Day 31-Recognize the Lies

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will recognize the lies of the Enemy in his life. Pray that his attitudes and actions will be guided by the truth as he brings his thoughts into captivity to the Word of God. (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 10:4-5)

Day 30-Glorify God

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will serve God and others with pure motives. Pray that he will obey the Lord from his heart, and glorify Him in everything. (1 Cor. 10:13; John 7:17-18; Col. 3:23-24)

Day 29-Spiritual Gifts

We are approaching the final days of our 31 Day Challenge. Personally, it has been a challenge some days to stay positive and to be honest, I have failed a few days. However, I do know this has made me so much more aware of the way I interact with my hubby. I can't wait to share with you what has been happening in our family. It is such an exciting time. I'll wait to share until after our 31 day challenge. I think some of this has a direct correlation with my time in prayer for Chris.

Try to think about how this has changed your heart and/or your marriage so we can share with each other at the end of the challenge. I'm excited to see what God has done for you as well.

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will surrender his time and talents to the Lord. Pray that his spiritual gifts will be manifest in his career, at church, and in your home. (Eph. 5:15-16; 1 Cor. 12:4, 7)

Please Take Action

I write this post with a heavy heart. I listened to the Wednesday edition of Focus on the Family with tears in my eyes. There is a Bill, waiting for the Governor of Colorado to sign, that will obolish the difference between men and women.

This is only the beginning. Once this happens in a few states, it is only a matter of time before it happens in other states.

Here is the article from Citizenlink.org (Focus on the Family's legal branch of the ministry)

Colorado Legislation 'Normalizes All Varieties of Sexual Orientation'

Senate Bill 200, which is sitting on Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter's desk, is a dangerous piece of legislation that Dr. James Dobson will highlight on his Wednesday radio broadcast.
Supporters claim the bill will prevent discrimination; in reality, the bill endangers religious freedom by opening the door for the state to punish any person or organization — including small and home-based businesses — that refuses, for religious or other moral reasons, to offer or sell goods or services to homosexuals, bisexuals, "transgendered" and transsexual individuals.

Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family Action, wrote about the legislation for Saturday's Denver Post:

Proposed anti-bias law would open a Pandora's box

A disturbing question has lurked in the background of the growing clamor from the left to end all discrimination, for all reasons, in all places.

The question is this: are separate restrooms for men and women the modern-day equivalent of separate drinking fountains for whites and blacks?

If Gov. Bill Ritter signs a bill now sitting on his desk, the answer for Coloradans will be, unfortunately, yes. The bill is Senate Bill 200, a hastily conceived and vastly overwritten piece of legislation designed to forcibly normalize all varieties of sexual orientation.

There are multiple problems with this legislation, but the problem of restrooms is the most breathtaking one. Until now, establishments open to the public have been allowed to restrict certain restrooms and locker rooms to one sex if it made sense to do so, as it almost always does. With SB 200, however, we no longer have two "sexes"; we enter a brave new world with a myriad of "sexual orientations" that must not be discriminated against, upon pain of the substantial civil and criminal penalties contained in the bill.

Woe to the first women's fitness facility or mall owner who objects to a man dressed as a woman who wants to enter previously forbidden territory. And what an opportunity for sexual predators to use this law as "cover" to enter intimate areas in search of a victim.

And what an opportunity for confusion. In the bill, "sexual orientation" is defined as "a person's orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or transgender status or another person's perception thereof." This latter term includes cross-dressers, men who self-identify as women, women who self-identify as men, and people who are in the process of deciding.

Restrooms are not the only problem. The bill adds a prohibition against discrimination in "sexual orientation" to more than 23 separate provisions of Colorado law that already prohibit discrimination in various areas of public life. As a result, SB 200 threatens religious liberty. That's because Colorado's broadly defined "public accommodations" law includes not just hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, and all the usual places you'd think of, but also every small business, even a home-based business, that offers "goods or services" to the public.

A refusal to do business with someone based on a sincerely held religious belief that homosexuality is wrong would violate the law. That threatens the religious liberties of every Christian, Jewish or Muslim business owner who operates a business on faith-based principles.

This is not a hypothetical threat. In Albuquerque, which has a similar law, a Christian husband and wife who own and operate their own photography studio were recently hauled before that state's human rights commission and fined more than $6,600 for politely refusing, on religious grounds, to photograph a lesbian "commitment ceremony." We've seen similar charges brought by homosexuals against a video reproduction business in Virginia, a medical clinic in California, an adoption service in Arizona and a church in New Jersey.

Colorado tops them all on the potential outrage meter, however, because in addition to civil fines and penalties, small-business owners can be prosecuted under the criminal laws of Colorado and spend up to one year in jail for trying to live according to their faith.

