Hi Ladies! Wow, I’m really looking forward to the Sabbath. This week has been a doozy. One thing after another. Not bad, just very, very busy.
How was your week?
I hope you are blessed this weekend and have a chance to spend some special moments with your families! Jesus Lives!
– Melissa
P.S. If you have been blessed by this series, From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home, and are able, would you consider making a donation? I don’t want you to feel obligated in any way, A Virtuous Woman is a ministry for YOU. But, if you feel led, I would be so grateful! You’ll help keep the lights on {the website running}!
From Chaos to Calm: Day Twenty-Five
Early Morning Wake Up Call
Scripture Memory: “She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.” Proverbs 31: 15
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At the beginning of this challenge, I encouraged you to rise early in the morning and have your daily prayer and devotion. I hope that you have learned to be fairly consistent in this.
Today, I want to talk about the importance of the early morning routine and how, if you are not used to it, it can change your life! The Bible talks a lot about laziness. “Lazy hands make a [woman] poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Proverbs 10:4. (NIV) We talked briefly about self-discipline and I want to touch on it again today.
Having a lack of self-discipline is a form of laziness. The verse above tells us that a person who is lazy will be poor, but a person who is willing to be diligent will be wealthy. I can think of so many ways a person can be “poor.” You can be poor in spirit. You can be poor in relationships. You can be poor financially. You can be poor or “lacking” in just about anything.
I have heard so many women over the years tell me, “I am not a morning person.” Or, “I don’t get up early.” Or, “I just can’t wake up!”
If you are a woman with a husband and/ or family and you do not rise before everyone else, you are being self-centered and lack self-discipline in this area of your life. You will never be “rich” in your marriage if your husband must fix his own breakfast and get himself out the door in the morning. If your children must come in the morning and ask you to get up, you are robbing them of something special – a mother who cares enough to greet them in the morning with a sweet smile, a warm hug, a cheerful, “Good Morning,” and a good breakfast. Mothers who do not get up in the morning are also teaching their children to be self-centered, and be lazy when they are grown.
By not waking before the family, centering your heart on Christ first, and seeing that the needs of your family are met before your own, you have shown them you are more important than them. This is not Christ like! Jesus came to serve others – not to be served. We are to follow in His example.
Perhaps you are thinking, “But, I am so tired and grouchy if I get up early!” I would say to you, “Whose problem is that? Yours. You need to force yourself to change.” Change is possible. Before I had children, I was most definitely a “night person.” I loved to read books late into the night and sleep in late. It took me a number of years before I learned to simply wake up in the morning. I had to change my patterns. I had to go to bed early enough that I could get up early. I had to learn a new way. I had to learn that some things aren’t easy, but those things become easier when you do them every day. Now, I usually wake up before the alarm goes off in the morning and I even wake up at the same time on weekends.
Successful people rarely ever sleep in late. They get up early and go about their day. I am not just talking about people who have careers and earn a lot of money. People who have neat homes, nice yards, must work hard to meet those goals. I am sure you have heard the saying, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man wealthy and wise.” It is true!
Re-read the memory verse above. We are told that the Proverbs 31 woman rises early before the day breaks to prepare food for her family. God gave us this verse for a reason – it is important!
If you have not already made it a habit to prepare food for your husband before he leaves for work and make him a lunch, think about how surprised he’ll be when he wakes up to delicious smells and a well thought out lunch. You can even tuck a note in his lunch sack telling him how much you love him or that you will be praying for his day.
Men are fairly easy to please. They want to be loved and cared for by their wives. If he leaves home in good spirits; feeling like he is the luckiest man in the world with a beautiful, content, thoughtful wife at home; how likely is it that he will fall prey to temptation? He is more likely to walk away from temptation if he feels loved at home!
Continue to practice this daily. It will get easier! Ask God for the will to wake up if you really struggle. All things are possible through Christ!
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How has rising early helped you?
You are welcome to pin the following image to Pinterest or Facebook or use the one above. Thanks so much for sharing!
P.S. Don’t forget our {5th Annual} Spring Cleaning Challenge starts bright and early Monday morning, April 1, 2013! I hope you will join me!
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From Chaos to Calm: Day Fifteen
Your Beloved
Scripture Memory: “My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.” Song of Songs 2:16
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After a while married life can get in the way of your love life! I touched on this yesterday, but I want to reinforce the importance of romantic love between you and your husband.
