Writing old-fashioned thank-you notes....

 Feb. 13, 2021

I think I just finished up getting my thank-you notes for Christmas finally done.  

I've been thinking about this blog for awhile and will try to get my thoughts about thank you notes down here.  

GRATEFUL means warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful

1.  Writing notes is a bit old fashioned but it is a great way to show your appreciation and gratefulness for a gift or kindness you may have received.  It takes some effort and usually a stamp but it really shows you have made an effort to say "thank you". It is very meaningful to the one receiving the thank-you note. In my opinion a written thank-you note is very sincere and carries more weight than a short text or phone call but something in terms of a thank-you is better than nothing:)

2.  Writing the notes is also a benefit to the one doing the writing.  This is because it keep your mind looking for things you need to be grateful for. It keeps you in a happier and healthy state of mind. I recently read that people who wrote down what they were grateful for significantly increased their sense of happiness. So thanking others for kindnesses shown to you actually blesses you!!

3.  For you YOUNG MOMMAS out there:  Encourage your kiddos to write thank you notes!  It teaches them manners, appreciation for their gifts, how to show courteousy and gratefulness, and it is another chance for them to practice their writing skills. It also causes them to go back and remember what their gifts were and who it was that sacrificed to give them their gift.  Our young students don't get to actually write enough and this is a practical and applicable way to practice their writing skills.

Oh no, I just remembered a few I forgot to write!!! Back to the drawing board! 

Blessings to you all!!

POST 3 - Art of Being a Wife - GRAND ARCHITECTURE

 Feb. 12, 2021

Part three in a mini-series about marriage from Letters to my Daughters - The Art of Being a Wife.  Today's blog compares marriage to grand architecture.  These notes are taken from Barbara Rainey's book.  They are a condensenced version that I hope will give you encouragement for your marriage and maybe encourage you to read her book. 

1.  There are many grand and beautiful cathedrals in the world.  They give you the feeling of the grandeur of God.  They are magnificient structures but many of them now are void of His Holy Spirit. Marriages are like churches.  Some of them are magnificient cathedrals while others are country churches.  It does not matter the size, but what matters is the people who make up the congregation and if they are alive with the power of the Holy Spirit.  Each marriage must be filled with the Holy Spirit and follow His leading for their lives, so that their marriage will be all it was built to be.  Then the marriage, like the church spire, will point others to Christ.

2.  Every building has a foundation that is put in place before the building begins.  We need to remember our Biblical foundations - the Rock, Christ.  Know that you are each His children.  Know what His Word says. Know your marriage will not glorify Christ unless you stand firm on your faith in Christ. If you are struggling ask yourselves these questions.  Is Jesus the Cornerstone of my life? And my marriage?

3.  Inside many of the beautiful cathedrals are rooms set aside for prayer. Prayer is so important and should be one of the cornerstones for our marriges.  Do you take time to pray for your mate?  Not praying that God would change him as you think he needs changed.  But rather praying for God to work in His life, praying that your mate would seek God with all his heart and be yielded to His will.

4.  Buildings are not complete or functional without doors.  Doors allow entrance into the next room. So it is with our marriages.  We must have access to each others lives and the rooms in each other's hearts. Communicating is what builds a doorway between couples.  Refusing to talk to one another is like building a wall where a door should be. Sometimes when framing in the door, there is a problem with the structure and things don't go right.  When that happens you have to back up and start over with the building process.  But you don't quit.  For the building to be what it is intended you must go forward with the building process.

5. Most construction projects have surpirses in them - it takes longer than you thought it would, costs more than you planned, or something comes up that you had not anticipated.  Marriage is a work in progress too!! We don't know what the future holds or what might come up.  But we do know God is there with us.  God can help us keep from making costly mistakes.... or He can heal them if they've happened.  He has promised He will never leave or forsake us.  Remember our marriages will work much better if we follow the Architect!!  

Post 2: Art of Being a Wife : FINE CUISINE

 Feb. 11, 2021

This is the second of a series of 'recaps' about a book Barbara Rainey wrote.  Todays chapter compared marriage to fine cuisine. Not to many of us have eaten 'fine cuisine' but we've heard about it!! Let's see how we can compare a great marriage to this type of food.  

