Strength In Marriage

10/22/2024

Moment of self awareness….

Pastor Keon Henderson said “Have, faith and don’t rely on knowing everything”.

Instantly I understood the roller coaster of emotions I’ve experienced almost daily. I’ve been a faith warrior when I understood things, but that really didn’t require faith. It’s those moments of uncertainty, fear and weakness that requires faith!!!

Remember the old song “Lord, help me to holdout, until my change comes”.

Wow, God it’s my heart’s desire to Trust you, even when I can’t Trace you!!

10/17/2024

Good morning everyone, just stopped by to encourage married couples to love intentionally.

Lisa and I are in a season unlike any we’ve previously experienced. We can’t do the things we’re accustomed to doing, visit places we normally would. We can’t even share an embrace or sleep in the same bed. It’s a challenge to have a lengthy conversation due to her speaking challenges. Absence of all these things and more leave me regularly contemplating if we missed opportunities with one another in years past? Did we allow work, children, church, outside interests to rob us of meaningful times together?

Although I’m confident this current season will end and normalcy will return, I’m resolved to live out our love more intentionally ! I encourage you to do the same.

Hug more, talk more, experience intimacy more, date more, verbally express your love more! Make your spouse/marriage a priority over everything else. Trust me, life as you know it can change in an instant!

Ecclesiastes 3: 1
To everything there is a season, and a time to every activity under the heavens.

08/14/2024

Long post alert……..

This Friday marks one year that Lisa and I woke up to prepare ourselves to check into our hotel in Fort Worth as I was in the middle of being a band member for the stage production of Color Purple by Jubilee Theatre. As result of recent chemo treatments Lisa was having a tough time that morning moving around so she literally stayed in bed at our hotel while I went back and forth knocking out shows, then by the Sunday matinee show Lisa called me to tell me she literally couldn’t pick herself up from our bedroom floor.

Since that day she has spent nearly 10 months in thenhospital and has literally defied death on numerous occasions.

Fast forward and I get the offer to do the Sister Act production by Jubilee and I’m terrified to accept the gig, how can I possibly make such a huge commitment in the middle of such a family crisis? After speaking with our sons, other family members, my doctor I decided to talk to Lisa. Unsurprisingly Lisa was adamant that I do the show so with her pushing me I accepted the gig. Which required two months of studying/learning the score and three additional weeks of nightly rehearsals until 11pm all while being the point person for Lisa’s 24hr home health care (note..Qiana did most of the work).

Although it’s been grueling I decided upon taking on the gig that this one would be dedicated to the lady I now refer to as my “miracle superwoman” the woman that has been my biggest fan and supporter throughout my entire musical career!

Yes I’m very tired but my effort pales in comparison to the inner fortitude, strength and courage that Lisa Guilford exhibits on a daily basis just to survive. So if you see/hear me playing a little more passionately than others gigs now you know why!

Thanks Steven A Taylor for taking the chance on me during this uncertain time. Thanks to Qiana Jones for being a dedicated caregiver, Bernice Fortenberry Burton for stepping in and filling gaps and to my in-laws Dolores and Oliver for taking up all the slack and supporting Lisa as only parents can. And for my sons Andrew and Brandon James Guilford for pushing me to keep living thru this!

Now excuse, tomorrow is opening night and I need to do some more practicing! See u at the show.

03/03/2024

Thanks to everyone that has donated already. Lisa and I overwhelmingly grateful of the immediate response! God is amazing!!!!

Note, those local to us can donate home cooked meals if you prefer rather than have a meal delivered.

Check out the link for full instructions.

Hello family and friends, As you may know the Queen of the Guilford family has been discharged from a six month hospital stay, safe and sound back to our home to continue down the pathway to a full recovery. As her home health journey requires 24/7 care, the Guilford & Johnson family have become ful...

02/11/2024

Lisa update……

Happy Super Sunday.
Although still hospitalized Lisa is still making progress, her body is getting stronger and we’re thankful to see her moving her head, shoulders and arms more and more each week. She is still fighting with a lot of pain in all extremities and still needs a ventilator to assist with breathing.

We have begun preparations to bring her home with a home ventilator to continue weaning towards ventilator liberation. She is anxiously awaiting being back home as we reach the six month mark of her hospitalization.

Please pray and intercede for peace of mind and spirit as she continues to battle with fear and anxiety. Please also pray for my ability to pull everything together for her home health care providers, safety and comfort. There’s countless things to orchestrate both technically, financially and systematically to make her safe discharge possible. We trust that God’s in control of our journey! And thank you all for your unwavering prayers and support.

