Favorite Foto Friday

In Joining Sarah on this "FFF" I wanted to stick with her theme, leapin' leap year but I don't have any "leaping" pictures. HOWEVER, I DID find a video of Gabe at the age of 5 leaping around. He actually called himself dancing.. HEHEHE! PLEASE don't tell him you saw this?? Oh, and sometimes when "YouTube" videos finish there are some video advertisements that I DEFINITELY DO NOT APPROVE OF. I'm PRAYING the video will just stop. If something else does appear, I apologize. Now, here's that leaping video...






Ending with a scripture...

Malachi 4:2
But for you who fear My Name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

~Thankful Thursdays~

I thought I'd share the little cartoon below today on this "Thankful Thursday." Are we not the most blessed of all humans to be called "Children of GOD?" It's SO CREEPY to think that some people really don't believe in HIM at all. (Or at least they say they don't) After all we went through with losing Brent I can HONESTLY tell you that there is NO WAY we could've come through that without JESUS! How do people function when they've lost someone they love so much not knowing that they'll ever see them again?? I'm READY to see my JESUS! After that, there's a BEAUTIFUL brown-eyed little man up there that I CANNOT WAIT to get my hands on! We've got a baby that we lost as well so we'll have another son or even a daughter there to meet! OH, I'M SO THANKFUL for the HOPE we have in JESUS and the PROMISES that we WILL be with HIM (and our loved ones) one day!





To read more posts on thankfulness go to Sting My Heart.

Word-Filled Wednesday

Colossians 3

Living the New Life

1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of Heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of Heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, Who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.


Instructions for Christian Households

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

20 Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. 25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.







Don't you absolutely LOVE the WORD of GOD? It's the ULTIMATE instruction manual!! Through GOD'S WORD we find how to conduct ourselves with each other and what GOD expects of us as women . We know how to love our husbands and children and that GOD EXPECTS us to be keepers of our homes. I LOVE what Paul had to say about GOD'S WORD.

Romans 7:7
7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."



He was actually talking about "the law" of course, but it's still part of "THE WORD" We KNOW that ALL scripture is GOD-BREATHED...


2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness



YES, I'm SO THANKFUL that we live in a time where the BIBLE is so easily attained! We're SO BLESSED to live in a free country where we can worship the GOD of all creation! Let's PRAY that our religious freedoms will not be taken from us? It's so SCARY to see the direction our country is headed and the possibility of losing all the freedoms we love.


THANKS so much for stopping by today. I'd also like to say THANKS to those of you who lifted my Mom in prayer yesterday. She did very well with her surgery. She was in a lot of pain at first, but seemed to be doing very well by the end of the day. THANKS AGAIN!

To read more posts on this "Word-Filled Wednesday" check out The 160 Acre Woods

One of those days...

I'd like to start this update with a prayer request. My Mom (Nita) will be having hip replacement first thing tomorrow morning. I meant to have mentioned it before now, but for whatever reason I haven't.

Some time back my Mom had an MRI because of constant pain in her hip. There was some fear that it might be cancerous. We later learned that at some point she'd probably fractured her hip and the bone finally deteriorated and collapsed. She toyed with whether or not to have the surgery done, but after continuous pain and a MUCH limited lifestyle she finally gave in. I'll update as soon as possible on her. THANKS for your prayers!!



Now, for my aimless rambling....


Okay... so my friend Dana challenged me last night with a verse.

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your FATHER in HEAVEN. Matthew 5:16

We agreed to memorize it and "put it to work." Well, I'm afraid that today my light wasn't shining very brightly. O:) Let me explain....

The boys BOTH had dentist appointments this afternoon (PRAISE GOD there were NO cavities - we DID get a warning they'll BOTH need braces. I wasn't surprised, I've seen my OWN teeth) HA!!!! SOOO... we made it through the dentist appointment and then hit the mall for just a few minutes. I ran in Bath & Body Works and instructed the boys to sit in the bench outside the store so that I could watch them. The lady in the store came up and told me how well behaved my boys were. (I LAUGHED, then looked around thinking she MUST be thinking someone else's children were mine by mistake) For that ONE minute they actually WERE being good. The next time I looked up they were ALL BUT WRESTLING! (It was all in fun I assure you, but NOT the place or time to do it) I thought SURELY mall security would have us all thrown out! Hehe.. we made it. (Crazy me, I should've seen this as the beginning of more to come, but NOOOOOOOOO... I went ahead and carried them to Walmart)







Well, they started out being pretty good in Wally-World. Then, the questions started...

