He's Hot

I was sitting in church last night for the last session of a three year marriage class. My husband was running late and was going to come later. Because of that, I took a look toward the door every now and again.

The last time I did that, I saw him walk in. He was wearing a grey shirt. I never got past the shirt. I was newly attracted to him. Nothing special about that shirt mind you. I've seen him in it a million times. But something about him at that moment just struck me afresh. I was thinking and something my daughter would say came to mind ~~ "He's hot!"

The whole thing tickled me. I wonder if my table mates saw my little smile. It was a smile to God. "Thanks God. You are just so amazing. And your sense of humor-I get it tonight." It was a smile for my husband, because after 18 years together, he can still stir my heart and my hormones. LOL It was a smile for myself. I can store this moment in my memory and pull it out on those "not so great" marriage days.

I love that God can take something that seems so common place to us and give us a new perspective on it. What things have you been taking for granted? What has become common place to you? Ask God to give you a fresh perspective. Ask him to let you see with new eyes, His eyes even. My prayer for you is that you ask it, receive it and appreciate it.

I leave you with a verse from Song of Solomon. It reminds me of how I felt last night. If you've never read this book of the Bible, be forewarned. It's a hot number, like my husband! LOL
Read on, ponder it and as always......Be blessed!

"Awake, north wind! Rise up, south wind! Blow on my garden and spread its fragrance all around. Come into your garden, my love; taste its finest fruits." Song of Solomon 4:16 (NLT)

And God said "Yes, you do"

I am worn out friends. Between caring for a sick child, being sick myself and trying to finish the second of two book proposals, I am tapped out. The good news is that the proposals are both done and have been submitted. Now I wait. I've never been very patient. Wonder if that has something to do with why God would call me to participate in an industry where you do a whole lot of waiting. Funny Lord. HAHA right back at ya! (And I mean that in the most reverently possible way)

I do want to share one thing with you. It's a little message God spoke to my heart.

Sunday my husband decided he wanted to track down a friend of his. This friend was in our wedding. I became friends with his wife. We all used to hang out when we lived in Chicago. Then they moved to Ohio, then to England and then back to Ohio. In the meantime, we moved to North Carolina. We lost touch after our move here. They were going through some stuff and probably going to move again so she couldn't provide me with a number. Life got busy. Rick and I went through our own trials here in NC and well, six years went by. So Sunday, he asked me to get online and see if I could find his friend.

I found him. And I found something else I was not ready for. His wife died in July. Forty years old and a mom of four. Dead. It hit me hard. Ladies the enemy had her fooled. He made her feel alone. He made her feel like no one knew what she was going through in life. He made her believe her only comfort was to be found in the bottom of a bottle. She believed his cocktail of lies and it killed her. It tore apart her family.

What I struggled with was that I didn't know if she ever accepted The Truth, my Jesus, the Christ. Then I wondered if I had talked about Him enough, presented Him enough when I had the chance. I fear I did not. I will not accept the guilt the enemy has tried to place in my heart and mind. And he is trying extremely hard.

What I will accept is the responsibility to not be ashamed of the gospel. I will acknowledge that as I was deciding if I was even going to submit those book proposals, I wondered if I really wanted to write and not have it marketed toward the Christian market. I liked the idea on the one hand but I also wanted to be a "Christian writer".

Ha! God clearly pointed out to me through the sad news that I am a "Christian writer", whether I write for Christians, seekers or the completely unchurched. Apparently, God was telling me with those book proposals "Yes, you do want to submit those proposals. I have called you to write for people like your friend, who don't really know me. Do you intend to go where I have called you?"

Yes, I do.

Do you intend to go where He has called you?


Be blessed friends! And be a blessing to someone everyday.

Thankful Thursday

Oh the thanks we will give on Thankful Thursday! Welcome and thank you for joining Iris, yours truly and many other bloggy friends at Sting My Heart for more thanks!

Today I want to send up some thankful praises for my best friend, my husband.

First let me say that I am thankful that he first informed me that I was his best friend. I was in a period of great insecurity and that one statement just did wonders for me. I was shocked at his proclamation but oh how I cherished it. I do still. Thank You Lord for causing my husband to think me his best friend.

Thanks are also due him for hanging in there 7 years ago when our marriage was in complete shambles. Neither of us was blameless for the state the marriage was in. I am extremely thankful that God allowed us both to see the error of our ways and stick it out, through the "or worse" part. Thank you honey for not giving up on us. God willing, we'll celebrate 16 years of marriage this December.

I'm also thankful that he completed the entire three years of the Men's Fraternity bible study at church. He didn't just sit in the bible study. Oh no! He has applied the principles he learned to our marriage and his relationship with our two beauties. Thank you Lord!

While I mention bible study, let me also thank my honey for attending two years of marriage enrichment class with me at church. It was his idea! You could have sold me for a nickel. I didn't have to beg, plead or cajole. I think it might have had to do with stuff he learned in the first year of Men's Fraternity. We started year three last night. He told our group he was excited. How precious is that?!

I'm thankful he also did not just sit in marriage enrichment class. He has also applied what he learned there to our marriage. That was how I got to go to the She Speaks! conference this year. He learned this past year about how a husband should support his wife's dreams. My dream is to be a published author. I wanted to go to my first writer's conference. He happily agreed. (Note the word happily).

I thank my sweetie for his words of affirmation and encouragement this week. I feel loved above and beyond the usual.

Finally I am thankful my husband is traveling a new road with the Lord. I have seen the Lord call him into some places and roles that normally would be uncomfortable for him. But he's been obedient. And you know what? God has given him comfort in those things. They fit him like a glove. He seems truly happy.

This Thankful Thursday I have tears in my eyes because God has answered my prayers. Those many years ago when we decided to keep the marriage going, I prayed for God to make the grass greenest on this side. No matter how great anyone else's husband seemed, how green their "marriage grass" seemed, make mine greener in my eyes. Thank you Lord that as I look out over the landscape of our marriage and life together, I see the most wonderful, greenest grass ever!