Andrea has been such an inspiration to my wife and I as well as so many of the blogging world! She is a wonderful woman, mother, friend and prayer warrior for so many of us. You are such joy to all of the people you come into contact with, from using your therapy dogs, to just sending out so many prayer requests. You also just finished putting together your daughters wedding while dealing with your own health issues.
Thank you for being such a wonderful Mom and friend!
Congratulations Andrea!
If you have not had a chance to follow her, pop on over to her site and see what you've been missing!
Ever wonder why you and your wife constantly seem to go round and round on a merry go round when it comes to dealing with simple conflict? Why can’t things just go smoother? Why can’t we understand one another’s needs? How can we make our marriage work?
Then you must read Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, by Thomas Nelson publishers. It will not only answer all those questions but also improve the quality of your marriage and your relationship!
In Ephesians 5:33, Paul writes, “Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself and the wife must respect her husband.”
Did you catch the two biggest secrets for making a marriage work? Men must love their wives and wives must respect their husbands. Why? Women already know how to love unconditionally and they know how to show love throughout everything they do in a marriage. God uniquely created her to have this ability to love within her, however to respect her husband is a command from God. It is the one thing women need to do to make their marriages work. Be respectful to their husbands always.
Men on the other hand are naturally gifted in giving respect. After all they do it at work all the time, in the military they are taught to respect authority figures, and even their own fathers teach them to be respectful of others. So for a man to be respectful to their wives comes easily. Acting lovingly to their wives do not, which is why is it commanded for men to love their wives as much as they love themselves
.
Husbands have the natural ability to walk away or to provide the silent treatment to their wives when confronted in any given situation, which is the respectful thing to do. However, wives view that as unloving and will usually follow that up with a few verbal assaults on how he can be a better father, better husband, better person all the while completely showing her husband a lack of disrespect. So the cycle continues because the husband tries to solve conflicts within his marriage with respect and the wife tries to fix everything by showing him just how much she loves him. They call this the crazy cycle in the book.
The more he reacts to his wife without love, she in return reacts without respect…and the cycle continues.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking not only to improve their current marriage situation but also to make what they currently have better. If both the husbands and wives see their primary duties in the marriage this way, both win. The wife refrains from being disrespectful to her husband and the husband refrains from withholding love from his wife. See how they both win.
This book highlights things you can say and how to handle unique situations that each marriage has. From the back cover of the book sums the whole book up.
“A wife has one driving need – to feel loved. When that need is met, she is happy. A husband has one driving need – to feel respected. When that need is met, he is happy. When either of these needs isn’t met, things get crazy. Love and Respect reveals why spouses react negatively to each other, and how they can deal with such conflict quickly, easily and biblically."
Loren has been so inspirational, loving, caring and pulled in so many ways in the past few months it is a wonder she is not in the hospital herself! You are such a wonderful Mom, daughter, Nurse, Wife, Interior Decorator! So this award goes to you for being such a wonderful MOM! We are still keeping Doug in all of our prayers and thoughts!
Congratulations Loren for being such a wonderful and inspiration to so many other Moms out there! If you have not had a chance to follow her blog, please stop by and follow her! She has a wonderful site at The Magoos News.
Okay, Luvin This Life had a great idea to pass along a prayer chain so we can all add people to the list and pray for them this weekend! I was fortunate enough to be tagged by her so I am ready and willing to pass this on. I have added my list below hers so we can keep this chain going.
Click on the link and head on over to her site for more details!
I am passing this on to some of my Blogging Friends that I have met in the past few months whom I consider my efriends! I might not ever get the chance to meet them, but I feel as if they are friends and now part of our family. Consider yourselves TAGGED!
I just had to create a new award for all of those Moms out there who take care of getting the kids ready for school, take care of the house, the kids at home, the Hubby's lol, the laundry, being a chauffeur, a Nurse/Doctor, a Teacher, a Do-It-Yourselfer! Everything a Mom has to do either being a stay at home Mom or a Mom that works and takes care of all of the households out there! I am so proud of you and you deserve an award all to yourselves!