-fine cuisine uses lots of fresh and unique herbs or flavorings - things that are different but that build upon each other.  Our marriages are like this: we each have unique, fresh traits that are so iniviting to each other when we date and are first married.  Will we use these traits to build our marriage or will we let them be overpowering and spoil our flavor?

-as each spice adds a different flavor, so our lives each have different flavors to add to our marriages.  These differences can bring challenges to our relationship.  When you were first married you thought your husband was perfect for you.  Then your differences clash and you begin to wonder about your marriage.  Maybe it is time to ask God to help you get a new vision of your husband, to see him as you first did. Choose to believe that his differences are good for you - and that yours are good for him also!

-in a receipe it is very important that you read the directions well and put in the correct amounts.  Don't take something he said and make more or less of it than what it should be.  

- successfully blending the ingredients of our lives take years and lots of practice.  I am so thankful that Gail and I have continued to work on our marriage, blending our differences, to create a beautiful marriage. We have been married for 49 years now.  It has not all been a smooth journey but one worth pursueing.  

- give each other the benefit of the doubt.  Believe the best of your husband.  When he leaves his towel on the floor realize he didn't do tht just to annoy you.  You are not better than him or superior to him - just different than him.

-in marriage, we are cooking in the same 'kitchen'!  Is it true too many cooks spoil the pot?  Could be! But marriage is about two who need to cooperate, believe the best about each other, and who need to learn to converse with one another.  Do not give into the temptation to quit 'mixing' your differences in your marrige.

-'Nothing is impossible with God"  - so don't quit, review the Divine directions again.  Be a team, talk about your differences, and don't quit on your receipe.  The outcome will be delicious!

-timing is important!  Think about a cake you are making.  What if you take it out of the over to soon?  or take it out too late?  So true with our marriages, timing is important in resolving our conflicts and differences, in creating a beautiful, delicious marriage.  Trust God and let Him deal with you and your spouse. Pray for each of you and let God work in your lives.  It is a life-long work of art that is being created.  

-ask God for a extra dose of love in your marriage.

- and don't compare your beautiful marriage 'creation' from God to the other creations God is making.  We are all different and in different spots in our marriages - yours is becoming a work of art.

DIFFERENCES can feel impossible, they won't go away, embrace your differences, see them as gifts from God, use them to help you understand and trust God more as He designs your life!!  With God's wise and wonderful leading you two will be able to have your cake and eat it too!!!!  Keep looking forward to your future with hope and expectation!

Barbara Rainey -Letters to my Daughters: The Art of being a Wife

 Feb. 10, 2021

Several years ago I read the book mentioned above.  It talked about marriage in such an encouraging and positive way.  Barbara likened marriage to paintings that were masterpeices, grand architecture, fine cusine, elegant music, and so on. I hope to give you some highlights over the next few days about what I read in her book. I know you young mommas are very busy and don't have much time to read.  I hope these 'highlights' encourage you in your marriages. 

Chapter 1

This chapter built upon a painting called Golden Pine.  It is a massive 16 ft. x 22 ft. painting that picutures a tree that is made from 9 large squares and two thousand sheets of gold leaf applied to Japanese handmade paper.  A picture of a black tree against a gold background rising high.

Analogys:

- we want to be wives that are strong, always growing upward toward the One who made us and outward toward those God gave us to love

- each small panel in this picture has a specific purpose: our lives have many parts and purposes - sometimes we are to show empahty and silence, or strong words of truth, other times we back off, other times we give gentle nudgings

- in the painting the tree has it's various parts such as the roots and trunk: we too have pieces in our lives that that we use - being a helper, lover, one who respects, believes, and trusts. All parts must work together, connected, and intertwined daily. 

- marriage is to be like this painting: strong, growing, multifaceted, richly developed, and reflecting the Light of the Creator.

