Life Update

Hello dears,  I don't even know where to begin...

...so much has changed so far in 2013:

January welcomed the birth of our son, Tyler.  He has been an absolute joy and wonderful blessing to our lives.  I love spending my days with him.  He started sleeping through the night (8-10 hours) when he was 7 weeks old and usually wakes up smiling and cooing.  About a week before our son was born we had an 18-year-old girl move in with us.  She had been converted to Christ, but had fallen away as a result of her environment.  She wanted to get back on the right track with God and she already had a place in our hearts so we offered her a room in our home.  The first few weeks were very rough, especially as I was dealing with all the emotional ups-and-downs of being a new momma.  For the most part, everyone gets on very smoothly and I've come to really enjoy having her around.

February was a blur.  I don't remember anything too significant happening during that month.  I spent most of my time taking care of and cuddling with our precious little boy...which I absolutely loved!

March was fairly uneventful as well.  I started blogging again and have realized that it's too much to keep up with a schedule.  I'm just going to blog when I have the time...which won't be as often as I would like.  I have SO much that I want to share with you though!  I have still been able to do a few projects here and there.  Hopefully I'll be able to share them with you soon.

April brought a visit from my parents...aka Granny and Papaw.  Papaw taught Ryan how to replace drywall and install a shower surround in our upstairs bathroom - which we hadn't used since March of 2011 because water had gotten to the drywall and caused mold to grow and we just hadn't had the money to fix it.  So, with our tax return we finally fixed our upstairs shower...I LOVE having our shower back!  Especially having another person in the house!  Papaw and Granny might have spoiled our little guy just a bit.  But that's alright.  That's what grandparents are for, right!?!?

This month also brought a great surprise!  On the 15th I received this message from Jenn at Clean&Scentsible:

 

Hi Jessica!

Congratulations!!! You are the winner of the $1000 custom closet organization system from Easy Closets!! Please confirm your email and I will forward your information to Easy Closets.   I hope you enjoy your prize!  We would love to see what you do with it!

Jenn

I couldn't believe my eyes!  I read, re-read, re-read, and re-read the e-mail again.  Then the tears started.  We had won!  I sat at my computer for at least ten minutes, still in amazement that we had really won this amazing prize!  Our master closet is a major need of some organizational help.  This is perfect for us!  - A special and huge "THANK YOU" to the amazing hosts of the Spring Cleaning Challenge and this amazing Giveaway:  Clean & Scentsible, Ask Anna, Clean Mama, I Dream of Clean, A Real-life Housewife, and Spring Cleaning 365.  And of course, I want to thank Easy Closets for sponsoring the giveaway and making this prize possible!  I will definitely be sharing our closet makeover with you all!

As exciting and wonderful as the beginning of the month was, there had to be a challenge waiting for us:  Ryan's overtime stopped.  Initially they told him it would start back up in a week.  A week came and went and overtime still wasn't starting back up.  By the end of April we came to the conclusion that overtime isn't going to start back up anytime soon, perhaps not until November.  This is very bad for us financially.  We made some ignorant decision in the past and now we're paying for them.  Ryan was working 16-20 hours overtime a week.  We need for him to work at least 12.  Thus April was an emotionally and spiritually challenging month for us...and we're still trying to figure things out.  Which brings us to...

May.  Today is May 6th and this has already been the longest month ever!  On May 2nd we got Ryan's first 40 hour paycheck since the winter holidays.  Needless to say this kind of woke both of us up.  We have to do something to bring in a supplemental income.  I am going to be opening an Etsy shop as soon as I have a small collections of items ready.  This is something I have been considering doing for some time now, but our financial situation has given me a final push to really put things together and take the plunge!  I'm really excited and hope this can help us so Ryan doesn't have to get a second job.  On May 5th we took an even bigger plunge and signed up to be distributors of Young Living Essential Oils!  Ryan and I are very excited and cannot wait to receive our oils!  As soon as I have more information I will share it with you.  Until then, please feel free to visit www.youngliving.com for more information.  You'll be glad you did!  Backing up to May 2nd:  This was the first night that little man slept in his crib...in his own room...away from mommy and daddy!  He slept all through the night...just like usual!  This pushed me to work on his crib bedding some more.  I had finished the crib skirt in April and so on Friday, May 3rd I made one of his crib sheets.  More on those two projects later! 