"Mom, can I have this? Mom, can I buy that? Mama... can I call Daddy and ask if he cares if I buy _____" (You fill in the blank... it was ONE QUESTION AFTER ANOTHER!) I repeatedly told them it was NOT Christmas or their birthdays and we would NOT be buying anything today. We'd made it about halfway through the store when BOTH boys decided to hide out BEHIND the toilet paper on one of the shelves. Gabe was spotted pretty quickly. Zach on the other hand had some help. There was this man who seemed amused with my constant nagging and thought he'd join in on the torture... I mean, fun! (Heehee) YES, he helped Zach by pulling a big stack right in front of him! (Zach was pretty amused that a complete stranger helped him hide)

It seemed at every turn someone was snickering at us. (Yes, I was being a pretty good sport - I try not to take things too seriously after all we went through with Brent... but bad behavior is still BAD BEHAVIOR. Well, I'm calling it bad behavior... it was really just REPEATED requests to buy this or that... or either they were having a BLAST messing with each other) I considered SPANKING them several times, but I wasn't quite sure if I'd be sent to jail. HA!!

Finally, there was someone else's child who seemed to be behaving just as badly as mine. I giggled at (WITH... I mean WITH) their mom. Was it something in the air???

Yep, those little ones had my hair standing on END today!

Don't get me wrong.. I LOVE to spend time with my boys. I should've enforced good behavior and not let them stress me out. In all seriousness, I'm quite sure that my light was NOT shining today. Or perhaps it was??? Maybe, just maybe the mere fact that I DIDN'T hang them by their TOES showed that there WAS something different? Nah! Hehehe...

Well, that's about it. My feeble mind needs a rest. THANKS for checking in!

Sunday Seven....

This is my first time taking part in the "Sunday Seven." If I get it wrong, please, overlook me. O:-)

If I'm understanding right I can choose to write about 7 things I'm thankful for, 7 memorable moments from last week, or 7 things I hope to accomplish next week. UUGGGHHH! I stress when given too many options. O:-)

I suppose since I just "took part" in "Thankful Thursdays" then I'll skip the thankful option. Another problem is my memory. I can hardly remember what I did yesterday much less the whole week past. So I'll skip out on that one as well. That of course leaves the seven things I hope to accomplish. (I'd REALLY LOVE to tell you all I'm thankful for. That could also cover 7 blessings from the week past, so HOPEFULLY by next week I'll have made enough "mental notes" that I can actually post on it!) Hehe...

SOOOO.... 7 things to accomplish

#1 - Starting EVERY day in prayer and Bible study with our boys... teaching them to be men who are SOLD OUT to GOD... NOT just playing the game

#2 - I want to go out of my way to make my hubby feel respected, loved, cherished, needed and wanted EVERY DAY of the week. (Respect is what men desire MOST! I've learned that they crave it the way we do ROMANCE!!)

#3 - I hope to get in as much school in as possible on Monday since my Mom will be having hip surgery on Tuesday.

#4 - I hope to be of some help to my parents next week.

#5 - GOSH, this is harder than I thought... HA!! Oh, I'd like to be able to share with someone new that GOD LOVES them and desires a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with THEM.

#6 - I want to help a sister in CHRIST understand that HE doesn't want to burden them with as many "church functions" as they can fit in weekly... HE wants our HEART and UNDIVIDED attention. HE wants to spend time with us in HIS WORD and through PRAYER. NOTHING ELSE will "grow us" as much!

#7 - I want to spend some time with my Mam-Maw. She taught me so much about loving JESUS, taking care of my home and my children, and how to respond lovingly even when someone wrongs you. (My Grandpa gave her A LOT of grief, she always smiled sweetly and went on with what she was tending) She taught us how to sew, wash dishes, and bake cookies! Some of the VERY BEST memories from my childhood were spent with my Mam-Maw. Yes, I need to spend more time with her... to cherish EVERY MOMENT while she's still here. I'll NEVER forget hearing her sing praises and hymns while she worked, or hearing her pray whatever was on her heart. I hope to be remembered by my grandchildren (when we have them) the way that we remember her.