To add insult to injury, your tax dollars will be used to prosecute these people of faith, and the legislature is expecting 30 complaints and three legal cases per year. We believe the people of Colorado would disapprove of small-business owners being hauled away to jail for refusing to promote messages contrary to their religious and moral beliefs, simply because they operate a small photography or other business.

None of us wants to see people humiliated or embarrassed because of how they appear in public and no one should be turned away from hotels, restaurants and other truly "public accommodations." But this law intrudes on the freedoms of conscience of untold numbers of people of faith, and the consequences for Colorado will be severe.

This law could be fixed if Democrats in the legislature wanted to work with conservatives to protect women and children, as well as the religious and moral beliefs of small- business owners.

Gov. Ritter should veto this version of the bill and ask the legislature to come back next year with something that we can all be proud of.

TAKE ACTION If you live in Colorado, please call Gov. Bill Ritter today and ask him to veto SB 200. If you can't get through with the first phone number listen, try the second. If you live outside Colorado, please e-mail the governor and ask him to veto this dangerous legislation. On the e-mail form, select "Share Your Opinion" from the drop-down menu.
Governor’s office (303) 866-2471
Evan Dreyer – governor’s spokesperson (720) 350-8370

Sending an email or making a phone call will only take a few minutes of your time but it can have a great impact on our children's future!

Day 28- Being a Man of Prayer

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will be a man of prayer. Pray that he will seek and pursue God in purposeful quiet times. (1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 22:46; James 5:16)

Day 24, 25, 26, 27

Ok. I am at a crossroad right now. I can either make up some fake story about why I didn't post this weekend or I can be real with you. I really hate being fake so I am going to choose to be truthful. To make a long story short, it was a SUPER busy weekend and we were not getting along that well at all. I know, I know. It's not excuse because there are some of you out there who may come here to read the daily prayer and I let you down. I am very sorry!

I think the reason we were not getting along that well is because we are in the middle of making one of the biggest decisions of our life. It has been a really scary process and it has caused some tension between us. I wish I could tell you what the decision is right now, but just wait. I can't say just yet, but I can't wait until I can! I'm so excited.

I just have to say that this is very ironic. I don't write anything because I am not getting along with my husband. Wouldn't writing about praying for him help me when I am feeling negative? I guess that is something that I'm just going to have to learn. (I can be very stubborn.)

Here are the prayers for the last couple of days. Who says we can't pray for more than one thing at a time, right? Don't forget. If I let you down, which I'm going to try my best not to anymore, you can go to www.reviveourhearts.com and find the challenge.

Day 24
Pray that your husband will have a balanced life—that he will balance work and play. Pray that he will fear God, but also gain favor with people he knows at work and church. (Luke 2:52; Prov. 13:15)
Day 25
Pray that your husband will be courageous in his stand against evil and injustice, and that he will stand for the truth. Pray that he will protect you and your family from Satan’s attacks. (Ps. 31:24; Eph. 6:13; Ps. 27:14)

Day 26
Pray that your husband will discover and live his God-given purpose. Pray that he will offer all his dreams to the Lord, and pursue only those goals that will bring God glory and count for eternity. (Jer. 29:11; 1 Cor. 10:31)

Day 27
Pray that your husband will understand the importance of taking care of his body—the temple of the Holy Spirit—for the glory of God. Pray that he will practice self-control by making wise food choices, and get sufficient exercise to stay healthy. (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 9:27)

First Love

This morning I drove past a car that had a R.I.P. decal in the window. I knew the name of the person on the decal-Blaine King. He died almost a year ago. When it happened, I had sent out this email to a few friends of mine. I thought I would repost this for others to read. It is always a good reminder for me. (It is a bit long, but well worth the read.)

Let me back up just a bit...A few weeks ago a old friend of mine died in a motorcycle accident. Actually, he was my first boyfriend. We had dated for about a year and half. Anyway, I'm about 90% sure that he wasn't saved. I know when we dated neither one of us was saved and I don't believe that he ever made the decision to accept Christ. Actually, I don't know if anyone had ever told him about Jesus. I hadn't been in contact with him for quite some time. Since Chris and I had started dated I talked to him just a few times. He called once and I was told him that I was getting married in a few months. It took him by surprise. He was a few years older then me and I don't think that he believed I could be getting married already. He was still young, partying and having fun. I told him that I would be praying for him and he pretty much blew me off. That was the last time that I had spoken to him.