My current "To-Do" list is ginormous and the amount of "free time" that I have is anything but!  However, I know I can make it through.  I serve a Mighty and Powerful God who has always been there to be the strength that I need to survive the tough times, a wonderful, loving husband to encourage, help, support, comfort and just be there for me, our precious son to make me smile when I feel like crying, a wonderful spiritual family close in proximity and physical family who are close at heart.  I am blessed and so very thankful that God considers me and that He has blessed me so bountifully.

As you can see there's a lot going on at the Pugh home.  Lord willing, I'll be able to share bits and pieces with you along the way.  Thanks for listening and being a source of support and encouragement for me!  You're wonderful!

Loving My Husband

Since Tyler entered our lives and my role expanded to include that of "Mommy" I have really had to keep myself in check so that I am not neglecting the role I took on December 2, 2010, when I vowed to love my husband until death do us part.  (See this post for a in-depth study of this command.) This was very challenging for me at first.  Tyler's needs were such that the majority of my time was devoted to him.  That really hasn't changed much, and I don't expect it to anytime soon.  However, my super-wonderful, tender-loving, oh-so-understanding husband has needs, too: spiritual, emotional, and physical.  If I am to keep this vow (I'm only focusing this one for now...though I vowed much more on that blessed day) then I must make time to fulfill his needs.  

Occasionally this means that Tyler has to wait for one or more of his needs to be met.  No, we don't leave our son screaming for a bottle, sitting in a messy diaper, or crying hysterically just so we can have some "alone" time.  We love our son dearly and we both understand that his needs are often more pressing than our own.  Generally speaking we are able to wait until he's cooing in his bouncer or sleeping soundly before we take time to focus on each other.  

There are times when I shift my focus from Tyler to Ryan in an effort to show Ryan the love and attention he needs.  For example, I might be in the middle of feeding Tyler a bottle when Ryan calls on his lunch break.  For those of you who have ever fed a 2-month-old a bottle, you know it requires two hands - one to hold the baby, and one to hold the bottle.  So, when daddy calls, the bottle gets put down and the phone is picked up.  Daddy and I have a brief conversation - usually less than 3 minutes - and then I pick up the bottle and finish feeding Tyler.  Yes, Tyler may fuss a bit while the bottle is out of his mouth, but he is okay.  Some days Ryan really needs to hear my voice to help him make it through the day at work, especially when he generally works 6, 10-12 hour days a week.  Instances like this happen several times throughout the day.  I'm in the middle of doing something with Tyler, Ryan needs my attention, I give him my attention, and then return to finish caring for Tyler.  Tyler is home with me all day and he knows his mommy loves him.  It's good for him to see the love and devotion Ryan and I have for one another and to understand that he is not the center of our world.  God is the center, then we have each other, and then Tyler.

Sadly, there have been a few times when Ryan has called me out for paying more attention or talking nicer to Tyler than I am him.  Recently I have been striving harder to continually reaffirm my love for Ryan.  I don't want him to ever question or have any reason to doubt my love for him.  This has made our marriage stronger, more fulfilling and over-all more enjoyable.  The more I love Ryan, the more he loves me, and the stronger our love grows.  It's a beautiful, God-pleasing experience.

I hope this has encouraged you consider how you can shower your spouse with some extra time, love and devotion.
 

Our Newest Addition!

As I'm sure you've noticed, I've been a bit MIA since my last post on January 10th.  I have a very good reason for my absence.  In the morning on January 16th my husband and I headed to the hospital for my induction at 7:30.  Little Tyler Shane Kenneth came into the world 17 hours later at 12:26 am on January 17th.  He weighed 7lbs. 7.5oz. and was 20.5" long.

Tyler is 2 weeks old today!  I can't believe how fast time as flown since his birth!  He is such a beautiful blessing and we thoroughly enjoy having him in our lives.

I've decided to take the month of February off from blogging.  I want to take time to focus on my new role as a mother and balancing it with my roles as a wife and homemaker.  If all goes well, I'll try to be back in March.  Right now I don't have a plan for how often I will post or what I'll be posting about once I return.  I'll try to come up with something and share it with you once I return.  I will try to keep responding to comments throughout February, so keep sharing your thoughts!

Thanks so much for being wonderful followers!

God bless and I'll be back in March!

You Are What You Eat, Spiritually Speaking

As the saying goes "you are what you eat," even when it comes to things of a spiritual nature.

