Worship Him

"The Lord is good,a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him."

Nahum 1:7, NLT

Studying...Created to be His Help Meet

We are studying the book by Debi Pearl, Created to be His Help Meet. Through our study of this book, we are going to learn what it means to be a help meet and actually living the role that God created us as women to fill. I've read this book once before and applied many of the things that Mrs. Pearl spoke of, and it has transformed an already good marriage into nothing short of awesome!! I encourage you to purchase this book and follow along or at the very least, check out the Pearl's website at http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/ Any text taken directly from Mrs. Pearl's book will be highlighted in blue.

I realize that in studying Created to be His Help Meet at the rate of one chapter per week, we will be doing this study for approximately 24 weeks. We could go at this at a much faster rate, but I believe that if we truly want to change and fill our God given rolls as help meet to our husbands, then we need to take things slower and put into practice what we are learning. I hope you agree and stay the course with me as we become better help meets together.

Part 2: Titus 2

Chapter 16: To Love Their Children

The title of this chapter may be a bit misleading. You may think that we're going to talk about how to love our children, but on the contrary--of sorts. Remember this book is about being a better help meet, so.......

Mrs. Pearl asks the question, "How do you love your children?"

The answer? Love, honor, obey and forgive their daddy.

We are told in Proverbs 22:6, that we should, "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (KJV). As mothers, especially those that stay at home, much of that training falls on us. When our husbands leave for work, they are trusting us to not only run the house: wash laundry, clean, cook, etc, he is trusting us to train his children.

Think about the word train. When you train for something, you learn about it. You learn how to do whatever you are training for. With our children, training them means to show them how, teach them. Help them learn how to make a bed, wash laundry, cook a meal, show love and respect and anything and everything else that goes with growing and living. Yes, sometimes it's tough. Yes, sometimes it's exhausting, but it's what we are commanded to do.

There is a time and a place for tv, videos and yes, even certain video or computer games. But nothing can replace baking cookies, learning how to make a bed, sweep the floor, take out the trash, fold the laundry--all by Mama's side.

Nothing is better than snuggling down, after making and enjoying lunch together, with a good book. Nothing is better than sitting down around the dinner table and enjoying conversation and laughter and catching up with each other's day.

Nothing is better than hugging their daddy and giving him a big kiss when he gets home from a hard day at work. Nothing is better than fixing him something to drink and taking the time to look him in the eyes and ask him how his day was and truly listening to him. Nothing is better than encouraging those children to be quiet and respectful when Daddy gets home from work and telling them why--because he works so hard to take care of us.

All of these things and so much more is training our children to be the future husbands and wives---help meets--they are called to be.

This week Mrs. Pearl encourages us to never do anything at home without a "buddy" beside us. She also encourages us to stop many times in a day just to play with or talk to our children. If you have older children, as I do, send them a text or an e-mail to encourage and uplift them.

Next week: To Be Discreet

Sharing My Award

I was humbled to receive the "Honest Scrap Award" from my friend Kristen over at Hands, House and Heart Full.

Kristen and I "met" through blogland and she has become a very dear friend of mine. I truly encourage you to check out her blog.

So...with this award, I am suppose to share 10 secrets...things about myself that you don't know. I don't know how well I'll do on that, but here goes.........

1) In elementary school, I played the flute. We later moved to another state and I wasn't able to continue on. I sometimes wish I had though.

2) I love to bake everything, especially desserts from scratch!! I believe everything tastes better made from scratch!

3) I have been a stay at home mom for 18 years. Financially, it hasn't always been easy, but it's always been worth it!

4) There is 13 years between me and my sister, and 13 years between my sister and my daughter!

5) I/we did fertility treatments for 5½ years before getting pregnant with DD.

6) DS is living proof there is no such thing as safe sex!! (Too much info maybe???....maybe not if you're talking to teenagers!)

7) The main part of our house is over 100 years old.

WOW!! This is harder than I thought it would be!!

8) We were missionaries in Colorado for 5 years.

9) I do not know how to swim--I can stay afloat a little bit, but it's not going to save me!!

10) I did not meet Jesus until I was 27 years old.

Now...I'm suppose to share this award with other bloggers I love. Well...I love ALL of you!!! So, if you are reading this post, I am giving you this award and I would love it if you would accept it and pass it on! If you choose to accept, please leave me a comment so I can come check out your post and learn your secrets!!!!

"I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning."
2 John 1:5, NLT

Random Dozen

Time to share a bit about myself by linking up with Linda over at 2nd Cup of Coffee for Random Dozen. I really love participating in this meme. The questions are fun (although sometimes the answers can be tough) and it's great to read how others think about the same things.

Click here to join us!!

1. How good are you at delaying gratification?

Getting better with time..but I still have a very long way to go. I heard a preacher put it this way, "We are microwave Christians serving a crock pot God." This really makes you stop and think.

2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?