Okay... that's it for me. I can't wait to see what everyone else posts so I'll have a better idea of what I'm doing wrong. LOL!! If you'd like to read more "Sunday Seven" post then check out sundayseven.blogspot.com

Getting back at my kids....

I this an email from a friend last week. I thought this was HILARIOUS!! ESPECIALLY the part about being called to dinner. I hope it brings a smile to your face too!


When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness...just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.
Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues,
And I'll bounce on the furniture...wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they're on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat,
I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click,
I'll cross my eyes just to see if they stick.
I'll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,
I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"



God Bless All Moms and Grandmas everywhere!

Favorite Foto Friday #28 - THEN AND NOW

I've been looking forward to joining Sarah at "Kiss the Frog 4 Me" in "Favorite Foto Friday." After we lost Brent it made me all the more THANKFUL for the pictures we have of him, and him with the boys.

Psalm 127:3
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him


SOOOOO.... I'm not sure if I have any newborn pics of the boys stored on the computers. I'll be working between the TWO that actually DO have pics on them. (An older laptop is with a friend being worked on) I'll try to make some sense of this by noon today. HA!!

This is a picture of Brent (our firstborn) with my niece Ashley...






These are of Brent, then Brent & Zach (Zach's our second-born)






The first of these is a pic of the boys stacked up on top of their daddy... I LOVE it! It's one of my favorites! Then there's Brent & Zach in the wagon and another of Brent.





And a few of Zach as an infant...





And here's one of the last (and most recent) pics of Brent...







Okay... so Gabe's the third child. I'm having a little trouble locating "baby pictures" of him. Check back later... HOPEFULLY I'll have found something. ha!!!

~Thankful Thursday~

Psalm 51

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
because of Your unfailing love.
Because of Your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.

2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.

3 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.

4 Against You, and You alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in Your sight.
You will be proved right in what You say,
and Your judgment against me is just.

5 For I was born a sinner
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

6 But You desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.

7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
You have broken me
now let me rejoice.

9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.

11 Do not banish me from Your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and make me willing to obey You.

13 Then I will teach Your ways to rebels,
and they will return to You.

14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of Your forgiveness.

15 Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that my mouth may praise You.

16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.

17 The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

I chose to focus on FREEDOM in CHRIST on this "Thankful Thursday." FREEDOM from all the LISTS that man has set before us. There was a time that GOD called for sacrifice of animals (to cover our sins). There was no "magic" of course in the animal... GOD wanted us to realize that without the shedding of blood, there is NO forgiveness of sin. (Hebrews 9:22 - In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness)



Of course we're not "under the law" anymore. Because of what Christ did for us, we're now under GRACE. I'm ESPECIALLY thankful that there are no ordinances for us to keep, no sacrifices to bear, and no status to be attained in order to achieve Salvation. All that GOD asks of us is a broken spirit and repentant heart. (After of course, believing in and accepting JESUS as LORD of our lives) People can become prideful in their "religious status." GOD did NOT set that standard for us.. MAN did! HE simply wants us to LOVE HIM with all our hearts, our souls and our minds. I'm thankful that we depend on JESUS to get us into HEAVEN and NOT on rules made by man.


Isaiah 29:13 (New International Version)

13 The Lord says:
"These people come near to Me with their mouth
and honor Me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from Me.
Their worship of Me
is made up only of rules taught by Men.




If you'd like to read more posts on this Thankful Thursday check in with Iris at Sting My Heart

Word Filled Wednesdays

I'm joining Amydeanne for today's Word-Filled Wednesday..






Titus 3
Do What Is Good

1 Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. 2 They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.
3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.



4 But—“When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, 5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[a] 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of His grace He declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” 8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

Tuesdays ~ In Other Words

"Momma prayed, momma cried, momma laid awake at night.
She would fight my battles while I slept away
Cause momma knew life is hard
without somebody on your side
I don't know how, but there is power in the way,
The way my momma prayed."

Words and music by Jeremiah Olson of 40milesNorth




Oh, to be known as a praying mama! There is no greater legacy we can leave our children than that of a Christian heritage and a praying parent. I hope (and PRAY) that our boys will look back and KNOW that what we've taught them was genuine. I hope they'll learn that they can run to GOD with ANYTHING, GREAT or small.

