Boys versus Men....

Working around young women I see this a lot but last night, coming home from a women’s ministry meeting, it really got me thinking more about this problem in our world today.

Driving home I was thinking about what a blessing the women in our church are when I pulled up behind a man and a woman on a moped at the stop light. Sitting there for a few minutes, (this is one of the lights in our little town that seem to take forever to turn) I noticed this man reach his arm back and grab this lady’s bottom and squeeze, for more than just a second. At first I just laughed and thought, `seriously, doesn’t he know I am right behind him’, but then I really started thinking how disrespectful this was. Yes maybe this is something fine to do in private with your wife , but in public knowing there are cars right behind you? Totally disturbed me!

Young men, remember your role with these young ladies. You are to protect and cherish these young women. They are not an object for your sexual desires or someone you can boss around for that matter. They are to be your help-mate, an extension of you, to help you just as you help her in this journey on Earth for God’s glory. What some of you young men are doing right now is just beating these young women down and causing them so much pain that you probably don’t even see, because it happens inside, quietly, unseen and is covered up with a mask that everything is alright when it’s not. Cherish these girls. Open doors for them, pull out their seat for them to sit at the table, when you see them carrying something, carry it for them, and just be there for them. Be a gentleman.

Now to be completely honest, 16 year old me may have thought different in this situation, but 16 year old me did not have much self-worth and viewed my place with boys the very wrong way. I have matured over the years and thanks to God I have realized my worth through Him, who He made me to be. And that too is something that is missing from today’s society. Young girls that have no clue of their self-worth and how valued and treasured they are to God. They often see their value and worth through how a boy sees them. If a boy thinks they are sexy, cool, or beautiful then that is when their self-worth grows but what happens when that boy finds someone that he feels is sexier? What happens to her self-worth then, how does she view herself then? Typically she goes out looking again for that boy that will look at her in this way again, completely forgetting how she is already viewed so perfectly through the eyes of God. Ladies, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalms 139:14).

And if you are a parent reading this, this is our responsibility to God and His children that He has entrusted to us. To raise up those boys to become men and treat all ladies with respect and love just as Christ treats the church (Ephesians 5:28). To raise up our girls to know their self-worth in God’s eyes not man’s so they know how they should be treated…and maybe to remind them that they do not need those boys at all. Parents in this world, as far as I see with some, need to step up and take more responsibility for their children and who they become because in the end God is going to ask us all how we have taken care of His children and if we can not say we have done our very best to raise them for Him then we have wasted our time here on earth.

Thankfulness week 2 {Thankful Thursday}

With a week of elections not going the way you hoped and a sick little one at home it can be very easy to loose our joy and forget to focus on our blessings.  But I know I still have so much to be thankful for this week and God is STILL in control!

My thankfulness list this week:

1. My parents and the kids' grandparents.  I am so thankful for the loving, beautiful Christian parents God blessed me with.  Though we may not always agree on everything, we still have an amazing relationship and a love that will last forever.  And there are no better grandparents for my children.  My children love them so much!
2. The USA!  While so many others are out there complaining about where they think the US is headed, I am focusing on how much we still have to be thankful for in this amazing country.  We still have our freedom.  We are still better off than more than half the World.  We still have our God.  He is still in control of it all if we just keep our focus and prayers with Him, he will take care of us.
3. Friends- those who stick there through the good and bad.  I am reminded of a song I learned as a girl scout that I think is very fitting for my thankfulness of real friends, kinda corny but fitting  "make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."
4. Modern Technology.  As much as I may talk down on it a lot (which is weird for someone whose husband works in IT), I am very thankful for the wonderful advances we have today.  Without it I wouldnt be able to sit here right now typing, on my bed, while my daughter lays on top of the screen yelling to watch Elmo!!
5. Anything CHOCOLATE.  Last week it was coffee, which is like my life support, but next in line would definitely have to be chocolate.  I mean, what girl can live without chocolate right?
6. Grace.  If it weren't for God's amazing grace, I would not be where I am today.  The past is behind me and I am thankful for the future He has given me now because of His amazing grace that is made new every day.
7. My nice cozy big comfy blanket to cuddle up in each and every night when the days start to get cold. I love the winter time for this, not much better of a feeling.

What are you thankful for this week? Share with me below or comment.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Phillipians 4:8

 

31 Days of Prayers for My Husband Week 1 {Scripture Sunday}

 

I know, it's not Sunday like I had planned on posting this.  We have had some sick kids this week and life has just happened.  But I have still been faithful in praying for my husband. 

 

Our week last week, the first week of praying for my husband, started off with my husband being home for two days and us pretty much stuck in our house.  Hurricane Sandy was making her appearance on the east coast and since my husband works for a company on the east coast, since they were closed he was closed.  I was thankful for this because it was pretty nasty weather where we live as well, Southwest Virginia, and I really didn't like the thought of him traveling.

 

As a lot of you mothers can probably sympathize though, it's not always easy when hubby is home all day.  While I was thankful for the extra time with him and the extra hands, our school and regular routine had to go on and that can be pretty difficult when Daddy is home.

 

The first day was great.  We took the day off of schoolwork and just hung out with Daddy.  By day two though, we had to get some work done, but all I or the kids wanted to do was hang out with Daddy.  In the end it went pretty well though, it kind of pushed the kids to finish their schoolwork quickly.

 

So through all this is was a little hard to remember to keep that time in the morning to pray for my husband, but I am thankful I did.  I saw him hard at work with his job, doing the things he needed to do when he went back on Wednesday and then coming home to us at the end of the night, leaving work at work.  I also had a new found love and appreciation for him that only God could have given me.  I wanted to do for him, I wanted to submit and be his help-mate, more than anytime before.  God granted us a peace and I am hoping he felt the same through my prayers.