A year and a half later I saw him again, but it was at the funeral home. As soon as I
found out about the accident I couldn't help but think that he is probably going to spend his eternity separated from the love of God. He was only 24 when he passed away. He probably thought that he had his whole life ahead of him to "settle down" and get right. His life was cut so short. He always thought he would have tomorrow. Unfortunately, he didn't make it to tomorrow and was never saved. I'm sorry I've said that a few times, but it is a very sobering to realize that you went to a funeral of someone who never knew the awesome love the God wants to give us all.

Fast forward to this week...I have been listening to a two day series from Nancy Leigh DeMoss on her radio program, Revive our Hearts. The title of the series is "Returning to Our First Love". She was actually speaking to a room of women who work in vocational ministry. The verses that she used in her message came from Jeremiah 2 and 3. In chapter one, God comes to Jeremiah and tells him that he will be a prophet. God wants to use him to proclaim his word to Jerusalem. The very first words that he gives to Jeremiah was the main subject of the message. Jeremiah 2:"'I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown." God comes to the people and says I remember how much you loved me in the beginning. I remember the devotion of your youth. I remember the love you had. It was like the love of a new bride.

Wow. How convicting was that message. I reflect back to the beginning when I first experienced the changing power of Christ. I remember that I couldn't help but tell other people about Him. I couldn't help but want to spend time with Him. I LOVED to learn and to study. But somehow my heart became numb. I took for granted the changing power of Jesus. Jeremiah 2: 11 Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols. 12 Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror," declares the Lord. 13 "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." God is saying that we have forsaken him and chasten after other gods. That god might be busyness, rituals, personal earthly relationships, tv/computer, ministry or many other things. We exchange the Glory that we need to give God for things in this world that don't matter. I have made my own cisterns which cannot hold water.

I'm very thankful that even though God speaks to Israel, and myself, as a jilted lover he still speaks as a lover. He goes on to say in the chapter "12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north: "'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the Lord, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the Lord, 'I will not be angry forever. 13 Only acknowledge your guilt-- you have rebelled against the Lord your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,'" declares the Lord. 14 "Return, faithless people," declares the Lord,"...22 "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." How awesome is He! All I have to do is acknowledge that I have shyed away from my first love and he can and will cure my backsliding.

I guess that is why I can't get these thoughts from my mind. I need to acknowledge to God and to others that I have let my relationship with God get cold. I forgot about the way it was in the beginning. As Nancy said, "I have let the pace of ministry outrace the intimacy I have with Jesus." I think I was to concerned with wanting to minister to others and do the "right" things that I let the intimacy of my relationship with Jesus dwindle. Ironically, I can't minister to others if I don't have anything to give away! My first love should be with Jesus and then I can concentrate on others. Trying it backwards just doesn't work.

There is even more good news in Jeremiah chapter 4. God says, "1 "If you will return, O Israel, return to me," declares the Lord. "If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray, 2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, 'As surely as the Lord lives,' then the nations will be blessed by him and in him they will glory." Only when I take off the wig and quit acting and get real with it bring glory to God. He knows the truth. He knows what is in the depths of my heart. The great thing is that turning back to him and my first love will bring others to Him.

As I try to think of a way to wrap this up I changed the title of my subject line. Then an ironic thought came to me. In the beginning of this email I told you of a story of my first boyfriend. Please don't hear me wrong when I say this- I love Chris more then anyone I have ever known. He is a great husband and I am so thankful to be married to such an awesome, loving, godly man. Blaine (that was is his name) was my first puppy love. I can't compare that love with the love I have with Chris because I didn't understand love then. I thought I understood and I guess for what it was it was my first "love". It brings a tear to my eye to know how I let my first earthly love down. I never really got the chance to witness to him. I never told him about Jesus. I don't want to make that same mistake again. I don't want to let God down. I don't want to mess up that first love relationship with Him again.

Thankfully He gives the opportunity for us to change. To his glory, I can only pray that there will be less people in my life that I have to go to the funeral and regret that I didn't get a chance (or make the chance) to talk to them about Jesus. Thanks of listening to this. Please excuse any grammatical errors. I don't want to go back and proofread. I want to leave this as is because it came from my heart.

I'm not sure where you find yourself right now in your walk with the Lord. Maybe you have stumbled across this blog by chance and you don't even know Him. Can I invite you to get to know Him? Can I invite you to rekindle the first love with God again if you do? (If you have any questions you can email me. I have a link to my email address on the side bar.)

I'm going to blunt right now-Hell is real. People are going there. Maybe even people you personally know. They are forever separated from God. Please share the love of Jesus with them. We don't know how many days we will have on this earth.

