Okay ladies! Here we go. I am so excited about this book study. I am believing for huge revelation and growth in each of your lives. This week we are each supposed to read chapters 1 and 2. I got home from our meeting last night and I read both chapters for the third time. I answered each question the best that I could. Like I said last night, these questions are to help you search your heart not to stress you. Chapter 1 stirred our excitement. Are you living an abundant life? No matter where we are in life I believe God has more. And I personally want all that He has to offer. I don't want to be one way in public and a different way in private. How can I control my emotions and tongue with strangers but lash out at those in my home? Chapter 2 was a little background into Tonia's marriage. Some of you may have started the chapter and felt like it wasn't for you. You have never been married or you are not married at this time. My prayer is that you will read each chapter with "relationship" in mind. You may not be married but you have relationships with people that are hard to love. Has God asked something of you that is going to take everything you have to obey? Is pride going to have to die? Writing down your concept of an ideal marriage is important no matter who you are. Where do we get these concepts? Who influences our beliefs? If you were married before, did you try to fix him or did you accept him for who he was? And all of us should look at our "self-talk". Are you quick to speak life or death over your marriage, friendships, children or daily living? Search the heart of God and ask Him to share something with you through each chapter. Don't miss out because there is a nugget of gold waiting for each of you. But like I said last night, you will get out of it what you put into it. I believe in each of you!
Love,
Heather
Elimination vs. Moderation
12 years ago
In Chapter 1, page 18 - she gives the verse Ephesians 3:20 from the Living Bible & I wanted to also reiterate this verse from the Message Bible. "God can do anything, you know. Far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams. He does it not by pushing us around, but by working within us. His spirit deeply and gently within us." I loved this version! So often I think I underestimate God's powers and abilities. But He can do 'Far more than I could ever imagine, guess, or request - even in my wildest dreams?!? And he does so GENTLY within us! When I really try to meditate on that, and truly comprehend it - it almost takes my breath away!
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 2, my most most favorite part in relation to marriage was her vow to her husband to 'begin each day God gives us together with new trust, new love, new hope and new faith." (pg 22)
In relationships, too often the ones we care about the most, also can hurt us the most. It's like the hurt is amplified by 1000's! And a lot of times it's easy to put up a wall around our hearts in order to avoid feeling so vulnerable again! But if I am able to change my attitude to 'hit the refresh' button (so-to-speak) what a refreshing way to live!!!
Ok, I know I already posted a comment - but I just wanted to post one more thing. I hope you all don't mind! This particular section really weighed heavily on my heart - and it's GOT to be something that other women have felt!
ReplyDeletePg. 24 states "We argued over the same issues endlessly, our home becoming a battleground where we each fought for our rights, demanded our needs be met, and deeply resented each other's weaknesses"
As mothers & wives, I think it's so easy to feel that we give and give and give. We do the dishes, we do the laundry, we clean, we cook, we run our children to practice, to dance to school....and when we've extended ourselves in such ways and no one seems to appreciate it - we start to ask 'what about my needs???'
I think that at that point, when the straw breaks the camels back and we end up in an argument with our spouse whose weaknesses have gotten the better of him again - it all seems to 'blow up' and we are then right in the middle of the 'battleground' the author speaks of. We fight for OUR rights, we demand OUR NEEDS BE MET, and really begin to RESENT our spouse and his weaknesses.
One thing that helped me in the 'immature' areas of my marriage attitude was that as a spouse, God didn't give us an open door to all of our spouse's weaknesses so we could fix them, or nag him all the time. He gave us this open door in order for us to know HOW TO PRAY FOR OUR SPOUSE.
Did anyone else like this part?
This is such an awesome study, thank you ladies for sharing with us. It is weird that this is something that I have struggled with for 19 years, trying to fix my husband, until I realized that what I am trying to fix is what makes him the man that he is and the man that I am in love with. If there are areas in which I know that he is in need of help, I pray for him and the best thing that has happened to us both is he prays about it also and talks to God and we share. Before we took the marriage course earlier in the year, we would have never done this before. My goal for my marriage and whole family is that we can learn to pray together.
ReplyDeleteAgain thanks ladies, this is awesome.
Bev - that is so great that you are both praying! I pray that your family will also learn to pray together-as well as have a desire for it! That is such a great goal to have! Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThe neatest thing about praying for our spouse, is that it helps to develop compassion for him and his struggles, rather than harbor resentment against them. It's an excellent tool and allows us to grow spiritually! The same with forgiveness - Tonia says on page 32, that when 'forgiveness is sincere and complete, the Lord heals us quickly of our emotional wounds'. It is as she says - a daily miracle!
Loved your post!