Potato chips!!! I am a potato chip fanatic!!!!!!!! I LOVE potato chips!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I mention I LOVE potato chips!!??

3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?

Let's see....before I had children I was a ½---now I'm at least a 3!!!!!!

4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?

Sure. Mostly in material things. This is a lesson that God has been trying to teach me for years.....material things only bring temporary pleasures at best.

5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?

Not usually.

6. Which line is hardest to wait in?

Whichever line I happen to be standing in!

7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth?

Well, DD decided for us that we would wait, DS wanted the whole world to know! We had a sonar with both--just couldn't wait!

8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?

The elderly for sure, children depending on the situation I find myself in.

9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present?

As a kid living at home, yes....now...NOOOOOO!!!!

10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything?

5½ years....that's how long it took us to get pregnant with our first blessing.

11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other?

We are about the same, just more patient with different things.

12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.)

A) Anticipation by Carly Simon

B) The Waiting by Tom Petty

C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx

D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

I'm going to choose another song...While I'm Waiting by John Waller

An Award and Our Trip to Gatlinburg!

Let me begin today by saying that I'm probably the worst person I know about posting awards that I have been blessed with!!! It's not that I don't appreciate them....as a matter of fact, I'm very humbled by them..but my mind is always going in thirty different directions and I always think about them when I'm not at the computer posting.

My sweet, sweet, patient, encouraging friend Kristen over at Hands, House, and Heart Full gave me this award last Thursday!! It's the "Honest Scrap" award.

I am suppose to list 10 secrets about myself and then pass it on.

Well, now that's something I need to focus on and so......I'll do this post on Thursday and pass it on as well.


Now to tell some more about our trip to Gatlinburg......

We actually stayed in Pigeon Forge. There is a hotel there that has unbelievable rates, is clean (this is HUGE to me!!!) and the staff is always friendly and eager to help! The two night stay only cost $78!! Our room had a balcony over the river which just delighted my sweet Momma.

Momma is a smoker--which I lovingly gripe about regularly--and I have a daughter with a heart condition, so the balcony (which I forgot to ask for when I registered---thank You God for taking care of things!!) was a total blessing. The blessing for me, was hearing Momma squeal when she was able to stand out there and watch ducks and Canadian geese coming and going!

Understand, this is only the second trip that Momma has ever taken other than trips back and forth to West Virginia when her parents were alive. This is the first girl's trip she's ever had and she fully enjoyed it!!

That first night we just did some shopping in Pigeon Forge. Now, bear in mind we had a 19 year old female with us, so the outlet mall was a must! Momma was so cute!! Even in stores like Old Navy and Pac Sun, where she had no interest at all, she could be found looking at and touching the clothes.....then shaking her head at the prices. We went into a kitchen gadget store and, like me, she couldn't help but look at everything!!

A drive through town looking at the lights that were still up from Christmas and a meal at KFC found us heading back to the room for some rest.

I couldn't help but get tickled as Momma got out of the shower, put her pj's on and stretched out on the bed like a teenager. She didn't care what was on tv, she just enjoyed that it was 'girl' stuff.

The next day found us in Gatlinburg on the tram. Now, DD doesn't do heights and gets motion sick, Momma doesn't do heights. But the only other option to Ober Gatlinburg was driving up and DD would never have made it, even with her Ginger Root!!! So up, up we went. Momma actually did quite well, although DD was hanging on for dear life...white knuckles and all!!

At the top we watched those that were snow tubing and the skiers as well as the ice skaters.




We also went to the wildlife habitat and watched the otters being fed and was blessed to actually see a bear! They are suppose to be hibernating right now, and we were warned that we probably wouldn't see one, but I think that seeing that bear was God's way of giving Momma a blessing.



Back down in Gatlinburg, we settled in for a day of shopping. Momma just couldn't seem to take in all the different shops and what they had to offer. We went in store after store and she seemed to pick up some kind of trinket in every store she went in. She even got tickled at her own self, but said that she didn't know when she'd get this kind of chance again and so she was going to make the most of it.

We decided to eat at Cracker Barrel that night. Now, that may not seem like a big deal to you, but to my Momma, it was huge. You see, I didn't learn until just a few days before our trip that she had never been inside a Cracker Barrel!!! Well, being a dumb daughter, the first thing out of my mouth was, "You're kidding!!" But she was serious.

So, into Cracker Barrel we went. We hadn't ate since breakfast and DD and I were pretty hungry. Momma just couldn't quit looking and shopping and DD and I just let her enjoy. It was such a blessing to watch her eyes and see her smile. An hour or so later she was ready to eat and we enjoyed some of the best home cooking!! I love eating at Cracker Barrel, especially when you're traveling. There is only so much fast food you can stomach before your tummy wants the real deal!

All too soon Wednesday came and time to head home. We made one last drive through Pigeon Forge stopping at a few shops we hadn't had a chance to before and then began our trip home.