Day 23-Being a Good Father

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will be a good father—disciplining his children wisely and loving them unconditionally. If he is not a father, pray that he will find a young man to mentor in the things of the Lord. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)

Day 22- Forgiveness

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will practice forgiveness in your relationship and with others. Pray that he will recognize any roots of bitterness, and yield any resentment and unforgiving attitudes to the Lord. (Eph. 4:32; Heb. 12:15)

Ouch! Does God ever use something intended for someone else to speak to you? I just had one of those moments. In praying for Chris, I realized I need to pray that prayer for myself. It would be impossible to pray that Chris would always forgive me, if I am neglecting to extend the same grace to him. Thanks God!

Day 21-Time with the Lord

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will learn how to relax in the Lord and, in his greatest times of stress, find joy and peace in his relationship with God. Pray that he will submit his schedule to the Lord. (Neh. 8:10; Prov. 17:22; Ps. 16:11)

I Made Money at Walmart!

Ok. So I know I have been neglecting this blog a little bit. I need to confess a new found obsession: "expert" couponing! I have been reading and researching different blogs out there by some smart, frugal Mommies. I have been learning how to actually get items from stores for free or close to free. It has consumed my online time right now and for that I would like to say sorry. Can I give you just one example of what I saved this morning? You might understand my obsession after this:

• Formula- no coupon(Wal-mart brand), but I had to have it. Normal price is $11.88 and I don't pay tax on it since it's a food item
• 1 Package of Zantac 75- Regular price is $3.98. I had a $5.00 off any package. Made $1.02
• 7 Johnson's Buddie Bars- Regular price is ¢.94. I had (7) $1.00 off any Johnson's Buddies product. Made ¢.35
• 3 Boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate Cluster Cereal. Regular price is $1.98. I had (3) $2.00 off coupons. Made ¢.06.
• 1 Colgate toothbrush. Regular price is ¢.97. I had (1) $1.00 off coupon. Made ¢.03.

My total after taxes and coupons was $11.03. That is ¢.85 less then what I would have paid for formula if I had not bought the other items! I actually made money and walked out of Wal-mart with Zantac, 7 bars of Johnsons soap, 3 boxes of cereal and a toothbrush!

I got all of my coupons from afullcup.com in the Wal-mart and target section in the resource drop down bar. You have to be a registered member of this site to get access to the Target and Wal-mart Deals but it is completely free to sign up. All of the coupons mentioned above where printed off the Internet.

Here is one disclaimer: Wal-mart may tell you that they no longer accept Internet Coupons. However, the official Wal-mart Website states they will take Internet coupon if there are certain requirements met. I have actually printed a copy of the policy to take to the store with me. If the cashier tells me they will not accept my coupons, I politely show the cashier the policy. (Please don't be nasty to the cashier.) Here is a link to the policy.

If you want to read more about this check out my Frugal Blog Roll. The Centsible Sawyer is a great starting place.

Happy Shopping!

Day 20- Sexual Purity

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will yield his mind and thoughts to the Lord. Pray that he will not entertain immoral or impure thoughts, and that he will resist the temptation to indulge in pornography. (Prov. 27:12; 2 Cor. 10:5)

15 Ways to Please your Husband

While I was getting today's prayer from Reviveourhearts.com, I ran across this article by Barbara Rainey. I thought it was very practical. While we are spending time in prayer for our husband, let's do something nice for them as well. This article is just a springboard for ideas. Maybe you have something else that pleases your husband.

15 Ways to Please Your Husband
by Barbara Rainey
Romans 15:2-3 tells us, "Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself . . ." Who is your closest neighbor?
Your husband. How can you edify (build, improve) your mate and thereby enhance his self-worth? By discovering—and doing—what pleases him.
If you are creative, pleasing your mate may be a natural part of your personality. But a less creative person may need some coaching in becoming a partner pleaser. And all of us need an occasional cue card to remind us to reach out. Here are a few ideas:
1. Write him a letter and send it to his office, or put a love note in his lunchbox or briefcase.
2. Prepare his favorite meal.
3. Arrange an evening out for just the two of you.
4. Wear his favorite dress with your hair done the way he likes it.
5. Purchase something small and frivolous for him that he won't buy himself.
6. Give him a nicely framed picture of yourself, or of you and the children, for his office.
7. Surprise him with an all-expense-paid trip to do something he likes, such as golf, fishing, or hunting trip.
8. Put the children to bed early and prepare a candlelight dinner.
9. Do something that especially pleased him when you were dating.
10. Read Scriptures and pray with him regularly.
11. Take walks together.
12. Keep your junk out of the garage.
13. Greet your husband warmly after work.
14. Wear his favorite negligee or buy a new nightgown to add sizzle to your evening attire.
15. Clean out the car for him.
Sometimes the smallest gestures can make the biggest difference in your marriage.
Pick out something you haven't tried before; don't give complacency a foothold in your marriage relationship.
© Real FamilyLife. Used by permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

What can you do today that will please your husband?

