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A Gracious Heart WINS Honor for our Husbands

August 4, 2010 By Faith_Mom 2 Comments

This is one meaty Scripture…Beware! LOL!

A gracious and good woman wins honor for her husband, and violent men win riches but a woman who hates righteousness is a throne of dishonor for him. – Proverbs 11:16

The word gracious comes from the Hebrew word chen (khane) and means; pleasant, courteous, good-natured, tender, compassionate, kindness, and merciful.

On the flip side; unpleasant, ill-natured, haughty, cold, stiff, rude, curt, gruff, sullen, and mean.

I am sure every Christian wife has expressed at least one of the flip side actions towards her husband or others at one time or another. Unfortunately, we tend to have blinders on to our own behavior. I encourage you to do a self assessment. Seriously, take the time to pay attention to how YOU speak to and about your husband…We need to speak kind words to our husband and to others ABOUT our hubbie.

Keep a pleasant attitude in all circumstances. This is a tough one even if you have no husband to deal with! LOL!

Show mercy…even when it is seemingly “undeserved.” None of us really “deserve” mercy.

Manifest warmth, kindness, and tenderness in your actions, words, and thought life.

Think about these words…

Do we want to be…

Curt…or…tender?

Gruff…or…compassionate?

Mean cold, rude…or…kind, merciful and pleasant?

Honestly, what we should really ask ourselves is which of those groups of words would we want directed towards us?? THEN, maybe, we can gain some perspective. If we take God at His Word, and realize we will REAP what WE sow…maybe…just maybe, we would shut our traps once in awhile! LOL!

Finally, when we have a gracious heart and attitude, it brings honor to our husband…even if they do not deserve it in our minds. Most importantly, it will bring a smile to our Daddy’s face and blessings are sure to abound!

Let’s Pray;

Daddy God, thank You for Your Word and for the role that You have given me as a wife. Help me to be gracious and win honor for my husband. Help me to speak to him and about him in a way that brings glory to You. I want nothing more than to please YOU as a wife. Help me to be the wife that YOU designed me to be! Thank you! I love You! In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Copyright © Lara Velez, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved





A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.


Weightloss ebook <-- Note: I wrote an ebook filled with a TON of great info and advice on weightloss. It is actually how I was able to lose the weight I did and keep it off! I plan to use the SAME concepts again to get off the final pounds. If you would like a copy, I am offering it for ONLY $10, let me know (I will email you back in invoice). OR you can Click Here for the table of contents and more info about it.

If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.


Filed Under: Christian Wives Tagged With: , ,

An Honest Wife – part two

September 10, 2009 By Faith_Mom 3 Comments

<– Click Here for Part One

Your assignment for part one of “An Honest Wife,” was to examine yourself. I hope everyone took the time to think about how honest they really are. Also, I hope you read Ephesians 4:22-25…it is a very important part of our study.

Now, onto part two…

A common reason that many of us lie is SELF protection. We like to make the excuse that we are saving someone else from hurt…but really we are being selfish and just want to protect ourselves from embarrassment…or making someone mad.

Let me share another fictional example, so we can have a clearer vision of what I am trying to explain.

Lynette

Lynette has a friend named Sandra. One afternoon Lynette and Sandra went shopping together. While they were trying on some outfits, Sandra asked Lynette how a particular dress looked on her.

Lynette thinks, “YUCK!”

Lynette says, “That looks really nice on you.”

Why did Lynette lie?

No, it was not to protect Sandra. Lynette was protecting herself. She didn’t want to be honest. She did not want to make herself look bad. She did not want to seem “un Christian.”

The Word says in Ephesians 4:15 - Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, that is Christ.

Why is it that we just can’t be honest?

I believe that we can be truthful, and do it in love.

Lynette ”thought” yuck. She does not have to “say” yuck to be honest. That is brutal honesty. Brutal honesty is not what God wants from His children. This Scripture clearly tells us to be lovingly honest. Lynette could have said, “Actually, I really do not think that dress flatters you at all. Why don’t you try on the red one you had earlier?” Now, that would have been an HONEST answer without being hurtful.

