How to be Content

  Take The Focus of yourself Live free of debt Spend time alone Do something special for old people Keep young children in your life Get involved in a worthwhile cause Avoid negative people Discipline yourself Understand other people’s point of view Treat yourself Be thankful for what you have Ask for advice Avoid known temptation   Karen Willoughby 

Wednesdays for Women

Today I wanted to talk about a very important part of marriage that not a lot of people see as a "Must do"

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Praying for your Husband

I believe you can bring good to your husband through prayer, prayer for his integrity, his strengths, his weaknesses, his walk, his work – for every aspect of His life. If you aren’t praying for these things for your husband, who is? I want to be a prayer warrior for my husband and my family. My hearts desire is that my husband would feel covered in prayer with intentionality and meaning through scripture. Here are a few verses that I have leaned into while praying for my husband.

Here are some scriptures you can pray over him:

1. That the Lord would teach him how to be a good husband &likewise me a good wife {Ephesians 5:22-33}
2. That he would submit his fears to God {Psalm 118:6}
3. That he would fully grasp his purpose in Christ {Romans 8:28}
4. For his health {1 Corinthians 6:12}
5. For strength {Psalm 28:70}
6. That the Lord would bless his work {Proverbs 22:29}
7. For discernment in handling finances {Luke 16:13}

Wednesdays for Women(Virtous Woman part 2)

I posted Part 1 here

Vs. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

•• She understands that the duties of a wife and mother include ensuring that her family is well fed.

• A virtuous, biblical woman, may I suggest, will excel in this area. She will not only go about to learn the necessary cooking skills, but she will study sound nutrition and will ensure that her family is fed nutritiously, not with a high proportion of out-of-the-box junk food.

Vs. 15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

•• This virtuous woman, this praiseworthy woman of God, is not given to “sleeping in” in the mornings. No! Rather, she is up before dawn to make sure that her household is well fed.

• I cannot recall a single instance during our child-raising years when my wife left me and our four children to fend for ourselves at breakfast. She was always up early enough to send us off with a nutritious breakfast.

Vs. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

•• Amazing! The Proverbs 31 woman is no wimp! She has theintelligence and business sense to evaluate a piece of property and to buy it. She has her own “earnings”, with which she buys the field and plants a vineyard.

Vs. 17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

Vs. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does nVs. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

•• Like the virtuous woman of the Bible, many modern women have their own home-based businesses. The woman in Proverbs 31 seems to have been a seamstress who sold garments and sashes (vss. 19, 24).

•• She apparently did her business well, working well into the evening, because “her trading [was] profitable”.

Vs. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

•• Virtuous women learn domestic skills. My beloved maternal grandmother was an excellent seamstress. Her husband had died and left her a widow with seven children at home. Her skills at making clothing were essential to keeping her children well clothed.

• My wife is an exceptionally gifted quilter. Our home is decorated in just about every room with the products of her skills. She made me personally a warm flannel quilt in a manly pattern that I treasure.

Vs. 20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

•• Her home-based skills have earned her a profitable income. She is ever willing to share this blessing with the poor and needy.

• I am reminded of stories told about America's Great Depression of the early 20th century, when millions were jobless, hungry, and sometimes homeless. Virtuous women by the thousands were known for their unflinching decision: "I will never turn a hungry person away from my door!"

Vs. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

•• The godly woman is fully aware of the priority of her family in her life over other things that might sidetrack her from her domestic responsibilities. She is an excellent illustration of the charge to younger women in Titus 2 (verse 5) to be “busy at home”.

Vs. 22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

•• Not only do the skills of this woman of God earn her an income from the merchants, she also makes sure that her own home’s needs are well cared for. The bed coverings referred to here could be similar to the quilts that my wife and many other virtuous women so painstakingly create.

•• The Proverbs 31 woman does not neglect her own appearance. She uses her skills to provide attractive clothing for herself.

Vs. 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

•• When I served in the United States Air Force as a junior officer, I noticed that the high-ranking officers’ wives were consistently women of noteworthy character. The admirable traits of a good wife can secure respect for her husband as well.