God blessed us with health and safety and more wonderful memories than I could have ever imagined. I told DH later that night as we lay in bed that he couldn't have given me anything more precious for Christmas.....watching my Momma relax, smile, laugh and have fun...

TRYING to Leave for Gatlinburg..

It really amazes me how long it takes you to catch up even after a small trip away!! To be honest, I'm still not caught up, but I did want to begin to share just a couple of blessings that I was able to enjoy on our trip to Gatlinburg last week.

I must begin with what happened the night before.

Packed and ready to go, we all settled into bed for a good night's sleep....well, DH and I settled into bed. DD was still doing a bit of packing and DS was on the phone with his girlfriend. Since they're older, we don't enforce a strict bedtime, but we do insist they get up on time with a smile on their face each morning. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1:15 AM, I hear a noise from the kids end of the house. It was one of those noises that any Mom can recognize and causes her feet to hit the floor running and she finds herself in action before she finds herself awake.

I found DS on the toilet hugging a trash can, violently giving back everything he'd eaten a few hours earlier. He wasn't sick at all when we laid down, so I just figured he'd had a few too many spicy Cheetos.

Twenty minutes later, he was lying back down and I was praying that this was the only event for the night.

Not to be.

A little over an hour later, I found myself doing the Sleepy Mom Run again through the house. I found DS in the same position, only this time he wasn't as able to refund as much as before.

Wipe his face. Hand him some tissue. Give him a sip of water---"NO! Don't guzzle, just a sip!!"--and go with him back to bed.

By now, I'm thinking we've invited a stomach bug to visit.

It's now about 2:30 in the morning and all I can do is fight with the fact that in 3½ hours I'm suppose to be leaving on a girl's trip and the fact that my baby is throwing up his toenails. I tell DH that I don't think I can leave and he informs me that he will shove me in the car in my pj's.

He tells me he'll call into work (which is TERRIBLY difficult for him to do since he's in a supervisory position) and stay home with DS. Now I feel guilty that he's got to call in and that I'm leaving a sick child......

6 AM, time to leave and Mom still hasn't arrived. DS hasn't thrown up anymore, but right at that moment, I'm feeling pretty nauseous myself. Oh no.......

Mom gets to my house but there is no way we can leave. DS has just thrown up again and the fog is so heavy that you literally can't see the hood of the car from the windshield.

Ohhhhh satan.....I AM NOT IMPRESSED!!!!

7 AM and we are finally on the road...and yes, DH did practically have to shove me out the door.

The fog was still terrible and the first hour of driving didn't involve much laughter and conversation as I was still feeling nauseous and trying to keep the car in the road!!

Finally we decide to stop and get some breakfast. I'm thinking that maybe I just need to get some food in my tummy. I manage to keep a biscuit down and we're off again.

We are blessed with a beautiful drive after the fog lifted. DH kept me updated that DS only threw up one more time and was feeling better as the day went on.

By the time we got into Gatlinburg, I was feeling better and was glad that I hadn't allowed satan to ruin this wonderful gift my DH had given me.

Since this is pretty long already and I don't want to keep you tied to your computer, I'll share more tomorrow.......

Worship Him

"May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace."
Numbers 6: 24-26, NLT

Studying...Created to be His Help Meet

We are studying the book by Debi Pearl, Created to be His Help Meet. Through our study of this book, we are going to learn what it means to be a help meet and actually living the role that God created us as women to fill. I've read this book once before and applied many of the things that Mrs. Pearl spoke of, and it has transformed an already good marriage into nothing short of awesome!! I encourage you to purchase this book and follow along or at the very least, check out the Pearl's website at http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/
Any text taken directly from Mrs. Pearl's book will be highlighted in blue.

I realize that in studying Created to be His Help Meet at the rate of one chapter per week, we will be doing this study for approximately 24 weeks. We could go at this at a much faster rate, but I believe that if we truly want to change and fill our God given rolls as help meet to our husbands, then we need to take things slower and put into practice what we are learning. I hope you agree and stay the course with me as we become better help meets together.

Part 2: Titus 2

Chapter 16: To Love Their Husbands

Today's topic covers a subject that may be uncomfortable to many women. I tried very hard to address this in a polite manner. It is not my intent to offend, only share.

I found myself asking what does loving my husband mean to me?

For me, it means making sure his needs are met. This covers everything from meals on time, clean uniforms, a clean, organized house, well behaved kids when he gets home from work and intimate time frequently.

In this chapter, Mrs. Pearl addresses this very issue..intimate time with our husbands.

She shares with us from Ephesians 5:31,

"As the Scriptures say, 'A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' " NLT

United into one. This is only going to come from being intimate with your husband.

I'm sure you've noticed in your own marriages that when your husband is satisfied sexually, things just seem to be....better.

For men, sex is a great stress reliever and it is also one of the ways that they show their wives they love them. Maybe it's the most important way because a husband who has been refused by his wife time and time again, begins to believe that he's not man enough to keep her satisfied.

