A wife often has an arsenal of weapons to punish her husband for his sinful responses or actions. A cold stare, a sarcastic remark, steaming silence, a sullen distant mood or withholding physical intimacy. The world we live in is quick to promote this kind of response along with our fleshly pride. Just happen on an afternoon talk show (not on purpose, of course!) and you’ll see how audiences thrive on one person standing up for their rights against another. But as wise godly women know...God’s ways are not man’s ways and the fruit of those kind of actions bring nothing but discord and unhappiness in a marriage...not to mention sinning against God.
I've often shared how the beginning years of our marriage were spent fighting and fussin’ with one another. Something would be said in a tone that the other spouse didn’t like, then they would pop off with a smart remark and the fight was on. I eventually developed a small amount of self-control (by God’s grace) and began to hold my tongue but my heart was still not right because I remained bitter and distant from my husband. Without realizing it, this became my way of repaying him for the wrong I felt he had done. My response was sinful and did not bring glory to God not to mention the devastating effects it had on my marriage.
God's Word teaches that His children must "turn to him the other cheek." (Matt. 5:39) Would that mean instead of avenging yourselves, prepare for another assault, and bear it patiently? If someone strikes us on the cheek and we turned to him the other cheek then aren't we preparing for another assault?
Is it reasonable to expect that our husbands, who are sinners just as we are, will offend us repeatedly over the coming years? Forget the coming years...what about just today? What if we kept before us the reality that our husbands are sinners (saved by grace) and will likely sin against us today? What if we prayed for our hearts to be ready to forgive...and turn to them the other cheek?
Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the LORD, and He will save you. Proverbs 20:22
I know that this topic brings up many questions like all the 'what ifs' concerning abuse. Please understand that I am not addressing physical abuse in a relationship. I am talking about the common, everyday unkind, word (maybe even harsh), or perhaps an angry, impatient, demanding tone or the neglecting of a duty towards a wife. Why not cover those offenses with love? Why not turn the other cheek?
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
The reason we forgive is not because our husbands deserve it...but because Christ has forgiven us! No sullen looks, no cold shoulder, no bitter words from the cross for our weaknesses or offenses that He suffered so horribly for. He who knew no sin took the punishment our sins deserved...and died in our place! We forgive our husband as God in Christ has forgiven us!
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32
We may have long established habits of responding in sinful ways. We need God's grace and His Word to change. It will not come out of our own strength for without Him we can do nothing. Renew your mind in a few of the Scriptures I have shared and then pray for God to change you and then practice obedience. I continue to practice this truth...very imperfectly!
Oh, what a glorious fragrance when the life that is pouring forth from us is not our flesh but the life of Christ. A fragrance that permeates our homes and the lives of all those within the walls of our home.
"Lord, please help us to bring you glory by not holding unforgiveness towards our husbands when they sin against us. Help us remember the way you have forgiven us and help us to extend that grace to our husbands. Help us to remember that we daily sin against our husbands and are in need of their forgiveness, too! In Jesus Name. Amen."
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.” Proverbs 24:29
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1
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Hello!
Life is speeding by this time of year even though I am moving slower. I'm getting less done but it still gives me a grateful heart when I look at what the Lord does enable me to do throughout the month instead of what I can't do. Christmas is nearly here with all the blessings of warm homes, heavier blankets and earlier evenings spent snuggled indoors.The vegetable garden and all it's work is behind me except for some tree trimming and a few beds needing to be prepared for the winter months. I've been working on getting as much done ahead of time for the holidays as I can. How about you?
Here are a few things I was able to accomplish this month (by God's grace)...
1. I blanched and froze tomatoes from the garden this summer. So, I recently made a batch of spicy tomato sauce and pressure canned it. I had leftover basil and parsley from the recipe which I froze in ice cube trays with olive oil poured over them. When they were frozen I placed them in a freezer bag and marked the bags for the freezer. This has preserved the herbs better than putting them in water. I can now easily toss them in a pot of homemade soup.
My amazing mother in love! |
3. I was given 2 large grocery sacks of Granny Smith apple from a friend. They were so sweet and delicious! I peeled, sliced and froze them in 6 cup portions for future apple pies for the holidays (regular and low carb). I also made a low carb apple crisp.
A recent family visit! |
5. I've made a change when it comes to my laundry detergent. I've been making my own detergent for maybe 10 plus years? But, my husband commented a few months ago that his shirts were not smelling like they were clean. I had also been noticing that my towels had a different smell that I didn't care for. So, I wanted to let you know I am no longer making my own laundry soap but I am purchasing the SUN brand of laundry detergent. It's inexpensive and our clothes are smelling clean (not like perfume, but clean). Hubby is pleased. Sometimes saving money is not worth it in the long run if the end results are lacking (or stinky!).
Butterfly Palace with grandchildren |
6. Another change is the homemade cleaner (half white vinegar/half water) I was using to mop my laminate wood floors. The vinegar and water just never seemed to make the floors look clean. So, I purchased Murphy's Oil Soap and added just 1 capful to my homemade cleaner. What a difference that made. The bottle will last a very long time since I am only using a capful.
7. I cashed in my SWAGBUCKS for a $10 Amazon gift card which I will use on an Amazon order. I made SWAGBUCKS my home page so it reminds me to watch a video or do a survery everyday to earn more Swagbucks. I love Swagbucks because it's an easy way to earn gift cards at home. Here is my referral link. I get credit if you sign up through this link. (Thank you!)
