...If I finish everything on my 'to do' list today

             .... and have not shown love to those in my home

                     (and to those who come across my path)

                     ..... but instead I am impatient and unkind

                           ... then it profits me nothing. 

                                          1 Corinthians 13

"Could an observer learn from the quality and degree of love that I show to others...

 my wife?

my husband?

my family?

my neighbors?

people at church?

people at work?

... Anything at all about the greatness of God's love to me?"

J.I.Packer

 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  1 John 4:11

Permission granted from All Posters

In Evil Long I Took Delight

By John Newton

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopp'd my wild career:

I saw One hanging on a Tree
In agonies and blood,
Who fix'd His languid eyes on me.
As near His Cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath,
Can I forget that look:
It seem'd to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke:

My conscience felt and own'd the guilt,
And plunged me in despair:
I saw my sins His Blood had spilt,
And help'd to nail Him there.

Alas! I knew not what I did!
But now my tears are vain:
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
For I the Lord have slain!

--A second look He gave, which said,
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou may'st live."

Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.

With pleasing grief, and mournful joy,
My spirit now is fill'd,
That I should such a life destroy,
Yet live by Him I kill'd!

 Have you noticed that while we are busy taking care of our husbands daily needs.. his home, laundry, meals...  that we can neglect cultivating a closeness in our relationship? The fullness of our days can even tempt us to become irritated with the very one we are serving. So, I've been watching for ways to bless my husband each day in practical ways. It may be as simple as not asking to watch my favorite show so that he can choose his favorite, or picking up an item he requested from the store that I don't think is necessary. Preferring him though out the day .. rather than myself... involves dying to self. I need God's grace ..otherwise... my focus will be only on my needs. 

I've noticed that small acts of kindness can have a large impact on a marriage.

But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities

and

how to please her husband.

1 Cor 7:34-35  (NLT)

 Christ is our beautiful example of a life lived in service to others.

This is my husband singing "When He was on the Cross". We were trying to figure out when this video was made and we think it was about 20 years ago.

It's been a full, enjoyable summer! I have thanked God, over and over again, for moving us close to my children,granddarlings and my mother. It's been a good move in many ways.

Many things have stayed the same since our move but there have been a few shifts in my daily schedule. One is that my mornings and evenings are busier because I am caring for Miss Alice. I help with her breakfast each morning and do light housekeeping throughout the week except on Mondays when I do deep cleaning. I work in the yard one day a week dead-heading her plants or trimming rose bushes.. things her gardener charges extra to do. I also do her shopping and laundry. She has been easy to live with and I'm so thankful for the privilege to serve her. She treats us like family and not her employees.

We love her.

Even in our tiny little place (less than 300 sq. ft.) we've still managed to have a few of the grands spend the night this summer. We even had 3 of them spend the night at one time and it worked out just fine. They've been so good to not complain about the close quarters. We do all the things we used to do (play cards, games, bake and play computer games) ... just in less space. 

Miss Alice has a small basketball hoop in her backyard which the grands enjoy.

Miss Alice and I spend part of our time in the evenings working on puzzles. I encouraged her to take a leap and try a 500 piece puzzle which is the one shown below. She normally won't tackle anything larger than 300 (with large pieces). I told her you eat an elephant one piece at a time and that is how we'd tackle the puzzle. *wink* It turned out beautifully and we enjoyed working on it together.

Life is ever changing and I find that this season of life is no different. My husband and I have always been very involved in church ministries throughout our Christian walk. We are still committed to using our spiritual gifts in our church.  But, we're also finding that much of our ministry lies within the four walls of our home with Miss Alice, our neighbors and family. We are having ample opportunities to share the Gospel with those our lives touch on a daily basis.

And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15 ESV

So, how has your summer gone?

This brought such encouragement to my heart this morning that I wanted to share it with you. Just imagine...

Morning & Evening by Spurgeon

The earnest of our inheritance."
— Ephesians 1:14

Oh! what enlightenment, what joys, what consolation, what delight of heart is experienced by that man who has learned to feed on Jesus, and on Jesus alone. Yet the realization which we have of Christ's preciousness is, in this life, imperfect at the best. As an old writer says, "'Tis but a taste!" We have tasted "that the Lord is gracious," but we do not yet know howgood and gracious He is, although what we know of His sweetness makes us long for more. We have enjoyed the first fruits of the Spirit, and they have set us hungering and thirsting for the fullness of the heavenly vintage. We groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption. Herewe are like Israel in the wilderness, who had but one cluster from Eshcol, therewe shall be in the vineyard. Here we see the manna falling small, like coriander seed, but there shall we eat the bread of heaven and the old corn of the kingdom. We are but beginners now in spiritual education; for although we have learned the first letters of the alphabet, we cannot read words yet, much less can we put sentences together; but as one says, "He that has been in heaven but five minutes, knows more than the general assembly of divines on earth." We have many ungratified desires at present, but soon every wish shall be satisfied; and all our powers shall find the sweetest employment in that eternal world of joy. O Christian, antedate heaven for a few years. Within a very little time thou shalt be rid of all thy trials and thy troubles. Thine eyes now suffused with tears shall weep no longer. Thou shalt gaze in ineffable rapture upon the splendour of Him who sits upon the throne. Nay, more, upon His throne shalt thou sit. The triumph of His glory shall be shared by thee; His crown, His joy, His paradise, these shall be thine, and thou shalt be co-heir with Him who is the heir of all things.

