A Must Read

I was surfing this morning, when I stumbled onto a beautiful post, at a blog, I've never been before (My God is always in the details). I am very careful to read the content and philosophy of a blog before I send any reader there. I Corinthians 8:12 "But when ye sin so against the brethren, and would their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ." I did not read the whole blog. However the post that I read spoke volumes to my heart. I encourage you to read the post here. If you venture off this post please do so knowing I haven't read this site.

I found the post inspiring and reflective......... may you be blessed.

Michelle

A &W Free Root Beer Float With Purchase

O.K., If you weren't hungry after the last post, here is another one for ya! You can get a free small Root Beer float with any purchase after you print the cpn here. I was able to print three for my family, so I don't think there is a limit. For those of you who live around here, there is a A&W in Lake George, as well as the Kentucky Fried Chicken which carries the A&W brand in Queensbury. Kentucky Fried Chicken also has a dollar menu, making an inexpensive treat for the whole family!!

Michelle

Dominos Free Pasta Bread Bowl Wed April 29th

It is being reported that Domino's Pizza is giving away a free Bread Bowl pasta from 11am-2pm tomorrow 4/29. However not all stores are participating. I just called the Glens Falls store and they said that they were not participating. I then called the Hudson Falls store and the man stated "yes I think we are". It probably would not hurt to call ahead anyway. We will defenitely be stopping by the Hudson Falls store to see if this deal works. I will keep you posted!

Michelle

Thanks Money Saving Mom!

The Making Of A Heavenly Marriage-Part IV

This is the final post in our Marriage Series. I pray you all have been as blessed

as I have, by the women who have shared their hearts with you on this very important sbject of making a God honoring marriage. This guest post is written by Kathy . She hosts the blog

In My Mother's Garden

She has been married (for soon to be) 23 years! I have been blessed by Kathy's blog and I pray you will be blessed as she shares her heart with us.

And They Two Shall be One Flesh

I would first like to thank Michelle for her heart for God Honoring marriages.

When Michelle first wrote me about writing a guest post on the subject of marriage, I felt very humbled. I was truly blessed from the last three posts in this series.

My name is Kathy and I am wife to my wonderful husband Doug. We will soon be celebrating our 23rd wedding Anniversary. We have been blessed with eight children ages 20-2 years old. We are a home schooling family and have home schooled for the past 13 years.

My husband and I were saved in 1992. Since then our lives have changed miraculously.

The Lord has done a great work in our marriage so I thought I would share a few things that I have learned along the way.

In the book of Genesis we read that God created Adam and Eve. We read that Eve was taken from Adam's rib and Adam states that she is bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh.

Do you know that we are also created for our husband? God prepared us for the exact man that he has chosen for us.

Ephesians 5:31 "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh..."

We are no longer single before God, but we become one with our spouse.

In Ephesians 5:21-32 the Bible compares marriage between a man and a woman as a picture of the Lord Jesus marrying His Bride the Church, and the type of relationship that we are to have with our husbands.

When we unite in matrimony, when we say those vows before God. We promise that this union is for life.

Ecclesiastes chapter 5

*4 "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it: for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed".

*5 "Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay".

When we make a vow before God we are to stand by that vow. Today's view of marriage is "If I do not like how things are going I can just throw in the towel and quit". This is not God's plan at all. When I finally realized this in my marriage it was a great turning point.

I thought I would share a little testimony from my life since my daughter said that this might be a blessing to someone out there who might be struggling in their marriage.

Before my husband and I were saved, our marriage was very different.

We followed the philosophy of the world. I should say that I did.

My husband was from a divorced home and this was something that

he had decided that he never wanted for his own life. I on the other hand

had come from a home where my parents remained married.

I must say I was young and so foolish. I did not love my husband as I should

and I was very selfish. I wanted things my way and I was difficult to please.

If my husband and I got into an argument, I foolishly thought that the best

thing was for us to just separate and get a divorce. The way of thinking by most people in

today's world.