Satan will begin to feed him lies that if she's not making love to him, she's got to be "giving in" to someone else--even if this isn't true.

As a woman and wife, it sometimes seems that sex is the cure-all for everything where a man is concerned. What I've learned through Mrs. Pearl's book, is that I'm not too far off course.

A man who truly loves his wife knows that after a terribly stressful day at work, the intimacy with his wife will not only relieve his stress, but it will also remind him that everything he is dealing with is so worth it for this woman who only desires to please him.

Husbands also know when their wives aren't "there" 100%. They know when they are getting a half-hearted effort from their wives. This may be okay for a short time, but there will come a moment when half their wife isn't enough.

Most godly husbands are loving and considerate enough to know when their wife is exhausted because she's had one child running a fever, one child throwing up and two more running wild because Mom hasn't been able to give them her full attention. He loves her enough to lay down with her at night and just hold her while she falls asleep. But he is also wise enough to know when she is just making an excuse every night of the week.

Mrs. Pearl encourages wives to view sex as a ministry to their husbands. I had never thought of sex as a ministry. She asks us to think of the times that we've ministered to others--by making meals, watching children or whatever. We come away so totally blessed because we tried to bless someone.

Then she asks us to look at blessing our husbands intimately the same way. By taking the initiative to minister--to set the mood, do something out of the ordinary--we will find that we, as wives, will come away from that private time just as satisfied as our man--maybe more so.
Our challenge for this week is to make personal plans on how we are going to love our husbands. She suggests doing something that we don't normally do or have never done before. She also encourages us to read the Song of Solomon this week.

*** There is an exception to this rule of being intimate with our husbands---sexual perversion. On page 174, Mrs. Pearl tells us that there are certain acts that are wrong and not natural for our bodies. She quotes Romans 1:26-28 as our guideline for this. If you would like to discuss this area a little further, please e-mail me and I would be glad to share what she's written with you.

Next week: To Love Their Children

Safely Home & At The Well

Well my friends...we've made it back safe and sound from Gatlinburg and we had a fantastic time!!

I will never be able to fully express to my DH what this trip meant to not only me and DD, but to my Mom as well...watching her and getting to share this with her was probably the best part of the trip.

I'll get a post up soon with a pic or two to share, but for now...I'm trying to get back into the routine here at home.

Meanwhile, I'm guesting over At The Well today. Drop by and say Hi!!!

I Choose.....

I received this in an e-mail some time back. I loved it so much and truly desire to live this way. May it speak to your heart as well......

It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose......

I CHOOSE LOVE...No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE .....I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.

LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL Gal.5:22,23

To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest with the peace that passes all understanding.

-- Author Unknown

Road Trip!!!!!

Today's the day!!! Today is the day that my Christmas present from my DH is redeemed!!

I'm on my way to Gatlinburg with my DD and my Mom!!

I am so excited and so blessed to have this chance and so thankful to my DH for giving it to me.

While I won't be participating in Random Dozen this week, I've scheduled a few posts for while I'm gone so make sure and check in with me!!

Have a blessed week!!!!

Worship Him

"The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Savior; my God is my Rock, in whom I find protection. He is my Shield, the Power that saves me, and my Place of Safety."
Psalm 18:2, NLT

A Very Special Day!!

In place of my usual Created to be His Help Meet, I've decided that today I'm going to share a very special story.

About 25 years ago, I realized that it was going to be very hard for me to have a baby. There were many issues, the biggest being that I wasn't ovulating as I should.

A trip to my OB/GYN later found me using a Basal thermometer with sex on demand--not as wonderful as you might think (even for you men...ask DH), fertility drugs, more fertility drugs, higher doses of fertility drugs.

This was all mingled in with test upon test to see if I was pregnant. Each test resulted in a pink minus sign.

DH and I finally decided after 5½ years that enough was enough and began the process of adoption.

Not long into that process, my body just started doing these.....weird things. Not anything that made me feel like I was sick, mind you, just weird things.

After a week or so of pleading from my best girlfriend, I finally gave in and bought yet another pregnancy test. This time though instead of a dark pink minus sign....it was the faintest shade of a positive sign!! Maybe? Could it be?

I called that 1-800 number on the back and the lady on the other end of the line assured me that if I could even make out the faintest plus sign, I was most likely pregnant. An excited call to my Dr. and a quick trip to his office confirmed it.....after 6½ years, I was going to have a baby!!!!!!!!

I was blessed with a wonderful pregnancy and only 37½ hours of labor introduced me to the most beautiful little girl I'd ever laid eyes on in my life!!!

Her name is Beth and today she is 19 years old....



