The Marriage You've Always Wanted~Review and GIVEAWAY!!

Whether your marriage is hanging on by a thread, or you are blissfully in love, this book has something for everyone.   I love reading books on marriage.  Not because my marriage is in trouble, but because I want to prevent just that!

Author Gary Chapman writes this book in a way that is easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to apply to your own marriage.  His wisdom and methods are practical, while giving you and your spouse lots of information to think about, pray about, and communicate about.

Another thing I like about this book is that at the end of each chapter, there is a section called "Your Turn".  This section has simple questions that help you really think about each chapter, relate it to your own marriage, and see area's where you can work on in your marriage.

If you are looking for a book on marriage that will not only give you practical advice, but will have you and your spouse communicating better, this is a book for you. 

Just in time for Valentine's Day, you get a chance to win a copy of this book!  Just enter below for your chance to win.  Good luck and have a wonderful Valentines Day with your sweetheart!


For information on Gary Chapman or his books, check out the following...

Visit the official website: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/resource/the-marriage-youve-always-wanted/

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5LoveLanguages

twitter: https://twitter.com/drgarychapman

Blessings,
 

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

{I received a copy of this book for my honest review of this product.}

Most Read Posts of 2013

As we head into the new year and reflect on the previous year, I wanted to share ten of the most read blog posts of 2013.

This post was originally from 6/2011 and just reposted last month, but my recipe for Easy Bacon and Cheese Quiche was popular this year.  A lot of you were looking for an easy and yummy idea!!

Apparently many of you can relate to How Our Life is "Normally" Crazy as this was a most read post of 2013!!

 

Interested on Saving Money When You are on Vacation and Eating out?  Many found my tips helpful to have a frugal vacation!

 

Letting Your Husband Lead became a hot topic for many of us!  How are we doing in this area?

Many of us were also looking at our marriages, and 8 Ways to Bless Your Husband had some helpful information.

 

While I also wrote this post on Making Your Own Fabric Softener in 2012, it was also clicked on many times this past year!

 

You found My Transition from Pants To Skirts interesting and I was blessed by how many of you were considering the same things.





My Stockpile Challenge encouraged many of you to start the same thing.

 

How Our Christmas Is Free shows that with a little effort, you can get Christmas gifts for free.  Now would be a good time to start some of these ideas and see just what you can get for free this year!

 

My series on the Proverbs 31 Woman had us thinking each week about how we can become better wives and mothers.  I'll be starting this up again soon!

And the number one most read post continues to be Why I Wear Skirts.  Whether your just curious, or thinking about the same thing, this post explains my heart as the reason for why I wear skirts.



I have lots of ideas for my blog for the new year, and thank you for joining me along this journey!

 

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

 

Praying For Our Husbands

Praying for our husbands is a MUST in my opinion.  Unfortunately I didn't realize this until I was several years into my marriage.  Fortunately God got ahold of my heart and made me realize the importance of praying for my hubby.

I'm not talking about praying that God will change your husband.  I've been there and done that as well.  Turns out this isn't really what God intended when we pray for our husbands.  What I am talking about is praying FOR your husband.

A great resource I've found is Stormie Omartian's book, "The Power of the Praying Wife".  This book gives us one area to pray about for our husbands each day.  I have the book on my nightstand, but I also copied the list and have it inside my Bible.

What makes Stormie's book so great is that she has 30 things to pray over our husbands.  This works our perfectly so that you can pray each item over your husband each day of the month. 

Praying for my husband has made me see things in our marriage differently.  It has softened my heart when it was full of anger or bitterness.  It has made me realize more about my hubby and his heart.  It has encouraged me to try and be a better wife.  And I'd like to think it has blessed my husband in ways neither of us may know this side of heaven.

Take the next 30 days to pray over your husband.  See what this can do no only for him, but you also!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Worth Rubies~Our Marriage

"A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.   Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."  Proverbs 31:10-12


Some versions of the Bible use the term virtuous instead of noble.  The dictionary defines virtuous as having or showing high moral standards.  Proverbs states that this woman is so valuable, she is worth more than rubies.  Ladies, we are more valuable than jewels!