Then, if Sandra got offended it is her issue. We cannot lie to please people. Our concern needs to be with pleasing the Lord and obeying His Word.

We lie about big things, small things, for no reason at all, to protect ourselves, to get our own way, to get out of things, we lie to our friends, family, children, ourselves, and our husbands…We just lie…lie…lie…

So, is it ever OK to lie?

The answer to this question depends on who you want to listen to…

Jesus tells us in John 8:44 - You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

And in John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life…

When we lie, we are in agreement with the devil. Yep, that’s right we are partying with the father of lies himself.

When we tell the truth…in love, we are in agreement with Jesus, the Truth.

Now, reflect on this question…

Who do you want to be in agreement with?

Let’s pray,

Daddy God, thank You for Your Word of Truth. I ask that You remove all lies from my mouth. Fill my mouth only with Your Truth. Help me to only speak the truth in love. Help me to shut my mouth rather than lie. Help me to be honest in all situations…even the most uncomfortable ones. Forgive me for lies that I have told to my husband and to others. Forgive me, Lord. I am truly sorry for standing in agreement with the father of lies. I renounce him and his ways in Jesus Name! I now stand in full agreement with the Truth. I ask that you give me strength to shine in honesty for You as a wife and Mother. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Your Homework:

Pray and ask God to reveal to you where you are weak and more likely to tell a lie. Confess. Repent. Turn from it and be a truth teller. Do not allow yourself to fall into the trap of believing it is ever OK to lie. Just tell the truth and you will be obedient to your Daddy God, rather than in agreement with the father of lies.

Read and study the following Scriptures this week.

  • Proverbs 6:16-21 (look where a lying tongue comes between)
  • Philippians 4:8
  • Psalm 58:3
  • And…if you did not do last week’s reading assignment, it’s never too late ;)

Copyright © Lara Velez, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved





A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.


Weightloss ebook <-- Note: I wrote an ebook filled with a TON of great info and advice on weightloss. It is actually how I was able to lose the weight I did and keep it off! I plan to use the SAME concepts again to get off the final pounds. If you would like a copy, I am offering it for ONLY $10, let me know (I will email you back in invoice). OR you can Click Here for the table of contents and more info about it.

If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.


Filed Under: Christian Wives, Life as a Woman, Themed Devotionals Tagged With: , , , , ,

An Honest Wife – part one

September 9, 2009 By Faith_Mom 3 Comments

Honesty in marriage is a topic that is not widely covered, yet it is a foundational part of a healthy marriage. I would like you to ask yourself the following questions…

  • Am I an honest woman?
  • Do I always tell the truth?
  • Is it ever OK to lie?

Most of us will probably answer yes to the first and last question. It is interesting to me that we consider ourselves honest people…yet we lie. Oh, yes, we do lie.

Let me give you a few examples of how we lie…

Note: These are not actual people…just examples

Michelle

Michelle is married to Bryan. Michelle and Bryan are on a tight budget. They are trying desperately to get out of debt. They have many arguments about finances. Most of them are about Michelle’s spending habits. Michelle loves to spend money. Especially when her and Bryan fight.

One evening they got into a rather heated argument about her spending. She went to bed quite angry and hurt. Bryan wasn’t very nice with his words. He spoke to her in anger.  The next morning, Michelle decided that she needed a new dress to make her feel better. She found a pretty pale yellow one on sale. She bought it. When she got home she hid it in the back of her closet…

A few weeks later, Michelle and Bryan had a business dinner to attend. She decided to wear the yellow dress. Bryan didn’t recognize the dress. He asked her where she got it. Michelle said that she didn’t remember. She’s had it for years. Then she puts it out of her mind and finishes getting ready…

Katherine

Katherine is married to Joe. Joe recently got a promotion at work, and is working long hours. He is burnt out at the end of the day. So, he asks Katherine to handle the finances until his schedule gets better.

Katherine is all excited and thinks this is a wonderful idea. She was never happy with the small allowance that Joe gave her each week. So, she decided to redo the budget to suit her materialistic needs.

She spent and charged and spent and charged some more. It got so bad that she was unable to make all her payments on time.

