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The Power of a Woman’s Words

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For many years now, it has been my habit to read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the date of the month. The Lord teaches me something every day from that practical book. Recently the Holy Spirit has shown me the power of a woman’s words.

Last week as I read chapter seven, the Holy Spirit showed me that the Strange woman (the adulterous woman) uses her words to seduce a man. Listen to what this passage says about her speech:

  • She is loud – Verse 11
  • With an impudent face (she) said unto him,
    I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
    Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. Vs 13-15
  • With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. Verse 21

Yesterday as I read chapter nine, I saw once again the power of her words

  • A foolish woman is clamorous: (vigorous in demand) she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
    For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, To call passengers who go right on their ways: Vs 13-15
  • Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
    But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell. Verses 16-18

We see the negative affect a woman’s words can have on a man. Men desire to be admired, sought after, and respected. The woman that uses these kinds of phrases and words to a man that isn’t her husband is treading in dangerous waters. She’s capturing his heart, and she knows what she is doing.

However, a wise woman should read those verses and be reminded that each of us needs to be using our words to build up and admire the man that God gave to us as our husband. He needs to hear fair speech at home! “Honey, I’ve looked for you to return home all day today. I missed you while you were at work!” “You look tired, and I’ve prepared your favorite meal and have made plans for a restful evening for you.”

Let’s take our cue from this woman and use right speech at home so our husband will be anxious to return each day. What kind of speech did you use this morning? Do you need to make things right? Do so, then love him the rest of the day with your words!

Now for a Valentine idea:

For a simple Valentine table decoration, how about using your heart-shaped cookie cutters as napkin rings? I have several of varied sizes. I simply tied a rustic cloth ribbon around the heart, then slipped the napkin through the fabric.

Here are two: one that looks old, and the bottom picture, that really is old. Cookie cutters are cheaper than napkin rings. I’m thinking this would be cute with stars for Christmas or July 4th. Leaves or apples cutters would be pretty in the fall. The possibilities are endless!

With love,

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Prepared for His Coming

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Yesterday morning I had my head in the sink, washing my hair and my husband stepped near and said, “Oh, no. They weren’t supposed to be here today.” My heart jumped.
“Who? Who’s here?”
“The exterminator. He was supposed to go to the church today, but the guy’s here now. Just close the door. He won’t come in here.”

Relief washed over me. I was so thankful that my husband was there to answer the door when he could have already left for his appointment at hand. I was thankful, too, that I had started the day early. I’d had my devotions, then fixed my husband’s breakfast so he could head out. The dishes had been done (by him), and I had made the bed, emptied the trash cans and started a load of laundry. Everything had been given “the morning once-over” and I was relieved that this man – okay, just the exterminator – but a guest, would not find my home turned upside down! Some mornings at 8:50 that’s exactly what he would have found! Sometimes dishes are in the sink, the dirty laundry is sorted on the laundry room floor, trash cans are waiting to be emptied, and the bed unmade. Yes, I was thankful that I had gotten up on this day and faithfully done what needed to be done when this surprise visitor came to my door. After all, it’s not like he just steps inside the door; he walks every inch of the house – every room, spraying and de-bugging! No secrets are kept from him!

As I washed my hair, behind my closed door, I thought of how surprise guests can un-nerve us. Then I thought about the verse that tells us that Jesus will return as a thief in the night. On that day when Christ returns, an even greater relief will come if we have been faithful to be busy about His business. When He comes, will find our house in order? No rooms filled with unforgiveness and bitterness. No grievances and critical spirits stacked up. Our Bible isn’t dusty because it’s been used every day. We’ve not been sleepy and sluggish, but alert to the spiritual needs of those around us. For even more with the Lord, there are no hidden secrets.

He could come today. Will I be embarrassed or relieved at His coming? How about you? We know He’s on His way, so there’s no need to be surprised. Let’s stay faithful and ready!

On another note, to encourage you just five days before Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d give you an idea or two to help you celebrate with your husband.

A winter picnic is so romantic! If you can’t do a lunch picnic on the 14th, plan one for Saturday or Sunday after church (leave the children home!). Pack a couple of warm blankets, some candles, a thermos of hot soup, crusty bread, and a chocolate dessert. Find a cozy picnic area and wrap up in the blankets and enjoy your meal together.

Have you made plans for Valentine’s Day? What romantic ideas can you share with us?

With love,

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What’s Cookin’ in the Parsonage?

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Sorry I missed posting yesterday. Let me make Tuesday my Monday post and fill you in on what has been and what will be cookin‘ around here!

Chicken – it’s probably our favorite meat. My husband says that many chickens have gone into the ministry on his account! Roast chicken is really an easy meal – for Sunday after church or any day! I have several different herbed chicken recipes, but last week I decided to use a jar of a spice I purchased – Herbes de Province – instead of pulling out varied spices from my cabinet. Herbes de Province is a mixture of many herbs and spices – lavender, thyme, basil, savory, etc. I found this jar at TJ Maax for $2.99.