The Proverbs 31 wife will have high standards.  These standards cover all areas of our lives, but most importantly our marriages.  Our husbands will fully trust us with all area's of their lives.  They know that we will always have their best interests in mind.  They know that we would never do or say anything that would bring them shame.  They are content and have all they need, because we as their wives are serving them.  Our husbands will have full confidence in us because we always work for their well being.  

The Proverbs 31 woman respects her husband, is a helpmeet to her husband, and serves her husband in love. 

That's a big request!  Sometimes we grumble when our husbands ask something of us.  Sometimes our husbands are difficult to respect.  Sometimes we just don't feel like meeting their needs before our own.  But this part of Proverbs 31 shows us just how good our marriages will be when we put our husbands and marriage first.  Our husbands will be happy husbands!

Do we always have our husband's best interests in mind?  Do we anticipate their needs and then meet them?  Do our husbands trust us in all area's of their life?

Is this an area we can work on this week?  Maybe it's asking our husbands how we can help them this week.  Maybe it's meeting our husbands needs before he even has to ask us.  Maybe it's as simple as picking up the house before he comes home from work.  Big or small, we all know those things that make our husbands happy. 

Whatever area we can work on with our husbands, when we work on our marriages, we are also working on becoming a Proverbs 31 woman.

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Go HERE!!

Letting Your Husband Lead

Note~I originally ran this post in October, 2012.  Submission in marriage is a topic that I feel is very important in a strong marriage (something I have learned the hard way and continue to work on).  I am again posting this as part of my anniversary week posts on marriage.  I pray that this post will lead other women to take a step back and allow their husbands to lead their families. 

Hubby and I on our wedding day 19 years ago!  We didn't have a clue about anything then!

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." 1Thessalonians 3:18

I admit, this is an area I didn't understand when hubby and I were first married.  In fact, I can honestly say it wasn't until recently that I understood this concept in our marriage.

As a child, my father was a truck driver.  He was gone during the week, and only home on weekends.  My mother was the leader of our home, even on the weekends when dad was home.  What was modeled to me during my growing up years was that mom was in charge~~period.  I did not come from a christian home, and had no idea that God has a plan for both man and woman in marriage.

When I first got married, I wanted to let my husband know that I was a valuable asset to our marriage.  I didn't understand what it meant to submit to my husband.  So I tried to show him how I could do anything he could do~~maybe even better.  What I didn't realize was that I was hurting him and degrading him as the leader of our home.  I would not know then what an impact this would have on us as a couple and a family.  Sadly, I wouldn't realize my mistakes until much, much later.

Ladies, our husbands want nothing as much as they want to be our protector and provider.  They want to know that we need them in our lives.  Let your husband start leading you and your children.  Go to him and ask his advice on things~and listen to him.   My husband will often have no opinion either way on trivial things, but I've asked his advice and this lets him know I value his opinion.  Get him involved in things like budgeting, grocery shopping and meal planning.  If you homeschool, make sure he is involved in that process.  Most importantly, pray!  Pray that your husband would seek God's will for his life and his family.  Even if your husband doesn't want to lead or take charge of the family, you can pray that God would change his heart.  A praying wife can lead to many wonderful changes.  Know that you alone can't make your husband lead your family~only God can do that.  You can do your part to make sure that you are stepping back and allowing your husband to make that change.  He may make some mistakes along the way, but know that God is refining him to be the man that He desires.

Have a great day!

Blessings,

A Letter To A 19 Year Old Bride {Myself}

Dear Jess,

Today is one of the happiest days of your life.  Yes, I know you think it is THE happiest day of your life, but let me tell you, the best is yet to come!  I know it's your special day, but I wanted to take a few minutes to let you know a few things.

Today you will walk down that isle, holding onto Dad's arm, and step into the arms of the man who will hold you for the rest of your life.  Those arms will hold you in many good times and a few hard times as well.  Those broad shoulders and outstretched arms are made just for you.  Embrace them {literally!} and enjoy the warmth and support they give.