I have been reading blogs from Moms all around the country that just seems over-ran with all of the chores they have to do while still taking care of the kids, getting them to and from school, driving them to sports practice, ASB, making dinner, keeping the house clean, etc....
(MY HEAD WOULD EXPLODE IF I HAD TO MULTITASK THE WAY MOMS DO!)
So this award goes out to the Moms I have listed below starting with...
Of course I have to give this award to her first as I know how much she does around the house and to keep us together! She is definitely the glue in our family! I thank God so much for her! She is my life and I would be nothing without her! She is an amazing Mom, she has two beautiful girls that look up to her for everything (even though they might not know it!) I love you so much and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Erica, Mity, Tarah, Mimi and Nan. I have just recently started following their blog and have been reading about their family life. They all seem to be so genuine and loving so I thought I would give this new award to them! They each have their own blogs, but you can link to them from the 5 Moms and a Blog. I just love the name of their site!
From now on I will award one Mom once a week and list the reasons why I think they are such a wonderful and deserving Mom.
Hey, I know I just sent this out to six Moms, but it's my award so I can do what ever I want! SO HA!
Of course, I know that all of the Moms out there are deserving and I will get you as soon as I can. Congratulations to all of you for being such an inspiration to all of the Moms out there!
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
This is such a hard topic and issue for me to learn! I have a family trait that has been almost bred into me by my father. Yell now, ask questions later oh, and never apologize. I find it so hard to keep my temper when dealing with even the most minute or trivial issues.
My daughter came home after riding the Bus from her new school for the first time. My wife and I were both there to greet her and both of us realized something was wrong when she got off the bus. We thought that she was going to be so happy, so I had thought because this was the day she gets to ride the bus for the first time. She did not look very happy. After we picked her up and drove home, we asked her why she seemed so sad? She immediately just said that she wanted to go up to her room and start her homework. My wife and I both tried to ask her what was wrong several times until she finally broke down and started crying about how her teacher asked her to redo her work over again and do it faster. Of course, this is her words and we do not know the teachers story, yet.
My wife got her to settle down a little bit, but mind you our daughter is the head strong I can do it my self without any one's help kind of girl. She started raising her voice over Mom so I immediately went on the "MY VOICE IS LOUDER THAN YOUR VOICE AND IF YOU DON'T LISTEN THEN I WILL PULL YOU BACK OUT OF THIS SCHOOL AND PUT YOU BACK INTO HOMESCHOOLING!"
Wow, where did that come from? I know that sometimes she needs someone to have a firm voice and to stop her from talking over her Mom or myself for that matter. But, I would have to say that my father just jumped out of me and blasted her like a Heavy Blaster from STAR WARS! Yea, I am an old Star Wars Geek all grown up..
After my tirade, I knew that I had spoken harsh words out of anger and spite, which she never deserves any of that. I feel remorse and still have not apologized to her for yelling at her the way I did. Looks like it is time for me to go and be humble before the Lord and say I am sorry to the most wonderful daughter in the world. Being a father sure does make you learn very quickly about mistakes. My wife never said a word, but I could tell she thought I overstepped my bounds.
So now, I pray that God shows me the way to be patient! Please Lord, forgive me for my sins. Show me the righteous path and show me the truth no matter how hard or bitter it is for me to swallow. I thank you Lord so much for my daughter. She is so precious to me, just as Christ Jesus is to you. Please change me from within to be a patient man.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Some of us won't slow down for anything! Well, almost anything. When we get "too full ourselves" and too caught up in our own plans, the LORD, our Shepherd, slows us down and makes us lie down. Our Shepherd knows we need rest, nourishment, and refreshment and helps us, yes and even sometimes makes us, find "green pastures" and "still waters." He then leads us in the direction of his righteousness and holiness once we are rested and refreshed. Isn't it interesting that God's order for our life is always grace and then glory?
My Prayer...
Thank you, dear Father, for slowing down my frantic life and leading me to times of refreshment, rest, and nourishment. I trust that you will lead me to what I need as you mature me to have more and more of your righteous character. Please forgive me for getting too busy to hear your voice and to respond to your grace. In Jesus' name. Amen.
