DELIVER ME JESUS

Rite-Aid offers a $25.00 gift card for each prescription that you transfer to their pharmacy.

January is the month our health plan requires us to pay the first $250.00 on brand name presciptions. My husband’s worked stopped in December and he had just changed jobs (making much less) so I was concerned about this added expense.

I was a bit nervous about switching over but everything went smoothly. I now have 5  $25.00 gifts cards totally $125.00.

Thank you, Lord!

Head over to Biblical Womanhood for more money saving ideas.

Purina Cat or Kitten Chow is offering a FREE $4.00 coupon until 1/31. Purina will donate $1.00 to your favorite animal shelter when you redeem the coupon. PRINTABLE COUPON

Coupon Cravings mentioned that Rite-Aid has a 3.15 – 3.5 lb. bag on sale this week for $3.99 until the 31st of January. She said to check with your Rite-Aid to make sure they will accept printed coupons.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: In the past couple of decades, there’s been a movement challenging men to love and serve their wives. Every woman I know is very encouraged when we see God turning men’s hearts toward the Lord and their families.

We need to remember that God didn’t make men to be helpers to their wives. God made the wife to be a helper to her husband. In today’s evangelical world, it’s “politically correct” to challenge men to go home and serve their wives. It’s not so popular to talk to women about their responsibility to serve their husbands.

If we as women focus on what we think we deserve—what men “ought” to do for us—we’re likely to get hurt and resentful when our expectations aren’t fulfilled.

If your husband’s learning to serve you, that’s great. But remember, you’re never more like Jesus than when you’re serving other people.

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

This is a limited offer for the first 2 million people that sign up before March 31. Sign up here:  http://www.freedietdrpepper.com/ for either a FREE 20 oz bottle or a FREE 2 liter bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper.

I found a few good offers at Walgreen’s today. The best list I found was on Hot Coupon World.  

 I ended up with Carefree Liners, Mayo, air freshner, Tomato & Chicken Soup and the best deal this week was a free refill on my printer cartridge. The refill was on sale for $5.00 and with a $5.00 rebate it becomes a FREE DEAL.

I’m revisiting this question today … “How should a godly woman respond to correction.. especially from her husband? ”

Our first natural response is to defend ourselves and attack back. Especially if we think he is wrong in his assessment. This is a sinful way to respond. Even if the correction comes as a criticism or in an ungodly way. 

Our generation does not look favorable upon correction. We’re taught from society yearly on to stand up for our rights and be assertive. The flesh doesn’t need much help in this way of responding. But, scripture is clear that we are to respond favorable to correction, discipline and reproof from another. Our manner should be respectful.. especially towards our husbands. 

 Richard Baxter writes in The Christian Directory,  “Set yourselves seriously to amend all those faults which they reprove in you. Do not take it ill to be reproved; swell not against it, as if they did you harm or wrong; it is a very ill sign to “hate reproof”,

Prov 12:1 -Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
But he who hates reproof is stupid.

Prov 10:17 – He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.

Prov 15:31-32 - He whose ear listens to the life giving reproof
Will dwell among the wise. He who neglects discipline despises himself,
But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.

“It is a miserable folly to desire to be flattered and soothed by any, but especially by one that is bound to be faithful to you, and whose intimacy should make you as ready to hear of your faults from him as to be acquainted with them yourselves; and especially when it concerneth the safety or benefit of your souls.”

Given the fact that we are married to sinners we must be aware by now that we won’t always receive our correction in the most godly fashion. Sometimes it may come across as criticism or seem harsh. Depending on their frame of mind at the time their sinful delivery can always be GENTLE addressed later. Still our duty is to respond biblically and in a godly matter and then to go about correcting what they have addressed (as long as it not be sin) as quickly as possible.

* Scriptures taken from NAS updated.

How to Spend the Day With God

A holy life is inclined to be made easier when we know the usual sequence and method of our duties – with everything falling into its proper place. Therefore, I shall give some brief directions for spending the day in a holy manner.

Sleep

Measure the time of your sleep appropriately so that you do not waste your precious morning hours sluggishly in your bed. Let the time of your sleep be matched to your health and labour, and not to slothful pleasure.