Unfortunately, she chose NOT to go to Joe with this. She continued to keep him in the dark. After all, she wasn’t actually “lying.” He never “asked” her about the money. She felt confident that keeping this from him was best for their marriage.

All seemed to be going well, until…the electricity was turned off. When Joe came home from work, she STILL did not take responsibility. She lied. She told him there was an outage. ACK! What a mess Katherine has gotten herself in!

Margie

Margie is married to Tom. Margie has a friend named Leann. Leann can be extremely irritating. Margie does not like spending time with her…but she knows it’s the good “Christian” thing to do. So, she accepts an invitation for a couple’s night out on Friday evening. Her and Tom almost never go out…

On Wednesday, Margie runs into Lisa. She hasn’t seen Lisa in ages…They spend a bit of time catching up, and then Lisa suggests that Margie and Tom come over for dinner on Friday night. Margie just loves Lisa. She would much rather spend her time with Lisa than Leann. She accepts.

Margie spends the rest of the afternoon trying to come up with a good “excuse” for canceling with Leann. Finally, she decides to tell her that Tom has to work late. She hangs up and Leann leaves her mind. Friday comes and she has a wonderful evening with Lisa. She never even feels guilty. She simply justifies her lies and moves on.

Most of us may be familiar with at least one…if not all of these scenarios…and many others I am certain. If not, we DO have other issues, like pride and denial, that cannot be covered in this lesson! LOL!

Unfortunately, the Church does not always stand for truth. We have become desensitized. We look just like the world in many respects. We forget that we are aliens. We forget that we are supposed to stand for Truth. We forget that when we lie, we are submitting to the father of lies, the devil.

Click Here for Part Two

Let’s pray,

Daddy God, show me where I have been dishonest with my husband, others, and myself. Help me to be the honest wife and woman that you desire me to be. Help me to recognize when I am being less than truthful. Help me to really examine my attitude towards lying this week. I want to please You, Lord. Show me where I am lacking in Truth. Show me where I am deceiving myself. Thank You. Thank you for Your Love. Thank You for Your Truth. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Your Homework:

Is it ever OK to lie?

Your assignment for this lesson, is to examine yourself. Think about how truthful you are. Think about how often you lie. Even those ones considered “little white lies.” A lie is a lie. I want you to do a self-check up.

Also, read Ephesians 4:22-25…then, next week, we will answer that question.

After you have spent a day or so doing the above, go on and read part two of this study.

Copyright © Lara Velez, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved





A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.


Weightloss ebook <-- Note: I wrote an ebook filled with a TON of great info and advice on weightloss. It is actually how I was able to lose the weight I did and keep it off! I plan to use the SAME concepts again to get off the final pounds. If you would like a copy, I am offering it for ONLY $10, let me know (I will email you back in invoice). OR you can Click Here for the table of contents and more info about it.

If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.


Filed Under: Christian Wives, Life as a Woman, Themed Devotionals Tagged With: , , , , ,

Love Unconditionally

July 23, 2009 By Faith_Mom 6 Comments

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and he who loves his fellowmen is born of God and is coming progressively to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]. He who does not love has not become acquainted with God does not and never did know Him, for God is love.
- 1 John 4:7-8 (Amplified)

What stood out for me here is that there are no conditions to this love. It does not say to Love “if.” It simply says to Love. We are supposed to love everyone. However, today, we are going to focus on loving our husband.

This is a VERY clear Scripture. If we are truly walking with the Lord in obedience we have no other option except to love our husbands…UNconditionally.

Notice how it does not say that this is an easy task. LOL! We all know that it is not.

This Scripture also goes against everything that this world stands for. This world operates in a very selfish manner. There is no room in marriage for love, forgiveness, and acceptance. In today’s world divorce is the norm. If your needs are being met, get a divorce…it just wasn’t meant to be. If your mate messes up, get a divorce…it was good while it lasted.

I KNOW that God NEVER intended for us to divorce. Do not misunderstand, I am sure there are times when you have no other option. I am certain though that MOST marriages that have ended in divorce are because one or both partners chose NOT to love UNconditionally. However, this lesson is not about that.