I wondered as I watched the anger spew out of those watching the verdict of the Casey Anthony trial if they realized a greater Judge would one day hold them accountable for their actions.  I do not know if the verdict was right.. only God will know what happened to that precious child. But, I do know that someday (for those who have not made peace with God through Jesus Christ) they (the mother's accusers) will stand before the Judge of all mankind who says that not only those have murdered are guilty before him but even those who have hated someone in their heart. No one will stand justified before God because ALL of us have sinned at one time or another and fallen short of God's perfect standard of holiness. Christ fulfilled the law by living the perfect life we could not live, died on a cross taking the punishment we deserved, was buried and rose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession. The only one who will stand righteous before the righteous Judge are those who have trusted in what Christ did.. not what they have done on this earth.

 I continue to pray for the soul of this young mother and that God will send believers to share the Good News that though her (& our) sins are as scarlet His blood washes us white as snow.

Mt 5:21-22  You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’
 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before athe court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
(NAS)

2 Corinthians 5:21  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (ESV)

Philippians 3:9 ESV And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— (ESV)

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)

Sometimes there are situations in our lives that .. may... feel hopeless.  It may be financial or a marriage that is unstable or perhaps a long established habit of sin. Our first inclination as sinners is that we must pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps to make things right and while we do have a responsibility to obey God's Word... we must learn that we have no resource.. no hope..no strength...outside of our great God!  Pastor Smith is right.. it's not 'fun' to come to the end of ourselves but that is where we find help in the time of need.

A Prayer for Hoping in God’s Steadfast Love

     The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. Ps. 33:16–18

     Dear heavenly Father, though it’s not fun, it’s a good thing to come to the end of ourselves—to be in situations where all of our resources, all of our “goodness” and all of our idols begin to fail us. Indeed, it’s a gospel thing to feel the pain of knowing whatever worked in the past is not working in the present; to feel the confusion of not knowing what to do next; to feel the helplessness of being out of control. It hurts, but it hurts real good and for our good.

     For only in those moments do we abandon ourselves to the God who alone can part Red Seas when our enemies are pursuing us; serve fresh quail in the wilderness to his hungry thankless children (Exodus 16); overthrow whole Midianite armies with three hundred gun-less soldiers (Judges 7); take down Goliaths by young shepherds armed with pebbles (1 Samuel 17); deliver his people from the fire or through the fire (Daniel 3); feed multitudes with a few fish and pieces of bread (Matthew 14); raise a dead man for the salvation of his people and the transformation of the cosmos.

     Lord Jesus, you are that dead man who now lives and we abandon ourselves to you today. You are the One who is redeeming his bride and making all things new. It is your steadfast love that we can and must hope in today. There is no other supply sufficient to the need. There is no other strength sufficient for the task. There is no other balm sufficient for the pain. There is no other rest sufficient for the exhaustion. There is no other hope sufficient for our cries and crises. Hoping in you alone holds the promise of the end of all disappointment and shame (Romans 5:1-5 ESV), for you were shamed for us on the cross, and raised for our salvation and deliverance (Hebrews 12:1-3).

     So we bring our wounded and broken hearts to you. We bring our struggling marriages to you. We bring our jobless families to you. We bring our chronic pain to you. We bring our divided churches to you. We bring our ever besetting sins and addictions to you. We bring our conflicted relationships to you. We bring our wayward children to you. We bring our unbelieving friends to you. We bring the needs of our community to you. We bring it all to you, Jesus. We will trust in you and your steadfast love. Where else can we go? Astonish us by bringing much glory to yourself in the coming hours, days and months. So very Amen we pray, in your merciful and mighty name.

Scotty Smith

http://www.facebook.com/notes/scotty-smith/a-prayer-for-hoping-in-gods-steadfast-love/10150680916670212

If nothing else would encourage me to read this book it would be the list of wives that endorsed it... JONI EARECKSON TADA, MARY K.MOHLER
(Wife of R. Albert Mohler, Jr.), CAROLYN MAHANEY and  LAUREN CHANDLER (Wife of Matt Chandler).

***

Here is an excerpt from the book:

Not until after ten years of wavering prayers did George Mueller learn the value of praying Scripture. What follows is
his description of this marvelous discovery.

"The difference then between my former practice and my present one is this. Formerly, when I arose, I began to pray as soon as
possible…. But what was the result? I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, or even an hour on my knees before being
conscious to myself of having derived comfort, encouragement,humbling of soul, &c.; and often, after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the first ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I only then began really to pray. I scarcely ever suffer now in this way.
My practice had been, at least for ten years previously, as an habitual thing, to give myself to prayer, after having dressed
myself in the morning. Now…the first thing I did, after having asked in a few words the Lord's blessing upon His precious
word, was, to begin to meditate on the word of God, searching, as it were, into every verse, to get blessing out of it…. The result
I have found to be almost invariably this, that after a very few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving,
or to intercession, or to supplication; so that, though I did not, as it were, give myself to prayer, but to meditation, yet it turned
almost immediately more or less into prayer. When thus I have been for awhile making confession, or intercession, or supplication,
or have given thanks, I go on to the next words or verse, turning all, as I go on, into prayer for myself or others, as the
Word may lead to it."

This book is meant to be a help and guide for that kind of praying. It consists of little else than the Word of God turned
“more or less into prayer.” And more specifically it is a means toward one part of prayer—prayer for the husband God has
given you. We would do well to heed the council of Thomas Manton: “plead the promise of God in prayer, show Him His
handwriting; God is tender of His Word.” Many women have done excellently in this, but may you surpass them all.

*~*~*

I was able to download the book for free. But, after reading many of the prayers I hope to purchase a copy of my own someday. I know it will bless you.

You can follow this link to purchase or download this book for free. There are also 2 other books available.. husbands interceding for their wives and parents interceding for their children.  Click on the picture of the books to download for free. What a blessing!

"Prayers of an Excellent Wife"

I'd love to hear what you think of the prayers and if you found them helpful in praying for your husbands.