Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Honor Your Husband - Week 2


We're at week two of the Honor Your Husband Challenge hosted by Christine at Fruit in Season. (A day late on posting here!) Last week, I had set several goals for myself:
  • greet him when he gets home from work with a smile and not a frown or tired face
  • pick a book on marriage to read over the next 3-4 weeks
  • think before I speak
  • think before I speak (so important it needs to be on there twice!) :-)
  • work at doing a good job with our budget and what I have to work with for groceries and other needs (more about this later)

We had our ups and downs last week starting with a long, not-fun-type discussion on Monday night about various and sundry things. However, overall (and greatly due to our discussion) I have done much better about thinking before saying something that will hurt my husband. Of course, this is always something that I can continue to do better on ... actually, it would serve me well to practice this with everyone. Thinking before speaking - a good thing.

I've decided that I'm going to reread Created to be His Helpmeet over the next several weeks (and beyond the challenge if necessary). I know this is a controversial book, but it was a huge help for me, so no flames, please. :-) I'm also going to do a word study on "contentment" in my Bible. I have always, always struggled with jealousy and discontent to some extent in my life. Not that I don't wish good things for other people (I can rejoice with best friend who just moved into a beautiful HUGE big house), but I struggle with coming back home to our tiny 2-bedroom where we are trying to fit five folks and all our gear. Something I just realized recently, though, is this discontent and jealous is so not good for my marriage. It's basically telling my husband that he's not providing enough for me and that I'm dissatisfied with what he has worked so hard to provide us with. When I have a laundry list of things that we "need" what else would that say to him, but that he is not doing enough. I need to work and pray on contentment issues big time. (I hope this is making sense here!)

This week's goals are:

  • to continue to think before I speak.
  • something practical ... remember to fill the coffee pot and set the timer EVERY NIGHT for a week so that I'm not doing it in the morning and there is hot coffee ready for Travis to take to work.
  • have a good attitude this week as I have a lot of evening kid duty by myself this week. Travis and our oldest are doing VBS this week, and so I'll have the two littles all by myself every evening and then a hyper/exhausted/filthy 3.5 year old to wind down when they get home.
  • read my CtbHH book and study verses on contentment.

Head over to Christine's to join in or to be encouraged with other's pursuit of this worthy goal.

8 comments:

  1. Praying that your marriage will be blessed.

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  2. May God's blessing rain down on your marriage and may you find the strength in Him to meet all of your goals this week!

    peace, Alida

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  3. Thanks for sharing your heart!

    I needed the reminder to greet my husband with a smile rather than a tired face and a sigh. (:

    I highly recommend the book "The Excellent Wife." The Lord has used it to help me grow in my understanding of becoming more Christlike.

    Blessings to you this evening.

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  4. Anonymous8:28 PM

    Hi Stephanie ~ This is an area in which I would like to grow stronger in too ~ being positive and helpful for my husband. Thank you for sharing this...I will be following along and checking out Christine's group for help and inspiration.

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  5. Wonderful goals Stephanie! I liked the book, even with the few things I disagreed with. I hope reading it again blesses you!

    I pray your goals keep you busy and growing fruit this week!

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  6. Stephanie, your thoughts about contentment and husbands are so on target. I always tell my husband I'd be happy to live in a shack, so long as he let me paint it! But, there's a long way between saying that and then not complaining about our already-very-nice home. I also enjoy CTBHH as an annual kick-in-the-pants read.

    Wishing you strength for the week ahead!

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  7. Discontent is such an easy thing to fall prey to. Remember the Lord does not desire this for you. I have struggled with this too and am trying so hard to gain contentment. I pray each day for the Lord to lay on my heart the things that HE wants me to desire and help me dismiss what thoughts are unhealthy and not glorifying him. I walk with you on this journey. May you be richly blessed by your efforts.

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  8. Anonymous11:37 PM

    Contentment is truly one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. Much luck with this! :o)

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Thanks for commenting!

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