I like to do my weekly planning for the week on Sunday night. Last night I was able to plan the entire week and even get some extra Bible reading time in which was the icing on the cake. I was thinking about how I used to plan when I was a younger wife, I would plan in many things that were unnecessary and by the end of the day I was exhausted. My husband would come home and I would have tears of frustration because I had too much on plate that day and he would wonder why. Well one look at my list and it was easy to see why!
Then I read a book about a wife who would try to structure her day around the Bible verse Titus 2:4-6. You know, love your husband, love your children, etc. She would get her planner out and ask God what he would have her to do that week and then write them in (ex: read her Bible daily), then she would think about what her husband would like her to do and she would write those things in before she got to anything else. Usually our husbands do not demand too much of us. They are happy with the simple things such as a cooked meal, clean clothes and children that are alive when they get home from work!
When I come to think of it, many godly women I know also do this. They put God first, and their husbands right after that, then they tend to their children's needs, homeschooling, etc. I think this is wise, because it is so easy to ignore our husbands and have the house and children dominate our time and day if we are not careful to make sure we are tending to our husbands needs first.
I also think that planning that way helps us to respect our husbands more. It is reserving a special place for him in our hearts to serve him, this way we also know we are actually DOING it. We can have good intentions, but actually never really do anything with those intentions. So many times we can start the week off running and never think twice about how we can really help our husbands. Then little things might not get done such as ironing his shirts, making his lunch or preparing (timing) his coffee for him before he runs out the door.
Think back with me, ladies. What has your husband been suggesting to you? What things do you notice that you are not doing for him but he has been quietly not saying anything about? Let us tend to our husbands needs for this is how we love our husbands. If he requests nothing but taking care of the children and schooling them, then do it well. If he asks you to help run his business, then make that a priority in your life before everything else you would like to do, knowing that you are serving the Lord wholeheartedly.
Because at the end of the day you want to know you did everything you could to be the best wife possible with your priorities in order! (Well done good and faithful servant....Matt 25:23)
For those of you who are already implementing some of this--
how do you try make your husband a priority?
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how do you try make your husband a priority?
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27 comments:
One of the ways I make him a priority is by preparing a peaceful home, a haven, for him: http://likeabubblingbrook.blogspot.com/2011/01/be-better-help-meet-5-things-you-can-do.html
And I also stay organized for the week by planning as well. Here's our most recent meal plan: http://likeabubblingbrook.blogspot.com/2011/01/healthy-frugal-meal-plan-week-of-12411.html
Thank you for another wonderful post!
Thank you for the timely reminder!
The old saying the way to a mans heart is through his belly has some truth to it. My husband loves my cooking and so I usually make more than enough at dinner so he has left-overs to take to work. I also keep our meal plan on the fridge so he can *edit* it to what he may be in the mood for. We do not have a lot of alone time together so I have purposed, with his nudging to get up with him (4:30am) to have our Bible time together. At first I was so worn out but now I look forward to this time together to enjoy the Word and have coffee together. I think it's important to leave room for -re-scheduling as well. I may have something in mind but my husband has another so I need to be flexable. Thank you for this post!
Jaime,
Thanks for sharing these excellent posts!
Ladies,
I also want to say if you are unsure of exactly how to implement helping your husband this week then be sure to ask him! I say this because we might think he wants a certain something done but in reality he might want attention to something else. So be sure to ask him! We don't want to get discouraged by pouring ourselves into the wrong thing that he didn't really care about in the first place!
Many blessings...
I read your blog on a weekly basis, because it encourages me to see all the beauty and responsibility of being a homemaker. Since most women are out to work and even christian women share different views on being home, I find comfort and strength knowing there are other sisters in Christ with this vision. My soul is filled when I focus on being a homemaker. The opposite happens when I "try" to accept another way of life. I find myself miserable, confused, and short-tempered when I think of my life outside of this homelife. When I leave my home for other pursuits, I feel like I leave behind my Saviour as well.
Great post, and definitely one I am working on!
Oh, this post could not have come at a better time! I just had a few words about this with my husband, this weekend. With a 2 year old daughter, I was focussing on her more than my husband. While he is working hard all week, I´ve been running around and being tired myself too. With good planning I might tackle this..
love from holland!
Thank you for this...it was just what I needed to hear today.
Oh thank you! I needed this encouragement/reminder. I haven't been getting my husband's clothes ironed and I have to get on that. I get up first thing and make his lunch and coffee and see him out the door. I also do whatever he asks of me that day but mostly he's easy--food and clean clothes and a happy family. He does like quiet and peace so I always have the girls help pick up the living room and hallway before he gets home.
I'm working right now to make supper a more lovely event. We aren't eating on paper plates every night or anything, but I'd like us to sit and talk a little longer.
Since I am planning today instead of Sunday like usual--I think I will implement this plan today!
What great advice! I can work on having a truly filling dinner for him. I'm struggling so much in that area right now with all of our food allergy stuff going on. He is so easy to please, I know it would make his heart glad to have good 'man food' on the table every night.
Thank you so much for this lovely reminder. It is so true that we need order our days in light of Scripture. The Lord is showing me over and over again that my day should be ordered around what He would have me do...not what I think is best. When I do that, I am so much more satisfied and the needs of my husband and children are met. God bless you,
What an encouraging and convicting post! Thank you for sharing your heart on this.