In Luke 4:4 Jesus quotes from the book of Deuteronmoy saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."  God's Word is our spiritual food.  If we are not taking in (reading) His Word, chewing (meditating) on it, and digesting (applying) the teachings and principles He has laid out for us then how can we expect to grow and mature?  Just like our physical bodies need physical food to grow our spiritual bodies (heart and mind) need spiritual food (God's Word) to grow, too.  And when you think about it, eating is something we do every day...multiple times a day even!  Should we not be opening our Bibles, studying and meditating on the words God has spoken to us at least that often?  Of course!

In 2011 I made a commitment to read through the Bible in a year.  I didn't quite get it finished in 2011, but did finish early in 2012.  In 2012 I chose to read through Diligently Seeking God, an excellent daily devotional written by Gary Henry.  There were several mornings where my husband and I would read through it together while he ate breakfast before heading off to work.  This helped us both grow closer to God and to each other.  Also, in 2012 my husband and I decided to read through the Bible in a year together, starting in Genesis and finishing up with the Book of Revelation.  This was especially encouraging and strengthening for both of us.  He has a greater understand of New Testament Scripture and so he was able to help me better gain a better understanding of these passages.  My strength was in the Old Testament, particularly the Books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), the Books of History (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther), and the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel.  I was able to help him understand the history of the Children of Israel, which also improved his understanding of certain New Testament passages.

This year I have decided to read through the New Testament, so I can better understand His Word and be better equipped to teach others.  Here is the reading plan I am using.  Also, my husband and I are reading through Gary Henry's book Reaching Forward in the mornings before he goes to work and have started to read through entire Bible for the second time using this reading plan.

Here are some other sources for Yearly Bible Reading Plans:

• E Word Today
• 52 Week Bible Reading Plan
• Blue Letter Bible
• Bible Plan
• Bible Gateway
• One Year Bible Online
• Various Reading Plans 
• Bible Class Material - 5 day/Wk Reading Plan

*NOTE:  I do not agree with the all teachings of all these sources, or all the methods used in the various reading plans.  I am only encouraging you to use them as a source to find a reading plan that helps you take time to read God's word.

I know we're already 10 days into 2013, but it's never to late to make a commitment to spend more time reading His Word!

Maternity Photo Shoots

My husband and I are blessed to have a beautiful young lady in our lives who loves photography and who takes gorgeous pictures!  She's not a "professional" as some would use the term, but I would definitely say her work is of a professional quality!  We did two photo sessions with Shelby, one in mid-November and the other in early December.  Thanks to the every changing and unpredictable weather here in Indiana we're wearing sweaters in the November shoot and short sleeves in the December shoot.

Now, without further adieu, here are our beautiful maternity photos!

Aren't they wonderful?!?!  We certainly think so!

Lord willing, we will finally meet our little guy in less than six weeks!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Love,

...to be obedient to their own husbands...

Of all the qualities older women are to admonish young women to possess and exhibit, this is probably the least accepted in our American society today.  However, this does not diminish the importance of this command.  So, let's take a serious look at what God expects of us as we strive to fulfill this requirement.

Here are the definitions I found for the Greek word for "obedient," hypotasso.
Strong's:  "to put in subjection, subject, subordinate; to submit to, be subject to"
Thayer's:  "to subject one's self to, to obey; to submit to one's control; to yield to one's admonition or advice."
Vine's:  "being in subjection to"

From these definitions, it's clear to me that when I chose to marry my husband, I was also choosing to submit myself to his leadership - in everything, just as I am to submit to Christ in everything (Ephesians 5:24).  God desires for wives to submit to their husbands in the same manner we are to submit ourselves to the Lord (Ephesians 5:22).  This is why I was very carefully in choosing who I married.  Even though we had only known one another for about a month I knew he loved God and would always love me and lead me in such a way that would be pleasing to God.  That was all I need to know.  Almost 2 years later, I don't think I could have found anyone better!  He is a wonderful spiritual leader, loves me through his deeds and words, listens when I have a suggestion, and almost never makes a decision without first considering my thoughts and feelings, especially if the decision will effect me more than it will effect him.  He's not a tyrant and doesn't ask me to do anything ridiculous or anything beyond my capabilities.  Actually, he hardly ever asks me to do anything.  This is because I too fear God and take my role as a disciple of Christ, wife, mother, and homemaker very seriously.  He doesn't need to tell me what to do because I do my best to stay on top of things.  I'm really not trying to brag here, but rather make a point:  If we as wives are doing what God has commanded us to do then it's easier for our husbands to lead us in a loving way.