Listen to what Jesus tells the Pharisees in Matthew 19:4-8

He replied, Have you never read that He Who made them from the beginning made them male and female,

And said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be united firmly (joined inseparably) to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder (separate).

They said to Him, Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of divorce and thus to dismiss and repudiate a wife?

He said to them, Because of the hardness (stubbornness and perversity) of your hearts Moses permitted you to dismiss and repudiate and divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been so ordained.

The last part of this verse is the most interesting; Because of the hardness (stubbornness and perversity) of your hearts

Hmmm…

Do you think if we loved UNconditionally that we would be able to “harden our hearts?” No. Love is VERY powerful. We would be compelled to forgive and remain.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily,

It is not conceited, arrogant and inflated with pride; it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening.

Love never fails

Let’s Pray;

Daddy God, I would like to thank You for my husband. Thank You for every trial, tear, laugh, good times and bad. Thank You for ALL that comes with being married. Lord, I ask that You help me to learn how to love the way You love. Help me to love and forgive UNcondtionally. Help me to see my husband the way you do. Help me to walk in Love so well that when people see me they do not really see me, they see YOU. I love You, Daddy and I want nothing more than to please You in all I do and say. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me UNconditionally. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Your Homework

Memorize: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and he who loves his fellowmen is born of God and is coming progressively to know and understand God. He who does not love has not become acquainted with God does not and never did know Him, for God is love. - 1 John 4:7-8

Dig Deeper:

  1. Look up James 1:2-4 and do an in depth study on it.
  2. Look up Love, Loved, Loving in the Bible. Find the Scriptures that pertain to you and your situation. memorize as many as you can!
  3. Make real efforts to let things go and be a wive who loves UNconditionally. When you fail, get down on your knees, repent, then get up and keep trying. This world needs…NEEDS to see marriage work. They need to SEE love walked out before them. It is the ONLY way we will ever reach them…when WE walk in LOVE and shine for Jesus!

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved





A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.


Weightloss ebook <-- Note: I wrote an ebook filled with a TON of great info and advice on weightloss. It is actually how I was able to lose the weight I did and keep it off! I plan to use the SAME concepts again to get off the final pounds. If you would like a copy, I am offering it for ONLY $10, let me know (I will email you back in invoice). OR you can Click Here for the table of contents and more info about it.

If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.


Filed Under: Christian Wives, In the Word, Spiritual Warfare Tagged With: , , ,

A Stubborn Wife Creates an Angry Husband

April 29, 2009 By Faith_Mom 12 Comments

I wrote this awhile back for Wives of Faith. I thought it was something to revisit! Every Christian wife can use a reminder every now and then to get back into the proper role that the Lord designed us to be in!

A Stubborn Wife Creates an Angry Husband

By: Lara Velez

I am married to a man whom I sometimes refer to as “My Diva Man.” He is a person who likes things a certain way. He can be quite demanding at times. However, he is also a wonderful husband who works very hard so that I can be home with our two beautiful daughters every day.

Unfortunately, this stubborn wife sometimes forgets that and stomps her foot and refuses to give in to him and what he needs.

Let me share an example that happened recently…

We just started doing the South Beach Diet together. So, I need to make his lunch more often than I used to…now it’s every day.

The other day, I could not find a container large enough to hold what I made AND small enough to fit in his lunch box without having to be at an angle. Well, I didn’t think twice, I just put it on an angle.

The next day I did the same thing. This time, however, he looked in his lunch box and got annoyed. He told me that the dressing from the salad got all over the container lid last time. He asked me what he was supposed to do. I told him to scrape it off. BOOM! He got angry. He said I did not care about him and that he had to go work all night and so on. I got annoyed and basically told him he was a jerk. He went to work.

The next morning I got up to make him breakfast and some food for his second job. I made a tuna salad. What I did not do was drain the tuna as well as he would have liked it and again he noticed BEFORE he even left. He was angry and annoyed and again said that I did not care about him and that I just threw his lunch together with no thought.

I got VERY angry and told him he was self centered and unthankful for the fact that I woke up and was nice enough to make him something.

We went back and forth for a few and he left for work.