I loosened the skin on the chicken, then gave it a rub down with Olive Oil. I then sprinkled it inside and out with the Herbes de Province. It’s a delicious combination and made the meat really flavorful. The jar says that this is especially good on chicken; I agree! It also really simplified the preparation!

I added quartered potatoes and baby carrots around the chicken. The herbs from the meat seasoned the vegetables. I thickened the pan juices to make a gravy for the meal. Mmm!

Since it was just the two of us, I had more than half the chicken left. To “reinvent” the meal for the next night, I used the leftover chicken breast to make Chicken Enchiladas.

I love to take the leftovers and disguise them in another dish! This was super simple.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 soup can chicken broth

1 Tbl green chilies

Mix above ingredients. Place diced chicken on 8 tortillas, top each tortilla with soup mixture, then grated cheese. Roll up tortillas and place in oblong casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve with salsa.

Menu for the week:

** New Recipe – Will share recipe later

Monday

**Crab meat topped potatoes

Green beans

Applesauce

Tuesday

**Burger Boats

Oven French fries

Pear Salad

Wednesday

**Oregano Chicken

Mashed Potatoes

Carrots w/honey

Thursday

Leftovers

Friday

Tossed Salad

French Bread

Saturday

**Chicken Tostadas

**Beans and Rice salad

What’s your favorite way to “disguise” a meal?

With love,

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A Better Day is Coming

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Recently my husband went to visit a couple from our church. They are two of our seniors who have had health issues and have missed many services because of their illnesses. The wife was excited to show my husband a passage of Scripture that she had read in her Bible that morning. “It seemed like this was describing us,” she said, referring to herself and her husband. Here is the passage, first in King James Version, then paraphrased for clearer understanding…

Ecclesiastes 12

1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

3In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

4And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

6Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

8Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young,
Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes,
Before your vision dims and the world blurs
And the winter years keep you close to the fire.

3-5 In old age, your body no longer serves you so well.
Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen.
The shades are pulled down on the world.
You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt.
The hum of the household fades away.
You are wakened now by bird-song.
Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past.
Even a stroll down the road has its terrors.
Your hair turns apple-blossom white,
Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body.
Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest,
While your friends make plans for your funeral.

6-7 Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over.
Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends.
The body is put back in the same ground it came from.
The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it.

8 It’s all smoke, nothing but smoke.
The Quester says that everything’s smoke.

13 The last and final word is this:
Fear God.
Do what he tells you.
14 And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.

The aging couple told my husband that their failing bodies remind them that heaven is just beyond and that they are ready to go – either by death or by the Rapture when Christ comes for His children.

When your body weakens, your joints stiffen and a walk up the road is difficult, will you be ready for heaven? If, like our dear friends, you have received Christ as your personal Savior, you can have the assurance that heaven is your home and a new body awaits you there!

However, we all need to be ready for heaven even now. We have no promise or guarantee that we will live to see our senior years. Eternity awaits us all. Where will you spend it?

See you in church,

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Home

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The home was God’s idea. Whenever there was a new beginning, God started with a family – Adam and Eve, and Noah and his wife and family. Isn’t easy to see that God loves the family and the home? How thankful I am for such a wonderful gift.

You know, in some ways I think people in America are understanding more the influence and blessing of the home. Delivered pizzas and fast food to go. Where? Home. Movies are rented to take home. It’s a comforting place, a nurturing place, a place where we can be ourselves, laugh, cry and play.

While you’re home, enjoy the pleasures of being there. Have tea parties with your daughters and fill the tiny cups with sugar water. Roll out cookies and bake. Sprawl out on the rug and play Sorry, Monopoly or Old Maid. Make a fort with your sons. Read books by flashlight while you hide under a blanket tent stretched over the furniture. Have popcorn while watching old videos of the family. Put the scores of loose photos in picture albums and laugh at how much everyone has changed. Play Charades and Dominoes. Open the hymn book and sing.

Another blessing of being together as a family is sharing a meal together. How important it is to the unity of the family to share at least one meal each day. Everyone sitting around the table, not on the couch in front of the television, enables family members to look at one another, to talk, to interact in conversation. Conversation happens best when the television is off. It’s here that children can learn to pray and thank the Lord for their food before they eat. They learn to sit at the table and wait for Mommy to take the first bite before they eat, to put their napkin in the their lap and to eat their meal without leaving the table. You all talk, you eat, you laugh, you have fun! When the meal is over, children ask to be excused before leaving the table.

Does all this seem too much? It’s part of being a family and of training our children to love home and be respectful – all while having the time of their lives! I grew up in this kind of home, and though that was many years ago, I’m thankful for the training and for the wonderful memories in my heart from those growing up years! I look for opportunities to return home; I think you can see why.

Love your home and create a place that your children will love coming back to!
Home. Sweet Christian home!