We should also note that being submissive in "everything" doesn't mean everything he could possibly ask us to do, it only means what is in accordance to God's Word.  If our husband is wanting us to do something that goes against God's will (ie. lie, steal), we do not have to obey, and should not obey because we are to obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29).

When we obey our husbands we are pleasing the Lord and are only doing what is our duty to do (Colossians 3:18).

May we always seek to please God in all we do so that He may be glorified.

...to be homemakers...

Before I begin this study I want to make it clear that I am not in any way condemning any of you who may be or know a woman who works outside the home.  I have worked outside the home as a married woman myself (more on that later). I realize there are some cases in which it may not be avoidable.  I am just going to share what God's Word says on the matter, my personal opinions on the matter and what my husband and I have agreed to do in our home.  Now, let's see what we can learn from God's Word.

As with all of my previous studies in this series, I am going to begin with sharing what I learned when I did a Greek word study of the word "homemaker."  I feel that looking into the original Greek is very important because it gives us much needed insight to the original meaning of the text.  Having a better understanding of the text allows me to make accurate applications as I strive to live my life for Christ.

The Greek word used here is oikourgus.  This word, according to Strong's, Thayer's and Vine's, means:
1) caring for the house, working at home
     a)  the watcher or keeper of the house
     b)  keeping at home and taking care of household affairs
     c)  being domestic

It's obvious to me that God desires for women, especially those who are married and have children - as they have already been mentioned in this section of scripture (Titus 2:4) - to be at home and attend to the domestic needs of the home.  What He desires for women who are single is made clear in 1 Corinthians 7:34 "There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband."  God desires for unmarried women to focus their lives in service to Him.  A woman who is married has another person she must consider, her husband.  Pleasing and serving him is second only to her service to God.

Before my husband and I married I had graduated from college with a bachelor's degree, worked most of the way through college, and was a substitute teacher at my elementary school.  I had been out in the workforce since my freshman year of college and was used to being very busy.  I also feel it's needful to mention that these years were not my best years spiritually, but rather some of my weakest.  Being around worldly people who do not exercise godly principals can be very draining, discouraging and damaging to a young woman's faith (no, it doesn't have to be if she has made her faith her own and stands firm on God's word, but I hadn't reached that point yet).  

After we married I was fairly content being at home and taking care of the home.  He was working a few hours of overtime a week, we were settling into an apartment together, and spending a lot of time just hanging out and learning more about each other.  Once we bought a house and moved into town things changed.  He began working 16-20 hours of over time a week and once we were settled in, I was running out of things to do and missing the interaction I had with our previous neighbors (who all happened to be young couples who were members of our congregation).  My husband and I decided I could have a part-time job, as long as I stayed on top of my duties at home.  This worked for a while, until work wore me out so much that Ryan was getting my "leftovers."  Once we realized this was going on and how detrimental it had been to our marriage I quit my job and began working for a couple we worshiped with.  I was working about half the hours and the environment was much less stressful.  This, too, worked for a while.  Then things came up and I left that job, too.  

By this time I was actually missing being able to just be at home and take care of the things here.  I had grown spiritually and my desire was to be the woman God desired me to be, rather than the woman the world expected me to be.  I've now been a homemaker for about six months and have never been happier.  I have ample time to attend to the basic needs (cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc.) and am able to enjoy other things like my blog, decorating, organizing, etc.  I also have more time to devote to strengthening my personal relationship with my Heavenly Father, a blessing I truly treasure!  Being a homemaker also allows me the opportunity to spend time with my sisters in Christ, most of which are also homemakers, during the day, without taking time away from my husband.  I'm also able to do other forms of service for others that I would not have time to do if I was out in the workforce.  I feel truly blessed to be able to be a keeper at home.