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY AND MY MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

AARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am SO frustrated right now!!!!! If you'll come a bit closer to the screen, you should be able to see me jumping up and down, beating the keyboard and steam rising from my head!!!
I'm screaming too but I was kind enough to turn the sound off so you couldn't hear it!
Here's what's going on......
I have got some of the best folks in the world reading my blog. They leave the sweetest, funniest, kindest most encouraging comments I've ever read in my life. I even have a folder on my computer where I store several of the comments so I can look at them when I'm feeling down or defeated and they are sure to lift my spirits.
BUT.......
I have attracted some................"spam" commenters who are just having a field day commenting stupid stuff and stuff that totally doesn't belong in print, much less my blog.
ANYWAY.....
I have had to go to comment moderation.
NOW I'm pleading that you all will continue to leave your comments. I love them. I NEED them. Just now, thanks to some butt heads (sorry) you have to be approved before they can be posted.

Random Dozen

Time to share a bit about myself by linking up with Linda over at 2nd Cup of Coffee for Random Dozen. I really love participating in this meme. The questions are fun (although sometimes the answers can be tough) and it's great to read how others think about the same things.

Click here to join us!!

1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you crave?

This past Saturday..I hardly ever fry chicken anymore, partly because my hubby's on cholesterol meds and partly because I want us to eat healthier....but DH and I decided to go out Saturday and I just NEEDED some fried chicken!!! It was really good too!!!

2. M & M's or Skittles?

M & M's all the way!!

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through?

Sadly, no. I've tried many times, but as of yet, I've not been successful.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning?

Within just a couple of minutes I'm ready to begin the day. My family hates me.......

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to?

Nope and I have no desire to either.

6. Who is your favorite actress?

Ummmm.....don't really have a recent favorite because I can't stomach a lot of today's movies..sooo....total blank.....

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand.

The ways of people.....

8. How much of a technology junkie are you?

I can turn my 'puter on, surf a little, turn it off. I can turn my cell phone on, call and text a little, turn it off. I can turn my DVD player on, press play, turn it off. Get the picture??

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you?

I LOVE cards!!! Sending a receiving. I love taking the time to pick a card that fits the person I'm sending it to. I honestly believe that this is an area where the internet has failed us. A physical card is so much more personal and thoughtful.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut?

Got a trim about a month ago...new style......1985?????

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most?

I enjoy shopping. Period.

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house?

I am notorious for my mental checklist: Purse? Phone? Keys? Shoes?.....(The shoes is a true story...one I should tell very soon....)

The Love of a Friend

Think back in time to that night so many years ago when Jesus met with His disciples in the Upper Room. It was the night that Jesus would be betrayed and arrested.

That night Jesus took a loaf of bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to His disciples to eat. He told them that this bread represented His body which would be broken for our sins.

Then He took a cup of wine, blessed it and shared it with the disciples telling them that this represented the blood that would be shed by Him for the remission of our sins.

He told of one that would betray Him and I'm sure that no one there but Jesus understood the meaning and the depth of what was going on.

I wouldn't have understood it. I'm sure that I would have been confused and feeling the need to ask more questions that Jesus could answer at that moment. I'm also sure that the significance of everything would have flown right over my head.

Fast forward to this past Sunday night. Sanctuary Church of God where my family and I go to church. We are having communion service and this is the first time that my family has shared in this service with this church since joining a few short months ago.

We enter the sanctuary and in the front is a table. It is lined with white linen table cloths. There are silver candelabras with blue and white candles in them.

There are four trays set up, 2 with bread, 2 with grape juice.

There are six chairs to one side and six chairs to the other side and one chair in the middle....this one is draped in purple. On the table in front of that middle chair lays a Bible, a crown of thorns and a dove.

The lights are low and service begins.

There are songs of worship and praise. There are many tears of love and adoration to our Savior.

The evangelist for the night begins to tell us the significance of the things before us and he also shares what we must work out within ourselves, with Christ to be ready to partake of the meal.

He speaks with authority and compassion. Even the babies are quiet.

He asks us to stand and in his hands he holds a trumpet.

He shares that when a king is ready to make an entrance, a trumpet is blown. He tells us that as he blows the trumpet, we will welcome the King to the meal. He then tells us it is customary to applaud as the King makes His way to the seat of honor.

He blows the trumpet and the Spirit of the Lord descends like I've never felt Him before.

We begin to applaud. I can't see anything. Partly because of the tears and partly because I feel unworthy to even look upon the place where He 'sits'.

As the applause dies down, the evangelist then starts at one side of the church taking groups of 12 to come sit at the table with the King and partake of the meal.

Yes, this does last for quite a while.....and still, even the babies are quiet.

It comes time for me and my family to take our turn. As I sit at the table, I still cannot bring myself to look at that middle chair draped in purple. I feel so filthy and so unworthy. As I partake of the bread, I can hardly breath, much less chew and swallow. The grape juice, which should bring some relief to my choking throat, I barely feel go down.

Still, all I can do is softly cry and slowly I come to a very tiny bit of a realization of how awesome the sacrifice of my Savior was for me.

Across the church, from the front to the balcony, the groups of 12 come, pray and partake of something bigger than we are....a meal with the One Who gave up everything for us and just wants us to give up everything for Him.

