ENVY, STRIFE AND MOM

Envying and strife are not of the Lord, they are of the devil (James 3:14-17)!The devil absolutely LOVES to attack a Christian home. The Bible says that he, "as a roaring lion,walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." He wants to devour and destroy your home and family. And, ladies,who better to start with than mom? Who sets the mood in the house, really? Mom does. If we are bitter and moody,our house is unhappy. I'm first in line needing a change! How short I fall many times. Lord, please forgive me! Help me to be the wife, mother and woman You want me to be.

Have a blessed day!
Beth :-)

TWO SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL WORDS

THANK YOU. Two simple words, and yet, they can be so powerful!
I did not realize just how powerful they could be until the other night.
 Our church had Spring Revival last week. Although always spiritually uplifting, this week can also be physically taxing, especially where the pastor's family (hi! that's us!) is concerned.
Well, after revival service one night (my husband was still at the church), I was folding laundry, cleaning up our kitchen, trying to get the boys ready for bed, feeling VERY exhausted and, yes, a little unappreciated. My oldest son walks up to me and says (with a little hug), "Mommy, you work hard for us. Thank you!". I didn't know what to say for a second. I then gave him a big hug. Do you know, that "thank you" gave me more of an energy boost than anything else could! It made such a big difference to me for the rest of the week. Wow!
I think that we often take those two simple words for granted. When we are out in public, do we thank the waitress for refilling our drinks or even for clearing off our table? How about that cashier who has just checked us out? If we do say thank you, do we say it as something we're just supposed to say, or do we actually look at them and say it with meaning? This could make a big difference to someone who is having a terrible day or has been dealing with cranky customers.
Have you thanked your spouse for the things that he or she does for you? For example,if your husband takes out the trash, thank him! That may sound trivial, but sometimes we take our spouses and what they do for granted, especially if we have been married for a while. Those two words are very important in the marriage relationship.
How about God? When was the last time you thanked Him for what He has done for you? He loves to hear our praises and thanksgivings. The Bible is full of passages that tell us so. He does SO much for us, EVERY day! I think back to the way I was feeling that night, then how I felt after my son told me thank you. I wonder if God feels the same way when we thank Him, not with just a perfunctory "Thank You", but with a heartfelt and meaningful THANK YOU!
How about it? Let's try to use those two simple, yet powerful words more often, not just with other people, but with our God!

Have a wonderful and blessed day!
Beth :-)

THE HEART OF HER HUSBAND DOTH SAFELY TRUST IN HER

 

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil." Proverbs 31:11

Does the heart of your husband safely trust in you? Our first response usually is, "Of course he can trust me! I would never cheat on him. When I took our marriage vows, I meant them for LIFE."
That's wonderful. I am glad to hear it! I always responded the same way whenever I read this verse. And, yes, that is one of the trusts. But when I really, really read this, I found that "trust" in this verse means SO much more!
Can your husband "safely trust" you financially? Are we a wise steward with our household finances, or do we go out and run up the credit card with purchases that we really can't afford, need or are able to pay off within a reasonable time limit? Is the checking account always low, not because of our income, but because of purchases that really can wait?
How about housework? Yikes! Yes, that is a sensitive spot with me as well. I realize that alot of wives, myself included, work outside of the home. When we come home at night, the last thing we want to do is clean our house! My husband helps out some with the housework, and I am trying to train our sons to help, too. I have found that if I set myself to a schedule, and tackle one room a night, it is not so terrible. Cleaning up as we go along helps tremendously. Wash the dishes (or assign one of the children to do this task) as the cooking is done. Keep a roll of paper towels handy in the bathroom, and wipe down the sink after teeth are brushed or hands are washed.
Another area of "trust" is training up our children. Moms, we are the ones who really have the greatest influence on our children. Let's face it, when one of our children falls down and gets hurt, who do they usually run to? Mom! Can our husbands trust that we won't put our children aside for our own selfish desires? Can our husbands trust in us to take care of and train up our children like the Bible calls us to do? This is a very big responsibility!
Can he "trust" in you emotionally, or does he never know which way you will react? We set the temperature of the home, ladies. Our moods effect our family.
Lastly, but most importantly, can our husbands "trust" us to let them be the head of the household, as we are told in the Ephesians 5:23?
The more I study Proverbs 31:11, the more I realize how much work I have to do in my own life. If you are struggling with any of the above "trusts", ask the Lord for help and guidance. Then, go talk to another Christian lady who can help you and pray with you.
Have a wonderful and blessed day!
Beth :-)

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!

Today, my husband and I are celebrating our fifteen year wedding anniversary. I love him with all of my heart.
A lot of people tell me that fifteen years is a record in today's society. Many marriages do not make it past the five year mark. My advice? Keep the Lord at the head of your marriage, and it will last. There will still be ups and downs, of course. You are two different people, after all! :-)! You won't agree on everything. And when the big "discussions" come along, and you can't see eye to eye at all, step back and PRAY. Or, harder yet, be the one to give in a little.
For the young (and possibly older) single Christian people out there-STAND YOUR GROUND! WAIT! DON"T GIVE IN! Keep yourself pure for that person that God has prepared for you, if it is His will for you to marry. If you have already fallen, ask His forgiveness, then start again. Don't "settle" for someone because you want to be married and you are tired of waiting on the Lord, or are being pressured because "everyone else is married". Pray, pray, pray! Get someone who you know to be a prayer warrior to help you pray. Waiting is hard, I know. My husband became a Christian at 32 years old. He was determined to wait and pray for a Christian wife. We did not meet until he was 37, five years later. Did it seem like a long time to him? Yes, it did. It seemed longer for me. I was saved at a young age, and was waiting on the Lord to send me a good, Christian man. I had actually gotten discouraged as well. I was 26 when we met.
God is good and I thank Him for my wonderful husband!

OUR WEDDING

(sorry for the quality! I am just learning how to use my scanner

and don't know yet how to resize)

Have a blessed day!
Beth :-)