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God Bless!!!
Realizing marriage as God designed it to be...
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Mom vs. Wife
from NICOLE:
Today, on To Love Honor and Vacuum, Sheila asks the question, Are You a Better Wife or a Better Mom? She even inserted a comment I made to her a while back about how society really stresses being a "good mom."
Think back to the moment you first learned you were going to have a baby... or perhaps the moment when you began the journey to adopt your child. Having done both, I remember buying numerous books and subscribing to different magazines as well. You also start to talk to other BTDT moms, and ALL of them are more than willing to give you advice on what to do, what not to do, etc.
The day comes when you finally bring that child into your home. Your heart has never felt this kind of love before... a love so deep and fierce that you know you would do anything for this child. The focus has shifted from preparing for this child to caring for this child. All your energy goes into caring for your new blessing. If you've adopted, your energy is spent on helping your new child transition into the family... and possibly redirecting behaviors that he/she has picked up prior to coming into your home. At the end of each and every evening, you're exhausted. But the love you feel for this child, YOUR child, fills your love tank and gives you a sense of worth and value.
What about when you first learned you were going to be a wife? You know... when he popped the question and you said "yes". What kind of books did you read? If you were like most brides-to-be, you stocked up on magazines and books that talked all about the wedding... how to pick the perfect venue, the latest and greatest in dresses and hair styles, etiquette for who pays for what, etc. But how did you really prepare yourself for the MARRIAGE that followed that beautiful wedding day?
After a child is born or brought into the family, you begin using all the knowledge you've obtained during the planning process to help nurture that child. Instincts take over and you give all you've got to be the best mom ever. Compare that to after your wedding... what have you learned while planning your wedding that can help you now? The dress, the hair, the music... all a thing of the past. It's now time to nurture your marriage.
While being a mom can be challenging, it's a role that most women step into quite easily, and most do a great job too! But what about the role of being a wife? Do you put as much effort into being a wife as you do being a mom? I completely agree with Sheila when she says that we need to prioritize our marriages. I don't mean we should neglect our children or not care for them when they need it, but if we give every ounce of energy and love to our children, where does that leave our husbands???
I'm going to be completely honest here. Until recently, I didn't understand that at all. I thought it was my job to care for my children. I gave every bit of myself to my children, and I didn't save anything for Scott. While things looked okay from the outside, our family was crumbling. Why? Because Scott and I were not focusing on each other enough. You see, the BEST thing you can do for your children is to love your husband... for your husband to be your best friend. Kids need to feel safe, and if their parents are of one flesh, they'll feel that security (as an added bonus, if mom and dad are on the same page because they are truly one flesh, it's harder to play one parent against the other!). Our children learn best from what they see us doing. If we show them how a married couple should act, then they'll seek that out when they begin searching for a spouse. Our daughters will understand what it means to be loved by a man instead of being lusted after... and our sons will understand how to truly love a woman.
And if that doesn't make you think more about being more intentional in your marriage, how about this:
Umm... that kind of says that our kiddos will leave us one day. Yeah, I know, hard to comprehend. But it's going to happen. Then you'll be with your husband. All alone. Just the two of you. Don't worry, it's not too late. Start nurturing your marriage now. Let the kids know just how much you love your hubby. Better yet, show them with your actions. Remember, your HUSBAND is the one you pledged to love and honor for the rest of your life!!
Today, on To Love Honor and Vacuum, Sheila asks the question, Are You a Better Wife or a Better Mom? She even inserted a comment I made to her a while back about how society really stresses being a "good mom."
Think back to the moment you first learned you were going to have a baby... or perhaps the moment when you began the journey to adopt your child. Having done both, I remember buying numerous books and subscribing to different magazines as well. You also start to talk to other BTDT moms, and ALL of them are more than willing to give you advice on what to do, what not to do, etc.