After we were saved for a couple of years the Lord really began working in my heart

and life, and in my husband's. I started to learn what a God Honoring marriage was

supposed to be like and I knew that I had to make some changes in my life.

One afternoon my husband and I had a disagreement. I was upset and my emotions finally took over. I was ready to say those terrible words again "If you do not like it here you can just leave". Instead the Holy Spirit got a hold of my heart and I realized what I was about to say. I quickly changed my words to this- "If you do not like it here that is just too bad. The Bible says that you are stuck with me". My husband just looked at me , I think in shock. This is when I finally realized that I made this commitment and it was for life.

As I share this testimony, it is in hopes of encouraging anyone who is struggling to see that God has a greater plan, and that through His grace we can have a marriage that is heaven here on earth.

In our Church we heave a yearly couples retreat. I love attending these. My husband and I have learned a lot about having a God honoring marriage. I would encourage all of you to take advantage of such retreats, it will strengthen your marriage and your home.

Did you know that marriage can be a part of heaven here on earth?

Here are a few things that I have learned that have really been a great blessing to our marriage.

Share terms of endearment, My husband loves to cal me his Sweet Gal:)

Love your man-We need to stop looking through dark color glasses and start looking for the good.

Be his help meet-There can be great satisfaction in helping your man:)

Make him his favorite meal.

When he comes home give him a great big hug and a big smooch and tell how much you missed him. (Just a side note: Our children love to see Daddy and Mommy being affectionate with each other)

Listen to him and make him feel important to you.

Talk some love talk. You know, tell him how handsome he is. Tell him how strong he is and what a good provider he is. When I look at my husband in this way things really sweeten up in our relationship. How very blessed we are to have that special someone in our lives to share life with.

As I began to allow the Lord to work in my life, he also began working in my husbands life.

Through these past 23 years together things have grown sweeter as we grew closer in our walk with the Lord. May you all be blessed as you walk together with your spouse in the newness of life.

God Bless, Kathy

Michelle here. If you missed the first three posts in this series you can read them here, here and here. I pray you all have been as blessed as I have!

Blessings, Michelle

The Making Of A Heavenly Mariage Part III

The J.O.Y. Of Marriage

1. Jesus

Your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ must be your number one priority if you are going to be successful in all other relationships: marriage, motherhood,friendships,family, etc. God's Word teaches us how to treat each of these relationships so that we will succeed and have joy! But my relationship with Jesus Christ must come first.

In fact, if I put anyone or anything before Christ, I am not only breaking the first commandment, I also make God jealous.

Exodus20:3, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

Exodus 20:5, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God..."

Exodus34:14, "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God."

My first challenge to you is to read your Bible and pray every morning. Let Jesus fill your cup to running over,so you will have plenty to give your husband, children, and other relationships. If my cup is empty when my husband comes home from a long, hard day at work, not only will I not be able to encourage him, I will place pressure on him to encourage me and fill me. That is not his job.

On the other hand, if I read my Bible, pray, listen to Godly music throughout the day, maybe even a preaching CD, and allow the Spirit of God to fill me and keep me full, when my husband comes home from a long, hard day at work, I have much to give. I will be able to minister and encourage my man.That is what I was made to do. The Bible says...

Genesis 2:18, "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

1 Corinthians 11:9, "Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man."

2. Others

More specifically, your husband. He comes second; not the children, a job or career, a hobby, etc. Remember, we are on the path to JOY!!! This is the Bible way and it is the only way to real JOY!

Once my cup is filled and my spirit is healthy and in tune with the Holy Spirit, I can now be what I was created to be: my husband's helper/completer. He needs me, and God created me with all the tools necessary to meet his needs. It is my job to learn what my husband's needs are and how to effectively meet them. My husband's needs will be different in many ways than your husband's needs. It is your job to learn about your husband.

