How to change your husband into a REAL MAN:

I have yet to interact with a wife, or female hoping to become a wife, or even a female that just wants a "date" that does not want a "Real Man". The problem always seems to be in finding a "Real Man" to be married to or courted by. So, here you go, I will teach you how to turn your husband / brother/ father / other man, into a "Real Man"

How to:

Make your husband (or any other male) into a REAL MAN:
(the easy no-fail approach that really does work!)

Ingredients required:

1 Real Woman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (very easy, that's YOU)
1 Male of the Human Species . . . . (also easy: the male you want to change)

Preparation Time: varies (the more mature specimen of Real Woman mixed in, the shorter the preparation time and vice-versa)

Considering how critical it is to use a Real Woman, I will describe to you a Real Woman, so you can be sure you really are one!

A REAL Woman:

#1. LOVES GOD, Accepts Christ's sacrafice for her sins and EMBRACES God's order for her life.
#2. Believes the Bible is God's written Word (ALL of it is His word, not excluding ANY passages)
#3. ACTS in manners that reinforce #1 & #2 as solid truths of herself.

(#1 and #2 are absolute musts, yet, we are human,
so we simply do our BEST with #3 to be REAL WOMEN)

I do not believe any of us will have a hard time finding a human male that we want to change.

So, presuming I am talking to other REAL Women at this point: let's analyze a little: what do we really want when we say we want a "REAL MAN"? . . .
1. _________________
2._________________
3._________________

We could list all sorts of things, but it really is much simpler than we make it:

A REAL MAN loves God, accepts God's Word, and his Actions prove it.

Hmmm, that sounds so similar to the "Real Woman" description. It is the same. . . until we get into the key difference:

What does the Bible (God) say about how a "Real Woman" and a "Real Man" should act? What are each's responsibilities?

First we will refer to one of my favorite Bible passages:

Genesis 2
¹⁸And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

I love it! God Himself declares that in is "NOT GOOD" for a man to be alone! He NEEDS his wife to help him.

Am I essentially saying that your husband is only not a Real Man because you have failed to help him? Mostly, yes. Of course, if your husband has not accepted Christ and does not live his life by God's laws, you are up for a particularly hard time with this, lean on this passage:
1 Corinthians 7:14
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband....

For, as long as you are a Real Woman there is plenty of hope for him. Lean on God's Word for guidance and "Study Your Man", as my favorite author, Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale says, and then put it all into action.

How? . . . I will post here part of a letter (in purple) I wrote recently to a family member as we work together through tough times (my Father-In-Law, who has been my Father for the last 7+ years is just recently diagnosed and is dying of cancer that is well past being treatable):

. . . In a time like this it is hard for me, too, as I want to do it all for Dad and for my husband. But I also MUST recognize that as a woman, God has only given me certain responsibilities, and the BEST way I can serve Dad and Paul (my husband), is to fulfill, to the absolute best of my ability, the responsibilities that God has given me to perform. ( My attempting to perform responsibilities that God has given my husband, or any other male in this family to perform only increases the number of sins I will have to answer for on judgement day. I have enough to answer for, I am not going to willfully and knowingly add more. )

What can I do instead? How can I still help? How can you help? Besides performing the specific duties God has given me/you as a Christian wife, mother, sister and daughter (a FEMALE); I/We can do everything in our power to make the lives of the men in our family easier. The easier their lives, the better they will be able to fulfill/perform the tasks that God has appointed them to do. That is the Biblical way to help (and consequently will leave us feeling much more fulfilled than we could ever possibly feel by just taking over what we want to do). God's way is always best. God's way will always give a feeling of peace, fulfillment, and contentedness that no other way can possibly give. Doing things our way may feel great or somewhat fulfilling, temporarily; but it always leaves a void, a sense of non-fulfillment, like the goal was really not quite reached.

As daughters of Eve, we (all women) are constantly tempted to do the jobs of our husbands or other prominent men in our lives. And the devil uses a myriad of lies to get us to justify these sinful actions. We are tempted to lead the men in our life when we should be supporting them. But that is part of the curse, it is not how God wants us to be. Can you consider submitting to the male authority in your life? (Which would be _______________(who)?, (by BIBLICAL standards)?) Can you understand that your insisting on taking over ____________ business is doing to _____________(any male in your life) the same exact thing you so despise having done to you?

