#datechallenge

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If I asked you, what is the percentage you wear the wife hat compared to the mother hat, what would your numbers look like?

A mother to a newborn may look something like this 80% (mom) to 20% (wife). A newborn is very needy, so it’s understandable during this time to have your roles skewed.
Okay, you don’t have a newborn, so what are your numbers?

A friendly a reminder:
1. God
2. Spouse
3. Children

If your numbers don’t look closer to this 65% (wife) and 45% (mom), I have a challenge for you.
Take out your calendar and schedule at least two dates a month with your spouse.
#datechallenge

Jump start your marriage!

TAG a friend and encourage them to be apart of the challenge! ❤️

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“I love to vacuum, mopping is exciting, and laundry is my favorite thing to do in my free time,” said no mother ever.

Face it chores have never been the highlight of our lives, but they weren’t meant for torture either. I challenge you to grasp the deeper purpose…cleaning and decorating creates a place of comfort and refuge for your family. We have the power to take a “house” and make it a “home,” a place of safety, and a retreat from the negative noise of this world.

How will you view cleaning today or this weekend?

She is Clothed with Strength

DSC_2125“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” Proverb 31:25

I love my new shirt from “She Is Clothing“…I wore it today to our second ladies small group meeting (From The Committed Heart). I shared, in today’s group, what it means to be committed to your spouse. Our culture relates submission and self-control as a weakness, but it is actually the opposite. Let me ask you, “does it take more strength for a woman to give a piece of her mind to her husband” or “does it take more strength for a woman to remain silent?”

No good can come out of a woman screaming and yelling at her husband when she doesn’t agree about something. Instead, I encourage you to pray, ask God to give you self-control and strength. Then allow God to take care of your spouse, but at least you kept your dignity, while honoring your husband and God.

When the Stirring Doesn’t Stop!

20140820-075238.jpgFor the past eight years of my life I have been pregnant or nursing. I have given my full attention to my family. Until a couple of years ago, this was enough.  Then all of a sudden, my heart started saying, there is more. I like the way Lisa Whittle explains it in her new book, I Want God, “Even when we ignore it, the God-call inside all of us does not keep quiet. In everyday life, the God-call persists too. So while we may be able to run from service for a time, eventually we won’t be able to. The God-call on our life will simply be too loud and too strong.”

Since I believe a woman’s number one ministry is her family, I continued to pour into each of my family members, all the while my heart was stirring. I eventually started a blog, From the Committed Heart. I thought this blog would be the missing piece of my heart’s call and though it has helped, my heart kept stirring. About mid May, of this year, I felt God say, it’s time. My heart was pounding, tears were flowing, it’s been almost a decade since I lead a ministry! I prayed for God to show me how I would be able to lead a small group without it taking away from my number one ministry, my family. 

After throwing around some ideas with a friend, I have received the blessing from my church to start a women’s group called, From the Committed Heart. I will be sharing about the many hats we as women wear and the importance of your relationship with our God the Father first and our husband second.  

I’m excited to announce that the first meeting will be Monday, September 8th, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am at Faith Assembly, in the Prayer room. If you are a married woman, living in the Orlando area and are available, I would love for you to join us.
 
*ATTN: If you are planning to attend Monday, Sept. 8th and need CHILDCARE, please contact 407-275-8790 ext. 1105 or childcare@faithassembly.org by Friday, Sept. 5th

 

Freshen Up!

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

Being a stay-at-home mom of four little ones under the age of 8 is such a blessing, but it can also be draining. It can be draining emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically. I’m on the go 24/7. There’s teaching, cooking, cleaning, feeding, changing, washing and anything else that has a “ing” in. It easy to lose sight of what we might look like at the end of the day.

Now picture with me your husband coming home after being at work all day. Hold up, don’t get crazy on me women, hear me out. He walks in the door the kids are running around, crumbs are all over the floor, and he looks up to see you with a yellow stained t-shirt, hair all crazy every way, bags under your eyes, and lets not even talk about your breath. Now again I know, it’s been a hard day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take five minutes and freshen up for your husband.

When we get married, our husbands should continue to be complimenting us, pursuing us, dating us, and telling us how much he loves.  As for us women, we should continue to be aware of our looks for our husbands.

I remember saying to a friend one day, “Well, he’s married to me now so I don’t have to worry about what I look like”. Wow, really, Bethany? Thankfully God opened my eyes to a bigger picture and gave me wisdom about being a wife.

Freshening up doesn’t have to take an hour or two. Just enough time to put on a shirt without stains and the smell of spit up, comb your hair so it doesn’t look like you stuck your hand in a light socket, brush your teeth so your breath smells like when you were dating (you know what I’m talking about), and maybe put a squirt of perfume on. Then take some time to refresh your inner self, five or ten minutes to just relax, a couple of deep breaths, praying or even singing a couple of worship songs. Something that helps you smile from the inside out! No one wants to come home to a grumpy, frowny,  up tight lump.

Trust me it won’t just be for him but it will also give you a little pep in your walk and you’ll need it when it’s time to clean the messy kitchen after dinner.