Prayer has been a part of the boys lives since they were just babies. When our Brent was sick... they prayed for his healing. They prayed for him when they blessed the food, when they were in bed at night... whenever they prayed, they lifted their big brother in prayer. I'll never forget the first prayer (blessing over the food) that our youngest son (Gabe) lifted after Brent went to HEAVEN. He started out thanking for the food as always, and you could tell he was so confused when he almost said, "And please heal Brent." That's what he'd been praying for the past 2 years and 3 months.... and when his big brother was gone... well, he just didn't know what to say. I quickly interrupted him and said, "Thank YOU, LORD, for HEALING Brent."

YES, if there is ever ANYTHING they're sure of (other than GOD'S PERFECT LOVE for them)... I hope it's that they KNOW they've got a Mama who's ALWAYS praying. Praying for their protection, their future, the heart of their wives, and children. Praying that NO SEED from here out would EVER be lost. PRAYING for SALVATION to STAY in our blood line.

I'd like to end with a really cute picture that I took of the kids a few years ago.




My sister's children (Ashley & Clay) were sleeping over. They were in Gabe's room bowing in prayer before they went to bed. In the picture from left to right was Ash (she was probably 9), then Zach (guessing 6), Clay (7?), Gabe (3) and Brent (8). I'm basing everyone's ages on the fact that Gabe was still sleeping in his baby bed. (He couldn't have been any older than 3 and MIGHT have been only 2. If that were the case you could subtract a year from all the other kids. You may notice that I had one of those zippered nets over the top to keep him from climbing out... HA!) Gabe wasn't even 4 when Brent was diagnosed with cancer.




Yes, LORD, let us leave our children a legacy of PRAYER....

Psalm 20 (New Living Translation)

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.[a]
3 May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings.
Interlude

4 May he grant your heart’s desires
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.

6 Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.
7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
8 Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm.

9 Give victory to our king, O Lord!
Answer our cry for help.

Getting it all mixed up

We met with our church (homechurch) family last night to watch a movie. It was a little confusing at first, but MAN, after watching it... it confirmed what we'd recently learned. It is so evident how WRONG many of us are about sharing the gospel.

We've discovered this past year that JESUS met people where they were. (You're thinking, DUH!!) hehe... Well, my point is... we've always been taught that when we've got unsaved friends we're to "bring them to church." What did JESUS do??? He met them where they were! JESUS shared the TRUTH as HE went about his daily life. HE didn't "lasso them in" and carry them to the temple. (HIS disciples went about their daily lives sharing the TRUTH as well)

I guess part of what I'm sharing is conviction. For YEARS I worried that I'd get it all mixed up if I tried to bring someone to JESUS. I thought there was a formula - something you had to learn in order to successfully win someone over to Christ. Worse than that... I thought that inviting them to church would be a fix all. Now, don't get me wrong.. I'm NOT saying that meeting with other believers is wrong. ABSOLUTELY NOT! The Bible tells us.....


Hebrews 10:25 (New Living Translation)
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of HIS return is drawing near.




HOWEVER, when we use the church to do what GOD has called us as individuals to do... well, then that's where we get it all wrong.

Coming to JESUS is so simple. Why is it made to appear so hard? The Bible says...

Romans 10:9
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.



How hard is THAT?? Just believe and confess! If we desire to surrender to JESUS and let HIM be LORD of our life.. if we BELIEVE what the Bible says about HIM is true, and we confess HIM as LORD... that's it! We're saved! (I'm ashamed to think how many opportunities I've missed in sharing the gospel simply because I thought I had to have a certain amount of scripture memorized or something I should quote from memory)

The really cool part?? GOD is the ONE that does the "drawing" (people unto HIMSELF). All we have to do is be obedient and listen for HIS direction and the rest is up to HIM! (As you can see... I've had things REALLY MIXED up!) =-)


Okay... I guess that's about it. I'm just sharing from my heart today and TOTALLY AWESTRUCK at how GOD CONTINUES to show HIMSELF to me.

Thankful Thursday

I always love Thankful Thursdays because I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Since it IS Valentine's Day, I'll start out by saying how THANKFUL I am to have a loving husband. GOD has done A MAJOR "makeover" in our marriage, and I couldn't be more blessed. I love him more today than the day we married. (I guess it's SUPPOSED to be that way huh?)


I'm thankful for all my friends, my family and all the LORD has given me. Of course I'm MOST THANKFUL for JESUS, and the fact that HE LOVED me enough to die for me - KNOWING that I would continue to sin. I'm thankful that HE loves me (and you, and everyone else) enough to discipline me/us when I/we sin. More than that, I'm thankful that HE forgives us when we confess those sins!




