Quote for the Day! -- 08/04/10

‎"As Elisabeth Elliot points out, not even dying a martyr's death
is classified as extraordinary obedience when you are following a Savior
who died on a cross. Suddenly a martyr's death
seems like normal obedience."

David Platt, in "Radical"

Created To Be His...Help Meet | pt 4

I have been steadily posting excerpts from the wonderful book by Debi Pearl, Created To Be His Help Meet. This section is called "The Gift of Wisdom" which, when I was slowly reading through today, convicted me and inspired me. So often, as women, we get caught up in emotions. Sadly, I have to admit, that I am emotional.  That is a good thing, don't get me wrong. God created me to be a woman, and to have womanly gifts and differences. But sometimes, we let our emotional ways take over....and we end up severely blotching a situation. So this chapter was a good encouragement to me. Be blessed!

Genesis 2:18
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make him an help meet for him.

The Gift of Wisdom

Do you have enough fear of God not to question His Word?

God's Blueprint for Marriage

Ephesians 5:22-24- "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing."

Colossians 3:18 - "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord."

1 Corinthians 11:3 - "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God."

1. 
   
   God commands wives to submit to their OWN husbands.
2. 
   
   God informs men that they are the head of the wife.
3. 
   
   God tells the wives to be subject to their husbands in everything, every decision, every move, every plan, and all everyday affairs.

 

There will be times in your marriage when it will take faith and wisdom to believe that God is good, kind, and just in His command for you to submit to your husband in everything. Note that what God commands a woman to do does not hinge on the man loving his wife as Christ loved the Church. If it did, there is not one single husband who ever lived and breathed who would be worthy of his wife's submission or reverence. Each of them, the man and the woman, has been given their own directive from God with a model or pattern to attain to. What God said stands, regardless of the man's goodness or the apparent lack thereof. You were given your blueprints with words like honor, submit, and reverence. This is God's will and way, His directive and pattern for you to model. It is up to us to believe and obey God.

Just knowing God's will from His written Word will help you become that kind of person. There is peace and joy in knowing that you are right where you were created to be. The more you seek to obey God by being a good help meet to your man, so much the more you will come to know God; and the more you know Him, the more you will care about the things He values.

You Think I'm Some Kind of Spiritual Giant?

It has taken wisdom for me to understand a man, his ego, his tender heart, and his strong needs. It was nothing short of divine wisdom that enabled me to understand the destructiveness of taking personal offense when my husband did things that seemed unfair, selfish, or harsh. It has been the gift of wisdom that has helped me to understand that God is delighted in me when I want to delight and please my man.

A gift is something you receive that has not been earned or merited. God wants to give you the gift of wisdom. It is this precious gift of wisdom that has enabled me to see beyond the piles of dumped trash bags. Do you think I am some kind of super-spiritual giant? I am just like you, flesh and blood. I can pitch a hissy fit just as well as the next woman. I can get stone-cold and freeze my man down to cracked ice. Thankfully, God has offered us women wisdom that allows me daily to choose what my future will be. I thank God that wisdom is not earned; it is a gift.

Your lift will be full of dumped-trash-bag situations. Your husband will be selfish. He will be unkind. He will not respect your rights. He will be foolish. He may be cruel, and that son of Adam may actually walk in sin. But he cannot victimize you unless you react outside of the wisdom of God. You can decide to be in a constant state of anger and bitterness, or you can ask God for the wisdom to live each day in a state of honoring your man for God's sake. You need the precious gift of wisdom to be able to hold your tongue and be thankful when your flesh would strike back in anger. You need wisdom to see how feeling sorry for yourself is far from the heart of God. You need the gift of wisdom as a constant reminder of the limitations of your female understanding. The gift of wisdom will remind you that God's rules are not there to put you in bondage, but to help you make a man want to cherish, protect, and love you. Most of all, the gift of wisdom will enable you to serve and honor your husband because you are serving and honoring God. You will find fulfillment in your nature as a woman.

James 1:5 - "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

God gives us wisdom liberally, like a gift, but first we must ask for it.

Today, as you read this, you have two choices open to you. You can excuse yourself from the responsibility by mentally assigning various excuses to your situation, or you can choose to believe God and become a 100% help meet regardless of anything that would stand in your way. Which will it be?

Answer these questions:

1. 
   