If you have never really read the book, Song of Songs, in the Bible, you really should! God created romance and passion. Marriage is supposed to be physically and emotionally satisfying.
As a Godly woman and as a Godly wife, you should spend time each day focusing your thoughts and efforts on your husband. Get your heart ready to receive his love in the evenings or whenever you are together. Give your love to him. Show him your love – not just with your words, but with your actions.
You have heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” This is certainly true when it comes to your husband. If you tell him you love him but then never accept his advances or initiate intimacy, he will feel neglected and even unloved.
Focus your heart toward him. Think of those special moments you and your hubby have shared together in the past. Just by thinking about your love and reasons why you love him will help you feel more like connecting with him on a physical basis when he is home.
A fun way to build intimacy together would be to read one chapter of the Song of Songs each night before going to bed. Talk about what you like about each other, how you like to be touched, what things you would like to do together, your dreams and common goals. Look forward to your future together. Set up a promise of love and commitment each night and pray together.
If you feel uncomfortable praying out loud with your husband (very common) practice praying out loud when you have your morning devotions. Learn to open up and be vulnerable with your husband. There is nothing more intimate than praying together!
By praying together you will be less likely to experience the sorrow of divorce, adultery, or other trauma in your marriage. Set the tone for your relationship. Problems don’t always go away immediately, but by changing your own attitude toward your husband, you will see a difference.
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From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home is a daily devotion – Monday through Friday for 15 Weeks by Melissa Ringstaff. The Audio Podcast gives you extra ideas to go along with the email series or e-book.
Extra Resources
Oh, and don’t forget to enter the book giveaway for Healing Your Marriage When Trust is Broken by Cindy Beall!
Here’s an image you can pin to Pinterest or use on your own blog: (Of course, you are welcome to use the image above as well!!)
How do you show your husband you love him?
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Yes, I have to apologize again! I’m so sorry this was late today. It’s been one of those weeks.
From Chaos to Calm: Day Fourteen
Loving Others
Scripture Memory: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” John 13:35
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These days everyone has a “touchy feely” attitude. In other words everyone wants to feel good and not offend anyone. I admit, I have been guilty of it myself! However, I was thinking that this feeling of “everything goes”, “anything is okay”, isn’t the way we as Christian women should live our lives.
Sometimes you just have to say it like it is.
Very few people fail to look out for themselves. Yes, you might not like yourself at times. You may even be going through hard times and feel depressed constantly. You may have been like me – the shy child in school who was always picked on mercilessly. However, once you can come to the place where you know God loves you more than anyone else ever will (I mean really know), you will be okay with yourself! I can remember a time in my life where I was so depressed I even contemplated suicide. It was a horrendous time in my life. I had to learn to forgive myself and accept God’s forgiveness. When I realized that, it was as though the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders!
The Bible says that we are to die to our selves. We are to not be self serving and self centered. We are instead to serve others. I certainly don’t intend this to offend anyone, but I do believe that having a “woe is me” attitude is self serving. I have been there! When you feel miserable, when you are unhappy or depressed you have an out – a reason why you can’t commit to better things.
It is possible to have a inner joy and peace even in the midst of crisis and turmoil. “Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God.” Psalm 146:5 (RSV) “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:18
I am not saying you should never be sad, angry, or unhappy. What I am saying is that even in the middle of tragedy or pain we should rejoice in our Savior. We should be filled with a peace and a joy that is only found through Jesus Christ. If you feel no different than the rest of the world when bad things happen – you need to work on your personal relationship with Christ!
I believe the key to loving our selves is loving others. When you love others – when you serve others – your own heart will open up to receive more of the love of Christ. You will begin to see a transformation in your own spirit and your own outlook on life. Christ came not to be served but to serve others. We are to follow in His footsteps!
Be joyful! Serve your family and your neighbors joyfully. You will feel better about your own self worth!
Click to Listen:
Podcast: Play in new window
| Download
From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home is a daily devotion – Monday through Friday for 15 Weeks by Melissa Ringstaff. The Audio Podcast gives you extra ideas to go along with the email series or e-book.
Here an image you can pin to Pinterest or use on your own blog: (Of course, you are welcome to use the image above as well!!)
How do you love yourself and love others?
If you enjoyed this post, why not our subscribe to our
RSS Email Feeds or weekly Newsletter?