I love the man I chose to marry! I love my marriage and desperately want it to succeed. I promised, "Till death do us part...", and by God's grace, I intend to keep my promise. But I do not want to be miserable in the process. The way to find true JOY in marriage is to go to the Creator of marriage and get some advice! His name is Jesus Christ, and His Word, the Bible,has all the answers! His advice cannot and will not fail! It may not be popular advice, and many might even despise it. II Timothy 1:12, "for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

The only way I am able to put my husband above my own self is to walk humbly with my God and obey His plan for my life. That is the only route to true JOY! Many wives seek their own "rights" first and desire for their husbands to help them reach their goals. That is completely backwards to God's plan and will result in much frustration, not peace and JOY.

3. You

You may come last, but you are not to be left out. Just because I am putting others before myself does not mean I neglect myself. Do not neglect yourself. When all is said and done, before there was your husband, there was you. Before there were your children, there was you. Your children will grow up and leave the nest. If statistics are true, your husband may die in old age before you. Then there will still be you. The Bible says in Psalm 139:14 you were "...fearfully and wonderfully made..." You are special and very important to God. he loves you! And so do I! I hope you will take time to invest in you. Here are some ideas:

~Walk with the Lord.

This takes us back to our original point of this article. You will be fulfilled when you are saved and walking with Jesus on a daily basis. You will feel loved when you, by faith, accept who you are in Christ and how He feels about you. You will experience the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in your life: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. You are investing in you when you walk with God!

~Every morning, bathe, fix your hair, put your make-up on (if you wear it), and get dressed. You'd be surprised, but many homemaker moms hang out for the day in sweats, greasy hair pulled back in a pony, and feel gross about themselves! It's no wonder! Respect yourself enough to look great! Face your day with purpose. Use check lists and have goals to succeed at what you do!

~Plan to do something you really enjoy at least once a week. Treat yourself to a Starbucks; get your hair done professionally, or you and a friend do each others hair; go shopping for new kitchen towels, work on redecorating a room in your house, go jogging...whatever you enjoy doing! Choose a time that is convenient for your husband, and maybe he will even watch the kids while you go! :)

The J.O.Y. in Marriage is putting Jesus first, your husband second, and then yourself. It's God's plan, and it works!

God Bless,

Teya

Teya is wife to Joshua. They have been married 12 years. She is a busy Pastor's wife and homeschooling Mama to 4 children. I have the privilege of not only having her as my Pastor's wife but as my friend. I pray you are blessed by her post. Michelle

This is an awesome deal. I recently tried this and really loved it! You all know my trick of watering down fabric softener. If not you can read about it here. This softener is highly concentrated and I didn't notice any difference when I watered it down, and it lasted twice as long! Sign up here to print your $2 cpn!

Thanks, Money Saving Mom

We Do

I promised Pictures................

Rich, in taking the woman whom you hold by your hands, do you promise to continue to pledge to her your complete loyalty, devotion, love & affection; and do you pledge to give special honor to her as unto the weaker vessel; to dwell with her according to knowledge and understanding; and forsaking all others, to keep only to her lest you sin against God and blaspheme His Holy name?

Michelle, in taking this man who holds you by his hands, do you promise to continue to pledge to him your complete loyalty, devotion, love, and affection; will you strive to be a crown to his life and acknowledge him gladly as the head of your home, and forsaking all others, to keep only to him lest you sin against God and blaspheme His Holy name?

And do you both solemnly swear that you will never seek to end this marriage in a Court of Law by divorce?

WE DO!

The Making Of A Heavenly Marriage Part II

Wanda, a dear friend of mine, is married to her husband Mike, of Seventeen

Years. She is also Mama to 3 boys. She home schools their 2 oldest children. Mike and Wanda's youngest son in autistic. Wanda has been a woman in my life, God has used to

teach me about faith. Wanda is a constant encourager to those around her,

and truly has a servants heart. She serves is many ministries of our church and is

always seeking to be a blessing to those around her. I hope you are

blessed by this post.