   What is the key to understanding our roles as wives?
2. 
   
   Where are peace and joy found?
3. 
   
   If your husband does not love you, does that negate your responsibility or prevent you from fulfilling your role?
4. 
   
   What is the gift that God gives that will help you in your pursuit of becoming a help meet?
5. 
   
   List three words that are part of the blueprint for help meets.
6. 
   
   What can you do that will cause you to know God more and cause you to care about the things he cares about?
7. 
   
   Are you committed to a heavenly marriage?

To commit your way unto the Lord is to say, "Not my will, but thine, be done."

Psalm 37:3-8 - "Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil."


The Beginning of Wisdom

Wisdom is conceived in a strange place. It is fathered by fear. If our choices can bring us to miserable ends, then fear is the healthiest deterrent we can have. It is the beginning of wisdom. Life without fear is a fool's paradise. What physical pain is to the preservation of the human body, fear is to the preservation of the soul. A Christian life without fear is a religious life without a living God.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." - Psalm 111:10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." - Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge..." - Proverbs 1:7

Anything God says three times is worth heeding.


Make a new habit.

When you feel yourself beginning to have a critical spirit, stop, take a deep breath, silently ask for wisdom, then think of something that is on your thankful list. This is remolding a habit, and, in time, practice makes perfect.

Getting Serious with God

Find the definition of the word odious. Learn to hate the idea of ever being guilty of such a thing. Any time you are showing irritation and blame toward others, keep in mind that the earth is disquieted due to your being an odious, married woman.

Proverbs 30:21-23 - "For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress."

Look up in Scripture (KJV) the fear of God. How many times does it appear? What do you think God is trying to teach us? How differently would we react to our daily challenges if we truly feared God...?

    Running With You,

Tonight's Meal -- 07/31/10 -- The Finished Product!

Earlier today, I gave you my meal plan for tonight. Now, here are the results:

YUM!!

'Nuff said. ;) Below are picture of our scrumptious meal!

Making the Vegetable Croquettes

Cooked Baby Spinach:

The Salad:

Making the Broiled Tilapia Parmesan:

AND the finished product:

YUM is all I can say. Now I'm going to go run a mile.... or sit on the couch with a book.

Scripture for the Week -- 07/31/10

Alright ladies (and gents!), here is the scripture for the upcoming week!


Titus 2:11-14
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

Tonight's Meal -- 07/31/10

I love Saturdays at home. Sleeping in, a late breakfast, cleaning here and there, playing with the dog, relaxing with the hubby, going for a walk....blogging. :) At the moment my DH (that stands for Dear Husband) is sprawled out on the couch playing guitar with my cousin, Dj who has been spending the week with us. And me? Well, after cooking them breakfast, doing two loads of laundry, and picking up the house, I am sitting at the desk in the office trying to figure out what to cook for supper. After browsing through the deep freeze and cabinets AND surfing around the wonderful world wide web, I have made a semi-small meal plan for tonight. Hip-hip-hooray! So, what is on the menu?

Well.... the main course will be Tilapia since we seem to have a gazillion fillets in the deep freeze. I surfed around and found this so-yummy-looking-it-might-stop-your-heart recipe:

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Ingredients
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving Calories: 203

Total Fat: 11.4g

Cholesterol: 59mg

Does that sound delicious or WHAT! Mmmm.

But no meal is good without a veggie and since I LOVE baby spinach and we have plenty, I have decided on this:

Cooked Baby Spinach

Ingredients:1 pound baby spinach, cleaned

3 tablespoons butter

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat until foamy. When foam dies down, add the spinach. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, just until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

 

 

Next is a recipe that I am anxious to make myself. A few weeks ago, my mother-in-law made this dish and, though it sounds.... umm....interesting...it was fantastic! So, if I can summon up the courage, I believe I will make this:

 

Vegetable Croquettes

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal 

1 to 2 eggs

1 cup fresh tomatoes

1 cup fresh or frozen okra

1 medium onion

1 to 2 tsp horseradish

1 cup cooked brown rice

Make into small patties and fry in olive oil.

Believe it or not, but they were good! So that's the mene. I'll toss in a salad and we will be good to go! I'll blog a post with pictures of the finished product later! :) Better get to cookin'!

The "Happy Marriage" Recipe

I saw this today and LOVED it! May you be humorously encouraged!

