Your Husbands World

Entering your husbands world

Do you really KNOW your husband? We are made for and transformed through intimate relationships. When we have a personal relationship with God we are able to form a bond with Him and our faith and trust is increased. When we let those walls down and choose intimacy with our husbands we will also grow in faith and trust with him.
One way we can connect with our husbands is to enter his world. What is he passionate about?What spills out of him without effort?What brings him Joy? For my husband it is football, more specificly Notre Dame football. His love for the game, stats and players is really hard for me to comprehend. Honestly, the only time I think about ND football is on Saturday when the game is on. In years past, it was really a sore subject for me. I would get so upset that he loved ND football so much. How could he sit and watch games for hours? He doesn't show that much passion for me....
After attending a marriage conference, God opened my eyes to see that I can look at our different passions as a positive or negative. God sees them as a positive and he wants them to strengthen our marriage. We were given the opportunity to go to three, yes three ND games this year. When Shawn got tickets for the first one I told him to take a buddy. Shawn and his buddy both wanted me to go and thought if I went I might convert into an ND fan. Well they were right. My passion is not like Shawn's but I loved going to these games. What I really loved was Shawn's joy and sharing it with him. This gave Shawn and I an opportunity to spend many hours together and talk, laugh and just have fun! So many times we get caught up in the daily grind and forget to have fun and enjoy the gift that God has given us in our spouse. Work, pay bills, planning dinners, home work for you and or the kids... All of these responsibilities are necessary and yet they tend to suck the life out of us. My husband like many men is a kid and heart, and loves to play outside, be involved in or watch sporting events, or just be active. Men love to share these activities with there wives. What does your husband enjoy doing with his buddies? Go fishing, watch a game or the races, play golf. We have a connection and bond with our husbands that no one else can touch, so if they enjoy watching a game with there buddies they would love to share it with us too. When we enter their world, take time to show interest in what they are passionate about it ends up as a win for your marriage.

If I would have insisted that he take his buddy I would have missed this opportunity. After the first game I was totally hooked and wanted the ND gear and was looking forward to the next game. I entered his world and totally loved it. We were blessed with time alone together and it gave us a new bond that we hadn't had before. With busy lives and daily responsibilities this gave both of us a chance to be a little goofy, wear the gear, do the cheers and totally enjoy the game and each others company.

What does your husband love that you could care less about? What does he love that you could do with him? You might even be surprised as I was that you totally get into it and have a great time.

Struggles

Romans 8:37
No in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him who loves us. I am not sure about you but there are certain areas of my life that I don't feel like a conqueror. In a Bible study that I am doing it asked the question what labels do we put on
ourselves? Crazy how those labels are still issues I deal with today. Sometimes they seem to go away for a while, and then bam there they are again. Insecurities! Like many women I can
go through my day and no one would guess the insecurities I am dealing with. What I find is I tend to dwell on them and this takes my focus of God. He is saying I am more than a conqueror and he also says where I am weak he is strong. So it is crazy that these are still stumbling blocks.
If you are like me I hope you take a minute and think about one of you insecurities or labels you are struggling with and give it to God. Pray that God would help you in your weakness. Know that he will.
Ephesians 3:20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

Remember the Gift God has Given us in our Kids

This is an email that I just received from a friend and what a great reminder to slow down and take time to just be with our kids. I was just thinking how thankful I am for such a beautiful day and the time God has given me to spend it with my girls.
Thank you Lord!!

TO MY DAUGHTER

*Just for this morning, I am going to step over
the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

*Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

*Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

*Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by.

*Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

*Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

*Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

*Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

*Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

*Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

*Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

*Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

*I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.

*And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day.

--
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

He is Holy

Revelation 4:8
Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

We serve a Holy God! This a great song to listen and think of the times
in your life that you have God's holy hand.

