input and yield to his opinions when we make decisions together over our son. I need to humble myself, acknowledging that there are times that I am weak, times that I will fail my son, and times that I will need help, because the truth is, I’m not perfect.

To the mothers who suffer from anxiety, yet have husbands willing to help… my encouragement to you is to receive your husband’s help humbly. Marriage is a great gift because we have a counterpart that can help us through life, share some of the load, and point us back to Christ.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

- Jennifer Smith unveiledwife.com

photo credit: @unveiledwife

5 Comments | Filed Under: Marriage/Relationships Tagged With: helper

A Different Kind Of Love

February 26, 2013 By Unveiled Wife

I had a conversation with my mom the other day about the love I have for my son. She sparked the conversation by asking,

“Did you ever think you could love someone so much?”

The first thing I wanted to answer was “No!” But as I thought about it more, I explained to my mom that I have a great love for both my husband and my son… it is just a different kind of love!

I love my husband!

I enjoy spending time with him, I am energized by our relationship, I desire to serve him, and we have an intimate bond because of the gift of sex. Our marriage represents the same love that Christ has for His bride, the Church, so we strive to live according to God’s ways so that other people would be encouraged by our relationship.

Our love for one another is deep.

My husband and I continue to grow more in love with each passing day, fueled by trust, faithfulness, passion, accountability, and adventure. We are friends and companions. I confide in my husband in a special way that I couldn’t with anyone else.

My love for my son is also deep, but in a different way.

My son relies on me to feed him, change him, teach him, cheer for him, and comfort him. We get to bond through these moments daily, and we got to bond while he was growing inside of me. My love for my son is motivated by a sense that I need to protect him, provide for him, and teach him. I have a responsibility to care for him in a way that is very different than how I care for my husband.

I never would have thought that someone would need me so much!

I also think it is pretty incredible to experience a role that God himself knows… being a parent! We are God’s children:

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” – 1 John 3:1

I desire to lavish love on my son, just as God does for us.

I am learning that there are many levels or layers to my love. There are also many ways to express my love. Through this learning process I hope to understand the depths of love as Christ Himself does. I pray that I can love extravagantly and unselfishly in both of my relationships with my husband and my son.

Do you recognize the different kind of love between your spouse and your child(ren)?

If so, what ways do you love them differently?

- Jennifer Smith unveiledwife.com