Hello Ladies. I would like to tell you how honored I am that Michelle has asked me to post on her blog, regarding this very important subject of marriage. I first and foremost would like to give all the praise and glory to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for anything that I may say that may be a help to anyone in their marriage. For it is by His grace and mercy that I am able to do anything.

My husband is an aircraft mechanic. His job takes him away from his family four days out of the week. He works out of state and travels by car and plane to get to his job. If there is a need or an emergency at home, he cannot immediately get home. Sometimes I can not even reach him. He does this to provide for our family.

Is it difficult to have to be separated?

Most Definitely!

We have 3 sons. Two Teens and One Pre-teen. I home school our Teen boys and our Pre-teen is Autistic. Our Autistic son is non-verbal, (he does like to babble a lot) and requires a great deal of his needs met in many areas. It can be quite draining and challenging at times. However he is a tremendous blessing, as are all our children. They are a most precious gift from God.

Is it always easy to care for the needs of our

Autistic son, while also meeting the needs of

my other children?

No it is not!

Would my husband prefer to be at home more?

You Betcha!

But (big but here), we don't do any of it in our own strength. We would fail every time. We are nothing more than two sinners, saved by grace. We struggle with our flesh daily.

II Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient forthee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness".

The source of our strength, and center of our marriage, is Christ!

He guides, protects and shows us the way within our lives and marriage.We all have circumstances in our marriage that can destroy our marriages, if we chose to let them. We have chosen to trust God for our marriage.Let me just say our marriage is far from perfect. We do have our moments of "intense fellowship", but when we took our vows of marriage, before God and man, we meant them. Not for just when things were going good, or when everything was fun and exciting, but until death do us part.

I was made for my husband. That is my role- my husband's helpmeet. Genesis 2:18 says,"And the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an helpmeet for him". That's me!!!!

Whether my husband is at home or not, I am doing my God ordained job and loving it and my man! The caring and nurturing for my boys falls largely on me-as it should.That is my role, Keeper of the Home. (Titus 2:15) I must remember I was made for him, not him for me.II Corinthians 11:9

Because of my husbands schedule, the time we do have together is precious and we try to make the most of it. Here are just a few of the things that we try and do together:

We go on dates

Attend Church couple activities

We play together(Wii bowling for example)

We laugh You must be able to laugh together

Most important we worship together. Our church and church family are very important to us. my husband teaches junior Church and I assist him in this area. He is a wonderful teacher and I enjoy spending time helping him in this vital ministry. He is teaching the future Preachers, Teachers, and Missionaries!

You must pray together, and seek Gods will for your marriage

I could choose to be bitter about the circumstances that take my husband away from me, our boys and our home. But I choose to LOVE! love is a choice.Just as accepting Christ as your Saviour is a choice.

The world's view says if your marriage isn't going along as you like, get rid of it. God never forces us to do His will- It is a choice. Joshua24:15

My husband and I have chosen to chose God's way. Matthew 19:6 says,"Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."

I pray that you would first spend time on your knees seeking God's will for whatever situation it may be. Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

Don't stop communicating with your husband. You are in this journey of marriage together. I pray that your answer to these difficulties, or whatever situation you may be in, would be......

Forever And Always No Matter What

I'm Loving my God and I'm loving my man! I love you all and I am praying for you and your

Marriages!

Because He Lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone,

Because I know, He holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives!

Because He Lives............

I have an eternal home in Heaven

when I called upon the name

of the Lord Jesus Christ

Because He lives...........

You too, can also have a home in Heaven when you die

Have you ever trusted Jesus?

"He is not here:for he has risen, as he said. Come, see

the place where the Lord lay."

Matthew 28:6

I

Romantic Getaway Pics

We had a wonderful time on our getaway! This
is a rear view of the castle. From the balcony you
had a breathtaking view of Lake George.

A gorgeous view:-) The lake was nice too!
I love you sweetie!!

