Loving your husband, children, homemaking and other thoughts from afar...

I have had lots...I mean lots of time to reflect upon things here in my hospital room. I am thankful for that! I pray that the Lord will help me to utilize these reflections as I return home in the next couple of weeks. Things such as:

Managing my home: The Lord has placed me in the Biblical role of managing my home. This role entails a lot but I have been reflecting with Carolyn Mahaney and the book "Feminine Appeal" on what it means to be the manager of my home...to care and help my husband, to love and train my children, to manage the home...Yes! that is going to look different at different seasons of our lives but with the Lord's help we need to strive to run our households in a way that glorifies our Lord. Lord, I pray you help me to fulfill this Biblical role that you have given me and help me to fulfill it with a joyful heart and spirit that lets my family know that I love you!

Loving my husband: It can be easy when you are in the thick of busyness with dishes, laundry, children, bills, responsibilities to see the inadequacies of your husband and point out in your head, heart and sometimes with our mouths what those inadequacies are! I want to challenge myself and others to find those moments of grace within our husbands that they do so well as providers for our families! Put your husband before your children! Yes, I did say that, and I know just how difficult that can be...but I want my children to know that He is the most important man in my life and a precious gift that the Lord has given me on this earth and I treasure that! Find out what your husband loves and join in with him! (I talking to myself here too!!) Do those little things that he loves and let your relationship be a picture of the gospel to your children and others. Oh, and if you don't have a Godly husband, your situation is much more difficult and I pray that you, by your gentle and quiet spirit and example, will lead him to Christ! Our calling though is the same and we have to think of the example of Christ and while "we" were yet sinners He loved us! We are called to do the same....I know at times I can be so unlovable and I am thankful that Christ and my husband still love me!

Loving and training my children: WoW! what a task this is...teaching my daughters to love the home and the things of the home while competing with the world. I hope first and foremost that I can just be that example to them to love her husbands (if the Lord wills) and to love the art of homemaking. Just to help them have a clear vision of what their Biblical role is..not that they cannot have other interests but to let them know what scripture states is their Biblical role...because you will only find true joy in that role...My sweet Will..I am thankful that the Lord has provided a great example in my husband that Will will be able to see in his father his role as a man! Training him in the scriptures to fulfill his role and to stand firm on the one true foundation and not to compromise himself or his family! Also DO all you can to protect your children from worldliness! I know you can't forever but while their little minds are so mailable....be careful what you allow them to see, watch, hear, listen to and are exposed to...it changes their hearts!! Deep stuff...

These are just thoughts that have been on my mind lately so thank you for allowing me to share and hopefully encourage each of us in this area!

By God's Grace,
Missy