Now, of course, my Dear and Wonderful Daddy in Heaven convicted me that day while my husband was working. He made me realize that I was the one who was wrong. I needed to be a help to my husband NOT a stubborn wife. I needed to love and CARE about what I was doing for him, not just throw something together and have a “It’s better than nothing” attitude.

So, I apologized to my husband when he got home from work. And, he apologized for not expressing himself nicer.

My STUBBORNNESS and “whatever” attitude was a hindrance to my husband. It made him angry and upset. Thankfully I got past myself fairly quickly.

Unfortunately, many times, us wives remain stubborn for a LONG time and it causes our men to stumble .

The Word tells us VERY clearly to adapt ourselves to our husbands. Not always an easy task for this fallen woman! LOL!

Helpful and Cooperative Wife = Happy and Fulfilled Husband

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Source: Wives of Faith





A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.


Weightloss ebook <-- Note: I wrote an ebook filled with a TON of great info and advice on weightloss. It is actually how I was able to lose the weight I did and keep it off! I plan to use the SAME concepts again to get off the final pounds. If you would like a copy, I am offering it for ONLY $10, let me know (I will email you back in invoice). OR you can Click Here for the table of contents and more info about it.

If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.


Filed Under: Blog, Christian Wives, Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , ,

Don’t Rot the Man’s Bones!

April 21, 2009 By Faith_Mom 4 Comments

A virtuous and worthy wife is a crowning joy to her husband, but she who makes him ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. - Proverbs 12:4

First, let us look deeper into some of the key words in this powerful Scripture.

Virtuous – Chayil (khah’ - yil) and means; a force, an army, strength, able, substance, worthy.

Crown – atar (aw-tar’) and means; encircle, crown, compass

Ashamed - buwsh (boosh) and means; to make disappointed, put to shame, confound, become dry, to contradict or refute, to bring ruin.

I think many times, as wives, we do not really take the time to truly understand the role we play in the lives of our husbands. God did not put the man at the head because He thought less of the woman. He loves us the same. However, He needed to create an atmosphere of order in the home. So, He Chose the man to lead and the woman to submit and follow.

However, with the role we have as wives, there is an incredible responsibility that in most cases is missed. It is often missed because as women we can not get past the word “submit,” and the annoyance that word brings!

Look at this Scripture though.

Hmmm…

We are a force in our husband’s life. Let me share the Scripture with you now that we have clarity on some of the words used in it…

A strong, able, and worthy woman is a crowning compass of joy to her husband, but she who makes him shamed, disappointed, and contradicts him is a rottenness to his bones.

WOW! We are a HUGE influence in our husband’s life. And, when we do not step into our roles as wives properly, we are a hindrance to our husbands. We are a bad influence. When we argue, fight, refuse to submit, boss, verbally bash privately or publicly, disrespect, and treat our husband in any way that is out of alignment with God’s Word, we are hurting them. We are ROTTING THEIR BONES!

Hey, I did not write the Word. God inspired men what to write. God made sure that we all know everything we need to live happy, peaceful, and joy-filled lives. His Word does not adapt itself with the times. His Word does not change to fit our needs or the culture. It just IS. We all have choices…we can obey and be blessed or we can disobey and bring ruin to ourselves and our husbands.

Benefits of obedience:

- blessings
- allows God to WORK in our husband’s life and heart
- helps our husband BE what God created him to be
- trains our children to be God obeyers NOT the cultures lackey

What does the fruit of Disobedience Bring?

- a ruined husband with rotten bones
- divorce
- hindrance or our husbands spiritual walk
- trains our children to life selfish worldly lives

To put it bluntly, we need to stop waiting for our husband’s to fulfill OUR needs and OBEY what God wants US to do as wives. NOT based on the performance of our husbands. We need to DO what God says to do BECAUSE God SAID it and HE knows best!

When we let go of what we want and do what God wants, then and ONLY then will we truly have all that God wants us to have. Then and ONLY then will God actually have the room and ability to WORK in our husbands hearts and help our marriages.

We cannot go on expecting God to change them and we are not even willing to do what God has said to do!