•• Notice the God-approved division of responsibilities. She was at home, caring for her home and family. He was in a place of respect at the city gates among the elders of the land. The city gates are where much ancient commerce was conducted. So it is not unreasonable to surmise that the husband was conducting his business affairs there.

Vs. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

•• Already mentioned earlier, this woman of God seems to have had a home-based business. The surrounding verses make it clear, though, that she did not do this at the expense of the well-being of her household.

Vs. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

•• The virtuous woman has a sense of dignity. She is not frivolous or embarrassing in her conduct.

•• She looks to the future and makes sure that her household is well supplied, so that she can “laugh at the days to come”.

Vs. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

•• This godly woman speaks with wisdom. Virtually daily I listen to the wisdom that proceeds from my wife’s words. In fact, as I write this bible study, I fully intend to present a rough draft copy to her, so that I can mine the jewels of wisdom and experience that she can add to my understanding of this womanly topic.

•• The virtuous woman will offer faithful instruction. The context of the surrounding verses places the location of this instruction in her home. My wife faithfully instructed our four children in character issues, domestic responsibilities, social graces, and much, much more. I was an involved father, but I must sincerely attribute to my wife the credit for the majority of the training that our children received. She was their at-home “mom”, and she made the home a place of both love and learning.

Vs. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

•• The bible defines the husband as the head of the home(1 Timothy 3:4-5; 1 Corinthians 11:3). However, his daytime responsibilities are outside the home, at “the city gates” (vs. 23). The wife-and-mother is at home, as this chapter clearly indicates. So it is her daily responsibility (not his) to “watch over the affairs of her household” (vs. 27). This is consistent with the apostle Paul’s counsel to the younger widows to “marry, to have children, tomanage their homes...” (1 Timothy  5:14).

•• The virtuous woman “does not eat the bread of idleness”. To this day I marvel at my wife’s energy and drive to maintain a nice, orderly home. “Idleness” is a word that is alien to her!

Vs. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and hepraises her.

•• Children raised by an involved, dedicated, loving, at-home momrarely grow up feeling estranged from her. Rather, they bless her!

•• Likewise, the husband of such a virtuous woman will overflow with praise for her from his heart.

• I cannot adequately communicate in words how thankful I am for my wife. She has been an extraordinary mother to our children and a matchless wife to me.

Vs. 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

•• That is the sentiment that a biblical, Proverbs 31 woman as described in this chapter will evoke in her husband’s heart — “Youare the best!”

Vs. 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

•• God is reminding us that beauty and charm are fleeting, temporal things. But that which earns genuine praise for a woman is that she is a God-fearing woman.

• I have mentioned a number of commendable traits in the virtuous woman I am married to. But the thing whichsurpasses them all is that she loves and serves the Lord with all her heart. She continues to inspire me with that dedication and faith. In my opinion, she is an outstanding example of a woman after God's own heart. And her spiritual fervor has been an ever-visible example for our four children. I have certainly labored to train my children and be a godly example to them. But due in great measure to my wife’s input in their lives, all four children as adults are actively serving the Lord on their own.

Vs. 31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praiseat the city gate.

•• Virtuous women have a great reward coming from the Lord in eternity, along with the great fulfillment they will experience in this life for a “job well done”.

•• And the Proverbs 31 woman's virtues will not only be known and blessed by her husband and children (vs. 28), but also her reputation will precede her to the “city gates”. The godly woman, whose life is patterned after Proverbs 31:10-31, will be well known and highly respected in her community.

