Romance

When I was a little girl, I would daydream about the day that I would one day meet the man of my dreams, fall madly in love, get married and live happily ever after. I will have to say that the Lord answered my prayers in giving me a wonderful husband however it wasn’t exactly like I pictured it as I was romanticizing it in my head. There wasn’t the constant romantic gestures. We weren’t constantly gazing into each other’s eyes professing our undying love, (we were more shocked and amazed that we were actually married!) And even though I was tremendously blessed with a Godly and kind husband, it seemed to be lacking something. I searched and searched. What was I missing? Did I really love this person? Did he really love me? Did we need to plan more romantic dates? Did we need to show more affection? Where were all the fuzzy feelings like when we were first dating? What was I missing? First I just came up with a solution that there wasn’t such a thing as “true love,” the “perfect mate” or a “romance that lasted a lifetime” in which I was partly correct…I was just looking in the wrong places.

Did you know that there is a guy waiting outside your door right now? He has a big bouquet of flowers, he’s dressed to the nines, has a limo idling in the driveway, waiting to take you on the date of your dreams? This isn’t just a one-time event like on your anniversary or birthday or “I’m-sorry-I’ve-been-such–a-jerk- date.” It’s every day! Every single day this guy is waiting to take you out! Also, get this…he knows everything about you. He can read your mind, know what you are feeling, and know what you need - without you even having to say it! AND- he loves you with the best kind of love- unconditional- in fact if you don’t have the energy to get dressed and put on that fancy dress- that’s ok- he’ll take you out anyway- even in your jammies! He’s standing at the door, knocking…waiting.

So often, we women, look to the men in our life to fill that empty space. And you know what? With that kind of expectation - both parties are doomed. Because there is no human on this earth that can fulfill all of our desires. We are setting ourselves up for disappointment. Plus, the man in our life, knowing that we are disappointed gets discouraged because he’s not fulfilling your expectations and feels like he can’t do anything right! This is a lose-lose situation.

The gentleman (as Anne Graham Lotz explains him) outside your door is God. Did you know that the creator of the universe, the heavens and earth, is patiently knocking? He’s waiting for you to answer, waiting to talk with you, waiting to hear your concerns and worries and dreams and desires, waiting to help you, waiting to tell you how much He loves you, how much He cares, how much He has in store for you, how much He has planned- this great plan for your future… a hope that your life makes sense and you are here for a reason (Jeremiah 29:11). Isn’t that what you are looking for? Honestly? Someone who already knows every fiber of your being - every thought and desire? He’s there waiting for you to answer.

Here’s the trick though, each and every day, He comes back - waiting for you to open the door to Him. It’s a daily thing. He knows how fragile we can become or how the busyness of the day distracts us from His knock. He knows that we need a daily dose of His goodness to help us make it through. If only we would open the door to His knocking. Do you hear it?


Kitchen tip of the Day: Kid’s Corner

Designate a drawer or cupboard that is for your kids. Make sure they can access it and that it’s filled with kid-friendly items (i.e. plastic cups, bowls, plates). This enables the kids to get things for themselves, help with meal preparation and clean-up!

Battling the Worry-Monster

I think it's safe to say that most moms (if not all) battle feelings of worry. It's something we genetically inherited as women! The "what ifs" tend to plague our mind with doubt, fear and anxiety. It can make us second guess our every decision, cause great stress and negatively effect everything we do.

Have you ever worried about...

• what school your child should attend?
• feeding your family healthy food?
• getting enough exercise?
• deciding the activities for your family?
• words you've said to your kids?
• your child's safety?
• your child's future?
• paying the bills?
• being a good enough mom?
  

As a fellow worrier, I could tell you why you shouldn't worry about such things and even if my suggestions were valid and made total sense - it would still be hard NOT to worry! I remember when we brought our infant daughter home from the hospital, I was extremely tired. It was more than the usual sleep-deprivation after birthing a child - I had not slept for days. Why? I was worried! I was so afraid to fall asleep because I was afraid she was going to die. Now I know this is a real possibility and I mourn for those of you who have lost babies, but I had no reason to be worried about her health - and more than that, it was something that was totally out of my control. I finally remember crying and praying to the Lord, "Please Lord, I have to sleep. I give my baby up to you. If it be your will that we only have her for a few days, than thank you for the wonderful days we've already experienced." It wasn't until I prayed that prayer was I able to sleep.

How do we battle the worry-monster? What's the secret? Recognizing that worry and all the accompanying feelings (doubt, fear, anxiety) are not from the Lord. Those feelings are from the enemy and he will use them to destroy our confidence in God. It says in the Bible that God has given us a spirit of power and love and a calm and well-balanced mind (2 Timothy 1;7). I love the idea of God giving me a calm mind that battles the negative thoughts. We may not be able to battle the worry on our own, but with God all things are possible!

I will tell you it's a work in progress - it won't come automatically. You have to train your mind to focus on God's promises rather than the worry. Anytime that I feel worry creeping into my mind, I battle it with scripture. I handle the finances in our house (my husband can always tell when I've done the bills - I may not be in one of my best moods!) and they are at the top of my worry list. I would wake up in the middle of the night with my worries. I have to pray while I'm doing the finances and continually remind myself of God's promises (i.e. He will provide for us, He loves us, He tells us NOT to worry!) It's been a long process and I'm not certainly not perfect but I've gotten much better over the years. I've found that regular time spent with God, resting, and sharing my worries with trusted friends help me fight my feelings of anxiety as well. The important thing is that with God's help we CAN battle worry and win.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
2 Timothy 1;7 (AMP)

Mommy Tip of the Day: Making Lunches

Bring your lunch to work? Do your kids take their lunch to school? Make them the night before. I try to make them during the dinner mess. There’s a lot you can do while you’re waiting for the water to boil or for a meal to cook! I already have a mess in the kitchen so I might as well make lunches real quick. It saves your nerves in the early morning rush to just grab your lunch out of the fridge!

©2008 All Rights Reserved Trina Loucks