Is He asking too much of you?

Is He asking too much of me?

"There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."
John 15:13, NLT

Worship Him

"Honor the Lord for the glory of His name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness."
Psalm 29:2, NLT

Studying...Created to be His Help Meet

We are studying the book by Debi Pearl, Created to be His Help Meet. Through our study of this book, we are going to learn what it means to be a help meet and actually living the role that God created us as women to fill. I've read this book once before and applied many of the things that Mrs. Pearl spoke of, and it has transformed an already good marriage into nothing short of awesome!! I encourage you to purchase this book and follow along or at the very least, check out the Pearl's website at http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/ Any text taken directly from Mrs. Pearl's book will be highlighted in blue.

I realize that in studying Created to be His Help Meet at the rate of one chapter per week, we will be doing this study for approximately 24 weeks. We could go at this at a much faster rate, but I believe that if we truly want to change and fill our God given rolls as help meet to our husbands, then we need to take things slower and put into practice what we are learning. I hope you agree and stay the course with me as we become better help meets together.

Part 2: Titus 2

Chapter 15: To Be Sober

This week begins Part 2 of our study, Created to be His Help Meet. We will begin studying Titus 2, which, in my opinion, is the model for us women as wives.

This chapter is titled, To Be Sober. What does it mean to be sober? Webster's gives a couple of definitions. The most obvious is to not be drunk. However, taking into context what we are talking about, this is the definition Webster's gives: 1)Quiet in demeanor 2)Free from excess 3) Showing self control 4) Rational.

Wow.

That alone give us cause to stop and reflect on ourselves while thinking about Titus 2:4a, "That they may teach the young women to be sober." KJV

So, according to the definition of sober, a sober wife ceases to be loud and boisterous, extravagant, indulgent and irrational. No longer single, a sober wife will consider the needs of her husband.

Instead of spending wildly (which I've been guilty of in the past) she will show self control by some rational thinking and spend the income wisely buying what's needed and respecting her husband's decisions concerning that.

I love the way Mrs. Pearl words the wife's job, "She becomes the acting CEO of a great enterprise of which her husband is the owner." (page 147)

Mrs. Pearl shares a letter from a woman whose husband came home from work one day and instead of asking his wife how she was or how her day went (she'd been sick and many household chores didn't get done) he began asking why this wasn't done or when supper would be ready. He was selfish and insensitive to his wife. She asked Mrs. Pearl what was she suppose to do, reward this insensitive man??

Well, I have to agree that in my flesh, it would have been on. Mrs. Pearl pointed out though that we, as wives, are still required to do what God has called us to do...honor our husbands. Two wrongs don't make a right and an argument can't survive unless it is being fed.

It is very important for wives to plan. We truly need to simplify and plan out our days so that when those unexpected things come up, we are prepared. We are reminded on page 148 that if our husbands failed to plan on their jobs, they would soon be unemployed.

We are encouraged to use our crock pots. This, to me, is one of the greatest inventions ever. Get that meal going in the morning and supper is one less worry in the evening. Most men don't need 7 course meals. They are happy with some homemade chicken soup and fresh bread. Life doesn't have to be extravagant to be wonderful, but less stress..that's a must.

On page 155 is a list of things titled:

How to be a Good Wife Today

* Have dinner ready--I can't think of any man that isn't grateful for that meal waiting on him when he walks in the door

* Prepare yourself--Taking just a few minutes to touch up your makeup and comb your hair will make you feel better..and believe me, your man will notice!!!

* Clear away the clutter--Right before your hubby gets home, go through the main part of the house and pick up those things that are laying around. Again, less stress.

* Prepare the children and minimize the noise--When it was time for my hubby to get home, the kids were allowed to greet Daddy with hugs and kisses, but then they were to go to their room for 30 minutes and play quietly while Daddy rested and unwound and I finished our meal. Dad was then more than ready to enjoy those babies!!!

I try very hard to work my schedule around my husband's. I am home when he is home and run any errands or do deep cleaning when he's at work. If he wants to go out, he brings it up....even if I'm dying to try the new restaurant in town..he works hard to support our family and my schedule is flexible to his needs.

Mrs. Pearl encourages us to think of a time that our husband hurt our feelings or made us angry and we responded wrongly. She asks us to write the story down the way it happened and then to rewrite it with the alternate ending with the way we should have responded to our man. Hopefully in seeing it on paper, this will encourage us to think before we react in the future.

Next week: To Love Their Husbands

Thankful Thursday

It's Thursday and time to join up with Sonya over at Truth 4 the Journey for Thankful Thursday. It's a time we set aside to list five things that we are truly thankful for.

It is such a blessing to be able to share what I am thankful for and rejoice with you in how God has blessed you as well.

Click here to join us in sharing the faithfulness of God!!!

Here are my thankfuls for this week......