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Some concluding thoughts — Is Proverbs 31 the only place in the bible that describes the desirable traits of a woman of God? Of course not. There are other Scriptures that speak of women of prayer, women manifesting spiritual gifts, women sharing their testimonies, and much more.
However, there is no other Scripture portion that even remotely gives such a detailed description of the “virtuous woman” as does Proverbs 31:10-31. Repeating some of the highlights, the woman that God’s Word describes as praiseworthy:

• is of noble character

• is fully trustworthy

• is an asset to her husband

• is domestically skilled

• is concerned that her household be well and nutritiously fed

• is diligent, arising before dawn and busy until after dark

• is endowed with a good business sense, even to the point of buying a field and planting a vineyard

• may have her own profitable home-based business

• is a hard worker

• is generous to and aware of the poor and needy

• is wise in preparing her household for the needs of the days to come

• is wise in ensuring that she and her family are well and appropriately clothed

• is in proper relationship to her husband, who is out conducting his business affairs at the city gates

• is a woman of wisdom

• shows dignity and strength

• is a faithful instructor to her children

• is diligent to watch over her household

• is the recipient of blessing and praise from her children and her husband

• is above all a God-fearing, godly woman!

Such a godly woman has been enshrined in the Scriptures for several thousand years as God’s role model for the virtuous woman of God. To the older women I say, teach these things to the younger women. To the younger women, I exhort you to resist the enticements of the antifamily feminist teachings of our day. Reach out, rather, to embrace God’s vision for you, His “virtuous women”. To such a woman God says (vs. 31), “Let her works praise her at the city gates.”

Wednesdays for women

 I felt in my heart to write one last night. 
Might not be for everybody, but I pray it reaches to somebody who might doubt thier potential, confidence, or abilities in the work of God.

In our overpopulted, chaotic world it is easy to understimate the significance of ONE!. With so many people, most of whom seem so much more capable, more gifted, more experienced, more prosperous, more important then I, who am I to think my parts amount to much?

That's the way most folks think these days, but that mindset will stagnate your ministry in the Kingdom of God. Brother. Wofford a instructor of mine at Texas Bible College. A man with such wisdom always told us this saying that has stuck with me for the past four years. Which is this. "What you do in moderation, others will do in excess".

Basically others will follow the standard you set, and accoriding to what they see they would follow.

I can't imagine the fore founders from years past having a  mentality that they were not significant. Aren't you glad the Apostale Paul didn't? Henry Ford, Jackie Robinson, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagen, Walt Disney, our own Pastor and many many more.

Often hear those who are afraid to take a step out in faith, and get involve in ministry with the following excuses. " I am not qualified" " I am not worthy" " "There's others who have that under control" or my favorite " It's a diffrent world today, man" , and it's " not for me to stand out in my walk with God"

WRONG! The Bible clearly states " Let our light shine before man so that they may see our good works." Everything we do for God is for his glory, and his glory only.

God has always understood individual involment... still does..

How many did it take to help the victom who got mugged on the Jericho road? One Good Samartian!

How many were chosen by God to confront Pharoah and lead the Exodus? One!

How many sheep got lost, and became a hign concern for the shepard? One!

How many were needed to confront an adulterous David, and bring him to a place of full repentance? One!

How many prophets were called to stand before a wicked King Ahab, and predict a drought?ONE!

How many did the Lord use to get the attenntion of the land of Palestine, and pepare the way for the coming of the Messiah? Take a wild guess...Once again ONE!.

Never understimate the power of ONE!, and what you can do for God.

Centuries ago a woman almost did. She though things were too far gone. And she cetrainly didn't think there was anything she cold do. It was only a matter of time she feared all the Jews would be exterminated, but thank the Lord we serve a God who uses the least expected to do the unexpected. Her name was Esther. We read that she was the Jewish wife of a Persian King, the man who was tricked to making a disaterous decision. All her people would be exterminated.

But oh how the tides can quickly turned by.... guess how many? Your'e right. ONE!.

Esther's adoptive father, realizing her daughter, alone, held the key to her husbands heart, appealed to her conscience: " If you remain silent at this time...you and your father's house will perish." (Esther 4:14)

You see Esther just one individual listened to his impassioned plea. What got her attention was his final line, and where we get one of the most profound scriptures found in the Bible. " And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"Esther (4:14)

That did it. She being only one broke long-standing protocol and put her own life at risk. She marched into the King's thron room, spoke from her heart... and rescued God's people... 
ONE woman-
ONE voice- 
ONE personal calling- saved an entire nation.

