Hello,

Well here is something to chew on my friends. Recently I have been feeling as though my family is being spiritually attacked. I have been crying out in my heart what to do and how to make our family time more. Things are difficult in the communication aspect with my husband, and I long to see him on fire for Jesus. He is saved, but works early hours and is so tired that he doesn't have time or energy to put into that area of his life. He is a wonderful husband and father. So I have been trying to learn how to not nag, how to pray for him, how to communicate with him and not fight/nit pick at him...all those awesome marital things that come and happen slowly over time. I want to savour the word of God, and I want my family to savour the word of God. That can't happen unless we are spending time with Jesus in His word...

..so last night at our new bible study, we started studying Colossians 1:1-14 and WOW, those verses were meant for me to savour and to pray through this portion of scripture for myself and on behalf of my husband and children. It just really struck me on the head, and went straight to my heart that this was an answer from God just for me. How touching, I had to struggle not to cry there in front of these people whom I don't really know very well. I didn't want to get into explaining myself on such a personal level, not yet anyway.

How do we pray through scripture? Here is an example of how I do that...

verse 9 "....and I pray God that I not stop praying and asking You to fill me with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding...", I keep inserting I's etc to make it personal to me, and I would put my husband's name or say my husband if I were praying this for my husband.....and so on. I love praying through scripture and one of my goals is to pray for my husband in this way each day. When I do this, I end up praying this for myself and eventually for my kids too. I also find myself feeling more in touch with my hubby and it really strengthens my relationship with him. I just need God to help me be faithful in praying for my family daily. I choose my family.

So read the scripture below and make it personal for yourself.
Night.

Colossians 1:1-14

^"1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

²To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— ⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel ⁶that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. ⁷You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. ¹³For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Good Evening Friends

Here's what I struggle with today...that my house doesn't/feels like it never, looks the way I want it to look. I want it all pretty and no piles of paper lying around. I want it decorated the way I want it to be, all finished and perfect.....but that isn't real life, at least not right now. Things like life and people (my children, hubby, friends and family) need me to be there for them, and while my house may not look like the latest issue out of a magazine...I choose to be (am) thankful for all these other people/things that get in my way of having a perfect house b/c if I didn't have these people/things in my life how empty would my life be with a perfect but no one to help me make it a home. I would be devastated.

Jesus, please help me to remember that it is the people in our home that make this place a place of love, refuge and joy. Help me to trust in you to have the strength to do all that I need to do tomorrow to make our home a place for my children and husband to come home too. Jesus, I invite you into our home today and always.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

P.S there is a verse that escapes me right now, maybe b/c of the lateness of the hour, so here's something to think about in the meantime.

Proverbs 31:10-31

¹⁰ ^c]">[c] A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

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

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹ "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.