Turn to God's word, please. He (God) will lead you to the verses that my beliefs are founded on (they are not few in number, but are plentiful throughout the Bible), though I do believe you truly have known this all along, and have been so intent on doing good for ____________(male's name), that you have failed to see the terrible pain and injustice you are doing to him, your brother in Christ, to whom God has really given the responsibility.

• So, the answer to making your man a Real Man? . . . Be a REAL WOMAN (As GOD defines your role in his Word, not as how you want to be defined) Your husband NEEDS you, his woman; (just as Adam needed Eve) he does not need another man (or a woman that keeps trying to act like one)!
  

Here are some basic verses on a few topics to start your search of the Bible for how a Christian Woman is supposed to act (we will get that toughest one, the proverbial "S" word, out of the way first!):

SUBMISSION:

Ephesians 5:22
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:23
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

INTIMACY, yes. God says so:

1 Corinthians 7:2-4 (King James Version)
²Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
³Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
⁴The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

STRENGTH (do you really want to be treated like a tough old durable cast iron pan, or like fine china?)

1 Peter 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

HONOR

Proverbs 12:4
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

DAY TO DAY, BASIC LIFE: (How to act, defined by a woman whose son grew to be a KING!) . . . definitely a REAL MAN!

Yes, indeed, that "Impossible" Proverbs 31 woman is what a Man's own MOTHER taught him to look for!

Proverbs 31
1The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
3Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. 7Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
10Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 17She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Get Your Pom-Pom's Out!

In books, men are wonderful "bullet-proof" heroes, created to lead and guide women.

Fictionally, the ultimate protagonists; MEN are typically characterized with strength, independence, endurance, ability, lack of emotions, courage, ability to persevere through all types of resistance (and still come out ahead), leaders, conquerors, logical and cunning. These fictional protagonists we read of are fantasized about for this mass of amazing qualities they possess. They always "get the girl" by the end of the story, rescuing her from some tragic situation that only he (because of his being an ideal male specimen) is able to triumph through. The girl, now safe, of course falls in love with this ideal specimen of manhood, and they live happily ever after. He is thankful to have found a woman whom will appreciate him. She is grateful to have a man that treats her right, he is not just a man, but a gentleman (of course only his STRENGTH allows him to be so).

Our marriages start out similarly. Our husbands marry us, finally feeling they have a woman they can trust. We marry them, finally feeling we have a real man we can depend on . . . and we do (depend on them).

Unfortunately, over time we often come to depend on them too much while simultaneously sabotaging their trust of us. Hmm, a co-dependent relationship without trust. That sounds like a disaster. It is; and many of us fall into this situation without even realizing it. . . you probably think too, that would never be you! So, it not being you, : ) , you are safe to keep reading! . . .

When we dated our husbands, we counted on them to . . . be timely, pay the bill, maybe pay us a compliment on how nice we looked (which we later daydreamed about and re-ran through our minds 100 times over, proving what must be their unfailing love for us), say a few things to make us laugh, etc. That was enough to make us happy. They even did it enough, we fell in love with them. Somehow, they persevered sufficiently, we even married them! BUT, NOW . . .

Now that is not enough. Now we expect all we had before . . . and exponentially more! We expect them to verbally thank us for even all the tiny things we do. We expect them to encourage us when we are disheartened, cheer us up when we are down, make us feel pretty when we feel ugly, ignore our moods when we are hormonal, overlook our shortfalls, give us a long hug when we "need to talk" (why don't we just ask for a hug when we need one?), read our minds, and basically, say and do all the "right" things at all the right times.

Now we expect them to notice tiny things: the slightly different shade of make-up we are wearing, how our shoes perfectly match our dress, the upper shelf we (finally) dusted, the little black spot we got around to scrubbing off the stove, and the EMPTY trash can that WE took out for them. Now, if he does not comment appropriately and in a timely fashion (within 5 minutes of his walking into the house) concerning these relative trivialities, we treat him as though he just went out to the pub and came home drunk with lipstick all over his neck on our 25th Wedding Anniversary.

Oh, and forbid our husbands pay us a compliment anymore. . . then we read into their words: intonations, second meanings, or just figure they are lying to be nice and try to stay out of trouble. . . .(and you were wondering earlier in this what you could have ever done to lose your husband's trust?!). Can our husbands even pay us an honest compliment anymore . . . safely?

We did not treat them this way when we dated. We would certainly not treat our best friend this way. We would never dream of treating the Pastor of our church this way. So let's stop treating our husbands like this.