A small gesture of kindness can mean the world to him!

Day 19-Patience

Today's topic is something that most of us probably struggle with. While we are praying for our husbands, let's pray for one another in this area. I know a lot of you have little ones and sometimes it can be frustrating. I pray that we all can have the patience to raise our children so that they may see Christ in us- even when they spill their drink for the 37th time on our carpet!

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will be patient and a man of peace. Pray that he will not give in to anger, but will allow the Holy Spirit to control his responses. (Rom. 14:19; Ps. 34:14)

Day 18-Eternal Perspective

Prayer:

Pray that your husband will have an eternal perspective—living in light of eternity. Pray that he will reject materialism and temporal values and put God first in his life. (Matt. 6:33; Deut. 6:5; Eph.5:16; Ps. 90:12)

Day 17- Strength

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will enjoy his manliness as he patterns his life after Christ and strong men in the faith. Pray for his physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual strength. (Eph. 3:16; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Cor. 10:11)

Day 16- Hobbies

Prayer:

Pray that your husband will choose healthy, God-honoring activities. Pray that he will not live in bondage to any questionable habits or hobbies, but that he will experience freedom in holiness as he yields to the Spirit’s control. (1 Cor. 6:12, 10:31; 2 Tim. 2:4)

Day 15- Friendship

Sorry I didn't write this morning. I stayed home from work with Michaela today and I guess I got carried away with being a stay at home mommy for the day. That is not a bad thing though. I hope all blogging Mommies don't get to caught up in the cyber world that they neglect their real life. I know it can be a temptation. Let's remember to keep everything in perspective!

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will choose his friends wisely. Pray that God will bring him men who will encourage his accountability before God, and will not lead him into sin. (Prov. 13:20; Prov. 27:17)

Free Food

Tomorrow, Thursday May 15, McDonald's is giving away a FREE Southern Style Chicken Biscuit for breakfast and/or a FREE Southern Style Chicken Sandwich with the purchase of a medium or large beverage. No Coupon Required.

You can get a free breakfast and dinner tomorrow.

Well, it may cost us our health :0).

First Mother's Day

In the past few years, I have completely avoided Mother's Day. I have celebrated with Chris' mom, but then went home and ignored the rest of the world until the day was over. Mother's day has not been my favorite day the past few years.

However, this year was awesome. It was my first mother's day with Michaela. It was still bittersweet, but I think the sweetness killed the bitterness.

The day started with our baby dedication at church. This is a time for parents to publicly dedicate to raise their children in a home that loves God and honors Him. It is also a time for the church to stand behind the parents and to support the parents when needed. (Not raise the children spiritually, but support them.) It was an awesome moment!

I loved the dress she wore!

Then we went out to eat with his mom and family. We were asked to go many other places that weekend, but Chris and I made the decision to just go home and spend some time with our baby.

Little did I know how much I would love the present that was given to me there! Daddy and Michaela got me a gift certificate to a spa. (I can't wait to use that.) But even more exciting was the blank canvas that he gave me. He is going to have a painting of her done next week of whatever picture I would like. I will have to show you how that turns out when I get it back. My sister-in-law's boyfriend is going to paint it for us.

There is more to the blank canvas then just the painting though. It was a very symbolic present for my first mother's day. It made me think about her life. Her mind, her heart, her thoughts, her values are all blank. It is my God given responsibility to mold her into a woman of God. This is my primary role as her mom. It has made me really stop and think about my actions with her. Am I intentional with the activities we do? Am I pouring God's values into her life? She is trusting me to raise her. She wants to know that I will hold her hand and lead her to the one that created her.

We spent sometime taking a nap on the couch after the present opening. Daddy was awesome and captured the moment for us.

We ended the day watching "The Land Before Time". I didn't realize how symbolic that movie would be either. If you remember the movie, Littlefoot's Mom dies in the beginning and he has to make the journey to the great valley on his own. Here are a few quotes from the movie that are memorable:

Littlefoot: Have you ever seen the Great Valley?

Littlefoot's Mother: No.

Littlefoot: Well, how do you know it's really there?

Littlefoot's Mother: Some things you see with your eyes, others you see with your heart.

Littlefoot: I don't understand, Mother.

Littlefoot's Mother: You will, my son. You will.

-------------------------------------------------

Littlefoot's mother: Dear, sweet, Littlefoot, do you remember the way to the Great Valley?

Littlefoot: I guess so. But why do I have to know if you're going to be with me?

Littlefoot's mother: I'll be with you. Even if you can't see me.

-------------------------------------------------

Littlefoot's mother: I'll be in your heart, Littlefoot. Let your heart guide you.