Now, many of you may be thinking, "how do you do it financially?"  My husband works in a factory and brings home a little over $600 a week when he works 18-20 hours of overtime.  His overtime has been cut recently, so as you can imagine he's bringing home a lot less these days.  Even with the overtime, he doesn't make a lot when you take into consideration a mortgage payment, auto insurance, utilities, etc.  Basically, we don't have a lot, but we have what we need.  We have made the choice to do without most of our wants so that I am able to stay home.  This has taught us to really appreciate the things we do have, and to genuinely enjoy the simple things in life.  We eat almost all of our meals at home and at the table.  Our dates consist of going for walks, reading God's Word, attending Gospel Meetings, Bible studies with others, and working in the yard together.  We are very happy with the life we have chosen for ourselves, as we are confident it's a life that is also pleasing to God.  We are happier now than we have ever been before!

If you're a homemaker, then I encourage you to thank God for the wonderful blessing He has created for you and is enabling you to enjoy.  If you're not a homemaker, then I lovingly ask you to consider the quality of your relationship with God, your husband, your children and your brothers and sisters in Christ as well as your level of contentment with the physical possessions of this life. (1 Timothy 6:6)

May we all grow closer and closer to God with each new day He blesses us with.

  
Linked @ Titus 2 Tuesday @ Cornerstone Confessions

...be discreet...

According to Strong's and Thayer's the phrase "to be discreet" means:

     1)  to be of a sound mind, sane, in ones senses
     2)  curbing ones desires and impulses, self-controlled, temperate

As women who fear God and desire to be pleasing unto Him we should strive to conduct ourselves in such a way that we meet both these definitions.  Being the emotional creatures we are, this will be a challenge for many of us.  We cannot use our emotions as an excuse for being irrational in our actions and speech.  Self-control is taught and commanded throughout the New Testament.  In Galatians 5:22, 23 it is included among the fruits of the Spirit, the fruits we should be bearing for Christ as we live here on earth.  1 Timothy 2:14, 15 talk about how the woman (Eve) was deceived and that women (in general) will be saved in "in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control."  2 Peter 1:5-7 describes how we should grow as Christians, always adding to our character becoming more and more like Christ.  Verse 6 states that we should add to knowledge self-control, and to self-control perseverance.

Being of a sound mind and curbing our desires and impulses will be of wonderful help to us as we strive to be the godly wife and mothers God commands us to be.  We must strive to think soberly, carefully weighing the consequences of our decisions.  This will help us be the "helpmeets" our husbands need us to be.  Women who are level-headed and controlled are much easier to love and lead than ones who are irrational and impulsive.  We should desire to make it easy for our husbands to fulfill the commands God has given them, rather than putting road-blocks in front of them, discouraging them from trying to serve God.

May we all strive to be discreet so that the Word of God may not be blasphemed and so that our husbands won't be able to keep from loving us and leading us in such a way that will bring us closer to God and to each other.

God bless!

 

"...Love their husbands,..."

Before I delve into this new series on Titus 2:4,5, especially since verse 3 of this passage states that the older women are to be the ones admonishing the younger women (and I'm definitely not in that older or, more experienced category), I feel the need for a disclaimer.  Please understand that my intention is not to come off as one who "knows it all," or has everything "figured out."  I am not an "older woman" and I certainly have not perfected the wifely role God has blessed me with.  I'm writing this because this is an area in which I want to grow and improve in myself, and so I'm sure there are others of you who have this desire as well.  I just want to share my studies, thoughts, and research with you so that you may be able to grow and improve, too.  So please, if your heart is open to learning what God requires out of us as wives and you want to try and better yourself in this area, please read on.

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A quick surface reading of the above passage may lead a woman to say "Of course I love my husband!" and mentally check this admonition off the list of ones we need to be continually improving upon.  However, a deeper study of this verse, passages that teach us about the husband and wife relationship and the topic of love can leave a woman feeling humbled, ashamed for the lack of sincere love she has shown her husband, and driven to make drastic changes in how she sees and conducts herself in the marriage relationship.  How do I know this?  Because these are the thoughts and emotions I felt as I wrote this.

In the Greek, the phrase " to love their husbands" is represented by a single word: philandros.  Here are two definitions for this word/phrase according to two credible and accurate Bible dictionaries:

   Strong's:  "loving her husband"

   Vines:  "to be lovers of their husbands"

The word philandros is composed of two root words: philos meaning "friend" and aner meaning "husband."  Using the definitions from Strong's and Vines, we can conclude that loving our husbands means thinking of them as friends , in my opinion, our best friends.  Consider this whenever your husband does something sweet and thoughtful that "messes up" your day, fails to read your mind (which is impossible for him to do anyway), or puts things away in the "wrong place" because he wants to show you love by helping out around the house.  How would you respond to your girlfriend if she popped in unexpected, suggests you go out for Chinese when you've been craving Mexican for days, or helps clear off the table after a meal and puts the potholders on the wrong hooks?  Does this help put things in perspective?  Why do overlook the "mistakes" of our dear friends because she's "only being thoughtful" and pick at our husband every time he doesn't do everything exactly to our liking?