My husband and I have 4 children so far. Our oldest has cerebral palsy and can take a lot of my time and energy. We also homeschool. It definitely takes planning and intentional effort to make sure that I put God first and then my husband.
Thanks for the reminder!
Dear Brenda,
So great to hear your plans, and yes, by all means, if you are planning today that is great too! I love how you are putting more thought into how to make even the smallest details (cleaning the entrance way, more time spent at the table) important!
Ladies,
Some women plan on different days that work for them--that is fine. Don't feel just because you didn't plan on Sunday that all is lost. Pick up wherever you are in the week and have a game plan---the rest of the week will definitely go much smoother.
Many blessings...
The picture you paint in the first paragraph sounds like me last week! I have a newborn and have a huge to do list I try to stick to each day. Silly! My husband finally had enough of me being frazzled by the time he got home that he told me to just try and keep the kitchen clean and that's it. Why do we do this to ourselves? I was trying to be Martha Stewart but was wearing myself out for him and that's not fair. Thanks for writing this post, it spoke to me big time!
Thank you very much for this post. I am a young wife and mother and though I feel that by keeping the house and staying home with my son are way's of showing my husband that I love him, your post helped me to realize that everything does not have to be perfect and that trying to be only adds stress and takes away from time spent just being with my husband like we did before we got married.
Hi Friends. :) I have been married for 24 years and I have two big pieces of advice. First, THANK your husband. I cannot tell you how meaningful this is. Thank him...for the small things as well as the large. I think it took me a long time to learn how much he loves hearing me thank him. The other is to take care of his physical needs. I think my willingness no matter how tired I am has been very important. I am a working mom, and I still have a lot to learn as a wife, mother and Christian, but these two things have really helped our marriage. Blessings, Steph.
Thank you so much for this post!
I have also engaged the help of my daughters - one prepares his lunch in the morning, she always hopes for leftovers and checks the fridge as soon as she rises! We always sit down to have breakfast together even if he is going in early. I cringe when I hear about husbands who must fix their own breakfast because the wife is having a sleep-in. Unless she is on ordered bed rest or sick of course. I have taught both of my daughters to iron a shirt. If they are ever asked to help with the ironing they both automatically iron one of their father's work shirts first! Looking after their father is part of their training for when they will have husbands of their own and I agree it is the simple things that men appreciate, ironed shirts and matching socks in the drawer. And yes, he is very happy when he arrives home to be greeted by happy (living!) children who race outside to hug him as soon as they hear his car pull up. I always ensure I am at the door when he leaves in the morning and there when he arrives home with the (changed!) baby who immediately reaches out his arms to be picked up by his daddy. Good smells greet him and he sees the dessert for later on the bench as soon as he walks through the door. This is all purposeful.
This is why I try to avoid any activity that takes me out of the home at dinner time.
I sometimes struggle with this, mostly do to the fact that I love so much being a mom and taking care of my daughter. One way I make sure that my husband stays in the forefront of my mind is that on the days he gets up a bit later than us (on his "off" days) I make sure to ask him what he wants to drink first thing. That way he is greeted with a nice mug of tea or coffee right away and I start the day off remember to care for him as well.
-Mrs. V
I am so blessed to be Mrs. Heidi Olsen! I enjoy being a helpmate to my husband through taking care of him and helping him run our family business for 9 years & counting together in addition to the most important thing we do - raising children together! We enjoy being together building our dreams every step of the way.
We are so blessed to be living this verse -
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9
Thank you, Mrs. Fuentes for such a great post!
I am not married but I truly enjoy your blogs and more than that, I am learning and I do want to be ready for my future husband, whoever he may be and whoever God has in mind for me. God bless you for all the wisdom you share. Wisdom comes from God. All the glory to Him. Amen. :-)
This is so important, June--good post about keeping God's priorities our priorities.
Whenever I get frustrated in my life's work of homemaking--it's usually because I have my priorities out of line with God's!
I'm getting out a notebook right now an talking to my hubby, such an easy way to show respect to him. I'm not sure why I didn't think of it myself. : )
What a touching and motivating post!! I can really feel the Lord directing me in this area lately. Now you've been a part of it too.
I try to make sure I am a week ahead on the power points for his class (or anything else he needs for the classes he teaches) before I work on my blog or etsy shop.
I try to do have the housework or prep for sunday school, etc. mostly done by the time he gets home so that I can give him my undivided attention and really listen to what he is saying.
I try to have a warm meal waiting for him when he comes home.
Thank you so much for your post. For the past month, our paster has been discussing the topic of "Lordship" and how He has to take the center of everything we do. The idea of taking your weekly calendar and praying over it, asking God what he wants first, then husband, etc., truly speaks to me on the topic of Lordship. This topic has blessed me today.
Thank you for this post, Mrs. June! Yet another wonderful encouragement and reminder for me. I have been stirred by God to be a better homemaker by getting ideas and tips from other godly women. I love how God works in our hearts to teach us to love the calling He has for each of us women.
I am currently working on beautifying our apartment as it is so bare and bland. I am also starting to get my planning done, especially on budgeting, organizing and homeschooling. I'm trying to be better primarily for my husband's delight because I want him so much to know that I respect him and want his heart to trust me in all things.
I'm still a working progress, and there are days that I just fail to live up to my own expectations, but I know that God is able to help me become the wife and mother that He wants me to be. Thank you so much for all the encouragements and reminders you post in your blog. It is always one of my greatest blessings to have guidance and wisdom from godly women like you.
God bless you more!
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