Day 14- Speech

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will speak words that build you and your family, and reflect a heart of love. Pray that he will not use filthy language. (Prov. 18:21; Eph. 4:29)

Day 13- Serving

I'm sure by now you have noticed that I have not been writing something everyday along with the prayer. I want to make sure that you have the chance to use this prayer in whatever way God wants to use it without having it tainted by my opinion. My prayer is that this is helping to change your husband. I know this time in prayer has helped to build Chris as the man God longs for him to be. I love watching God work!!

Prayer
Pray that your husband use practical skills to build your family and make wise decisions for your welfare. Pray that he will serve unselfishly. (Gal. 5:13; Phil. 2:3-4)

Watching Sheep Grow

Do you remember the sponge capsules that you played with when you were a child? I got some for Michaela to go in her Easter basket and she was very entertained by them! I think Daddy was just as excited as she was too.

It was so neat to experience her watching the pill-like shell turn into a sheep. It really kept her attention, which can be challenging with a 9 month old!

(Please excuse the fact that she doesn't have a shirt on. She got it soaked within the first few minutes. You will also see that she losed a sock later on. I really should have done this in the bath tub but it was a last minute experiment.)

You can see Daddy pointing at the capsule.

Whatever Daddy does, Michaela wants to do as well.

Here she decided that she was going to put her foot in the water!

We went ahead and took of the sock.

The final result.

It was a very cheap form of entertainment. I got a pack of 12 capsules for only $1.97 at Walmart. (We've only used one so far.) I look forward to using these again. It was neat to watch her watch the sheep grow! It's amazing what it going on inside their minds; even at this young age.

Day 12- Sexual Relationship

I hope things are going well with the challenge. I pray that God is using this to bless your family and make your marriage stronger.

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will yield his sexual drive to the Lord and practice self control. Pray that your sexual intimacy together will be fresh, positive, and a reflection of selfless love. (Prov. 5:15, 18; 1 Cor. 7:3; Song of Solomon 7:10)

Day 11- Humility

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will have a humble, teachable spirit and a servant’s heart before the Lord. Pray that he will listen to God and desire to do His will. (Prov. 15:33; Eph. 6:6).

Day 10 - Integrity

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will cultivate strong integrity, and not compromise his convictions. Pray that his testimony will be genuine, that he will be honest in his business dealings, and will never do anything that he needs to hide from others. (Prov. 20:7; 1 Tim. 1:5, 3:7; Eph. 6:10-12)

Ode to Mothers

In honor of Mother's Day, I would like to share this video of Anita Renfro. You have to hear it for yourself. It is hiliarious!



I haven't had a chance to say all of this yet, but I'm sure it is only a matter of time.

(She is a Christian comedian. I haven't heard any of her other stand-ups but I tried to check her out via her website before posting this. I believe she is ok.)

Day 9-Handling Finances

Good morning!! Sorry this post is a little later into the day then I would have liked. I don't know how the morning got away from me.

I just want to tell you all that I am so excited for a new day. Do you sometimes feel like you just couldn't do anything right for God? I felt like that yesterday, but praise God it's a new morning. I feel like I have been in a valley for the last couple of days, but I can begin to see how to climb the hill once again.

There is mercy if we mess up the challenge. Strive for perfection, but remember if you stubble God will pick you up!

Prayer:
Pray that your husband handle finances wisely, will have discernment concerning budgeting and investments, and will be a good steward of his money in regard to giving to the Lord’s work. Pray that money will not become a source of discord in your family. (Prov. 23:4-5; Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:5)

Great Deal- Rite Aid

I don't wear make-up that much and part of the reason is that I just can't bring myself to spend that much money on makeup. But today at Rite Aid I got a great deal that you just can't pass up.

All of their Cover Girl make up is Buy One Get One Free. That is pretty cool, but if you have the paper from this past Sunday, there are coupons inside the Proctor and Gamble section for Cover Girl Makeup. There are 4 coupons: (2) $1.00 off any product, $2.50 off any 2 products and Buy any 3 Products and get FREE blush. Thankfully, I had 2 sets of these coupons so I had double the amount of coupons.

I got $50.22 worth of Makeup for only $14.01!
(I could have spent $3 less but I splurged on better mascara.)

Sale ends of Saturday, May 10.

Mom's will do ANYTHING

So I just have to make a short revelation about being a mom: We will do anything for our kids! (within reason of course.)

Michaela's doctor used to be about 15 miles away from our house. She moved to a new office and it is 46 miles from our house. With gas being $3.85/gallon you would think I would find another doctor.

However, we are still going to the same doctor because she is wonderful with our daughter. To any person who doesn't have a child that seems crazy, but I think it just goes to show that we will do anything for our kids!