-the artist had to work with the 'parts' of his picture to make it look whole and complete.  He had to blend his work.  In marriage both husbands and wives are imperfect humans and can have a hard time blending their lives together into a beautiful marriage.  Marriage, like a masterpiece, takes time, money, energy, effort, and risk for it to be whole and healthy.

-some like to critique pieces of art and to give the artist a hard time.  In marriages, we sometimes critique our Master, and act as if we know more than He does rather than trusting Him and His design for marriage. 

-our marriages are meant to be beautiful masterpieces to the world who is watching.  They are to show the goodness, power, and beauty of God. Our marriages are to make others want to know God.  

Stay tuned for more chapters and analogies about marriage.  Making our marriages whole, healthy, and glorifying to God is so very important. 

Benefits of staying in step with God....

 Feb. 6, 2021

This is part two of CHOICES.  Yesterday's blog had directions on how to make good choices. We looked at choices that both Moses and Abraham had. Today we will discuss the BENEFITS of seeking God and following Him, of making good CHOICES rather than doing what we want.

WHEN we stay in step with God - seeking Him, following Him, and obeying Him - we will have the following BENEFITS:

1.  God will provide everything we need.

2.  God will give us specific instructions (look in His Word).

3.  God will remove our fear.

4.  We will see God work in unusual ways in our circumstances (when we trust Him and wait on Him).

5.  We'll learn God's ways.

6.  God will use our weakness and failures to help us understand His will for our lives.

7.  God can accomplish more in a brief time than we can in a life time.

We are blessed to be loved by such a wonderful God.  It is definately worthwhile to love, serve, and obey HIM!! The BENEFITS are great!!

(Ideas taken from Charles Stanley/In Touch message January 2021)

Choices bear consequences....

 Feb. 5, 2021

(I think this is a good little study to print out and go over with our children or grandchildren. It will give them some good guidance and direction and could save them from heartache from bad decisions.)

Two Bible Heroes - Moses and Abraham

Two different actions

1.  Moses, when he saw an Egyptian being unkind to a Hebrew slave,  acted on his own leading and killed an Egyptian.

2.  Abraham when faced with sacrificing his son, obeyed God. 

CHOICES!!! Soon after the United States Capitol was stormed in January, I heard a sermon by Charles Stanley about Moses and the consequences of his decision to kill the Egyptian. Then I recently read about Abraham and his obedience to God when asked to sacrifice Isaac. The capitol event and these two historical Biblical events got me to thinging about our choices. Our choices can bring about many consequences for our own lives that can last a life-time.  

Here are some guidelines (from Charles Stanley) about what to do when faced with a decision:

1. Ask questions: ask God what He would have us do, how he would have us proceed, and when would be the right time according to His will.

2.  Focus on the big picture rather than on an event.

3.  Listen to God rather than following your own reasoning.  

4.  Ask God what he wants you to do rather than act on impulse.

5.  Rely on God's power rather than your own strength.

6.  Extend forgiveness rather than holding in anger.

7.  Consider the consequences of your actions.

SUMMARY:

 When making decisions to you think only about the situation - or the consequences that could come from your impulsive decision?

Where do you go for help when making a decision?

When you receive guidance from the Bible, do you readily obey or make excuses for not obeying?

(Watch for part two of this study tomorrow- staying in step with God and the benefits it will bring.)

You are the light of the world - Matt. 5:14

 We must be the 'light' in the world!!  It is rough out there!  Following are ideas from Charles Stanley's Dec. 2020 monthly letter.

It was Jesus who said "You are the light of the world" in Mt. 5:14.  Jesus also said "I am the light of the world" in John 8:12.  Booth scriptures are true.  The light of Jesus comes from within himself as the Son of God.  Our light comes as a reflection of His life within each of us if we are saved.

Four ideas about light:

1.  Light dispels darkness

2.  Light guides the way

3.  Light exposes what is hidden

4.  Light is meant to be seen, not covered up

We ARE to be the light of the world.  You ARE important to the world and those around you. Use your LIGHT to displace the darkness, to guide others,  and to expose corruption. Let your light be seen by those around you through your words, actions, attitudes, and character. You are important and have a purpose.  Carry out your purpose and light up the world!