This is an outside stone fireplace. This is lit around
dusk. Very romantic.



A family of ducks swimming by. You can't see it
in this photo, but there was still ice on the lake.


A picture of a chandelier in the bathroom. Can you
imagine having a chandelier in your bathroom at
home?



We were relaxing a bit in our room after dinner,
when I noticed this. For those of you who know
my husband, this is so in step with him. When I
mentioned the fact to him that his socks didn't match,
His reply? "Really these aren't the same color?"
I love sharing my life with this man.



The man of my dreams!

He is my King and I love being His Queen!!

The Makings Of A Heavenly Marriage Monday

Welcome to The Makings of A Heavenly Marriage Monday Series. I am thrilled you have stopped by.


First I want to share that our Series will run every Monday through the month of April. I have asked some dear friends of mine to guest post during this series, so I feel like I will be learning right along with everyone else.



I pray these posts will encourage, strengthen and edify the marriages of those who read this blog. I pray that God's divine plan for marriage would be uplifted. So without further ado let's begin.


Please Note: These are only suggestions that I am sharing that have worked in my own quest to have a heavenly marriage. The Word of God, Your husband and of course your Pastor are the best forms of Godly counsel.



Do Not Compare Your Marriage With Another

Just as we are all individuals in our walks with the Lord, so is our Marriage. God's word states in 2 Corinthians 10:12b " But they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." What works in one marriage, may not work in another. It is easy to look at the perfect couple on Sunday Morning and "imagine" that there is something lacking in your own marriage. You may think they never argue, never struggle and that they live in paradise. You measure your marriage against theirs, and you come up lacking and feeling unsatisfied. It is easy at times to look at another marriage, especially if you are struggling in yours, and feel you don't measure up. Don't be deceived by the Devil in this area. Your marriage is the one your living and your control lies in your reactions. You do not know the struggles another marriage faces. Some people put on a good game face, when in reality the struggles in their marriage may be far greater than your own.



Do Not Become Your Husbands Holy Spirit

When my Husband first got saved, I failed miserably in this area. There were many times I thought my Husband wasn't serving as he ought to, or giving enough, or reading his Bible enough, whatever..you fill in the blank. By God's mercy, I learned that God is more than capable of growing my Husband into the man He created him to be. I had to learn, to lift my Husband to the Lord. When Rich, first got saved He made a mental list of jobs in the Church He would not do. He was never gonna be an usher. "I hope they never ask me to teach a Sunday school class", etc., the list was endless. I thought I knew best and often attempted to influence him to my way of thinking. Ever been there? God started working in my heart. After reading and studying God's Word and reading books on marriage, written by some very wise women, I learned that if I could trust God with my eternal soul, then I could trust Him with my Husband. I started earnestly praying for Rich. I prayed God would burn a desire in His heart for His word. I prayed He would have a burden for lost Souls.I prayed He would desire to serve Him in whatever God did call him to do. And you know what, God did exactly that. My Husband now does all those areas of service that He said He would never do, and then some. He also is now the Youth Director of our Teen group. God did a mighty work,...... when I stepped out of the way. See, God knew all along what He was to have Rich to do. I was hindering the work of the Holy Spirit. He couldn't hear the Lord, because I didn't shut up!! I truly do not try to influence my Husband in the areas God has called him to lead. If He asks my opinion, I give it. If I don't completely agree , I let Him know. But I don't lead, and I strive not to influence His decisions. I do tell him I am praying, and I know God will lead Him to what is right for our family.