THE ALTERNATIVE???

OK, so they are MEN we are married to, let's use a SPORTS ANALOGY . . .

If your "team" were losing a major game . . . what would you do? ?

A. yell "BOOO" every time they make a mistake, scream what they should have done, scream that you could have done it better yourself, and walk out of the game ( while muttering frustrations at them) when it looks probable they will lose.

B. sit silently the entire time and cheer only when they win an entire game.

C. do whatever everyone else near you is doing, but keep a silent tally of all your team's mistakes, to review with them and correct them immediately after the game (win or lose).

D. pray for them when they make mistakes and grab your POM POMs to cheer wildly for every little good bit of progress they make. Feel pride, knowing win or lose, your team works hard and always does the best they can.

So, here's the sport's analogy:

- YOUR MARRIAGE is the game!
- Your HUSBAND is your "TEAM".

If you want your team (husband) to be successful in the game (your marriage) choose "D"!

What does this look like?

Lots of "Stopping" :

1. Stop "booing" them every time they mess up!
2. Stop telling them how they should do things (your way)!
3. Stop muttering under your breath (or in your head) at them.
4. Stop keeping tally of all their mistakes.
5. Stop walking out on them when the game gets rough.

AND Lots of "Starting":

1. Start focusing on the positive things he does.
2. Start forgiving (and forgetting) about the things you think he fell short on.
3. Start believing what they tell you (ESPECIALLY THE COMPLIMENTS!).
4. Start appreciating all that he does for you (and do something nice for him).
5. Start praying for him *.

SOOO . . . . . GET YOUR POM-POM's OUT!

Cheer your husband on!
For the game's still going on!
Celebrate his successes.
Quietly help clean up the messes.
Be your husband's biggest fan!
Let him be your MAN.
Be his personal cheerleader!
and let him be the leader.
He can not be your "gentleman",
if you won't be his "woman"!

Make him yearn to come home again!
make yourself safe, his best friend.

* Prayer is #5 on the list, because we need right-hearts before we pray for our husbands. Our prayer should be for their successes as Godly men and leaders of our families, NOT for them to do what we want or think they should do!

BIBLE TOPICS & REFERENCES:

YOUR HUSBAND NEEDS YOUR HELP: Genesis 2:18

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

THINK POSITIVE: Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

FORGIVE and FORGIVE MORE: Matthew 18:21-22

²¹Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

²²Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

ENCOURAGE : Deuteronomy 1:38

1. But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
   
   
2. Deuteronomy 3:28
   But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

DO ALL FOR GOD: Colossians 3:22-24 (KJV)

²²Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

²³And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

²⁴Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Praying For Your Husband

What is on the top of your prayer list? What do you pray for the most? A job promotion? A new car? The salvation of a friend or family member? For your children to find a great Christian spouse? Or something simpler, like requesting a safe trip, a nice green lawn or a little "time-out" for doing your favorite leisure activity?

These are all legitimate prayer requests, after all, God wants us to speak to him about all of our concerns, large or trivial,and to ask him first for everything. Yet, which prayer will be most beneficial to your life? . . . . It is not listed above!

PRAY FOR YOUR HUSBAND! (yes, even if you do not yet have one!). Aside from accepting Christ as the ultimate Leader of your life, the man who is your husband (or someday will be) will have the LARGEST and most PROFOUND effect on your life. This being a fact, why do we not pray for our husbands more often and with more conviction? After all, we know they need our help! ( ^{Genesis 2:18}And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him).

Our husbands have an effect on our lives second only to God Himself. Let us pray first for our husbands. Our husbands are the avenue God personally uses to provide us with many of His promised provisions. Food, clothing, shelter, spiritual guidance... Even for a woman who works outside the home, the home she lives in would be considerably smaller, food quantities and qualities lower, and clothing less abundant if her husband was not providing as well.