The day comes when you finally bring that child into your home. Your heart has never felt this kind of love before... a love so deep and fierce that you know you would do anything for this child. The focus has shifted from preparing for this child to caring for this child. All your energy goes into caring for your new blessing. If you've adopted, your energy is spent on helping your new child transition into the family... and possibly redirecting behaviors that he/she has picked up prior to coming into your home. At the end of each and every evening, you're exhausted. But the love you feel for this child, YOUR child, fills your love tank and gives you a sense of worth and value.
What about when you first learned you were going to be a wife? You know... when he popped the question and you said "yes". What kind of books did you read? If you were like most brides-to-be, you stocked up on magazines and books that talked all about the wedding... how to pick the perfect venue, the latest and greatest in dresses and hair styles, etiquette for who pays for what, etc. But how did you really prepare yourself for the MARRIAGE that followed that beautiful wedding day?
After a child is born or brought into the family, you begin using all the knowledge you've obtained during the planning process to help nurture that child. Instincts take over and you give all you've got to be the best mom ever. Compare that to after your wedding... what have you learned while planning your wedding that can help you now? The dress, the hair, the music... all a thing of the past. It's now time to nurture your marriage.
While being a mom can be challenging, it's a role that most women step into quite easily, and most do a great job too! But what about the role of being a wife? Do you put as much effort into being a wife as you do being a mom? I completely agree with Sheila when she says that we need to prioritize our marriages. I don't mean we should neglect our children or not care for them when they need it, but if we give every ounce of energy and love to our children, where does that leave our husbands???
I'm going to be completely honest here. Until recently, I didn't understand that at all. I thought it was my job to care for my children. I gave every bit of myself to my children, and I didn't save anything for Scott. While things looked okay from the outside, our family was crumbling. Why? Because Scott and I were not focusing on each other enough. You see, the BEST thing you can do for your children is to love your husband... for your husband to be your best friend. Kids need to feel safe, and if their parents are of one flesh, they'll feel that security (as an added bonus, if mom and dad are on the same page because they are truly one flesh, it's harder to play one parent against the other!). Our children learn best from what they see us doing. If we show them how a married couple should act, then they'll seek that out when they begin searching for a spouse. Our daughters will understand what it means to be loved by a man instead of being lusted after... and our sons will understand how to truly love a woman.
And if that doesn't make you think more about being more intentional in your marriage, how about this:
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. ~Gen 2:24 (emphasis added)
Umm... that kind of says that our kiddos will leave us one day. Yeah, I know, hard to comprehend. But it's going to happen. Then you'll be with your husband. All alone. Just the two of you. Don't worry, it's not too late. Start nurturing your marriage now. Let the kids know just how much you love your hubby. Better yet, show them with your actions. Remember, your HUSBAND is the one you pledged to love and honor for the rest of your life!!
 |
| Our family... taken by a friend, December 2011 |
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The Gospel in the Bedroom
from NICOLE:
Sometimes there are posts that are simply beautiful. Many are thought-provoking, funny, interesting, etc... but few have the simple and amazing beauty that was present in the post made by J, of Hot, Holy and Humorous yesterday.
Head over there now and read her post titled The Gospel in the Bedroom.
Thank you, J!!
Sometimes there are posts that are simply beautiful. Many are thought-provoking, funny, interesting, etc... but few have the simple and amazing beauty that was present in the post made by J, of Hot, Holy and Humorous yesterday.
Head over there now and read her post titled The Gospel in the Bedroom.
Thank you, J!!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Marriage Cleaning
from NICOLE:
Over the past couple of weeks I've been doing some cleaning around our house... especially in the kids' rooms. It seems to me that the rooms become even more of a mess when I start cleaning. You have to take everything out, sort through it all and then try to find a place for everything. Lots of times you find things under the bed too. Things that were hidden from view and forgotten... but then you drag them back out and have to go through all of that stuff too. Then there are the closets and dressers... filled with clothes they really don't need, and many that don't even fit anymore. As I look at the rooms I wonder what happened... it wasn't THIS messy when I started, but I continue on and eventually I see the results and can't wait to show my husband how great everything looks.