1) I am thankful for a warm house!!! This week has been one of the coldest we've had in Alabama in a very long time and they're predicting it's going to get colder still!!! We are blessed with plenty of heat and the ability to afford it..along with blankets, warm soups and hot cocoa!!

2) I am thankful that DS's car is running better. He's had quite a time and he and DH have been playing a game of "Could it be this?"---a most frustrating game at best!

3) I am thankful that DD loves her new job at the hospital. Only 4 days in, but she said the atmosphere is so much better than the place she left. God is SO faithful!!

4) I am thankful that my Mom is excited about our trip in a little more than a week!! Sometimes Mom gets so wound up in what "might happen" that she doesn't enjoy the here and now.

5) I am thankful that DD's new boss is fine with her taking the time off for our trip. Most new employers frown on that. Again, God is SO faithful!!!

"All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen One who never dies; He alone is God. Amen."
1 Timothy 1:17, NLT

Random Dozen

Time to share a bit about myself by linking up with Linda over at 2nd Cup of Coffee for Random Dozen. I really love participating in this meme. The questions are fun (although sometimes the answers can be tough) and it's great to read how others think about the same things.

Click here to join us!!

1. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being a cranky-baby-hissy-fitter, how much of a complainer are you?

Normally....a 3 or 4. I'm not a big complainer, mostly because 'whiners' (what I call them) totally get on my nerves!!

2. When someone else is talking, do you listen, or are you thinking about what you're going to say in response?

I tend to veer back and forth. I tend to listen for a while then my mind says, "Oh! When they get done with that comment, say ____________" Then before I know it, I usually have to say, "What was that??" Something I surely need to work on!

3. I just deleted 1062 messages from my email account. Do you have any plans for a clean sweep this month--of anything?

Not really. I usually stay on top of most things like that. I hate clutter of any kind. (DH has rubbed off on me in 26 years!)

4. Tell us about your perfume. Was it a gift? What does it remind you of? Do you have a signature scent?

I wear Sand & Sable. I have worn Sand & Sable since I was 18 years old. My boss at the 2nd job I had out of high school wore it and I fell in love with the scent and that's how I found it and began wearing it. My kids don't call it Sand & Sable, they've dubbed it "Mom's Scent"....I like that...

5. What is your best organizing tip for the new year?

Don't allow clutter. Don't allow anything to pile up. When you come home, put away everything as you bring it in. It actually takes less time to put things straight-away than to come back to them later--usually when you have something else going on...

6. What is your favorite comic strip?

I have two actually...Baby Blues and Zits. They seem to portray real life to me!

7. Do you sleep with a fluffy or flat pillow?

Hmmm....my pillow is big, but firmer. Flat pillows give me a headache and fluffy pillows make me feel like the pillow is trying to snuff the life out of me.

8. What color is your kitchen? Why did you choose that color?

Of course....the one room in our old house we haven't remodeled yet....Let me say I haven't chosen any color in my kitchen. When we do remodel it will be be red and white with hints of black and stainless steel. Right now I have paneling on the bottoms of the wall with veggie wallpaper on the top. My cabinets are a pine color with one counter being pale yellow and my island being red. My floor is a stained white linoleum that does the wave in places....yes it's a mess, but I love my mess!

9. What’s the most interesting bumper sticker you’ve seen?

Total blank....nothing coming to mind...

10. Do you prefer an expensive writing tool or whatever is lying around? (Are you a Montblanc or a Papermate?)

I'm just happy to find a pen that writes!! If I'm buying though, it's a Bic..

11. What chore doesn’t feel like a chore – you just enjoy it (at least most of the time)?

Okay...most will probably think I'm nuts, but....washing dishes. I really don't mind because once the dishes are washed and put away, then I can clean the counters off and everything looks so neat and tidy!!

12. If your parents often repeated themselves, what is something one of them said more than once?

"Did you give everything water?" When I was growing up, my dad had 12-15 hunting dogs at any given time and literally hundreds of chickens. My job was to water everything in the morning and evening and without fail I would always be asked if I gave everything water---may explain why I'm anal about it with the 2 dogs and 1 cat we have now.....

Silence Can Be Golden

I spent the entire day yesterday catching up from the weekend. I don't know about your home, but mine tends to take on a life of it's own on Saturday and Sunday. I try to keep it straightened so that come Monday morning I'm not wondering when the bomb went off and why I'm still around to take in the aftermath, but it just seems that I cannot get ahead of the fallout.

All day long I found this thought going around and around in my head, "You need to post something on your blog. You haven't posted anything since Friday. You didn't even post a Worship Him for Sunday!!!" How I prayed and prayed, asking God was there something that He wanted me to do and the answer I got...silence.

In times past, I thought that silence from God meant one of a few things: He was upset with me, I had sin in my life or I was so far gone I couldn't even hear God anymore. Can you believe the bondage satan had me in????