I love this old story:

A man received notice the valley his home was located would soon be flooded in the creation of a new reservoir. The man loved his home much and loved God. He could not believe God would allow him to lose his home. The day before the valley was to be flooded, men in a truck came to help move the man out of his home. The man refused, proclaiming God would save his home from whatever the world might send. The men left.
The water began to rise steadily the next day until the man had to go onto the second story of his home to stay dry. Alas, a boat came with the same men from the previous day. They urged the man to come with them to safety while there was still time. The man again stoutly refused to leave, proclaiming God would save him and his home from the rising waters.
The water rose and rose until the man was standing on the very top of his rooftop, water lapping at this ankles. A helicopter came. The same men again, now desperately cried out to the man to grab hold of the rope that they could take him to safe dry ground. The man, water rising to his knees, declined their help, steadfastly shouting that his God would save him, that God would not allow him to lose his home or die from the rising waters. The helicopter left. The waters rose. The man drowned.
The man went to heaven and was confused. He asked God, " Lord, I trusted in You, just as You asked: to provide for me, to keep me safe from harm. Why did you not provide for me as you promised?"
God answered the man, " My son, I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter, what more did you want?"

This is a fictional story, but also, perhaps, a modern parable. Let us be sure to recognize the primary instruments God has given us to provide His promises to us: OUR HUSBANDS.

The man prayed for God to help him, yet refused to recognize help when it was sent. Instead of accepting the truck, boat, or helicopter, and praying for his safe trip in them to dry land, he refused God's provision because it did not LOOK the way HE wanted it to look.

Your husband NEEDS you. (God says so)

Now, do not let your husband suffer from appreciation deprivation (or worse, a tug-of-war for power in the home) because you don't like the way God is providing for you:

ACCEPT your husband as God's provider for you.

PRAY for your husband, that God's provisions will flow through him, unhampered by his natural human tendencies. Pray for his work to be fruitful in spite of the FACT that he will all ways have to work against the laws of nature to provide.

TRUST that your life will be best this way; God's plan really is the GREATEST!

2 Samuel 22:31 (Trust God)
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

Luke 12: 27-31 (God will provide your needs)
²⁷Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

²⁸If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

²⁹And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

³⁰For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

³¹But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Here is the tough one: (hey, God wrote this, not me, so take it up with HIM if you object!)

Genesis 3:16-19 (your husband will rule over you and your husband will have to WORK to provide for you)

¹⁶Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

¹⁷And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

¹⁸Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

¹⁹In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Accept God's plan for your marriage!

The rewards are ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING!

THANK YOU for saving me! OH, MY HERO!

Thank you.

Heartfelt.

Real.

Thank him.

Yes, Your husband.

Teach your children to thank him.

Yes, Their father.

He is the God-proclaimed protector and provider of your home. Shall he work all day (or night) just to return home to hear about MOMMY THE HERO, who has bought this, or made that, and saved their child from untold woes?

Every Husband and/or Father has the innate desire to be the HERO for his family. Modern day does not dictate that he slay dragons, lions, or even Buffalo to do so. He can not move to a foreign land, homestead 400 acres and build a home to bring his family to. He often can not even carry his child in the front of his saddle and ride off to show them "what someday will be theirs".

So, how does a Husband or Father become a HERO today?

Simple. . . . his wife and children make him their hero.

Yes. It is up to YOU.

Let's review some FACTS:

Number 1: YOUR husband wants (and NEEDS) to be YOUR hero. He wants (and NEEDS) to be your CHILDREN'S HERO.
....your reaction: "no problem. I understand. I am ok with that. I want that too!"

Number 2: If YOU are filling the position of HERO in your family, HE can not.
....your reaction: "but I want to be my kid's hero too, ....but, yes, he can be also.....but why can't we both.... but I.....but, but, but....." mmm. hmmm. I read your mind.

If number 1 is easy, why is number 2 so hard? That goes back to Eve. Women have been disastrously trying to fill the God-designed role for men since the first woman on Earth; instead of embracing the AMAZING role God created us to fill:

NURTURER. Society has striven hard to give this word a negative connotation . . . and has been quite successful. . . yet horribly wrong.

Society wants you to be discouraged and frustrated with being given that label. Society wants you to think that as a "nurturer" you will be oppressed, repressed, fettered, encumbered, and shackled. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, these words in red are actually antonyms (opposites) of the word "nurture" per Webster's Merriam.com.

In truth, a NURTURER is one who: supplies nourishment, educates, and works to further the development of (others). True synonyms (similar words to) Nurturer are: cultivator, encourager, promoter.

Back to you and your husband now.

Will you do these things for him? Nourish him. Educate your children. Work to further the development of your marriage. Cultivate your relationship. Encourage your husband. Promote him. And maybe above all: THANK HIM, for all he does for you.

Stop trying to be your family's hero. Make your husband your hero. Make him your kid's hero. . . and he will truly become: YOUR HERO.