Day 8-Providing for His Family

The past couple of days have been difficult for me. I think the difficulty is coming from God because he is making me take a long hard look at myself and see the sin in my life. My attitude towards my husband has been sin. No way around it. I never thought this challenge would have this type of reaction in my own life. Isn't God awesome!

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will work hard to provide for your family, to the best of his ability. Pray that the character qualities necessary for a successful career and ministry will be a growing part of his character—persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, positive relationships with people, determination, etc. (Rom. 12:11; 1 Cor. 15:58)

Day 7- Safeguard his Heart

I hope you all are doing well with this challenge. Can I just say that the word "challenge" is the perfect word for this?! It really has been a challenge to do this correctly but I have to stop and wonder why. I can't say that it is because my husband isn't the man the I think he needs to be or that there is sin in my husbands life. I think that it has a lot more to do with my sin, not his. God wants me to look into my own life and confess my sins. I need to repent of my sins and try to walk closer to God. Only then will I be able to be the woman I need to be for God and my husband. I can't take out the speck in his eye when there is a log in my own.

Today's prayer:

Pray that your husband will safeguard his heart against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex. Pray that his heart will be pure and undivided in his commitment to you. (Prov. 6:23-24, 26; Rom. 13:14)

Day 6- Take a Stand Against Evil

Today we are going to lift up our husbands to God and pray against the devil. Satan is the great deceiver and he wants us to believe that he is stronger then God. However, as Christians we know that God is bigger then Satan. After all, Satan was created by God. Take time today and pray to God about temptations that your husband might face. As his wife you have a great responsibility and privilege to pray for him. I will be the first to admit that I do not pray as much as I should. I want to correct that sin in my life!

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will love righteousness and hate wickedness, especially the evils of the culture. Pray that he will recognize and avoid wickedness in his own life, and if necessary, take a clear, strong stand against evil. (Prov. 27:12; John 17:15; 1 Cor. 10:12-13)

(As always, any comments you would like to leave are welcome.)

Day 5- Honor your Vows

I am so thankful that God has given us this challenge! I feel that this challenge couldn't have come at a better time. God has perfect timing; I really needed this extra encouragement.

Can I just add a dose of encouragement for you? I was going to write about what I have done in the past day and half that was negative. (I had another joke that shouldn't have been said and I had a bad attitude this morning) However, I don't want this to turn into something that is either pass or fail. That is only going to bring us down. Yes, the goal is to be encouraging and uplifting. I don't want to excuse our behaviors, but I do want to applaud you for making an effort. Just making a conscious effort to become more like Christ with our husbands is a great start. Sometimes we have formed bad habits and they will take work to break. I hate that I make jokes that belittle him. Yesterday as I was calling him the name, I started to trail off toward the end of the word. The fact that I noticed what I was doing is going to help me change my actions. I can't let God help fix sin that I don't realize exists.

Since I posted day 4 so late here is the prayer for yesterday again:
Pray that your husband will grow in leadership skills in your relationship—protecting and providing for you. Pray that he will lead you wisely and love you sacrificially, so that God will be glorified in your marriage. (Eph. 5:25-29; Col. 3:19)

Here is the prayer for today, Day 5:
Pray that your husband will be faithful to his wedding vows. Pray that he will have a desire to cultivate your relationship as a sign of his loyalty and commitment to you, and as a picture of Christ’s love for the Church. (Prov. 20:6; Gen. 2:24)

If you have messed up in the first few days, just take a deep breath and don't beat yourself up. Ask God and your husband for forgiveness. Be thankful that God is showing you the sin in your own life. There is NOTHING that we can do to change our husbands apart from prayer. Let's just focus on being a wife that is a true helper to her husband.

Great Photo Shoot

A friend of ours took some pics of Michaela for her 8 month photos. I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am with the way they turned out. He did such a great job!!

This one has extra special meaning. The first time she crawled she was going after this toy! He really captured the moment for me.

By the time we got to the end she had had enough. This was the end of the session. You can tell she was getting tired. (Well, at least I can tell. )

Thanks Robbie (and Brittany-she wouldn't have smiled so big without you!).

Day 4-Leadership

Well, it only took 4 days to let you all down. It is the end of the day and I am just now posting day 4. I found that it is really hard to find time to post this on a Sunday. The day is just so busy. And I have to admit, I have been irritated so it made me less likely to find the extra time to do this. Completely the wrong attitude to have!!! I know.

Here is the prayer for day 4. Hopefully, you still prayed for your husband today without the specific prayer. We need to double up tomorrow to cover both topics!

