What I Want for my Daughters

Happy Friday Friends!  I hope your week has been peaceful and productive.  I wish I could say mine has been.  My little ones are still trying to figure out their dynamic with big sis going to school and I was sick for a couple of day.  Oh well.  Such is life.  Feeling better and on the way to peace over here.

I was inspired today to ponder a couple of things.  As parents we have such aspirations for our kiddos.  We want so much for them and to teach them so much.  We want everything for them that this world has to offer.  We want success and love.  We want stability and fulfillment.  But, with all these things that we want for our kids there are some specifics I want to strive for.  I will start today with those things I want to strive for for my girls.  Some of these things come from what I didn't have as a young girl growing up and some of the things I did.

1. First and foremost, please know that the God of the universe who created you just the way He wanted you to be loves you with every fiber of His being.  He has sacrificed for you.  He has fought for you.  He is wooing you even now and He longs to be with you.  Know that and let Him not only be with you but in you and through you.  Lean on Him.  He is strong enough.

2.  Please take joy in who you are.  You are amazing.  You are strong.  You have so much to give this world and if you don't take joy in who you are the world will miss out on what you have to offer.

3.  Love deeply.  People in this world need to know what genuine love is.  They need to understand loyalty, commitment, and covering.  Loving them deeply will show them that and point them to Jesus.

4.  Have courage.  Stand up for what is absolute truth.  Stand up for what the Lord has called you to be even in the face of adversity.  I know this is said so much easier than it is done.  Trust me, it will be worth it.  You will be the better for it and God will sustain you.

5.  Have a passion and longing for the word of God.  Scripture was put here to lead us to Christ and to draw our hearts to His.  Read.  Meditate.  Hide it in your heart.  It will change you for the better.

6.  Know that I will never walk away from you.  Mom is always here.  Mom's stay when life's waves feel like they will wash you away.  Mom stays when the mistake you made feels so big there is no way out.  Mom stays when friends change, boys come and go, and questions about God arise.  Mom stays.  Mom stays.

7.  Keep what the Lord has asked you to keep for that one perfect man He has for you.  Please have enough self respect and love for the Lord to do this.  You will be so richly rewarded and blessed in your future with that man because you obeyed what the Lord asks us to do.  But also know that purity doesn't just consist of saving yourself.  It comes in to play in every aspect of your life.  The way you act, speak, dress, treat others, think, etc.  See...it's everywhere.  Keep it.  Live by it. 

8.  Live in a way that shows you, on a regular basis, how miraculous our God is.  Live in a way that causes you to risk and step out in faith to see how the Lord guides and covers.  If you don't...you will miss vital things the Lord has to show you and deep things He can place in you.  Live a life that is exciting in the Lord.  If your life is boring then the Lord obviously isn't priority.  Risk.

9.  Have fun :)  Do things you enjoy.  Go places you want to see.  Experience things that are amazing.  Make memories that will last a lifetime.  Be fulfilled in the life you have chosen.  Accomplish every goal you set out for yourself and surpass it.

10.  Lastly, I love you.  Love is a word that is so huge.  It means so much more than people realize.  As the Lord says in His word, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." That is my guarantee to you.  That is what comes with my words I. Love. You.  Please hide that in your heart as well.

Go.  Want big things for your daughter(s).  Equip them with what they will need then let them fly.  Enjoy watching their unique colors show beautifully through the life they will live.

Blessings.

Romance Your Man

Happy Monday Friends!  I hope this post finds you all well and rested from the weekend.  We had a full weekend but it was fun.  Lots of family time and memories made is always a successful weekend.

I have been at this thing called marriage long enough to be qualified as "experienced".  I am thankful, everyday, that the man I am married to is both my best friend and my love.  What an intoxicating combination!! Am I right ladies????!!!!!  Just seeing our man as both our best friend and our love should make us want to make him come home everyday with excitement and anticipation.  He should be running to car from the office, trying not to speed on the highway, and timing himself to see how fast he can get in the door.  His day on the job should be washed away when he walks through that door.  

Do you create that for your man?  Stop right now.  Think about it.  Do you?

I'm not talking about keeping your house clean, even though you should.  I'm not talking about making sure he has dinner, even though you should.  I'm not talking about waiting on him hand and foot, even though you should care for your husband in a way that makes him feel valued. 

I am talking about a habit/behavior of nagging, correcting, disrespecting, and undermining.  Do you ask your husband to help you and then tell him he is doing it wrong and take over?  Do you correct him every chance you get and make him feel stupid?  Do you order him instead of ask him?  Do you treat him like he can't do anything right?  Do you see him as no more than just another one of the kids?  Do you treat your husband in a way that makes him want to go above and beyond as a husband and/or father?  Do you treat your husband in a way that invites romance in to your home?

As a stay at home mom I deal with my children all the time.  So, I am guilty of not refocusing my mind when interacting with my husband.  I am guilty of ordering him when I should be asking.  I am guilty of just including him in with the children because that is the mentality I have been in all day.  I am wrong in doing this.  I need to be more intentional about shifting my mind set before my husband walks through our door.  I need to make a quick run and straighten house things, my kids, and myself so our home can be a place of peace and rest.  I should treat my husband as the man of our home not just like one of the kids.  These changes will create an environment that will encourage my husband and make him feel valued.  These changes, most likely, will not make me feel more romantic.  These changes will create an atmosphere that will allow romance to enter.  It will create a space where my husband feels loved, respected, and valued which in turn opens the door to romance.  It will open the door for growth and for love to flow freely in your home.  It will open the door to a more peaceful and restful home for your husband to come to after being on the job and for you to be proud of and raise your family in.

So go, stop your nagging, your complaining, your poor attitude.  Strive to make changes and do small things that open the door to romance in your home.  Be more intentional about how you treat your husband and mindful of how your behavior could be making him feel.  Go, be the wife Proverbs 31 tells you to be.  Obey scripture and the word of our Lord and your husband will run from his job, speed on the highway, and hurry into your home.  Go, strive for this kind of home and marriage.  Strive to change our culture and it's view of a marriage relationship.  Go, and don't become part of our 41% divorce rate.

You can do it.  I know you can.  Ask our Lord for help and He will be faithful to answer your prayer.  He always is.

Blessings.