Marriage can be the same way.
November 28, 2011, was a changing point in our marriage. That will be a day that neither of us will forget. It was the day we realized how broken we were. It was the day we realized we needed to really work on our marriage. It was the day we pleaded with God, to ask for His grace and mercy as we began cleaning up our marriage.
What happens when you start working on your marriage... when you decide to clean up? Yep. It becomes a mess. Things are found that were once hidden out of view. Thoughts and actions that you've kept to yourself are brought to the table. Your mind swirls with all the chaos that you currently face. It all seems so overwhelming. But then you start to sort through everything. You realize that other commitments you've made (work, volunteering, etc) just aren't nearly as important as the commitment you made to your spouse the day you got married. You start to put things back where they belong... where God intended them to be.
God's design for marriage is perfect. And when we follow His design, things work. Everything has its place, and life feels more fulfilling.
Now, that doesn't mean that things will never get messy again. Just like you have to choose to keep a room clean, you must CHOOSE to make your marriage work... to put God at the center of your marriage and follow His design.
Of course, we all know that sometimes messes just happen. In my house, with four kids ten and under, a dog and the new addition of a Russian land tortoise, messes happen. When God created everything, He had a perfect design for marriage, but sin happened. Sin has caused us to pull away from God, and to pull away from our spouses. And as we work to clean up our marriages, sin (Satan) will try to make a mess of things.
When marriages are working correctly, they reflect the image of God.
While working on your marriage, expect those messes. Realize that sin is working against you to drive you apart so that God's image is decreased to those in the world around you. Remind yourself that your spouse is not your enemy. Work together and pray together. Show everyone what marriage is supposed to be. Let your marriage reflect the sparkling, clean, radiant and most awesome image of God!
Over the past couple of weeks I've been doing some cleaning around our house... especially in the kids' rooms. It seems to me that the rooms become even more of a mess when I start cleaning. You have to take everything out, sort through it all and then try to find a place for everything. Lots of times you find things under the bed too. Things that were hidden from view and forgotten... but then you drag them back out and have to go through all of that stuff too. Then there are the closets and dressers... filled with clothes they really don't need, and many that don't even fit anymore. As I look at the rooms I wonder what happened... it wasn't THIS messy when I started, but I continue on and eventually I see the results and can't wait to show my husband how great everything looks.
Marriage can be the same way.
November 28, 2011, was a changing point in our marriage. That will be a day that neither of us will forget. It was the day we realized how broken we were. It was the day we realized we needed to really work on our marriage. It was the day we pleaded with God, to ask for His grace and mercy as we began cleaning up our marriage.
What happens when you start working on your marriage... when you decide to clean up? Yep. It becomes a mess. Things are found that were once hidden out of view. Thoughts and actions that you've kept to yourself are brought to the table. Your mind swirls with all the chaos that you currently face. It all seems so overwhelming. But then you start to sort through everything. You realize that other commitments you've made (work, volunteering, etc) just aren't nearly as important as the commitment you made to your spouse the day you got married. You start to put things back where they belong... where God intended them to be.
God's design for marriage is perfect. And when we follow His design, things work. Everything has its place, and life feels more fulfilling.
Now, that doesn't mean that things will never get messy again. Just like you have to choose to keep a room clean, you must CHOOSE to make your marriage work... to put God at the center of your marriage and follow His design.
Of course, we all know that sometimes messes just happen. In my house, with four kids ten and under, a dog and the new addition of a Russian land tortoise, messes happen. When God created everything, He had a perfect design for marriage, but sin happened. Sin has caused us to pull away from God, and to pull away from our spouses. And as we work to clean up our marriages, sin (Satan) will try to make a mess of things.
When marriages are working correctly, they reflect the image of God.