First Thoughts

Let God have your first awaking thoughts; lift up your hearts to Him reverently and thankfully for the rest enjoyed the night before and cast yourself upon Him for the day which follows.

Familiarise yourself so consistently to this that your conscience may check you when common thoughts shall first intrude. Think of the mercy of a night’s rest and of how many that have spent that night in Hell; how many in prison; how many in cold, hard lodgings; how many suffering from agonising pains and sickness, weary of their beds and of their lives.

Think of how many souls were that night called from their bodies terrifyingly to appear before God and think how quickly days and nights are rolling on! How speedily your last night and day will come! Observe that which is lacking in the preparedness of your soul for such a time and seek it without delay.

Prayer

Let prayer by yourself alone (or with your partner) take place before the collective prayer of the family. If possible let it be first, before any work of the day.

Family Worship

Let family worship be performed consistently and at a time when it is most likely for the family to be free of interruptions.

Ultimate Purpose

Remember your ultimate purpose, and when you set yourself to your day’s work or approach any activity in the world, let HOLINESS TO THE LORD be written upon your hearts in all that you do.

Do no activity which you cannot entitle God to, and truly say that he set you about it, and do nothing in the world for any other ultimate purpose than to please, glorify and enjoy Him. “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Diligence in Your Calling

Follow the tasks of your calling carefully and diligently. Thus:

(a) You will show that you are not sluggish and servants to your flesh (as those that cannot deny it ease), and you will further the putting to death of all the fleshly lusts and desires that are fed by ease and idleness.
(b) You will keep out idle thoughts from your mind, that swarm in the minds of idle persons.
(c) You will not lose precious time, something that idle persons are daily guilty of.
(d) You will be in a way of obedience to God when the slothful are in constant sins of omission.
(e) You may have more time to spend in holy duties if you follow your occupation diligently. Idle persons have no time for praying and reading because they lose time by loitering at their work.
(f) You may expect God’s blessing and comfortable provision for both yourself and your families.
(g) it may also encourage the health of your body which will increase its competence for the service of your soul.

Temptations and Things That Corrupt

Be thoroughly acquainted with your temptations and the things that may corrupt you – and watch against them all day long. You should watch especially the most dangerous of the things that corrupt, and those temptations that either your company or business will unavoidably lay before you.

Watch against the master sins of unbelief: hypocrisy, selfishness, pride, flesh pleasing and the excessive love of earthly things. Take care against being drawn into earthly mindedness and excessive cares, or covetous designs for rising in the world, under the pretence of diligence in your calling.

If you are to trade or deal with others, be vigilant against selfishness and all that smacks of injustice or uncharitableness. In all your dealings with others, watch against the temptation of empty and idle talking. Watch also against those persons who would tempt you to anger. Maintain that modesty and cleanness of speech that the laws of purity require. If you converse with flatterers, be on your guard against swelling pride.

If you converse with those that despise and injure you, strengthen yourself against impatient, revengeful pride.

At first these things will be very difficult, while sin has any strength in you, but once you have grasped a continual awareness of the poisonous danger of any one of these sins, your heart will readily and easily avoid them.

Meditation

When alone in your occupations, improve the time in practical and beneficial meditations. Meditate upon the infinite goodness and perfections of God; Christ and redemption; Heaven and how unworthy you are of going there and how you deserve eternal misery in Hell.

The Only Motive

Whatever you are doing, in company or alone, do it all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Otherwise, it is unacceptable to God.

Redeeming The Time

Place a high value upon your time, be more careful of not losing it than you would of losing your money. Do not let worthless recreations, television, idle talk, unprofitable company, or sleep rob you of your precious time.

Be more careful to escape that person, action or course of life that would rob you of your time than you would be to escape thieves and robbers.

Make sure that you are not merely never idle, but rather that you are using your time in the most profitable way that you can and do not prefer a less profitable way before one of greater profit.

Eating and Drinking

Eat and drink with moderation and thankfulness for health, not for unprofitable pleasure. Never please your appetite in food or drink when it is prone to be detrimental to your health.

Remember the sin of Sodom: “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food and abundance of idleness” – Ezekiel 16:49.

The Apostle Paul wept when he mentioned those “whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame — who set their minds on earthly things, being enemies to the cross of Christ” – Philippians 3:18-19. O then do not live according to the flesh lest you die (Romans 8:13).