What does God tell us about love? God tells us in HIS WORD that we are to love one another..... That of course is a an AGAPE love - loving each other when we may not be lovable.


John 13:34-35
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.




HE also assures us that NOTHING can separate us from that love....


Romans 8:37-39 (New Living Translation)

37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.




HAPPY VALENTINES DAY, my friends

Tuesday's ~ In Other Words

"Why do our days seem so unimportant, filled not with romance and adventure but with duties and demands? We feel unseen, even by those who are closest to us. We feel unsought--that no one has the passion or the courage to pursue us, to get past our messiness to find the woman deep inside. And we feel uncertain--uncertain what it even means to be a woman; uncertain what it truly means to be feminine; uncertain if we are or will ever be...And in all the exhortations we have missed the most important thing of all. We have missed the heart of a woman.

Quote taken from: "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge




My SWEET friend Susan told me about this subject and encouraged me to post on it. I must admit, there have been SO MANY things vying for my time... as well as things that LIFE deals us. I'm HAPPY to finally "come out of hiding" and join in... even if it IS late.


I'm going to take a different approach and try to pull "negative" ideas from this quote and make them positive. So... the first part is what REALLY caught my attention. No, I can't say that... the whole quote stirs many emotions inside me. I'm SO PASSIONATE about what GOD CAN DO in our lives - because I KNOW what HE'S done in MINE!

First, the quote seems to be focused on "self." There is a neat method to true JOY.

J - Jesus FIRST
O - Others SECOND
Y - YOU LAST

The "world" encourages us to be all about self. GOD DIDN'T create us for this. We were created in HIS OWN IMAGE. We were created to WORSHIP & GLORIFY HIM. If we run around screaming, Me! Me! ME!!!! Then HOW does it bring HIM glory? YES, there have been times in my life that I've felt alone. (At times there still are) However, when we put our eyes on JESUS and all that HE has done then everything else is so small it doesn't matter.


Second, we (as married women) were created to be a "help meet."

Genesis 2:18
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

1 Corinthians 11:9
neither was man created for woman, but woman for man



It is GOD'S calling on our lives for us to be "keepers of the home....."

Titus 2:4-5
4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.


IF we are doing these things, and they are GOD'S calling (and not our own) then how can we NOT be fulfilled?



Sisters, if you're feeling alone in your marriage - and are wishing your husbands would be "this or that" then I've got "a word" for you. It's a lesson learned the hard way. We (again, speaking from my own experience) tend to want to change the men in our lives thinking we'd then have "the perfect marriage." GOD has shown me that I had to change MYSELF FIRST! I know that I've quoted from "Created to be His Helpmeet" before, but it's worth mentioning again. I learned from this book (that was BASED on the BIBLE) that we were created for the man... and not he for us. I learned the power of a smile. (I'm home with two little boys all day - BELIEVE ME, there have been days that I wanted to run SCREAMING as soon as my husband walked through the door) We MUST be careful how we respond to the men that GOD has given us. There are and always will be women out there who WILL show our husbands the respect due him. They WILL smile at him and laugh at his jokes. Don't think for one moment that the devil isn't out there waiting to POUNCE on our marriages. If given the chance, he'll take us under.

Now, I don't mean to come across as a "know it all" because I DEFINITELY have MUCH to learn. HOWEVER, there are younger women out there who have yet to learn the lessons I have. I want to be obedient to GOD'S WORD and the "Titus 2 woman" that GOD has called me to be.

Perhaps if we "remember our first love" we WILL have the marriage we desire.

Revelation 2:4
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.


Yes, after reading MANY books (by Christian authors) I've learned the importance of treating my man as a king. To show him respect by NOT questioning his every move/decision. I've read the importance of not "back talking" him. He's NOT going to be won over by nagging, fussing or even screaming. It's a quiet and submissive heart that GOD desires, should we expect any less from our husbands? If we start to view him as our "head" or "leader" or even our "king" of our homes... he WILL take notice and treat us differently. (Remember, Sarah in the Bible called Abraham "lord" as a show of respect)

As for feeling feminine, or missing the heart of a woman - well, I can honestly say that I've never felt more feminine than when I FINALLY gave up the battle to "rule our home" and started seeing myself in the role I was created for. To be my husband's servant - to be his HELPMEET.