Every person sooner or later is faced with that personal decision, and step out to everything God has called them to be. Esther was willing to get persobnally involved, to the point of great sacrifice. Or, as she said, " If I perish, I perish" (416).. She didn't think someone else shoud be doing this, not me...." nor did she ignore the need because of the risk...

So before you toss everything aside, saying to yourself, "Aw, that's for somebody else. How much diffrence could I really make? Just stop to consider the value of ONE.

Jesus does not desire your abilities, but rather your availability. ONE can make a diffrence!!!

God Bless:)

Wednesdays for Women

Wednesdays are for Women ( to encourage and uplift) 

Today's Topic  Wait for the Lord and he will give you strength Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  2 Timothy 2:20-22   I would suspect that deep in every person's heart here there is a desire that God might use him. That is a normal and a proper desire.  There is no thrill like the thrill of being used of God. There is nothing that remotely approaches, in terms of excitement, satisfaction and fulfillment, the consciousness that one has been the instrument in the hands of the Almighty to do some of his work -- to change the direction of someone's life, perhaps, to prevent an injury, to resolve an argument, to answer a challenge, to heal a weakness, to rebuke a ruler, or to turn a nation. I have seen men of high achievement in the world tremble with a sense of awe as they realized that on a given occasion they were the instrument of God's working. I can tell you from personal experience that is something that is without compare in this life. It can happen anywhere, anytime. God works in wonderful ways, not always in very dramatic ways, but in ways we do not anticipate. It can happen to anybody. Being used of God is not confined to pastors, preachers or teachers. Anybody can be an instrument in God's hands. As long as we are willing vessels, God will use us to do hiw WILL- we cannot force our will in to our lives or it will never work, we need his divine will

Who can find a Virtuous woman for her price is far above rubies... When i first got married, i wanted to be the best wife i can be I wanted my husband to be anxious to get home to see me I wanted him to think of me when he woke in the morning and his last thought at night... I wanted us to be always like newlyweds I never wanted us to argue or fight but that isnt how marriages work you dont see eye to eye on everything  but i wanted to be a virtuous woman!  A Virtuous Woman  The Bible speaks of the “virtuous woman”. Who is she? How does God in His Word describe her? Does she pray faithfully each day? Is she used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Does she consistently do daily Bible study and have regulardevotional times? The answer? — None of these traits is listed in God’s most extensive Scriptural description of virtuous women.
Now please understand me, there is no doubt that the excellent attributes listed above are valuable aspects of the lives of every Christian woman (and man). However, God devotes almost an entire chapter of the Bible (Proverbs 31) to His description of the “virtuous woman”. And the favorable traits that God lists are, surprisingly to some readers, of a substantially different nature. Please go with me to the Bible’s grand description of the godly woman in the eyes of God— 

• Her worth has consistently proven to be “far above rubies”. I would describe my wife as “priceless!” I consider her to be a woman of God after God's own heart. I would readily suggest her as an illustration of the admirable traits that God lists in the following verses.

Vs. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

•• A virtuous woman inspires absolute confidence in her husband. He can “safely trust in her” (KJV). She is not impetuous, scatterbrained, or unpredictable. Rather, she can be trusted. Her husband can be confident in her. She will never deliberately let him down.

•• The husband of a biblical, virtuous woman “lacks nothing of value”. That is illustrated by some of her remarkable traits in the succeeding verses.

Vs. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

•• The Proverbs 31 woman “brings him good” — that is, her husband. She is not a “liberated” woman as defined by modern feminists. She is God-fearing (vs. 31), a woman of God, and also very muchhusband- and family-oriented. And these are seen throughout this chapter as positive traits.

• Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.

•• She brings him good. There does seem to be biblical wisdom in the modern-day axiom that “behind every good man stands a good woman”. She is an asset to her husband. She will never intentionally bring harm his way.

Vs. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

•• This godly woman is skilled and capable in working with fabric. The modern counterpart would be skill in things like quilting andsewing.

•• And notice that “she works”. There is no hint of laziness in this woman who is praised by God.

•• And she “worketh willingly with her hands” (KJV). She is “willing to get her hands dirty”, as the old saying goes. She is no diva, no prima donna! A woman of God is not “above” manual work.

to be continued