This is perhaps one of the strongest and most powerful of words in the Bible. It lets us know that without faith we would be lost to a world of Chaos! A world of Sin! Many people have never truly understood what faith means, even some Christians today believe in faith, but do not truly know what it means to have faith in the Lord. Here are just a few verses from the Bible on Faith.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. —Romans 5:1-2
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” —Romans 1:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. —Romans 10:8-11, 17
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. —Ephesians 6:10-17
Faith can be used in so many ways to so many people. As long as we truly believe that in Faith we are saved, then we are walking a straight path. So be Faith Warriors out there! Be white Knights for God's Great Glory and we shall be Glorified in Heaven!
Caitlyn is off to have a great Time and learn more about the Lord!
Well we just watched our daughter drive off in two beautiful Charter Buses for Vacation Bible Camp up in Big Bear, CA. You looked so happy to go with some of your friends from school. I hope you have a blast and become closer to God through his word! This is the first time you have been to a real camp and on a real Charter Bus for that matter. When Mom called you on the phone you actually were so surprised when you found out there were bathrooms on board! I know all all of your friends got a chuckle out of it (a harmless chuckle). I am sure you will have a great time
So go have a blast, learn, live, laugh and love! Take lots of pictures and we will see you on Monday!
I have not done this before, but decided to post today on Thankful Thursday as I am so thankful for many things! Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey has hosted Thankful Thursday for quite a long time and my wife Kat atHeart 2 Heartloves her Blog! So click on Sonya's link and join in the weekly blessings.
1. I am thankful to God that he has given me so much to be thankful for! I think that just about sums up what I or anyone wants or needs!
2. I am thankful for my Wife Kat! She is the love of my life and I could not imagine how hard it would be to live without her! I love seeing her beautiful smile in the morning, her gorgeous Green eyes and just being with her makes me happy.
3. I am thankful for my children who brighten my day! Caitlyn my older Step-Daughter who is such a blessing and a wonderful young woman. She has such a level head on her shoulders and well balance that she at the age of 16 is more of an adult than many of the people I meet and work with today!
4. I am so thankful for my youngest Daughter Kailee who inspires me to try to stay young and play while I can still recover from injuries! She has been going Roller-Skating at our local rink and my wife and I have been trying to keep up, however, our minds are much younger than our bodies! I am still recovering form the many falls and spills I have taken over the past several weeks. My bruises have bruises! And my poor wife has been hurt the worst when she could not get out of the way of some skaters by the wall. She fell and hurt herself pretty bad.
5. I guess I would have to say that I am grateful for healing! That our physical wounds will heal in time just as God heals our other spiritual wounds. Thank you God for healing our wounds!
Welcome to another school session of Word Association Wednesday!
Today we are going to be learning two new words today. Please give me your definitions of what you think the word means.
Okay, here is the first word for today!
Jaysinj: Please give your definition of what this word means. Is it a noun or a verb?
I think this one will be kind of hard, so think about it....
Okay, here is the second and final word for the day!
Thenwer: Please give me your definition of what this word means. It almost seems like it is two words in one doesn't it. Then and were. Well Think hard and come up with your most imaginative definitions for these two words.
If God willing, the world is still around and you could magically transport yourself 100 years into the future, what do you think you would see? Do you think it would be like the movie Back to the Future? Would we see really cool stuff that would just blow our minds?
If you could, give me 3 specific things you would see in the future and a brief description of what it would look like!
As I drove into work this morning, I started to wonder what the future would bring. If I could transport myself 100 years into the future, what would I see.
Would I instantly see scorched Earth? Would there be anyone around if Armageddon has taken place? Would we see futuristic vehicles flying just over the ground with no wheels on them? I started wondering what could be in store for us if human kind is still in existence. As the words of the one time Talk Show Host Arsenio Hall would say, "things that make you go hmm."
Would the human race have the capability of living and setting up a colony in space? Would we somehow be able to make food out of just saying something to a machine like "Make me some Earle Grey Tea and POOF....There it Is! Do I get my own Hoverboard like in Back to the Future?
Well hope to hear how creative we all can be by posting what 3 things you think might be around in the future 100 years from now. God Willing! I can't wait to hear back from everyone with their futuristic thoughts and ideas of what the world would be like in the future.
