This is an intro I wrote for the created2behishelpmeet yahoo group that I subscribe to.  I thought I'd also include it here as it tells a bit about me. (The group studies and discusses the book Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl; this is what I am referring to throughout my post.)

Message: 5
   Date: Sat Jun 3, 2006 8:08 am (PDT)
   From: "Angela Fritze" fritzeng@yahoo.com 
Subject: Re: Re-intro


I'm Angela, a sahm in northern MN; I hs my 3 children: dd-8, ds-4, and dd-1.  My husband, a "Mr. Steady" and Christian counselor, and I have been married for 6 years.  A head-spinning, oh-so-romantic courtship between Prince Charming and his (formerly-dead--to-men-that-is) Long Lost Lady Love was followed by a torturous, tumultuous 1st year of marriage.  In addition to the shock of finding each other to be decidedly human, nearly everything that could go wrong, did.  At about 6-8 months, or so, into it we were ready to call it quits but felt stuck due to our convictions that God had brought us together and united us for life.  Little by little, God transformed us using seemingly small changes, humble willingness, prayer and repentance. 
  
  About 2-3 years ago (I think it was), God "set me up" to be ready to read ...HelpMeet by introducing me to No Greater Joy ministries, having me read The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura, and developing an overwhelming longing in my heart for real lived-out faith.  Reading it (the first time) had tremendous impact on not just my attitude toward my husband and beliefs about marriage, but also turned me upside-down with the awareness that loving God requires obeying Him, that what the Bible lays out truly is supposed to be our frame of reference, not "our own understanding".  Although I'd sort of grown up knowing and loving God, this was a revolutionary idea for me.
  
  I continue to struggle with dying to myself, laying down my rights.  God continues working and molding me, although I don't for the life of me know how because I seem like play-doh that's been left out for 2 days, hard in some spots, soft in others.
  
  I use ...HelpMeet like a reference book, opening daily for reminders and encouragement, as well as reading along with this group.  And now my husband is reading it to prepare for giving it out to women he's seeing for marriage counseling.
  
  May God's truth, by His mercy, prevail. 

Angela