Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

Words She Needs To Hear

Two days ago I did a post called Words He Needs to Hear.  It was all about showing our husband our respect through our words of affirmation.  Since then I’ve been thinking how important it is for us, as wives, to hear those same words of affirmation from our husbands.

As women, we often have the feeling that life is ridiculously fast.  We have to wear a million different hats as life comes at us with the speed of a thousand gazelles and the chaos of a concert at the county fair.  Have y’all been to a concert at the county fair?  And the majoity of the time, we go day-to-day feeling like we have not a single bit of this crazy life figured out and that we just don’t measure up.

How can you help?  I have a sneaking suspicion that your words of affirmation…words of beauty, truth and love…could help drown out those voices.  Every wife wants to hear those words but more importantly, they need to hear them.  And they need to hear them from you, the one their heart desires!

Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. 
Ephesians 5:33

Help her defeat the lies of the world today guys…

♥ You’re beautiful. I love you just the way you are.

♥ God wanted me to be happy…that’s why He made you my wife.

♥ Thank you for loving me.

♥ I’m glad you’re my best friend.

♥ So the kids are in bed…wink wink

♥ Our kids sure are blessed to have a Mama like you.

♥ I’m a rich man because you are my wife.

♥ You’ll always have my heart.

♥ I’m sorry.

♥ I love the home that you’ve created.

♥ I’m a better man because of you.

♥ You’re worth it.

♥ Thank you for being my helper!

♥ You are a beautiful person, inside and out.

♥ I am such a blessed man thanks to you!

♥ I love spending time with you.

♥ Yeow, you look fabulous in that outfit!

♥ Your heart is safe with me.

♥ Thank you for cooking such a great dinner!

♥ I want to grow old with you.

A Proverbs 31 Bible Study {Week 7}

She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Proverbs 31:22

So many of these verses we’ve studied focus on what she does for others.  This week we get to take a look at what she makes for herself and what she wears.  I think we’ll find that even those things are done for others, too.She pays special attention to the place where her family sleeps and spends many hours a night.  She makes special coverings for them.  Now, as I’ve said, I’m not friends with the sewing machine.  Not a single bit.  But I can still do my part.  It’s our job as Mama’s to make sure our family has clean sheets and a comfy special sweet spot to retreat to when the day is over.  Making our bedrooms beautiful and relaxing should be a delight!

Her clothing is silk and purple is not actually referring to “silk,” but “white linen” of very fine texture, and very costly.  The purple garments were brought from the Phoenician cities, and were highly esteemed.  The purple color was actually obtained from a species of shell fish found in the Mediterranean sea.  The shell was broken in order to give access to a small gland which was removed and crushed.  The crushed gland gives a milky fluid that becomes red or purple on exposure to the air.

I found that ‘Lydia’ in the New Testament was a seller of “purple” (Acts 16:14).  Also, the Old Testament speaks tremendously about the colors that were used in the Tabernacle.  Purple and white (in the form of bleached linen) were among those colors; as well as crimson (blue), scarlet (red), and gold.We got a little glimpse into her fashion, which I found fascinating.  We know from past weeks that she is humble, sacrificing and puts herself last.  But yet, she doesn’t neglect herself either.  She knows that how she dresses reflects on her husband.  Her appearance could affect her husband’s character, leadership and opportunities he’s given.  She knows that, and isn’t willing to allow her appearance to reflect badly on him.  She dressed in a way so it couldn’t be said she was over dressed or under dressed.

It’s so super easy, when we’re so overwhelmed with the many tasks of motherhood {a lot of them dirty and smelly} to forget about our own appearance and the gift that caring for ourselves can be to our husbands.  How you dress, as a wife, will either show honor and respect to your husband or disrespect.  And she knows her husband doesn’t want to come home to a frumpy wife every day.  We have to remember to take care of ourselves as well.  It’s easy to get caught up in taking care of everyone else and neglecting ourselves.   So this week, shave your legs and put on some makeup!

 Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.
1 Timothy 2:9-10

Words He Needs To Hear

Next month, we will celebrate 21 years of marriage.  I will have been officially married to him for over half my life.  And I’m still trying to figure out how respect = love to a man and how I get that really mixed up with food = love.  I can cook for him all the live long day but if I show him no respect then I am showing him no love.

But I do know as wives, we have incredible power in the lives of our husbands.  We have the power to build them up, or tear them down.

As wives, we love to feel loved and be romanced.  But for our husbands, they love to feel respected and to know we believe in them.  And I can assure you that feeling doesn’t come from a loaf of hot homemade bread and potato soup.  Believe me, I’ve tried.

God created men with a need to have respect from their wife.  Our men need to know that they are enough just as they are, and they are exactly what we desire.

Each time you give your husband a loving word of praise, you are valuing him.  He will feel treasured, adored, loved and he will thrive.  But something even more amazing happens – when you verbally appreciate your spouse with sincerity, his value goes up in your eyes, too.  You see him the way you are describing him and he becomes more and more valuable to you.  It is a win-win situation.  With more words of affirmation, love grows.  Um, hello smokin’ hot marriage!  When his woman is behind him, he will be able to take on the world.   Side-note:  I would bet when you shower him with praise, affirmation and kind words…you’ll get the same in return!

And ladies, I encourage you to praise him in front of your kids.  First of all, remember your kids are learning what marriage looks like by watching you.  They sure do need to see that their Mama appreciates and respects their Dad.  It means backing him up when he’s made a decision (even if you don’t agree), it means not making a decision without talking to him first and it means speaking good about him even when he isn’t around.  We need to teach our littles to appreciate how hard their Dads work to support and lead our households!

Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. 
Ephesians 5:33
Let’s help him take on the world today girls…♥ Thank you for loving me.

♥ I’m am so glad to have you as my husband.

♥ I trust you.

♥ I am such a different woman because of you.

♥ Thank you for being such a great husband.

♥ I’m sorry, will you forgive me?

♥ Thank you for leading our home!

♥ I’m glad you’re my best friend.

♥ Hey, the kids are in bed early. 😉

♥ You are such a great Dad.

♥ Sooooo glad you are MY man.

♥ Thank you for helping me today, I couldn’t have done it without you.

♥ I absolutely adore your heart.

♥ I love spending time with you.

♥ Thanks so much for doing that for me.

♥ I am more in love with you than ever.

♥ I love holding your hand.

♥ Our kids sure are blessed to have a Dad like you.

♥ You still take my breath away.

♥ You are exactly what I asked God for.

♥ I love you sooooo much!