 

So, how did your first week of prayers go?  Link up your post below, I would love to read it!

 



Thankfulness Part 1

November is the time of year that everyone starts posting on Facebook (or other social media) what they are thankful for each day.  While I believe we should remember what we are thankful for 365 days a year, not just 30, I do like this tradition in November. But this year instead of posting it just on Facebook, I wanted it to be somewhere that I could look at for days to come and years from now.   So I am have a 4 Weeks of Thankfulness Blog Hop.  I will share 7 things each week (on Thursdays, sorry a little off this week) of what I am thankful for, and you can join in on the fun.  Post a link to your blog of your thankfuls and we can all remember how much the Lord has blessed us and many others and concentrate on the good in our life, not the bad.

Week 1:

1. My amazing Lord and Father.  In times of loneliness, He was there.  In times of failure, He was there.  In times of struggle, He was there.  In the most joyous of times, He was there.  I can not even begin to describe how thankful I am for HIM.
2. My husband.  He loves me for who I am and has stuck with me and our vows to each other for 8 years now, through all the ups and downs.  Looking forward to many more years of being thankful for him.
3. COFFEE...yes I am very thankful for my coffee.  My children would not want me around, let alone teaching them, if I did not have this necessity every morning!
4. My home.  Our home isn't anything fancy and definitely not as big as you would think for 6 people, but it is what God has blessed us with and I am very thankful.  While so many out there do not have any shelter, or are living in worse conditions, I am in my nice comfy, cozy, warm home and I am very thankful for it.  (Even for the floor that is coming up in the kitchen and the carpet that needs replaced) 
5. Clothes washer/dryer.  Recently over the past month or so I have been dealing with a washer that cuts off mid cycle and a dryer that takes 2 hours to dry anything.  I was blessed beyond measure with my Grandfather's (recently passed away) washer and dryer.  They are still old, but they run so much better and they remind me of him every time I do laundry.  Kind of makes me enjoy doing laundry now, well almost.  This was a huge blessing to me.
6. My grandfather, the one I just spoke of who recently passed away.  I have so many wonderful memories with him and look up to him so much.  What an amazing man he was and a fantastic grandfather.  I miss him greatly, but look forward to seeing him again one day with our Heavenly Father.
7. My children.  If you had told me 8 years ago that I was going to have 4 children and homeschool them all, I would have called you nuts.  But God's plans are always better than our own right?  I am blessed beyond measure with my children and so very thankful for each and every one of them.  They are bring something different and amazing to our family.

So....there is my Part of one of Thankfulness.  Would you care to join me? 

Click the link below to add your post.  I look forward to reading them all!

Wordless Wednesday

First snow 2012

Prayers for my Husband {Scripture Sunday}

I am resharing this post I did a year ago, because well honestly I just never finished the challenge.  Life got in the way.  So....I am commiting to this 30 day challenge again and promise to finish it this time and I pray you will join in with me.  Please post any comments on how this has changed your life or your family/marriage, I would love to hear.

This post comes after a great "stay at home" date night with my hubby.....

"Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing". -Ephesians 5:24

"Her husband is known in the gates, When he sitteth among the elders of the land."- Proverbs 31:23Homeschooling, household chores, babysitting, ministries at church, blog posts, and just everyday life keep me very busy. Unfortunately, amidst all this busyness, sometimes (I'll admit it) I forget about my husband.

It can be so easy to get caught up in everyday life and responsibilities. There are mouths to feed, mountains of laundry to wash, toys to put away, blog posts to write, emails to send, and then add in homeschooling! Lessons to plan, field trip to think of, papers to fill out, crafts to organize, etc. I have found out, since starting homeschooling this year, it becomes very easy to put the children and their school before my husband. And I am sure many of you, whether you homeschool or not, run into the same issues. That is not the way I want it to be, or the way God calls it to be. It is just so easy to slip into without even realizing it. Blinded by responsibilities and love for my children, I forget showing my love for my husband.

This is why I have decided to start my own challenge and I would love for you to join in with me. Prayers for My Husband. I am committing to pray for my husband EVERY day. I commit to pray these needs fro him every morning:

1. His Work




2. His Walk with the Lord



3. His Heart




4. His Dreams or wherever God is leading him.




5. that God will show me that day how to show my love to him

My husband is so awesome and so selfless that he would say he understands I have a lot on my plate and it's okay for him not to come first. But really, is it? After God, as wives, we are called to put our husband first no matter what we have going on in our lives. Maybe there's some things we need to get rid of to make this happen (just make sure it's not anything God has called us to do for Him).



So, join with me on this 30 day journey of praying for our husbands. And each Sunday we can come back together. I will share how God has worked that week through my prayer for him and you can share your experiences as well (and link up your posts :) ). I encourage you to keep a journal every day of your experiences, trials and needs through this journey. I will also try to provide ideas of how we can keep our marriage fresh and lively with so many other responsibilities.




Start today and pray for your husband FIRST :)

Thankful Thursday- October 24, 2012

Today I am thankful for this time I get to spend with my kids during the day.  No matter how crazy it gets...there is nothing better than this.

At the Duck Pond, learning more about feathers.  And Wacko pretending to be a bird!

 

I am also so thankful for God's grace and how we can go to Him and He can give us the wisdom we need when it is needed.

 

What are you thankful for today?

 

 

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.  1 CHRONICLES 16:34 (NASB)