One of the greatest gifts you can give to your marriage is finding a mentor.  An "older" woman to teach you how to be a help~meet to your husband.  You may not understand the importance of this right now, but it will have a lasting effect on your marriage.  Read Titus 2:3-5 and then pray for God to lead you in this area. 

Marriage will not always be easy.  There will be times you look at your sweet new husband and wonder what planet he just fell off of!   Take these times to God in prayer, and pray with each other.  Don't wait several years to learn the importance of prayer time with each other and for each other.  Start right now.  Pray that God will help you to become the wife He would want for you to be.  Cover your marriage and husband in prayer.  It really will make a difference.

Never stop working on your marriage.  Continue to date one another.  Don't think now that the wedding is over, dating must end.  It is so important to spend time each week connecting with one another.  Communicate with each other.  Let each other know how you feel, but do so in a non judgemental, loving way.  Never stop doing this.  Even when the kids come, the mortgage is due, and life's challenges are hitting hard~make it a point to place each other first in your lives.

Enjoy your new life.  Enjoy each day and live each day to the fullest.  Keep anger and bitterness away.  Let love fill each minute of each hour of each day.  Soon you will wake up and find you've been married for 20 years.  It may seem like a long way away, but it will be here sooner than you think!

" Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE."  1 Corinthians 13:13

Love,

Jess



**As a side note, I printed copies of this out to give to our daughters on their wedding day.  Seems appropriate for that date as well!**

20 Things I Have Learned In 20 years!

As part of my celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary, I'm sharing with you a few things I've learned about both marriage and my hubby along the way!  Some I learned the hard way, others came more easily.

1. Marriage is never easy, but always worth it!
2. Love really does grow stronger as time goes by.
3. Hubby is not always right, but neither am I {one of the hard learned lessons}!
4. I am looking forward to the years when we are both old and gray, and will be able to look at our future generations.
5. The time to have a deep conversation is NOT when the Packers are playing or when a Nascar race is on.
6. Watching a man try to conform to the will of God is a wonderful sight.
7. That it is easier to just put the seat down myself~and believe that this is just part of God's will for women!
8. That family vacations MUST hit the road no later than 4 AM!
9. That my man shows his love for me and other's differently than I do.  And that is OK.
10. There is no better sight than to see our baby sleeping soundly on my hubby's chest.
11. When a man doesn't like vegetables, he won't eat them.  Stop trying to make him by telling him to do it for the kids!
12. Apologize! {'nuff said!}
13. Making the bed is just not on his "to~do" list.  He doesn't understand why anyone would spend time arranging the bed, just so you can jump into it again and mess it all up again!
14. Husbands are given a measure of wisdom that will grow only if us wives let it.
15. I will never have to kill a spider!
16. Doing the little things will bless my husband.  Things like having the house picked up when he gets home, picking up something for him at the hardware store, or making his favorite meal will let him know he is important to me.
17. A little encouragement will last a long time.
18. Communication is very important.  It sometimes takes a lot of effort, but we just can't read each other's minds.
19. Learning each other's love language is so very helpful.  I encourage all newly married couples to learn this right away in marriage.  It really will make a difference in your marriage.
20. I am very blessed to have my hubby in my life.

Blessings,

It's Anniversary Week!

Most years, I just get an anniversary day.  This year I'm prolonging it into a week!  That's because this week is our 20th wedding anniversary!

When we got married, I thought I knew everything I would need to know.  I loved my husband, I knew how to clean a house and cook {semi} decent meals.  We were going to buy a house, have kids and live happily ever after!  Well...I guess we did things pretty much like that, but life hasn't been as sweet as I imagined it to be!

There have been struggles and trials along the way, but I am glad that God had chosen my hubby to be mine for the rest of our lives.  I wouldn't want it any other way.

Join me this week as I take a look at marriage and what makes it work.  I certainly don't have all the answers!   What I do have is a desire to have a great marriage and live "happily ever after"!