Knowing His Plan

It would be really sad at the end of my life to find out I had missed God’s plan for me. That I followed my own agenda and missed his. Maybe you are not completely sure what God has planned for you and you wish it was more clear. I know many women that feel that same way. I also know for me there was a lot of fear involved with totally surrendering to his plan. Also a lot of questions. Questions that I had and have to voice and give up to him. Our God is an awesome and understanding God, and wants us to share our hearts. If you are on the fence about what his true plan is for you voice that to him. When I take my concerns to him and give them over I will get clarification. Through his word, through a devotional, through a message at church. He does answer.
Heb 4: 16 - Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
There are many keys to being on fire for Jesus but I think that one of the first’s is constant communication with him. Our world can be scary, challenging and confusing so we have to take our thoughts to him. I love that he knows them no matter what but he wants to hear our voice. I can read my kids and know what they are upset about before they tell me, but I still listen and want to hear what they have to say.
1. Because I love them
2. Because it makes them feel important and loved
Heb 4:15 ties it all together - For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every was, just as we are yet was without sin.
I think God just wanted to reiterate in this verse that we can take anything to him. He already knows our weakness it no shock to him.
What is a weakness that you struggle with that you would love some wisdom and guidance on?
Know that no issue is to big or small God.
My daughter had a finger nail that was bothering her the other day and she reminded me to pray for it. For her it was bothering her and so she wanted to pray about it. Do you, do I have that same attitude about everything in our lives?
Mark 10:15 - Receive like a child

Protect your quiet time

This song is one to listen to in your quiet time. I hope you take a minute to listen and share your heart with Jesus.

Do you find these words to be true in your life. When you set down the distractions and totally seek Him what do you feel?
I find as a woman, wife and mom that more and more I need to be filled with quiet time with my Lord. For years I have been doing my quiet time when my girls nap and that worked at the time. Now those days of 2 hour naps are coming to an end and I was noticing that by the end of the day I had little energy to read, study or pray.
So I decided I would set the alarm and have that time before anyone is up. When that alarm goes off I think to my self really is it time to get out of this warm bed already. Going to the basement half awake I usually pray, read and sometimes listen to a song. It takes me a while to wake up and there have been days when I think did I really give God the time he deserves and desires.
What I am noticing is that through out the day a verse will come to mind when needed,and I am more productive and less tired. As much as the world sucks us dry the Lord wants to fill us up. I can now see and feel the difference when I take that time in the morning and when I choose to sleep in.
The more I seek Him the more He is there to give me what I need.
Thank you Lord
This is a great song to have in your quiet time. I have closed my eyes and tried to imagine sitting at the feet of Jesus. Sisters in Christ we will have that privilege some day!
Have a Blessed week - Jaime

Nap Time Can't Come Soon Enough - Previous Post

Today Nap time can't come soon enough. As I am preparing lunch I am listening to
NaNa Na boo boo, your a boy, don't look at me, It's mine, stop. This is all in one minute and this picking has gone on all morning. Most of the time my girls play great but today is a day where they can look at each other and be on each others nerves. I am trying to stay positive and not lose my cool and yet I want to scream. I know that me going to their level never turns out well. I am sure we all have different methods to redirecting our kids and for this one I used the timer and we played the quiet game. It seemed to work for a few minutes anyway.
My point is not about my misbehaving kids it's about my quiet time last night. I was able to come in my room and close the door and have quiet time doing my Bible study. It was raining and listening to the rain while doing the Bible study was so calming. On my to do list for the night was quiet time, look at bills and a load of laundry. The only thing on my list that was accomplished was the quiet time. I found that even though I was only able to get one out of three things done God really blessed my time. This morning I was able to do a little catch up and I feel the Lord really blessed my work this morning. Yes the girls were a little bit of a handful but in that I was also very productive. I think he multiplied my time.
Yes now the girls are napping and I should be working on my list but I had to quick write this down. In hopes that a Mom just like me is trying to be a patient Mom and she might need a little encouragement today. To take time that was supposed to be for laundry or looking at bills and just spend time with God. When I spend that time with him he fills me up so I(we) can tackle the day ahead. I put we because he helps me everyday.
One of the verses in my Bible study last night was a very familiar verse and yet it made me think about how I go about the day to day tasks.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
Love is patient Love is kind....
Sometimes as I go about the day to day tasks I am not leading in love. As I made lunch and was very irritated with the constant picking I tried to lead in love.
I find God continually equips me for what I need for later that day or the next day and this verse was very helpful. Also with my tank full I was more patient and more understanding - they are only 5 and 3 not 25 and 23.
2Tim 4:17
so that the man of God me be thoroughly equipped for every good word.
I Love that God gives us just want we need.