While working on your marriage, expect those messes. Realize that sin is working against you to drive you apart so that God's image is decreased to those in the world around you. Remind yourself that your spouse is not your enemy. Work together and pray together. Show everyone what marriage is supposed to be. Let your marriage reflect the sparkling, clean, radiant and most awesome image of God!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Something to brag about
from SCOTT:
Men - I want to hear what you've done for your wife lately. Something worth bragging on that if we were hanging out and you told me, I'd be offering a high-five instantly.
Men - I want to hear what you've done for your wife lately. Something worth bragging on that if we were hanging out and you told me, I'd be offering a high-five instantly.
Here's mine. I had a Wed-Fri business trip two weeks ago and knew I could get home by 5:30pm Friday night. As I kissed my wife goodbye, I told her "be ready for Friday night" and then left. I didn't have a clue what we'd do but figured I'd figure it out.
Called a babysitter and made sure she'd be at my house just before I got home. Then I spent a few minutes thinking about what my wife and I would do for 4-5 hours. Went with the standard dinner-and-a-movie by remembering a type of food (Cuban in this case) I knew my wife hadn't had in a while, and a movie I figured we'd both like. I'm lucky that she likes sci-fi so don't laugh when I say John Carter was enjoyable, even though it bombed.
Back to the point: When was the last time you dated your wife? Think about that.
When was the last time you spent 30 minutes finding a sitter, planning an evening and having a blast with the person to which you once proclaimed "until death do us part"?
Biblically speaking, we must take the lead. Doing so shows her how much you love her. It gives her a chance to trust you, and to believe that God's design for marriage (where the man steps up to the plate with the woman's help) actually works.
This isn't rocket science people! Heck, it doesn't even require a sitter. Just plan some time to be with the person that you love more than any other person on the planet. Date her today like you dated her so many years ago. It'll lead to more fun than you realize...
One Week Old!
from NICOLE:
Our blog has been up and running for a week now. YAY! As we continue to post and share from our experiences, we'd love to hear your comments. As a matter of fact, let's open the floor now... tell us what topics you'd like to see us discuss here on Marriage By Design.
Do you want to read more about headship and submission? How about intimacy (emotional, physical and spiritual)? Do you struggle trying to make time for your spouse? Do you struggle with meeting the needs of your children and your spouse? Tell us.
God Bless!
Our blog has been up and running for a week now. YAY! As we continue to post and share from our experiences, we'd love to hear your comments. As a matter of fact, let's open the floor now... tell us what topics you'd like to see us discuss here on Marriage By Design.
Do you want to read more about headship and submission? How about intimacy (emotional, physical and spiritual)? Do you struggle trying to make time for your spouse? Do you struggle with meeting the needs of your children and your spouse? Tell us.
God Bless!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Allowing our Husbands to be Men
from NICOLE:
First off, congrats to my hubby for his first ever blog post!!! Woohoo! :)
Scott had a great point to make about men being men. Unfortunately, in today's culture, men aren't given that chance very often... this is especially true in the husband/wife relationship.
I'm a rather, um, strong-willed and independent kind of gal. I like to plan and be organized. I like to control what's happening. This can be very disastrous in a marriage. In the past, I would often times forget how to let my husband take the lead. Without realizing it, I was taking charge of everything, therefore making him feel incompetent, which made him feel less like a man. When he felt less competent, he would stop trying. That led to me thinking he was just being lazy... which, in turn, made me start looking at him as another child in the house. I began treating him more like a child and depended on him less. Do you see the downward spiral???
If our marriages are going to work, and if we want them to glorify God, we have to take on the roles that God has given us. Men need to be men... women need to be women. This leads to the whole headship/submission challenge. I say "challenge" because I don't think this is meant to be easy. Sin pretty much ruined that... nothing in our marriage is supposed to be "easy," but we'll get to that another time.
So, back to allowing our husbands to be men... My dear ladies, this is going to be hard to digest, but we must learn to submit. I'm not asking you to be a doormat. I'm not asking you to do something immoral. I'm asking you to WILLINGLY let your husband take the lead. You very well might know how to do something better or faster... but if you don't let him try, how will he learn? Now, you can't do this begrudgingly... you have to do it lovingly. You also need to encourage him. I know you can change Suzie's diaper in less than 10 seconds, and he might take several minutes (with the end result being that the diaper is on backwards - no wonder it took so long!), but at least he did it!!!
