My husband is singing my praises

It is not my birthday. Not our anniversary. Not his birthday. I did not make his favorite meal. Did not let him have the remote (well, I did, but he always has it). So why is he praising me?

My life is lived in prayer asking God to make me the woman I am meant to be. The wife fit for him.

So, why today? He is always loving, kind, affectionate. He always brags about me. Why more today? Why more hugs? More praises? What brought this on?

We went to church. Rick is the building administrator for a church and this means we need to be there early. Part of his job is getting everything ready, making sure everything is working, heat/air is right and no one has made a mess that requires last minute clean-up. He needs to clean the pulpit as it is a Plexiglas and shows every finger print so this is always a last minute job.

My part on Sunday is to make the coffee that is out for everyone and to set out the communion.

We were both busy at work when a man came in. He works with the video equipment and always comes shortly after we do. He went to do his work and about 20 minutes later his wife came in. She plays the piano and comes early for the praise team practice.

What does all this have to do with my husband? Why did he suddenly come in the kitchen loving me and praising me to others?

Mr. X was told by Mrs. X that he did not do his job that morning before he left and he had to go home and make the bed. Rick heard that, I heard Mr. X come in the kitchen for coffee and announce he had to run home to do his husbandly duty and he was just told about it. Later my husband told me what happened, and announced that he was so glad I was his wife!

Any of you that read my blog know that I promote the husband is the head of the home and wives are to not be the ones wearing the pants. We have no right to order our husbands to do anything. Husbands are to be loving, wives to submit when there is a difference of opinion.

This incident reminded me of how messed up our Christian marriages have become . I am not going to repeat previous posts about husband/ wife relationships, but I want to add to what has been written.

My husband was praising me, being affectionate, bragging about me "in the gates" all because I was letting God work in me. He appreciates me. He does things for me. He lets me have say in things and often agrees with me. Not because I make him, but out of love.

Wives, if we ask God and seek Him to make us into the wives we are to be with a meek and quiet spirit, honoring our husband and respecting him it will make a difference. He will brag about you in a good way, be more loving than you can imagine and want to be with you.

Treat him with disrespect. bossy, controlling and dishonoring and you will not only have a husband who wants to do his own thing, but you will also have to face God for not being what He intended for you to be. One other thing, it will also make your husband have to stand before God and explain why he was not the man of the house and did not rule his family well. In the end, it will fall back on you.

Pray today, that God will make you the wife He intended. Get out your Bible and find all that is in there for wives. We can all improve, but it takes relying on HIM.

Showing love 20 frugal ways

How often do you show your husband you love him and are glad he is there? How about your kids?

I used to think I did not have the money to really show them, or him. I would see things I knew that he would like but did not have resources. Sometimes it would be a way to decorate, or a special gift etc. However, it does not take money, or very little, to show your love and give reminders everyday of your love. We need it and so do they!

I would like to list special ways you can show your man you are there for him and you are still in love with him.

• leave little notes, in the shower, his lunch (kids lunch) under his pillow. You can make cards on the computer or by hand or just a quick "I love you" on a scrap of paper shoved in by his book mark in the book he is reading, at his computer etc.
• On the same note, (hehe, not literally, pun there) you can leave something you like about him, appreciate or thank him for. ( I appreciate how much you tell me you like my cooking, or how hard your work for us, etc)
  
• If he usually comes home from work and wants something to drink, have it ready for him.
• Have his socks, underwear etc dug out of the laundry basket so he does not have to dig when he is getting dressed. ( my kids are grown now, but I remember how it was getting all that done with 5 kids around, but pulling them out for him to dress in the morning makes a big difference.)
• Ask him if there is anything special he would like for dinner. Let him choose from what is in the house.
• hug him often
• kiss him often
• be playful... you know what I mean!
• give him peace when he wants to read the paper for a few minutes. He needs his unwind and switch gears time, then let him know about your day.
  
• Don't be a big spender so he has to worry about paying the bills!
  
• Be frugal
• Men do not talk like we do, they give a brief version and that is it. Show him you are interested in what he says, ask questions, but do not "nag" at him.
• Thank him for all he does, not a "thanks for everything honey" but a "thank you for changing the light bulb for me, I could not reach it. You are my hero".
• Make him your hero and tell him. Men need to know that.
• Have a honey do list, but do not nag, and when he does it praise him and let him know you appreciate him.
• Let him know you appreciate him (even if he did not do it) if he feels appreciated and loved he will do more for you and the family.
• Save your loose change and take him out for a meal or a dessert or something special.
• Tell him you love him again, and again and again!
• Tell him you would marry him again
• get the cat out of his favorite chair before he walks in the door.
  

These are just some ideas that do not cost money. You probably have more and I would love for you to tell me in the comments!

