Time

  In this busy fast-paced thing we called life, it is important that you take the time to spend quality time with your souse. And YES, even with kids it's possible. My husband and I rarely get baby-sitters, and we don't get that break time most get while their children are in school, because we home school all three of our children. But we do get that time to have "us" time when the kids go down to bed, and we try for a once a month date out. If the date out isn't possible that month, we still set up a date night for a saturday after the kids go to bed. This time is important, because we have to take time to let our spouse know how much they are appreciated, needed, wanted, adored, cherished, and loved. Time to be specific in those things as well, rather than just saying those words. It's also a time to get back to why you two fell for each other. Consider your marriage to have an account of love. Through the walk of life in your marriage, those fights or arguments take with drawls out that can make us feel like "what's the point, they don't care anyways". However, if we are constantly making deposits such as; little love/encouraging notes, a long embrace, a passionate kiss, a compassionate smile, time you just listen, they will out weigh the with drawls and keep your flame of marriage burning as well as increase the flame. Time is very important. Husbands make deposits into your wife, and wives don't think your hubby doesn't deserved or want the passionate kiss, or the long embrace, they just might not want it every day. And I assure you, the listening to them whole-heartedly is the best deposit you can give them. You quiet, they talk!
  I pray this was encouraging to all that read this, and I encourage you to pass it on to a friend or family member. May God bless you.

Trust

It's difficult to trust anyone right? Simply because people have hurt us, so we are aware constantly of how we can be hurt. So how do we apply trust into our marriage? I came from a negative background, where the people a child should be able to trust, I couldn't. So when I came into my marriage, the idea of me trusting my husband fully was out of the question. This caused a lot of issues and I turned out to really be hurting my husband, because I didn't trust him at all. I was holding him to past hurts others did to me, and to what I know he could do. Trust just wasn't an issue I was facing towards my husband, but also to God. I believed in what the word would say. I would pray, and I thought I was trusting. However, when I would pray for help or to provide something, I would try to accomplish what I had just prayed for on my own. So there was my problem! I was relying on self, thinking I had to fix and provide everything. I had to let go of self and the "what ifs" life brings at us everyday. I had to trust God first and rely solely on Him to do what His word says. I then had to apply that into trusting my husband. Finances were a huge burden to me. I would stress out about every bill that would come into our home. My husband is the head of my household, I thought to myself, so he should be in charge of handling the finances and I would be his "helpmate". So there I was, trusting for the first time. I let go of knowing how much bills were and how they were getting paid. I put my trust in God to work through my husband. The bible does tell us to "put trust in no man", so I didn't and won't. I trust God to work through my husband and to lead him to take care of my family. We have been blessed so much this I let go. Not only have bills been paid, but my husband set up to pay towards our credit to clear us out of debt. We went on vacation just the two of us, and we counted to the penny for gas, tickets, hotel cost, souvenirs for our three kids, and we brought our own food. So when we got to the hotel, we organized our money. We had already paid for our tickets and the hotel, put $20 for each kids gift in an envelope, and $50 for gas home. Miraculously we ended up having an additional $300 to spend. We recounted the money three times, and each time literally twenty dollar bills would appear. It was such a blessing. We knew it was from us trusting the Lord to provide for us, and paying our tithes and offerings. To trust, we can't hold the past or the possibilities of what could happen against us. We have to trust our spouse fully through Christ Jesus. Your spouse is your other half right? You so easily trust your left leg to walk in front after your right, though sometimes it might trip you. That is how we have to look at trusting our spouses.

Encouragement

  Encouragement, todays topic!! I'm speaking from a wife and how we need to be our husbands encouragement. Our husband, the king of our homes, go through so much physically, mentally and spiritually, that they need to be lifted through the word of God by their helpmate. When I see my husband get down, or stressed by everyday life, I get upset and grieved, like I want to just take all his problems from him. But in reality I can't and spiritually I shouldn't. These struggles our husbands go through are great strengths for them in their walk. We as wife have to be the ones praying for our spouses, finding scriptures that will uplift them and guide them through the struggle. One of the stories in the bible really encouraged me, and gave me a way to encourage my husband. The story of Elijah when a whole army was coming towards him, and it was just him and his servant. His servant was scared by what he was seeing, so Elijah prayed and asked God to open his servants eyes. God did, and his servant saw angels all around them. Many more angels, then the army coming towards them. Then he was at peace. That is how we should be. Stop seeing in the physical and see the army of angels camped around us, the blood of Jesus poured on us, the Holy Ghost in us. We as wives have to remind our husbands during their time of discouragement. They are going to be judged harsher than we woman, because God put them as the head. Ladies, when we are needed to be an encouragement, put your feelings aside and help your man. Nagging, wanting more, and complaining only make things worse for your husband.

As an exercise, I encourage you that next time your hubby or soon to be hubby gets discourage, instead of asking what's wrong, go pray what you should do. Ask God for words to say to him. Then ask him if their is anything in specific you can pray for him for. Then dive into your word of God, and be lead to those scriptures that will be of great encouragement for your hubby.

Give Thanks!!

¹⁵ "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:15-17


Peace should be what dwells in our hearts. We should be giving God thanks for everything, including our spouse. Life shouldn't be about what is next, or wanting more, but appreciating what is right in front of us. When we fully appreciate our spouse, we fully appreciate ourselves, seeing that husband and wife means one. And in our marriage, like the later part of this scripture says, we should do everything no matter what it is to the best of our ability at all times!!! Even when we don't "feel" like it!!! Giving God thanks and glory!!!