Do Become Your Husbands Biggest Encourager

Ladies this area is so important. It has been said that behind every great man there is a great woman. I believe there to be a large amount of truth to that. I believe scripture supports that. Look at Timothy whose Mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois, were a great influence to the young Timothy. Look at Hannah. Look at Ruth. Women have tremendous influence, especially over their man. Do you encourage your husband to be all he can be? Do you tell him often how wonderful you think he really is? Do you tell him you think that he is a great leader? Do you let him know that you believe in him? Really believe in him. I am not suggesting that you give your husbands empty flattery. I am suggesting that you pray specifics for you husbands. Every man has been called to lead. He may not lead a major corporation or become a Pastor of a Church. He may not even ever hold a supervisory position at his work, however your husband has been called to lead...... his family. God Almighty has placed the man as the head of the wife and home. "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church:" Ephesians 5:23a. Your husband desperately needs your encouragement, although he probably will never ask you for it.


Do Date Your Husband

Do you remember when you and your husband were first dating? The excitement you felt when you knew you would be seeing him. Do you remember how he smelled? How he held your hand? How you would spend hours preparing for your dates? Maybe none of those things happened to you. They sure did me, and you know what, I still get excited when I know I get to spend special alone time with my hubby. Plan special time with your husband!! I know times are tough, but there are many things you could do that are special right at home. First, greet your husband when he returns home from work. Be excited to see him. Remember he has been away from you all day. Greet him with kindness and a tender kiss, let him know, through your kiss, that you have been "really missing him" . Can we stop here just for a moment. Some people are uncomfortable discussing physical marital relations. The world has perverted sex. God didn't. He is not shy at all about discussing it, and even dedicated one of the 66 books in the Bible to it. The Song of Solomon is a very literal book on the love relationship between man and wife. Ladies start kissing your husbands like you mean it!

Give him what he can't get anywhere else! A whole series could be written in regards to the marriage bed. Don't let the world steal what God created in the bounds of Holy matrimony. You have a license for that. Wow him with your love, encourage him, kiss him like you mean it, and watch the miracle start unfolding right before your eyes!! And don't forget date your hubby!!

Do Put Your Husband Before All Others

"Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband." 1cor 7:3

My husband usually calls home at lunchtime to check how things are going in our day. He often checks on our home school progress for the day and if we have gotten the mail. We have call waiting as a free option on our phone/computer package. Many times a friend of mine who home schools as well, and I would be talking. It would be break time for both of us and a good time to call one another. I wouldn't always tell my Husband that I was on the other line, but He almost could always tell by the tone of my voice. I didn't really think it to be a big deal, as in my mind He was never really calling for anything specific. However that was not at all how He felt. He felt I was choosing her, over him. Silly? Maybe to you, but it wasn't to Him. I do seek to please my Husband and I immediately apologized and don't do it anymore. I take my Husband's phone calls over any others that I may be engaged in. I tell the other person that my Husband is on the other line and I must go. That does two things: 1. It tells my Husband that I prefer Him over all others and 2. It lets the other caller know that my Husband is important to me. Is there someone or something that your husband thinks you prefer over him? Don't be afraid to ask your husband. If he tells you something, take it seriously and do your best to make sure he knows he is your #1!


My Husband and I have just celebrated 15 years of marriage, and while our marriage is not perfect, we strive to have a God honoring marriage. We both work diligently to become the wife and husband God has called us to be. I pray this series will be a blessing to you. I am praying for you.
Blessings, Michelle

Aldi Colby Cheese on Sale

I was in Aldi yesterday and they had their Happy Farms brand brick Colby cheese on clearance for, are you ready for this, .69cents!! Can you believe that? Cheese has been so expensive as of late.

Milk prices are starting to decline, so it makes sense butter and cheese will follow. They also had their 8oz. sliced Mild Cheddar Cheese on sale for $1.29. I have know idea how long this sale is for, but I purchased 3 blocks of the Colby and placed in my freezer. I have never myself froze cheese before, but have read of many people in blog land that have. I'll keep you posted. Cheese is a hot item in this home and I can't imagine it staying in the freezer for long!!!

I will not be posting for 2 days, as my sweetie and me are taking off tomorrow morning for our romantic getaway. I would love to say I will miss you all, but honestly, I know I will be much to busy:-)

Blessings, Michelle