Prevailing Sins

If any temptation prevails against you and you fall into any sins in addition to habitual failures, immediately lament it and confess it to God; repent quickly whatever the cost. It will certainly cost you more if you continue in sin and remain unrepentant.

Do not make light of your habitual failures, but confess them and daily strive against them, taking care not to aggravate them by unrepentance and contempt.

Relationships

Remember every day the special duties of various relationships: whether as husbands, wives, children, masters, servants, pastors, people, magistrates, subjects.

Remember every relationship has its special duty and its advantage for the doing of some good. God requires your faithfulness in this matter as well as in any other duty.

Closing the Day

Before returning to sleep, it is wise and necessary to review the actions and mercies of the day past, so that you may be thankful for all the special mercies and humbled for all your sins.

This is necessary in order that you might renew your repentance as well as your resolve for obedience, and in order that you may examine yourself to see whether your soul grew better or worse, whether sin goes down and grace goes up and whether you are better prepared for suffering, death and eternity.

May these directions be engraven upon your mind and be made the daily practice of your life.

If sincerely adhered to, these will be conducive to the holiness, fruitfulness and quietness of your life and add to you a comfortable and peaceful death.

“I sought him, but I found him not.”
Song of Solomon 3:1

Tell me where you lost the company of Christ, and I will tell you the most likely place to find Him. Have you lost Christ in the closet by restraining prayer? Then it is there you must seek and find Him. Did you lose Christ by sin? You will find Christ in no other way but by the giving up of the sin, and seeking by the Holy Spirit to mortify the member in which the lust doth dwell. Did you lose Christ by neglecting the Scriptures? You must find Christ in the Scriptures. It is a true proverb, “Look for a thing where you dropped it, it is there.” So look for Christ where you lost Him, for He has not gone away. But it is hard work to go back for Christ. Bunyan tells us, the pilgrim found the piece of the road back to the Arbour of Ease, where he lost his roll, the hardest he had ever travelled. Twenty miles onward is easier than to go one mile back for the lost evidence.

Take care, then, when you find your Master, to cling close to Him. But how is it you have lost Him? One would have thought you would never have parted with such a precious friend, whose presence is so sweet, whose words are so comforting, and whose company is so dear to you! How is it that you did not watch Him every moment for fear of losing sight of Him? Yet, since you have let Him go, what a mercy that you are seeking Him, even though you mournfully groan, “O that I knew where I might find Him!” Go on seeking, for it is dangerous to be without thy Lord. Without Christ you are like a sheep without its shepherd; like a tree without water at its roots; like a sere leaf in the tempest–not bound to the tree of life. With thine whole heart seek Him, and He will be found of thee: only give thyself thoroughly up to the search, and verily, thou shalt yet discover Him to thy joy and gladness. “

Charles Spurgeon

I’ve created another blog for my Frugal Friday posts so if you’re interested in saving money on grocery items then head on over to Domestic Economy.  

These quotes were taken from John Piper’s opening speech at the True Woman Conference in 2008. If it sparks your interest you can read more at Revive Our Hearts.

Lord, help us not to be wimpy women!

“Wimpy theology makes wimpy women”.  

 ”A woman on her knees sways more in this nation than a thousand three-piece suited Wall Street jerks. “

“This is most remarkable that I would be given the privilege to address the most influential people in the world. “

“The opposite of a wimpy woman is not a brash, pushy, loud, controlling, sassy, uppity, arrogant Amazon”.

“The opposite of a wimpy woman is Joni Eareckson Tada, who would give her right arm to be with you. After forty-one years in the wheelchair she prays, “Oh thank You, thank You for this wheelchair. By tasting Hell in this life, I have been driven to think seriously about what faces me in the next. This paralysis is my greatest mercy.”²

“Wimpy theology does not give a woman a god big enough, strong enough, wise enough, good enough to handle the realities of life in a way that enables her to magnify Him and His Son all the time. He’s not big enough”.

“Wimpy theology is plagued by woman-centeredness, or as we usually call it, man-centeredness”.

“Wimpy theology doesn’t have a granite foundation of God’s sovereignty underneath. It doesn’t have the steel structure of a great God-centered purpose for all of human existence, including the worst of it”.