Let’s Pray;

Daddy God, please forgive me for being a selfish wife. Please forgive me for unrealistic expectations, and expecting my husband to fulfill my needs. Help me to turn to You and allow You to be my source for everything. Please forgive me for being stubborn and expecting my husband to change before I will. Help me to love him. Help me to obey You and what You want regardless of my husband’s behavior. Help me to NOT be a rottenness to his bones. Help me to be a crowning joy to him that helps him to be all that You created him to be. Help me to love him unselfishly. Show me how I can honor, encourage, and delight my husband. Thank You for Your Word, Lord. Thank You for not changing with the times. Thank You for being the same yesterday, today, and forever. Help me to be consistent in all I do. Praise You Lord. You are worthy of my obedience, love, and worship. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus Mighty Life Giving Name. Amen!

Your Homework:

Study the following Scriptures:

* Proverbs 14:1
* Proverbs 15:1-4
* Proverbs 16:7
* Luke 6:41-42
* 1 Corinthians 13
* 1 John 4:7-21

Memorize: Be gentle and forbearing with one another, and if one has a grievance against another, readily pardon each other; even as the Lord has freely forgiven you, so must you also forgive. – Colossians 3:13

Application: If you really want a happy, healthy, GOD pleasing marriage, then you must begin to look inward and not at your husband. Take an inventory of your thought life, how you think and speak about your husband, repent, and begin to seek God about how YOU should change.

Copyright © Lara Velez

In His Love and Service,
Lara ;)

Note: All Scripture is taken from the Amplified Bible, unless otherwise stated. Also, the Webster’s dictionary, Random House Thesaurus, Strong’s Concordance, and/or The Complete New Testament Word Study may have been used.

Copyright © Lara Velez, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved





A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.


Weightloss ebook <-- Note: I wrote an ebook filled with a TON of great info and advice on weightloss. It is actually how I was able to lose the weight I did and keep it off! I plan to use the SAME concepts again to get off the final pounds. If you would like a copy, I am offering it for ONLY $10, let me know (I will email you back in invoice). OR you can Click Here for the table of contents and more info about it.

If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.


Filed Under: Christian Wives Tagged With: ,

Praying for Your Husbands Day

April 21, 2009 By Faith_Mom Leave a Comment

One of the biggest blessings you can give your husband is to pray for his day.

You might ask, “What’s the point, what difference does it make?” It actually makes a lot of difference. Christians daily face a spiritual battle, and the choice is yours whether or not to protect yourself and your husband in prayer.

When you pray for your husband, pray specifically. If the Lord brings a specific issue to your mind during the day, stop and pray about it. Be open to the Spirit’s guidance.

Many of the workplaces our husbands go off to every day are less than desirable when it comes to the things they have to see and hear throughout the day.

Here are some things I have prayed specifically for my husband:

  • his safety, his heart (that he will work with a willing and glad heart), and his mind (that he will be protected from unwanted thoughts and influences).
  • If your husband is a manager, pray that he will be an effective leader and a good role model for his employees.
  • If your husband has just started a new job pray that he adapts quickly and eases into his new routine.
  • If your husband is unhappy in his job and finding a new job seems the only option, pray that a better opportunity arises.

You might be saying, “What about me? I work too.” Hopefully your husband will pray for you too. The Lord has put our husbands in our care, and one of our primary responsibilities as wives is praying for his success both as a husband and a father. Many wives have told me their husbands can tell if they are praying for them by the quality of their work days. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to show your husband how much you love him and want to support him.

Copyright 2002.

About the Author: Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom. For complete resources for the Christian home, visit her web site at http://www.Christian-Parent.com. To subscribe to her monthly newsletter send a blank e-mail message to Christian-Parent-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.





A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.


Weightloss ebook <-- Note: I wrote an ebook filled with a TON of great info and advice on weightloss. It is actually how I was able to lose the weight I did and keep it off! I plan to use the SAME concepts again to get off the final pounds. If you would like a copy, I am offering it for ONLY $10, let me know (I will email you back in invoice). OR you can Click Here for the table of contents and more info about it.

If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.