Thankfully, though, I'm learning that silence from God isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Have you ever noticed that when you are really trying to focus in on something you need total silence? When there is an important weather report interrupting our favorite program I want it silent so I don't miss a word the weatherman says. When we are traveling and we enter a busy city that we've never been in before, DH wants total silence in the car so he can clearly hear the directions I'm giving him.

If we get a phone call from someone we haven't talked to in a long time, we want it silent so we can clearly hear the other person because it's important we don't miss a word.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Still reflecting on 2009, I see that in many areas, satan kept me so busy that hearing God was an impossibility. Slowing down to enjoy the blessings He gave could not happen. I've seen my busy, crazy lifestyle has had a negative effect on my teens and this bothers me.

When I think back to the time I was 17 and 19 (the ages they are now) I don't remember my life being so nuts!! Seems they are always stressed about something, there is always drama about something and they don't have a minute to spare at all!! I've been a stay at home mom who homeschooled her kids and somehow I failed to show them that running at full speed 24/7 will eventually take a toll.

So....I'm having little chats with them as God allows. Sharing what I'm learning about slowing down and saying "no" when people ask me to do things that I haven't had the time to run by God first to get His approval. I'm pointing out, in love, that their phones are always attached to them and they can't even go to the bathroom without them! (seriously...they take their phones to the bathroom). I'm trying to show them, by example, that it's not healthy to fill up every moment of their lives with something to do.

I didn't stress because I ran out of homemade laundry soap. Instead I pulled the store bought stuff out that I have in reserve for just such an emergency.

Even Jesus got away to pray and rest.

So......I never did do a post for yesterday. God never gave me anything specific He wanted me to share. I ended up making a loaf of fresh bread, helping DS with some Economics and cooking lunch with him, mopping the bathroom and catching up on laundry.

Yes, sometimes silence is golden...even when it's from God.

The More (Most?) Important Thing

I find that I'm quickly getting to put into practice the fact that I'm trying to allow God to direct my steps and to take this blog where He wants it to go.

If you follow along, you know on Friday's we've been studying Created to be His Help Meet. We're a little more than half way through the book and I had wanted to pick back up today. But with the course of the week, I didn't have the time to sit aside to read and study the chapter we are on and form a post so.......God willing, we are going to be picking up next week and continuing our study.

Why wasn't I ready for that post? Well, I found myself reflecting that this morning because I want to be able to see God's hand guiding and directing and for me, that's going to mean taking a few moments and looking back to see what things changed the course of my day or week.
Here's what I found:

Normally I take the Christmas decorations down the day after Christmas. This year both kids had to work the day after Christmas and on the days they work, I try to spend a little extra time with them. Also, DH's side of the family was able to get together to celebrate Christmas on that day. DH comes from a big family and to synchronize all of those schedules can be quite overwhelming, but this year it just all fell into place.

Time with kids and family or taking down decorations? No contest.

Then of course came Sunday and I don't plan any kind of work on Sunday. I don't even make my bed!!!

With Monday came a trip to the grocery store. No, we weren't in need of food, I still have a shelf full of leftovers that are going in the freezer today but it was those things like toilet paper and dish soap that were calling my name added to the fact that the dogs really wanted to eat that day!

So Tuesday began the exodus of the Christmas decorations and because I tend to have several (approximately 9 or so) boxes (BIG boxes) of decorations, this is a very time consuming job. Add to that the fact that I have a very claustrophobic hubby who hates clutter...well you can see how this could quickly get out of hand.

Now, in the midst of having a totally destroyed house, we learn that DS needs a thermostat put on his car. He rode with his sister to work that night so that dear ole' dad could put the thermostat on, however we soon learned that under the hood of DS's car is a very tight spot to work in...add that to my claustrophobic hubby..yeah, he needed my help to hold things and hand him tools. After finishing DS's car, we were frozen, but my sweet man climbed into the attic and put up my 9 or so very heavy boxes of Christmas deco's. By this time it's late evening and we heat up some leftovers and call it a night.

Wednesday brings a couple of unexpected errands that couldn't be put off and church. Now mind you my dining room is still begging me to clean it up as I still have things laying all over the place in a sad effort to take my house out of Christmas mode and put it in winter mode.

Thursday I manage to finally get the house totally back in order...it literally takes all day to accomplish this and catch up on the laundry. Then a very dear friend of mine called to catch me up on what was going on in her life. Safely put, she and her family are under an incredible attack of satan and God is not being allowed to come in and work His wonderful power. Anyway, I talked to her for about an hour, or rather listened because I cannot physically help or change her situation. I truly would if I could. Then last night we took my Dad out to dinner to celebrate his 68th birthday.

So...here we are at today. Looking back over the week, here's what I think I've discovered...The entire week was filled with interruptions and frustrations of not being able to 'get done' what I wanted to. But, I was able to spend time with my family, immediate and extended, help my son, be there for a friend and celebrate with my Dad. When God directed my steps and I refused to fight Him on it, I was able to bless and be a blessing, and wasn't that the most important thing??