Sep. 4, 2008 - Thankful Thursday & Crawling into His Shell

1. I am so thankful this week for the Lord's provision.  Last weekend, I took an inventory of all the meat I had in the freezer.  I sat down to write out my menu plan for our evening meals.  Before I knew it, I had my menu plan done through October!  Yes, you read that right.    Not just September, but also October!  With the exception of needing to buy a couple of packages of meat and one can of salmon, all of my meat is provided for through October! 

This provision of the Lord has come at a great time.  DD is outgrowing her clothes, so as soon as the long-sleeved shirts are on the racks, we will try to find her a few new ones, along with hitting the Goodwill Store.  Why is it that the stores will put out Christmas items in late September or early October, yet they fail to put fall clothing in the stores the month when fall arrives? 

Pastor Jeff''s son is on the heart transplant list.  It has been a very bumpy road for the family.  Richard suffered cardiac arrest over 2 weeks ago, and is still on the ventilator.  Pastor Jeff was talking about faith.  He said, "Sometimes faith is a lump in your throat."  So very true.  His message was great timing for many in this community because over 600 people have recently lost jobs at a local factory.

4. I just realized this week that we are now 1/4 of the way done for the year in math, language arts, and vocabulary.  That makes me

Crawling Into His Shell

I often hear women complain that their husbands won’t ever talk to them.  Invariably, they refer to him as having crawled into a shell.

On the other hand, women rarely seem to have trouble talking when something is bothering them.  We whine, complain, nag, and yell.  We are often like the constant dripping in Proverbs 27:15-16.

Why is it so hard for men to open up to us?  Many times, the answer lies with us.  We make it impossible for them by making them feel that they don’t measure up to our expectations.  We have a keen way of making them think they are never good enough.  Opening up to a woman like that when a man feels so vulnerable would be like entering a snake pit, with her poisonous tongue striking again and again.  It’s no wonder men would prefer to crawl into a shell!  

If we want our husbands to open up to us, there are a few things we can do.

1. Choose to do him good and not harm. (Proverbs 31:12) Sometimes the best way we can “do him good” is by lending him a listening ear.  Many times, he is not looking for a solution to his problems; he simply wants a safe place to vent.

2.  We can clothe ourselves with strength and dignity. (Proverbs 31:25) We need to develop the strength to restrain ourselves when we are tempted to say something critical.  When we clothe ourselves with dignity, we have a proper and godly self-image.  People who don’t have a godly self-image often do not have a lot of self-respect.  They are often people who have been hurt.  Hurt people will hurt other people.  Frequently, the one hurt is our husband.

3.  We can choose to speak words of wisdom and faithful instruction. (Proverbs 31:26) One way to do this when our husband needs to vent, is to say, “Honey, how can I help you?”  We could say, “Would you like for me to pray with you about this?”  It shows respect to him because we are not pushing our opinions on him.

4.  Put a guard on your mouth. (Psalm 141:3) The best way to guard our mouth is by daily submitting it to the Lord, asking Him to help us speak words that are loving, kind, gentle, and full of grace.

If we are diligent to do these four steps, instead of watching him retreat into his shell, we may hear him praising us. (Proverbs 31:28)

Don't forget to read about the contest that announces my new Monday Meme! 

© 2006, Stacy R. Miller

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Comments

Sep. 3, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by http://shortybearsplace.blogspot.com/

Such a nice post.

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

Stacy,

What a great TT list.

Thanks for sharing!

Cheryl

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Sep. 4, 2008 - http://myblog2002.blogspot.com

Posted by Pia

thanks for sharing your list of inspiring thankfuls. God bless you.

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

This is so freaky! We've had a huge week of God's provision too :-)

Amy
mytudorhouse.blogspot.com

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Sep. 4, 2008 - From Sharon

Posted by Anonymous

Keeping a guard on the tongue...that is the hardest thing ever - but the most rewarding in any relationship! Thanks for the devotional, God bless.
Sharon, from
http://thereservoir.wordpress.com

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Debra

Beautifully said! Have a wonderful thursday filled with all things Jesus!

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by gengen

that is a great post thanks for the reminders and advices.

Mine is here http://love.mommyko.com

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

OK... I'm definitely impressed.. I have a hard time planning meals for a week at a time, much less clear thru October! LOL What a blessing that will be to you as it will be one less thing to worry about over the next month or so.

Happy Thankful Thursday!

Melanie
http://thefruitsofthespirit.blogspot.com

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by JADsmama3

Hi Stacy!

I am glad that you are enjoying your new church!! :) Isn't it amazing how much we can truly enjoy the presence of the Lord?!?!
I will be in prayer for your pastor's son & family.
I am sorry that your wrists are still causing problems. That is still a matter of prayer with me, too. :)
I love reading your blog! You have some wonderful posts. :)
Isn't the Lord AWESOME! To provide for you in that way - well, He provides for us too but you know what I mean! LOL
Hot dog sauce? What do you use that for? I haven't ever heard of that before. :)
Blessings,
Vania

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

I loved reading both your posts.
Isn't it wonderful to see how God provides for our everyday needs, and helps us free our minds to devote our attention to Him in prayer?
Oh, I wouldn't have restrained myself, like you did, though! A good cry for Jesus, is balm to the heart!
Be blessed.
(Irene@http://thegreengreek.blogspot.com)

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Thankful Thursday

Posted by Anonymous

This is Marsha over at http://marshahmusings.blogspot.com

I praise God for His faithful provision of food for your family through October! What a wonderful thing!

I'll be praying for your Pastor's son on the transplant list. That phrase, "Sometimes faith is a lump in your throat" really touched me.

Have a blessed weekend.

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Lynn

Stacy,

Loved reading about your week and girl.... October... I don't even know what I am going to fix tonight.

I am wowed!!!! Love you, Hugs, Lynn

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Sep. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

Thank you for stopping by my TT post and leaving such encouraging words. And you have an amazing list of Thanks here .... but I am dying to ask you WHAT IS HOT DOG SAUCE? That must be some sort of family recipe or something (lol). Thank you for sharing your grateful heart with us and I love the encouragement you are leaving for us ladies....-Blessings, Laurie

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