Remember though,
you must focus of filling your God-given role in the family (Nurturer),
to free up his role (Hero: protector, providor) for HIM!
Throw out that "position filled" sign
and put up the "HERO NEEDED",
you may be surprised how fast he will gladly fill it!

What can you do to make your husband your family's HERO today?

Proverbs 31: 10-12

¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

¹¹ The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

¹² She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Selfless Preparations for Time Spent with Your Husband

Today my children played out in the yard for several hours. The weather was beautiful, just perfect for playing "Princess". Anastasia was "Belle" and Catherine was "Cinderella". They were playing just behind their large set of play toys. Happily, no fussing, no bickering. . . that should have been a warning sign! Eventually they emerged, wearing their formal princess gloves, they were ready to go to the ball! Beautiful long gloves, extending to the upper arm, just above the elbow on Anastasia and to the upper arm on Catherine, PAINTED ON WITH DARK BROWN MUD! Indeed, they were ready for Prince Charming at the Ball! They had spent significant time preparing themselves to be appropriately attired.

How many of us wives still prepare ourselves for time with our husband as we did when we were dating / courting? Yes, the days when we spent considerable time being sure we exhibited perfectly clean shaven legs, perfect make-up, hair, and just the right clothing for the particular occasion of the day. Do we still put in that effort? Do we still prepare to see our husband with the care for detail needed to go to a ball?

I am the first to admit failure to this. We have 5 children, 4 at home (that are all under age 8). I am EXHAUSTED by the end of the day and used to feel that looking so as well helped to show my husband how hard I worked. I got out of the habit of making myself presentable to him a priority.

Inspired by an ancient "Good Housekeeping" article about how to prepare for Dad's return home from work, I made changes. Inspired by an article a relative sent me, in disgust that women would act in such a manner as to have taken this article seriously when it was printed - the 1950's. Her radical feminist comments did not make if far with me though, I thought the article had some good "common sense" advice (though being mathematically minded, I did not believe the list could be done in the 30 minutes - 1 hour they said it should take).

So, now, No, I still do not shave every day. No, I do not even wash my hair everyday. But I am making a definite effort to look in a mirror about 30 minutes before my husband returns from work or class and then tend to at least the basics. I re-brush my hair, make sure my mascara has not rubbed off (further adding to the dark circles all ready under my eyes from being able to count full nights sleep in the past 14 months on one hand), go brush my teeth, and make sure I have a clean shirt on. Perhaps, even a quick spray of perfume makes it to my wrists and neck.

Oddly enough, my husband verbally appreciates the work I do more now that I try to make light of it, than before when I wanted to bring up the topic myself(verbally and non-verbally).

Yes, the Bible says something about this too! . . . go figure, GOD is right AGAIN!! This can easily apply to any work we do that may leave a change in our appearance or demeanor, not just fasting.

Let's look in Matthew 6:16-17 (King James Version)

16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

LET US SEEK OUR TREASURE IN HEAVEN!

At long last!

I am incredibly grateful to be living my adventure of being a wife. By God's grace, I stumbled upon the book, "The Adventure of Being a Wife" by Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale around 4 years ago. A friend of mine and I were enjoying a very rare evening out at a local bookstore, while our husbands watched our many children. Both of us exhausted (physically, spiritually, & emotionally) we were browsing the marked down, clearance books when one caught my attention:
THE ADVENTURE OF BEING A WIFE, By Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale
I thought, "now there is a DIFFERENT perspective than we hear these days! I want to read that!". Drawing the book from the shelf, I scanned the chapter headings briefly , "study your man, when in-laws become out-laws, ...", POTENTIAL!, I thought. So, I purchased my random book from the clearance bin and that is how it all began!
I am hooked. I have read and re-read this book numerous times. It is full of TIMELESS wisdom of how to live "The Adventure of Being a Wife". I highly recommend it to all young ladies considering marriage, and all ladies who are married. Why should we learn the hard way, when another lady has all ready explained it so simply for us?
I challenge you to buy a copy, they are usually available on AbeBooks.com or Alibris.com for $4.00-$5.50. Compared to $40-$75 /hr for counseling that may or may not help, you can't afford to miss this opportunity to improve your marriage.
Then, if you want, join this blog, and share your experiences implementing these amazing techniques into your marriage. I assure you, they are great. Your marriage is worth it. You CAN live out your commitment, and ENJOY it as you do!