When it comes to making decisions, talk about the decisions... don't make the decisions for him. Trust me, he doesn't want to make the "wrong" decision. It probably scares him out of his mind... not knowing if you'll be happy with whatever he decides. Share with him your thoughts (again, do so lovingly), but if you come to a point where you still can't agree, try to let go and tell him that you trust him to make the best decision for you both (or for your family, if you have children). If it turns out that the decision was a good one, give him an atta boy! If it wasn't the best, don't play the "I told you so" card... he already knows. Show him that you love him unconditionally... God loves us through our mistakes, don't our husbands deserve that too?
In the past, my husband sat back and let me make all the decisions, which gave me way more control over our marriage than God intended. It also made me feel less cherished because I wasn't allowing my husband to be my rock. Since I started practicing submission (still haven't perfected it...), Scott said that he is feeling more like a man. He feels respected. He values my opinions more. He has started seeing me more as a loving wife and less like a dripping faucet. He is showing me more love, and I feel more valued and cherished. See the upward spiral??? Pointing straight up to God... which is where our marriages should point.
First off, congrats to my hubby for his first ever blog post!!! Woohoo! :)
Scott had a great point to make about men being men. Unfortunately, in today's culture, men aren't given that chance very often... this is especially true in the husband/wife relationship.
I'm a rather, um, strong-willed and independent kind of gal. I like to plan and be organized. I like to control what's happening. This can be very disastrous in a marriage. In the past, I would often times forget how to let my husband take the lead. Without realizing it, I was taking charge of everything, therefore making him feel incompetent, which made him feel less like a man. When he felt less competent, he would stop trying. That led to me thinking he was just being lazy... which, in turn, made me start looking at him as another child in the house. I began treating him more like a child and depended on him less. Do you see the downward spiral???
If our marriages are going to work, and if we want them to glorify God, we have to take on the roles that God has given us. Men need to be men... women need to be women. This leads to the whole headship/submission challenge. I say "challenge" because I don't think this is meant to be easy. Sin pretty much ruined that... nothing in our marriage is supposed to be "easy," but we'll get to that another time.
So, back to allowing our husbands to be men... My dear ladies, this is going to be hard to digest, but we must learn to submit. I'm not asking you to be a doormat. I'm not asking you to do something immoral. I'm asking you to WILLINGLY let your husband take the lead. You very well might know how to do something better or faster... but if you don't let him try, how will he learn? Now, you can't do this begrudgingly... you have to do it lovingly. You also need to encourage him. I know you can change Suzie's diaper in less than 10 seconds, and he might take several minutes (with the end result being that the diaper is on backwards - no wonder it took so long!), but at least he did it!!!
When it comes to making decisions, talk about the decisions... don't make the decisions for him. Trust me, he doesn't want to make the "wrong" decision. It probably scares him out of his mind... not knowing if you'll be happy with whatever he decides. Share with him your thoughts (again, do so lovingly), but if you come to a point where you still can't agree, try to let go and tell him that you trust him to make the best decision for you both (or for your family, if you have children). If it turns out that the decision was a good one, give him an atta boy! If it wasn't the best, don't play the "I told you so" card... he already knows. Show him that you love him unconditionally... God loves us through our mistakes, don't our husbands deserve that too?
In the past, my husband sat back and let me make all the decisions, which gave me way more control over our marriage than God intended. It also made me feel less cherished because I wasn't allowing my husband to be my rock. Since I started practicing submission (still haven't perfected it...), Scott said that he is feeling more like a man. He feels respected. He values my opinions more. He has started seeing me more as a loving wife and less like a dripping faucet. He is showing me more love, and I feel more valued and cherished. See the upward spiral??? Pointing straight up to God... which is where our marriages should point.
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