There are several verses in the New Testament that teach us more about how God intended for the husband and wife to be in relation to one another.  If we are claiming to love God and be his daughters, we would do well to study these passages, so that we can apply them in our marriages.  This is one way we can show our husbands (and God!) love.

I Corinthians 7:3 -"Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband."

- "affection" (NKJV) = "benevolence" (KJV)

   Strong's, Vine's and Thayer's:  "good will, kindness"

- This "affection/benevolence" covers everything from opening doors and giving compliments to speaking respectfully towards and putting each other first.

I Corinthians 7:4 - "The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does."

- "authority" (NKJV) = "power" (KJV)

   Strong's and Thayer's:  "to be master of the body; to have full and entire authority over the body"

   Vines:  "to exercise power over"

- Whenever my husband expresses the desire to be intimate with me it would be sinful of me to refuse him.  My body is no long mine, but his.  I cannot use sex as a bargaining tool, because my body is not mine to bargain with.  We wives would do well to remember this and to always give our husbands the intimacy they need, because they really do need it!  If we are willingly intimate with our husbands and even initiate from time to time they will be much less likely to turn to other ways of fulfilling this desire/need.

I Cor. 7:34 - "There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband."

- "she may please" (phrase)

   Strong's and Thayer's:  "to please, to strive to please, to accommodate one's self to the opinions, desires and interests of others"

   Vine's:  "to be pleasing to, to be acceptable to"

- If we are to please our husband and strive to be acceptable to him, then we cannot seek to please ourselves.  If I'm only seeking to please myself I will have one unhappy husband.  I need to put his desires before my own.  Much to the world's mistake, pleasing others doesn't leave one unhappy.  I've noticed that when I go out of the way to make sure my husbands pants are ironed by the time he wants to wear them, even though I dislike ironing and when I get up and fix his breakfast in the morning though I'd much rather sleep in another hour, the joy I feel in seeing him happy and knowing I contributed to his happiness is much greater than the annoyance of ironing or being a little extra tired throughout the day.  I feel this goes beyond these little things, though.  I need to be sure that I'm conducting myself outside the home and around others in such a way that is pleasing and acceptable to my husband.  Would wearing a short skirt and exposing cleavage to any other man make my husband happy?  Certainly not!  What about being short with the cashier because she doesn't know how to apply a coupon?  No, that wouldn't please him either.  Not only are those two actions unacceptable for me as a wife, but also as a woman professing godliness. God isn't the only one who cares who I am when I leave them home.  How I conduct myself in public reflects on my husband.  I wear his name, and I need to do so in such a way that brings honor and respect to our household.  Otherwise, any good he may do while at work may be undone by my actions in the supermarket.

Eph 5:33 - "Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."

- "she respects" (NKJV) = "she reverence" (KJV)

   Strong's:  to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience

   Thayer's:  "to show reverential fear"

- This is something I've struggled with throughout our marriage, often completely unaware that my tone/facial expressions convey disrespect.  I find myself repeatedly checking my tone and attitude, and pausing to put myself back in check.  Ladies, this is so important!  Our husbands, in order to be strong, confident, godly leaders of our homes need to know their knowledge, understanding, and decisions are respected.  We can share our thoughts, concerns and ideas with our husbands, and they would do well to listen, too.  But we MUST make sure we present them out of love and respect with a sincere desire for what is best for our family.  Talking to our husbands like they have no idea what's going on or what they're doing is NOT a good idea, EVER!  They may not have all the insight we do as mothers, but they aren't idiots.  Give them some credit, and when they say or do things that don't make any sense at all, gently express to them why they should consider another alternative.  This will help them grow and learn as fathers and husbands, rather than degrading them to a state where they feel useless and powerless.

Obviously, there are many, many more passages I could include in this study.  For sake of time and effectiveness of the study, I'm going to leave it at this for now.  It will do us more good to sincerely focus on these four passages than to lightly brush over a dozen.  May we all have open hearts as we continually work with our husbands to improve our marriage relationships.  

God bless you all!