Blessings,

8 Ways To Bless Your Husband

  hubby took this picture while camping with one of our sons this past summer

 

My marriage is one of my most important priorities, but sometimes it can slide to a lesser priority if I don't work at it.  Here's a few ways that we can all work on our marriages, while blessing our husbands at the same time.

• Listen to him.  Listen to him when he tells you what he likes or doesn't like.  My hubby doesn't have much to say about what I wear (do you like pink or blue better?), how I style my hair (do you like it long or short?), meals (do you want chicken or beef?), and many other things.  But one day he stated that he likes the smell of coconut shampoo.  I went and sniffed out all the shampoo's in the store to find one that smelled like coconut~just because he likes it!
• Look attractive for him.  If you are a stay~at~home mom, it is easy to throw your hair in a pony tail and wear your most comfy pair of whatevers.  Comb your hair, put some color on your lips, put on a clean shirt (because we know that there is spit up, spaghetti sauce, and something else we can't recognize on our shirts by the end of the day!!) and greet him at the door with a smile and kiss when he gets home.
• Create a peaceful environment.  Make sure the house is picked up, kids are cleaned up, and supper is warming when hubby comes home from work.  It is easy to think "Good he's home, now it's his turn to take care of things!"  If he likes to unwind after work, give him a few minutes.  If he enjoys some rough~housing with the kids, let supper wait 15 minutes.  Whatever he needs to get in the right frame of mind for his family, allow it.
• Let him know you miss him.  I am not a huge fan of texting, but a simple text or e~mail letting him know you miss him and are looking forward to his return will make him rush home after work.
• Do things with him that you  know he likes.  I don't particularly enjoy football, but my hubby is a big Green Bay Packers fan.  I used to enjoy annoying him during the games, but now I feel differently.  This is something that he enjoys, so I sit (mostly quietly!) with him and watch the game with him.  Try this in any area~movies, sports, concerts, games, etc.
• Be available for him.  It is easy to focus all your attention on your children~especially if they are small~and give hubby our leftovers.  Make yourself available for him when he wants to talk with you.  He'll know that he is a priority in your life and he'll be happier.
• Pray for him.  This is by far the most important in my opinion.  I love the book "The Power of a Praying Wife".  It has 30 things to pray over your husband.  I have them written down in my bible, whatever date we are on is what I pray over my husband that day.
• Love him!  What used to be cute, you now find annoying.  What you once thought attractive, you now find ridiculous.  It's easy to let those little things become big things.  Love him like you did on your wedding day.  Sometimes that's easier said than done, but ask the Lord to direct you in this area.

Looking over this list, I'm reminded that I need to work on some area's of my marriage.  I think I'm going to go text my hubby right now!! 

Blessings,

Why I Didn't Wish Hubby A Happy Birthday!

Hubby's birthday was last week.  I of course DID wish him a happy birthday, and made sure the kid's did also.  But I was asked this week, why I didn't wish my husband a happy birthday....on Facebook.

I love facebook.  It is a great way to stay connected to old friends, or family members who live far away.  It is a great way to notify a lot of people of news or prayer requests.  It's a great way for our homeschool co~op to announce upcoming events so everyone knows about them.   It's a great way to show pictures of that beautiful new baby, or wedding, or vacation, or new home.  Facebook can be a great tool.

I hate Facebook.  It is a huge time stealer.  It is so annoying to page through everyone's political rantings.  I get so many requests for ridiculous games.  Do I really need to know when one of my friends "likes" a post by someone I don't know?  And do I really need to know that someone (again...that I don't know!) has posted a comment on a post I commented on?  In order to get specials with some companies, I must like their facebook page, then I get all kinds of posts I really don't want to read.  Facebook is annoying!

OK, so I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.  I think it can be a great tool, but I've learned that if I'm not careful with it, it can also be harmful.   I prefer the old fashioned way of communicating.  Face to face. 

So...yes, I did wish my hubby a happy birthday.  I said it to his face and followed it with a kiss.  You can't do that on Facebook....or have they figured out a way to do that too?

Blessings,

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31