What? You do not "feel" this way about your husband? Start finding small things to thank him, etc. Do it just because he is your husband. Eventually you will feel it and he will change as you change. It is cheap, frugal and very mighty!

For more frugal ideas go on over to Biblical Womanhood!

Choose your gifts wisely

This came across my email today and I thought I would pass it on. I guess because my husband's name is Rick I thought it was funnier than it probably is.

MISSING HUSBAND

Rick was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary. His wife was really angry. She told him 'Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in less than 6 seconds, AND IT BETTER BE THERE!!'

The next morning Rick got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway. Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, and brought the box back in the house.She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.

Rick has been missing since Friday. Please pray for him.

Kids Cup Cakes

Last night I went to a Bible Study that my husband and I attend. They always have some kind of goodies there that are very hard to resist.

There is one woman who makes the yummiest, most fattening things every week. However, she was not there yesterday and someone else brought a treat that reminded me of when my kids were young.

You know how you need cupcakes for the school parties, or just for treats? Well, Lacy made a school treat last night. She took some ice cream cones that were getting a bit stale. Rather than throw them away, she made them into cup cakes.

A few tricks to doing this:

1. make sure your cones stand up and can't fall over, a pan with sides and them in tight works.
2. be sure your cake mix goes to the bottom, if not you will have a gap in there with no cake. Tap them to get the mix down
3. bake as you would any cupcake, checking for doneness as the recipe calls for.

Decorate as you want, or just ice.


As you can see, they can be enjoyed by all ages!

This is 15 month old Scout enjoying one Lacy sent home for her.

She had a shower after she was done!

For more Works for Me Wednesday go to Rocks in My Dryer!

Wedding, Branson and great fun!

Last weekend my husband, mom and I traveled from Texas to Missouri for the wedding of my niece. Becca was such a pretty bride and I wanted to share a few pictures with you.



They were married on Feb. 29 and had a really nice wedding.

I had never been to MO before and this was a real treat. On Saturday my brother took us to do some sight seeing as well as to enjoy a meal at a famous restaurant and see a show in Branson.

If you ever get to go to that area, check out Lambert's Restaurant. You will have a dinning experience like you have never had before. Be ready to catch your rolls, eat all you want, drink all you want (non-alcoholic!) and not spend a whole lot of money. Check out their website!

Branson is a great place as well. We went to see Pierced Arrow and if you want great laughs, good music and some good patriotism check out their site as well. The comedian Jarrett Dougherty is one of the funniest and versatile guys I have seen. If you can't go, get his CD and enjoy!

The Joys of Parenthood

I read blogs. I love to see what other people write and learn from them and hope they from me. Because of this I get feeds from many blogs on my google home page and my google reader. Today I was doing some reading (trying to avoid what I had to do today!) and read a great post on Bringing Good Home. It brought back many memories of when my kids were small and the many things that they pulled, tried, got into and could have been disastrous. Some were.

As moms we sometimes think we will not survive those years. I had four kids in 5 1/2 years, then another one 5 years later. When #5 was coming I consoled myself that at least this one would not do something one of the others had done, so I should know how to handle everything.

I had already had a child put a paper clip in an electrical outlet and burn his fingers and welded the outlet shut (to this day mind you!). I had a child feed motor oil to the next one down the line. I had them pull diapers off in the front yard while a nosy neighbor was watching us with binoculars. Quite the eye full she got as the diaper was also full.

Then there was the child that climbed on everything. The crib had to be pulled down when she was 7 months old because we could not keep her in it. There was the daughter that got on the top of a 5.5 foot dresser to play around the room without touching anything. Swung on the door to hit the bed and hit the frame instead. Lost 3 teeth and cut up her lip in the doing.

The list goes on from the first 4, so what else could another one do?

Try climb on the stove, open the door of the oven, turn on all the burners and walk back to my side so fast she was never missed. Until the kitchen was on fire! Or eat the border off a cake for 300 people and tell me it "only a little bit, no one will notice". Or strip her clothes off and open the door for the mailman (we lived in the city).

I could go on and on, but each child is different and believe me, what they pull as kids is nothing to what they pull as teens! Mine were good teens too, no real problems, but still a wild, fun ride.

We do survive. Relax, discipline when needed and laugh a lot inside. When it is Halloween and your daughter is in the back of a police car dressed up like a jail bird and the cop drives by your house, remember it will be a good story later. (She did nothing wrong, someone whose door they went to did and they called the police!, of course I did not know that when she went by in the back of the car!).

Life is a journey. Enjoy the trip. You will survive!

Free Source for MaMa's

Today is Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood and I want to share a free source of help that I found.

Mamasource has so much, mom run businesses, babysitter services, and a source to ask questions and get answers from other moms. Mamasource is geared to your community. You sign up, put in your town and you will be connected with other moms and sources in your area.

For more frugal ides go to Biblical Womanhood.