Pray that your husband will grow in leadership skills in your relationship—protecting and providing for you. Pray that he will lead you wisely and love you sacrificially, so that God will be glorified in your marriage. (Eph. 5:25-29; Col. 3:19)

Day 3-Agree with God about Sin

Well, yesterday was a better day then day Thursday. I didn't say anything negative to him or about him! It felt really good to talk about him in a positive light. By the grace of God today will be the same!

Here is our prayer for today:
Pray that your husband will be humble and quick to agree with God about his sin. Pray that his heart will be tender toward the voice of the Lord. (Ps. 51:2-4; Micah 6:8)

How was your day?

Day 2- Relationship with God

Day 1 is over. I have to admit that I have already failed! I did pray for him today but I said something negative to him. I made a harsh remark about a pair of earrings that he has that I do not like. Immediately I wanted to take it back but once something is out of your mouth it can't go back. I did, however, apologize to him in front of the same people I made the comment. I said it in a joking matter, but it was still wrong. I am trying to be careful about the small comments that don't seem to matter but really cut him down little by little. Today I will try to do better.

Here is the prayer for today:
Pray that your husband’s relationship with God and His Word will bear fruit in his life. Pray that he will be a man of wisdom and understanding, fearing the Lord. (Prov. 3:7, 9:10; Ps. 112:1)

Remember, if you cannot join us on the web, you can print of the full challenge from Reviveourhearts.com or just click here. The important thing to do is pray for your husband!

How did you do yesterday?

31 Days of Praying & Encouraging our Husbands

"She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."- Proverbs 31:12

I don't know about you, but sometimes I have a hard time praying for my husband as much as I should. When I forgot to pray for him, I am not doing the good that I need to do for him. It is such an awesome privilege and responsibility given to us as wives and we need to make sure that we are taking full advantage of the opportunity to pray.

I know that my husband, just like any of us, is tempted by Satan is some area every day. Can you imagine how much more equipped he would be if I esteemed him in prayer? Personally, if I knew someone was taking time to pray for my temptations every day, I would feel more capable to stand and fight. Yes, I know that ultimately God is the one who battles for us. I'm just saying that it helps. Prayer helps all of us. Without prayer we have lost the relationship that God desires for each of us. Prayer and His word are the foundation of our faith.

Having said this, I would like to post a challenge for all women. If you are married, then you can pray for your husband specifically. If you are single, you can pray for the man that God might bring into your life. The verse in proverbs says she brings him good ALL the days of her life. Pray that he would allow God to shape and mold him to be the man that you need him to be.
All of us can pray for the state of marriage in our country.

God has given them a great task of leading our families. Let's come together and lift up our men.

OK, so the challenge was an idea from Nancy Leigh DeMoss. She is the founder of Revive Our Hearts Ministries. (Her original challenge was a combination of the two separate ones she has now on her website. I'm going to go ahead and combine the two together.) For the next 31 days you will pray for a specific need in your husband's life. The topics will be posted here every day. Also, you have to say one nice thing to your husband and to someone else about your husband every day. Lastly, and this might be the hardest part :), you cannot say anything negative to your husband or to anyone else about your husband. We want to spend this next month lifting them up and encouraging them.

I have tried to do this a few times on my own and failed. I didn't have accountability and I fizzled out a few weeks into the challenge. I thought trying it on the web with other women would bring accountability. We could also encourage one another in this journey. God can do a great work in our marriages if we let Him in!

If you would like to do this challenge and cannot check this website every day, you can go here to print the downloadable PDF. You can print this off and follow along with us. Please hear my heart: This not about coming here to read what I have to say. This is about bringing glory and honor to God through our marriages. It is all about Him!

Are you up for the challenge?

(Please feel free to leave any comments. I would rather this be an open discussion. You all are very wise and I would love to hear what you have to say!)

Day 1-Spiritual Growth

“She does him good . . .” (Proverbs 31:12a)

Bless your husband by praying for him! The Apostle Paul instructed all Christians to pray for one another (Ephesians 6:18). This includes wives’ responsibility and privilege to pray for their husbands. Earnest prayer for your husband is good for him, for you and the spiritual health of your home (Proverbs 31:11-12).

Satan desires to destroy your husband, especially his character and his leadership in your relationship. Trust God through prayer as you daily surrender your husband and marriage to the Lord’s wise, loving care.

-Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Prayer:
Pray that your husband will grow spiritually and consider his accountability before the Lord. Pray that he will guard his heart by developing spiritual disciplines—Bible reading and study, prayer, meditation, scripture memorization, etc. (2 Peter 3:18; Prov. 4:23)

Remember the other part: You cannot say anything negative to him or anyone about him. Also, say something good to him and to someone else about him.