Love you all
Dre & Lisa G

01/14/2024

Lisa update…….
Fam I really struggled with sharing this update but Lisa’s BFF Bern helped me realized it’s a trick of the enemy to get me to not tell of God’s goodness and mercy throughout this journey.

Last Tuesday morning Lisa was hit with yet another bout of pneumonia, even worse she developed a mucus clot in her lungs that caused her to code which required CPR. Praise God just 48hrs later she was back cognizant, communicating and back weaning from the ventilator. To God Be The Glory for sparing her life!

It’s been an up and down cycle of events. But God reminded me last week that what seems like a setback is really a SETUP for a COMEBACK!!!

Thank you all for your unceasing prayers and please continue to pray for Lisa’s ability to breathe without assistance, her morale and strength. And for my physical and emotional strength.

Love
Dre & Lisa G.

12/14/2023

Over the last 7 months I’ve asked God WHY, countless times. I just heard Bishop Jakes say “you can’t have the glory without the story”. Guess my question has been answered!!!

11/26/2023

While driving home from the hospital last night I was reflecting on what many have said to me that I’m “living out the marriage vows”…..well I believe we’ve been looking at this incorrectly. In actuality I’m “vowing”, over 35yrs ago I thought I was making a vow, you know love and cherish, sickness and health……what I really was doing was a continuous VOWING. We had no way of knowing then that we would experience both riches and not so riches times, that we would have children and all that comes with raising them. We couldn’t have imagined the current Goliath of sickness that we currently fight today. So in reality when we vowed (past tense) we really entered into an ever evolving/changing covenant contractural agreement.

Perhaps if more marriages operated under such a covenant agreement we would enjoy stronger marriages?!! In baseball terms, anyone can hit fastballs right down the middle of the plate. The true superstar also hits the change-up and curveballs. Trust me when I say, life is full of them!

Dre
Strength In Marriage
Lisa Guilford

11/03/2023

Dre Guilford

Couples, Do you still dream about your spouse?

I woke up this morning and realized not only did I dream about Lisa last night, but I've dreamed about her almost nightly since she has been hospitalized. Why now? and furthermore prior to this stage of our journey. When did I stop dreaming about her regularly??

Point of the post.............

Love your spouse daily to the point that he/she thinks about you even when they're asleep! Remember when you first met and he/she was on your mind constantly? Has that changed? Make investment of time, energy, and resources to rekindle that fire.

11/03/2023

Couples, Do you still dream about your spouse?

I woke up this morning and realized not only did I dream about Lisa last night, but I've dreamed about her almost nightly since she has been hospitalized. Why now? and furthermore prior to this stage of our journey. When did I stop dreaming about her regularly??

Point of the post.............

Love your spouse daily to the point that he/she thinks about you even when they're asleep! Remember when you first met and he/she was on your mind constantly? Has that changed? Make investment of time, energy, and resources to rekindle that fire.

11/02/2023

We took this selfie in Feb. 2023 during a visit back home to California when we decided to take a road trip with no real schedules, agenda and not even a specific return date. We stopped in El Paso TX. for a couple days, stayed in Palm Springs for a few days, spent a couple weeks with Lisa's parents in Pomona, CA. And spend alot of time catching up with friends and family in California.

More importantly we spent time together reconnecting and recharging our relationship/friendship. You would be shocked to realize how much you still can learn about your spouse during a 20+ hour drive from Dallas to Southern California. We planned a marriage conference, planned our retirement, planned a vacation to South Beach and reflected on our journey. Priceless moments!!!!

Point of the post? Couples, please learn to spend time together, just the two of you. No kids, family, careers, pets, etc...reconnection is vital to your marriage. Many of you know that Lisa and have had a standing Friday night Date Night for well over 20yrs and during this current season in our journey, we are literally being fueled by those memories.
As Lisa and I have experienced, things can change in an instant. In this picture we are embracing, unaware that just a few weeks later Lisa would get a call from her doctor saying "I need to see you and your husband immediately". Furthermore since August of 2023 we have not been able share an embrace together, YET!

Couples, If you don't like the trajectory of your journey, Change course!!! If you're on a good pathway, ask each other "how can we enhance our journey"? Make memories, you will cherish them one day!

09/27/2022

PawPaw has after daycare duties today!

11/30/2020

Iron won’t sharpen Iron without friction.
Dre Guilford

11/23/2020

Dre Guilford
Lisa Guilford

11/23/2020

Husband/Wives, If the grass looks greener on the other side. That’s because it’s being maintained. Do the work and yours will flourish too!

11/19/2020

11/18/2020

Dre Guilford