You are not alone

I've been thinking about Noah lately.

Sometimes as Christians, we can feel isolated and lonely. There are tines when you may feel that you are the only one trying to do right. I remember times as a teenager when I felt our family was just so different from everyone else. Not only were there eight of us, which most people think is crazy, but we were Christians also. There were a lot of times that we were members of very small churches, and it was easy to feel alone.

Now that I am an adult, it's easier to fight that lonely feeling, but sometimes, it still pops up. A few days ago, I was thinking about Noah and his family. They literally WERE the only ones trying to live right and follow God! They spent years building an ark, while all their neighbors ridiculed them. They didn't have friends to visit with, or a church family to pray for them. I'm sure that was difficult, to say the least! I just marvel at their faithfulness. The Bible goes not tell us if Noah or an of his family ever doubted or questioned what they were doing, but I can't help thinking that they did. They were human, after all, just like us! The important thing to remember, is that, even if they did have doubts, they never gave up on God. Maybe they had to pray every day and ask God to remove the doubt and fear, but they got up every day and kept working.  That is an encouragement to me, to keep going for God everyday!

When the Proverbs 31 woman might as well be Wonder Woman

All my life, I've been taught that the woman described in Proverbs 31 is the ultimate standard for a wife and mother. She has been studied and preached about probably millions of times. Chances are, if you go to any church on Mother's Day, you will hear about her. And rightfully so. She is an amazing example of womanhood.

So, what do you do when this example seems impossible to live up to? I think a lot of women might feel this way from time to time, but I am specifically referring to someone in my situation: someone dealing with a chronic illness. I'm not complaining or whining, or even trying to make excuses,  just sharing my personal experiences. Some days, I can't even get out of bed. Other days, I get up and sit in a chair, but that's all I can handle. Then there are some good days, when I can do a little bit of housework. It's hard to see my house looking far less than perfect. When we were first married, I kept a clean house, made a home-cooked meal every night, and had extra time for craft projects.

I'm learning to accept my limitations. I'm trying to learn to adjust to a lack of energy, and feeling of fatigue. I'm trying to realize there are days that I just need to rest, even though I have so much to do. It's not easy sometimes - I am a perfectionist, and some days, I feel literal pain to see how I am not keeping up with  things the way I would like.

I'm trying not to be a discouragement here! I know at times I feel it's hopeless, but I won't give up trying to live  up to her example. After all, as Christian's, our goal is to be Christ-like. I KNOW none of us can achieve that, but that does not mean we should not try! As long as I have any strength at all, I will keep giving my best to my family, and praying for the additional strength that I need.

Does your husband see the heart of Christ in you?

Steve and I have been reading a book on marriage together. Last night we were reading a section on communication, which we honestly don’t have much of a problem with. We talk to each other about everything! I was actually surprised at how open he is, after hearing so many women complain about their husband’s lack of communication. I am certainly a blessed woman!


At the end of the section were some questions to ask yourself to improve your relationship. I was struck by one of the questions directed towards wives; “If someone were to ask my husband, would he be able to say honestly, ‘Being with this woman strengthens my relationship with God.’ Could he say ‘I have seen the heart of Christ in her’?” Wow! That is a little frightening to think about! Are there things I am doing to draw him away from God, or do I actively try to encourage his walk with God? What a tremendous responsibility this is!

So now I have been thinking of ways that I can help him strengthen his relationship with the Lord. The first, and most obvious, thing I came up with was to strengthen my own relationship with God. If I make my relationship with God my first priority, I truly believe that the other relationships in my life will fall into their proper places. I have found that I tend to have my devotional or study time during the day, when Steve is at work. I enjoy the quiet time, with no distractions. However, I have realized that I should take some time when he is home as well, to encourage him. We sometimes tend to focus on us when he gets home, talking about our day and such. Now I realize I should do some of this when he is home . It could be a way to encourage him without having to say a word.

I know I have a long way to go – after all, we have not even been married a year yet! So I have a question for you: How do you strengthen your husband’s relationship with the Lord? What things do you do to encourage him specifically in this area? Can you share any advice for other wives who want to encourage their husbands?

House-wifey Things

I should be doing housework right now. Seriously. Dishes, laundry, floors to mop, bathrooms to clean, and my refrigerator needs some attention. But instead, I have been daydreaming about the changes I want to make to my kitchen.  I have always been iinterested in interior design, and have always envisioned what my house would look like "someday." My current kitchen has beige walls, light oak - colored laminate cabinets, and faux butcher block laminate counter tops; not exactly the kitchen of my dreams!
Thanks to things like Pinterest and HGTV, I have some grand ideas of what our kitchen could look like. However, our budget for renovations does not match the grandeur of my dreams! So, I have very happily settled in to find things I can do for little to no cost to freshen and especially to brighten up our kitchen.
I am hoping to paint the walls a bright, cheery yellow. The current beige is a nice color, but way too ordinary and boring for me, and I also feel it darkens the room. There is only one small window over the sink, and I usually have to keep an extra lamp to cook by, so a new light fixture will hopefully find it's way in as well.  I also am hoping to paint the cabinets white. I say hoping, because my sweet husband seems dead-set against white cabinets. He does not like white, and I have a feeling he thinks if we put it off, I will forget about it. He doesn't know me very well, does he? I do, of course, want him to approve of what I am doing to our house, so I would not do it without his okay, but I am itching to get at those cabinets with a brush right now! We have also talked about adding a bit more color with a back splash in my cobalt blue accent color. I saw some gorgeous blue glass tiles at Lowe's that would be perfect!
We also have been talking about adding an island for some additional counter space and storage. We are just keeping our eyes open right now for a good deal on cabinets. I am anxious to get started on the kitchen, because I can already envision how beautiful it's going to look when we get done! I will keep you updated, and add some pictures (if I can find my camera!) as we go along.

Have you planned your funeral yet?

It's probably not what you're thinking! We attended a funeral today, for a dear, sweet, Christian lady. I was only privileged to know her for a few months, but she was like family to me. She told me that she was going to 'adopt' me, since I was away from my family. She looked out for me at church when Steve was working. She knew when Steve was laid off, and on several occasions, she either gave us food, or offered to get us some, if we needed it. When we found out we were pregnant, I think she was as excited as my own mom was! And when we lost the baby, she mourned with us just as deeply.
The chapel at her funeral was filled to overflowing. Every seat was taken, and people were standing along the sides and in the back of the room. All of these people were ones that she had touched in some way during her life.  That's what got me thinking - if this were my funeral, would the crowd be as large? Have I reached out to that many people during my life? More importantly, are there people who know the love of God, because they know me?
I know that we shouldn't do these things to gain the praise of men, that's not what I'm trying to say. My goal is not to see how many people I can pack in for my funeral. I just want to try to influence more people for Christ. At the end of my life, I want someone to be able to say that their life was better because I was part of it, because I had showed them the way to God.  I don't make New Year's Resolutions, but I want to make a Life Resolution: Every thing I do, every day, I want to make sure it is for the purpose of glorifying God.