Filed Under: Christian Wives Tagged With: , ,

How to Look Beautiful for Your Husband Even After Baby

April 21, 2009 By Faith_Mom Leave a Comment

Is it unreasonable for your husband to want a sexy wife? What if you just had a baby and it seems like an impossible task to lose that baby belly? The stress of being a new mom can be overwhelming without thinking about losing weight and counting calories. You may be thinking, “He should love me just as I am!”

On one of my Losing Weight After Baby podcasts, I talked about the husband’s need for an attractive wife. Men are visually stimulated and it’s very important to them to feel physically attracted to their spouses. Dr. Willard Harley says it best in his excellent book, His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-proof Marriage:

“By calling for a wife to be attractive I mean she should take pains to look something like the woman her husband married. After all, that was the woman he fell in love with, not a movie star or some other fantasy. Does this mean a woman must stay eternally young? Of course not, but getting older provides no excuse for letting weight creep up and up, not fixing your hair, and dressing like a bag lady.”

Did you hear that ladies?

Getting older and having a baby is no excuse for:

1. Letting weight creep up and up
2. Not fixing your hair
3. Dressing like a bag lady

How’s that for hitting home? The good news is that you are not a helpless victim. A box of twinkies will not attack you when you wake up. You can take charge of your health and look your best for your husband (and yourself too!).

You don’t have to spend one hour primping in front of the mirror. Hello, moms don’t have that kind of time! Just take 5-10 minutes to put on makeup, comb your hair and wear something that flatters your figure (I know that’s a post-pregnancy challenge!).

So how are you doing mom? Do you look like the bride your husband married? Of course, if you just had a baby, you’ve gained some extra pounds and rightfully so! But are you working hard towards getting that pre-baby body back? To look like the woman in your wedding pictures?

Today’s Action Step: Take out your wedding album. Look at the photos of you and your husband. Do you look like that woman he married? Are there changes you need to make to look attractive for your spouse?

About the Author: Want to lose your baby weight once and for all? Get FREE tips that work at Arlene’s website www.losingweightafterbaby.com or blog at losingweightafterbaby.wordpress.com

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com





A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.


Weightloss ebook <-- Note: I wrote an ebook filled with a TON of great info and advice on weightloss. It is actually how I was able to lose the weight I did and keep it off! I plan to use the SAME concepts again to get off the final pounds. If you would like a copy, I am offering it for ONLY $10, let me know (I will email you back in invoice). OR you can Click Here for the table of contents and more info about it.

If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.


Filed Under: Beauty Bar, Christian Wives, Pregnancy, Weightloss Tagged With: , , ,

A Christian Wife Should Honor and Revere Her Husband

April 20, 2009 By Faith_Mom 4 Comments

Reverence is only used 13 times in the entire Bible. That is not very many when you look at the Word in its entirety. At least two are directly related to how a wife should act towards her husband

. This was very enlightening to me. Considering how few times the word is mentioned, it must be a very important character trait for wives to seek.

However, let each man of you without exception love his wife as his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly. - Ephesians 5:33

When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him–to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband. - I Peter 3:2

I looked up reverence in the original Greek and the Webster’s dictionary and this is what I found…

Reverence – awe of, revere, a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe, the outward manifestation of this feeling. The thesaurus gave some more insight; honor, admiration, adoration, devotion, show honor and devotion to, look up to, respectfully cherish.

On the flip side; disrespect, dishonor, despise, scorn, mock, snap one’s fingers at, disregard, hatred.

Yikes! I certainly do not want to show hatred to my husband. Unfortunately, when I do not show him reverence that is exactly what I am doing! Honor is a word that your husband understands…he may not ever articulate it with words, however, he does know it and he does NEED it.

How Wives Can Show Honor to their Husbands…

  • respect our husbands. do not embarrass him. do not speak to him in a superior way…especially in public or in front of the children. 
  • prefer them above all others (except God of course)
  • esteem him
  • admire him openly…in public and private
  • defer to him…go to him for advice and include him in decisions. he needs to feel like you respect his views and feelings. he is after all, the head…or at least he SHOULD be in a healthy Christian marriage.
  • praise and edify him…build him up with your words
  • have fun and enjoy him

Honor with our Thoughts:

Submit your mind to the authority of Jesus Christ when dishonoring thoughts cloud your mind. (2 Corinthians 10:5, Hebrews 3:1)

This culture encourages and teaches the polar opposite of the UNCHANGING Word of the Living God. It’s all about self and my needs in the world. However, God’s Word is all about others and selfLESS.The world teaches woman power. The Word teaches submit to your husband. Satan is the ruler of this world. God is the only Truth. WHO are YOU going to choose to obey???