SWAGBUCKS REWARD LINK
8. I had someone ask me recently what my secret was to making a fluffy chocolate chip cookies. I've gathered a few tips over the years from friends and articles on the internet. I use half butter and half shortening instead of all butter. I also add about 1/4 cup more flour. Lastly, I refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before I bake the cookies and then I keep the dough in the fridge in between filling up the cookie trays. I hope these tricks work for you as well as they have worked for me.
9. I love MAGIC ERASERS to clean my fridge, walls and cabinets. They don't last very long, though. I noticed the ends wear out before the middle. This time I cut off both ends and I'm still getting use out of the middle instead of just throwing the eraser away.
10. Organic butter lettuce was on sale for 2/$5. A thought came to me as I was starting to throw away the roots. I planted them to see if they would grow more leaves AND THEY DID! I put some organic snail bait around them to deter the snails and the leaves are getting so big. Who would have thunk! *smile*
Repurposed, Saved and Reused!
~ Melon rinds, egg shells, carrot peels, broccoli stalks, coffee grounds, ling, apple peels, cabbage cores,etc. were buried in the ground to compost over the winter. I am laying newspaper on top and then grass clippings and leaves on top of the newspaper. It will all be composted into the ground by the time summer gets here.
~ Powdered sugar bags, broccoli salad bags, brownie mix bags: washed out and reused.
~ Mayo jars: washed/reused to store egg yolks until garbage day. ( I use more egg whites than the yolk)
~ Plastic vegetables bags (from the produce department): I used these for tons of things.
~ All glass jars are rinsed and reused to store grease drippings.
~ Leaves are falling so I'm putting them around the artichokes and other plants to protect them from frost and the colder temperatures.
~ Newspapers saved for lining the garbage can, composting, under the cat box, etc.
~ Rubber bands from the newspapers and vegetables are saved to reuse.
~ Large shallow boxes from Costco are reused to transport food in our truck to holiday parties/ or mom's.
~ Laundry water is recycled to plants.
Burying compost |
NEW RECIPES:
Low Carb Sloppy Dog Casserole
14 ounces of hot dog, cut on bias (I only had 2 organic hot dogs and 2 hot links on hand, not organic!)
1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (didn't use)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/4 cup. sweetener (I used Erythritol. Adjust to desired sweetness)
1/2 tsp. molasses ( Adjust to desired sweetness)
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. mustard
1 tbsp. worcestershire
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (I used FOLLOW YOUR HEART dairy free cheese on my portion)
Fry the hot dogs first to brown and set aside. Saute ground beef, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Mix together the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Place in 2 quart casserole and place cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until heated through.
Mr. Snoopy enjoying a long winter's nap! |
JALAPENO JELLY
I made a few batches for Christmas gifts from the jalapeno harvest from our garden.
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno pepper
6 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 (6 fluid ounce) liquid pectin
1. Boil peppers for 2 minutes.
2. Add pectin. Boil 1 minute
3. Pour into hot jars.
4. Water bath for 5 minutes.
Homemade Chocolate Pie |
HEALTHY PUMPKIN GOOEY BUTTER CAKE (Low Carb)
(by healthy indulgences, http://healthyindulgences.net/)
This was heavenly! Next time I will make half of the crust and see if I like a thinner crust. I also let the filling cook about 5 minutes longer than stated. It did well freezing it, too.
Crust Layer
- 1/4 cup (57g) of unsalted butter, melted
- 2 ounces (57g) of cream cheese, softened (I used dairy free)
- 2 cups (8 ounces blanched almond flour, gently packed into cup and leveled) (I used my baking blend with pumpkin seed flour)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup Erythritol or 1/2 cup xylitol / and 1/4 tsp. stevia extract
- 1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling Layer
- 8 ounces (227g) cream cheese ( I used dairy free)
- 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter, melted (i used dairy free)
- 1-15 oz can (432g) of pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup erythritol or 1/2 cup xylitol /and 1/4 tsp. stevia
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the crust
- Melt butter and soften cream cheese in microwave.
- Powder natural sweetener blend in coffee grinder and mix into batter.
- Mix together until smooth, then add beat in vanilla, egg, sea salt, baking powder, and almond flour until a dough forms.
- Scrape into an 8 by 8 metal pan and spread out over the bottom.
- Bake for 15 minutes and remove to cool.
For the filling
- Soften cream cheese and melt butter in microwave.
- Grind natural sweetener blend in coffee grinder or magic bullet.
- Beat cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth and without lumps.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter, and beat until incorporated.
- Next, add natural sweetener blend, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and mix just until smooth.
- Rap the pan down on counter top a couple times to get out air bubbles.
- Pour pumpkin mixture over crust and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until center jiggles a bit when you move the pan. It will set up and sink down upon cooling overnight in the refrigerator.
Some interesting things I read this past month:
How Not to Go over Budget
How Can I Know Which Bible Promises Belong to Me?
Housecleaning Central
Uses for oranges
Secrets to Continuously Productive Veggie garden
Everyday Life Hacks
Depression Era Dishes
13 Incredible Useful Tension Rod Ideas
100 Things You Can Compost
Well, that's it for now! Thanks for stopping by, Ladies! I hope your holidays and homes are filled with a thankful and joyful heart because of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Bye for now!
BLESSED TO BE HOME!
Georgene
Above Scriptures are taken from the ESV Bible.
A Woman that Fears the Lord
http://awomanthatfearsthelord.com
Copyright 2002. Rewritten in 2016. Georgene Girouard. You may copy and share this article in it’s entirety.