Created To Be His...Help Meet | pt 3

Today, I will post part 3, excerpts from the book by Debi Pearl, Created To Be His Help Meet. This section is called "A Thankful Spirit" which ties into part 2 about having a Merry Heart. May you be encouraged today!

Genesis 2:18
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make him an help meet for him.

A Thankful Spirit

A wise woman sets a joyful mood in her home. Through laughter, music, and happy times, she creates a positive attitude in her children. She knows that a lighthearted home relieves her husband of stress.

A Merry Heart vs. a Poor-Me Attitude

You might be one of the women who often complains about her family's lowly financial state and how she much "do without" because her husband "cannot support the family decently." This downcast, unthankful attitude is a dishonor to God and an attack upon your husband's ego. If you have ever been guilty of this attitude, now is the time to say, "Never again."

Some women remain perpetually discontented because they must live with stained carpet and damaged furniture. Some women feel their family is in desperate straits if they cannot afford to serve fresh broccoli and salad. Tension rules their home. Their sad, withdrawn faces reflect their suffering. They cultivate expressions of grief, reflecting, they suppose, the heart of God sorrowing on their behalf. Some women learn to accept the poor state of their physical surroundings. They don't want to be carnally-minded. They live only for the eternal. So they save their disapproving expressions for those times when they think it is necessary to remind their husbands of how sad they are that he sits in front of the TV, plays video games, or engages in any number of carnal activities. They keep the pressure on - just like the Holy Spirit would do. At least, that's their justification for doing his job so "faithfully." Some women get it in their minds that if the family would just move to the country, they would be happy and their children would not be getting into sinful habits. Or, if they lived closer to the church, or away from bad neighbors, or spent more time in family devotions, or any number of ifs, ands, or buts, then life would be better. This is a sure recipe for disaster. Discontentment is not a product of circumstances; it is the state of the soul.

Proverbs 15:15 - "All the days of the afflicted [are] evil: but he that is of a merry heart [hath] a continual feast."


Paul said in Philippians 4:11, "...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

Hebrews 13:5 - "...be content with such things as ye have..."

1 Timothy 6:6-8 - "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Recently, I walked into a home that did not have running water, nor did it have an indoor bathroom. It had none of the things we consider necessities today, no washing machine or dryer and no kitchen cabinets, though they did have carpet - a remnant that covered about half the room, with its cut and frayed edges showing. Yet, this sweet new bride was smiling from ear to ear, telling me how thankful she was to have her own place. She told me over and over again how her husband made this shelf, and that place to store stuff, and how he is going to build a cabinet right here later. Thankful people have a view of life that begins somewhere deep in their souls, and outside circumstances just can't mar their joy.

Quite often our attitudes hang in the balance; by making a conscious choice, we can tip our souls into dark moods of complaining, or into thankfulness and praise. It is amazing how much your mouth controls your soul. You can smile with your mouth and say, "Thank you, God; thank you, husband; thank you, children," and your spirit is directed into gratitude with joy following. Thankfulness is how you think; joy is the abundance it produces.

Practice makes perfect. Practice having a merry and thankful heart.

Learn to enjoy life. Be thankful. Smile. When you catch yourself becoming irritated or disturbed at circumstances, stop and laugh at the little things that steal your peace. Count your blessings and learn to be appreciative. Thanksgiving is good; thanks-living is better."

Colossians 3:15 - "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

Galations 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. If you are a child of God, joy will be a visible reality in your life.

1. Where does joy start?
2. Have I been discontent about my lot in life? Am I, on occasion, a "poor-me" person?
3. Do I verbally show thanksgiving every day?
4. Do I daily remember to thank God for my husband?
5. Would my friends describe me as joyful, thankful, and content?
6. How can I add practicing joy and thanksgiving to my life?
7. Am I willing to lay down my grievance toward my husband for the hope of a heavenly marriage?

Philippians 3:13-14 - "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Getting Serious with God

The book of Philippians is full of instruction to help us learn to become a woman of God. Philippians 4:6 tells us to "be careful for nothing," which is to say, don't worry and fret about everything being just perfect, but be content with what you have. Paul tells us in chapter one that every time he thinks of his friends, he prays for them. Philippians has only four short chapters. Read the book of Philippians and ask God to work His Word into you.



    Running With You,