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. - Proverbs 16:18

As Christian wives, we need to submit to God’s authority and His Word. Period. Forget you and focus on God and your husband.

Let go of wrong thinking and renew your mind with the Word.

Honor with our Words:

Tell him that he is wonderful, awesome, more than you dreamed…even if by faith the words must come. SPEAK life to your husband. Life and death are in the power of your tongue. We can build them up and bring life to them and our marriages…or we can bring death and destruction to our husbands and eventually destroy our marriage.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it. - Proverbs 18:21

The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you. - Matthew 12:37

Speak positive, loving, honoring and life giving words to him in public and private. When you are with him and when you are not. Be a life giver in your marriage!

Honor with Actions:

Listen to your husband and honor the things that matter to him. If he wants you to clean your house, respect his request and DO it. If her wants you to spend less, begin to honor him with your finances. If your husband needs you to do something for him, DO it without complaining.

Include him in decisions. Be an encouragement for him to be a PART of your life and the life of  your family. You are NOT the one who should be in charge. If you are the dominate force in the marriage you are out of alignment and NOT in God’s Will fro your marriage. Period. Honestly, women who dominate their husbands MUST submit to God’s Word and prayerfully seek Him and pray for God to help them. It is a terrible thing…especially to teach our children.

Children who see this behavior will not grow up with the proper mind set. If a dominating woman has a son, her son will most likely marry a dominating woman and the vicious unbalanced seed will continue to prosper. If she has daughters, they will dominate their husbands and also continue on this horrible tradition.

Seriously ladies, seek God about this. He created you to be submitted to your husband and to HELP HIM be the leader of the home. THAT is the only healthy way for a Christian, Bible believing marriage to be…

GOD
Husband
Wife
Children

A wise and good Mother will submit to the Lord and allow Him to teach her to be a wife that pleases HIM!

A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands. - Proverbs 14:1

I want you to remember something…God’s Word is NOT politically correct. God is not a feminist. He does not bend to the ways, cultures and ideas of man. Renew your mind with the WORD not the world. It may mean turning off that unhealthy soap opera, and reading your Bible…hmmm…something to think and pray about don’t ya think?

Honor your husband.

Homework:

Study and memorize Ephesians 5:33 and I Peter 3:2.

However, let each man of you without exception love his wife as his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly. - Ephesians 5:33

When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him–to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband. - I Peter 3:2

Dig deeper and seek God as to how you may lack in this areas and ways that you can improve. Below are some verses you should meditate on from this study…

  • Proverbs 12:4; 14:1; 16:18
  • Matthew 12:37
  • 2 Corinthians 10:5
  • Hebrews 3:1

Honor and respect  your husband with your thoughts, words, and actions.

Copyright © Lara Velez, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved





A CALL TO HOLINESS--> I would like to let you all know about a NEW Bible Study here at Moms of Faith. It will be available at the beginning of October 2010. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! In this seven week study we will cover topics like; What is holiness?, Who is called to it?, 4 Characteristics of Holy Living, Hindrances to Holiness and more! Click Here for more info and pricing.


Weightloss ebook <-- Note: I wrote an ebook filled with a TON of great info and advice on weightloss. It is actually how I was able to lose the weight I did and keep it off! I plan to use the SAME concepts again to get off the final pounds. If you would like a copy, I am offering it for ONLY $10, let me know (I will email you back in invoice). OR you can Click Here for the table of contents and more info about it.

If you would like to join the "Get Fit Challenge" we currently have going on here, it is free and as simple as reading a post each week and commenting on your status! Click Here to see all posts on this topic.


Filed Under: Christian Wives, Daily Devotional Tagged With: , ,