Husband Encouragement Challenge

Have you ever thought about how many different ways that you tear your house down with your words? Actions? I finished up the book Biblical Womanhood the other night.....there was a chapter in it about how the foolish woman tears down her house..........I had never thought about how I tear down my house with my words. I know some of you are probably going to *gasp* at that but I never had. I was raised in a rebellious house so it never struck me as wrong to be sassy. I have gotten better over the last 6 yrs of marriage. My husband says that I am pretty submissive, and have really put a guard on my tongue.

But the book got me to thinking about what else I do that is foolish. I dont always just take what Paul says in front of people....sometimes I have to stick my opinion in there and make him feel little and not worth alot.

Then Sunday, Day 5 of the H.E.C. Was about this
Day Five:
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for
necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." Eph. 4:29

Yeah bad day for that! We had more words than I can think of. But when I got home and was reading Biblical Womanhood, I realized that I should have just shut my mouth. I was being very foolish.

Yesterday was better, Today is going good so far. I have been up both mornings this week to see him off to work which he really enjoys. He doesnt like leaving without someone to tell him bye!

Todays challenge.......
Day Seven:
"Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease!...for riches
certainly make themselves wings..." Prov. 23:4-5
"That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries."
Proverbs 8:21
Money is the root of much marital discord. Ask yourself, "Am I being negative toward my
husband in the area of finances?" Determine not to speak evil of your husband in this
area. Discover ways to encourage and help him instead..........

Thats just part of it..... But I am going to try really hard today, to not only build my house up, but to build my husband up! I dont want to be the foolish woman who tears her house down.......not only with words but with actions too.....

Oddly enough, I am also on Day 3 of the Power of a Praying Wife......guess what today is.. His Finances!

Share with me though, some ways that we can build up our homes and our husbands!!!! And how is yoru challenge going?

The getting up early, I'm getting there, I was lazy a couple of days, but mostly, I have been up at 6 or earlier.....this morning, my alarm was set for 5:30, Paul turned it off instead of snoozing it, and told me to go back to sleep, I tried I really did, but it seems like my body was ready to face the day, now if I could just do something about the circles around my eyes :0)........

Progress......

I have been making progress....I was up early for two days and then I was up most of last night with Jason fighting a cold...so Paul kindly told me to go back to bed this morning. I am planning on keeping on with it though...Praying that Jason is not sick again tonight.

Thanks goes to my dear Sister who is joining me in this...and to Kelli my dear blogging friend. I know I for one need all the ecouragement and help I can get.

The Husband Encouragement Challenge hasnt been going too well....I picked a bad week to start back on it :( I also had jury duty today and worrying about what I was going to do with the kids made me really grouchy and snappy and just all out miserable to live with. I realized about 2 am this morning that I shouldnt have worried at all and that I really had nothing to worry about because My God was taking care of me.

So, making progress. I am learning to lean on the Lord again....( I tend to forget this often also and try to do it all myself) I am in a better mood and have not once snapped at my husband today....He says this is encouragement enough for him.

Now if I can just work on habit forming in the children at the same time, I will be doing really really good!

Thank You Julie and Kelli.....your support and encouragement is greatly appreciated!

Blessings
Crystal

Up Early! and Husband Encouragement!

I am starting in on trying to make it up early again! I know that I should never have quit this, but I did, I let circumstances in my life get my routine all off and now I am behind like you wouldnt believe.

So today, I am starting the Challenge of getting up early again....It takes 21 days to form a habit, so today, I am officially starting.....I will take Sundays off, but Monday through Saturday, I will be up at 6:00 am or earlier. 21 Days will be up on Sept 1st. I know last time I did this for 28 days but this time, we are just going for 21 days.

Join me if you will! I am so ready to do this!

Also, I am going to start this again!

30 Day Husband Encouragement Challenge!

I will be starting this Monday August 17th. I of course will not be posting on this every day as I have discovered that I have less time for Blogging than I used to. But if you wish to join in and leave comments to help others along the way I will gladly welcome them.

Now, I have to go wake up the little blessings and get started on our day...lots to do!

Blessings
Crystal

Hard to believe.....

That they already have fall stuff out at the stores. Its crazy. I just finished buying summer stuff for the girls and they already have long sleeves and are putting out fall flowers and pumpkins....and the magazines are already starting fall stuff......

The past few days have felt alot like fall around here and it has made me long for the cooler days and fall colors.

I cant wait to get started on some new decorating projects. I will try to share them, but as you may have noticed, I have been absent alot. Hopefully that will change soon!

Blessings
Crystal.

Some recent events in our life......

A group pic of the kids.....This was not jasons best day to take pictures..very few came out okay.

Alaina being the dare devil she is ....

Kylie, going to join sissy.....

Jason, wondering if he dares to pull the flowers or run....He ran.

Alaina being silly....

My monkeys, I think they really really wanted to climb this tree...

This is what we did in between torrential downpours.....played in the mud puddles...what else. lol

and again....Kylie was running from Alaina and her bowl of water...only after Kylie had poured water on Alaina.

Buffalo or Bison whichever you call them. We call them Buffalo. They were at the place that we took a mini vacation.

Baby Buffalo....This is as close as I dared to get to them with the mommas around. I really wish I had a bigger lens for my camera. One thing at a time though....

A deer on our vacation...

The kiddos after a long day in the car....cause it rained most of our mini vacation so there was not any time to get out and run around....but they were great for being in the car for so long....

My Best Friend!

As I have went through the last couple of weeks, I have found more and more to be in prayer about. As a family, we are struggling right now to just let God have it all and not worry about it. I have several friends who are having marital problems and I cant stand to see them hurting. I have family members who are going through so many struggles.

I have found myself thinking about how I used to pray and talk to God like he was my best friend. I realized that I dont do that anymore.....or should I say didnt. I have thought about it seriously over the last few months. But never did...until the other night, I found myself in the shower (tmi I know) on my knees praying and talking to God. I was talking to Him like He was my best friend. And He is my best friend. He is....and that feels so good! So now, during this time when it feels like the world is crushing me, I have found myself on my knees alot....enjoying conversations with my Best Friend....

And you know what, all these problems that my friends and family and I have, dont look so bad anymore.......

Blessings
Crystal

Bringing my Faith back into Focus!

For my Birthday, I got to go to a Christian bookstore and shop...while my husband sat in a little kids chair with our blessings and colored...so cute I wish I had taken my camera to get a picture but how was I to know that he was going to insist that I go shop and hold my selections hostage so I couldnt put some of them back...(I have this bad habit of second guessing what I am buyin because I feel guilty for buying stuff for myself..so I will put stuff back and get things for others. ) Well he had me bring my stuff to him every few minuts and I couldnt put it back on the shelf.

Anyway, I chose the movie "Faith Like Potatoes" Excellant movie by the way. We have been wanting to watch this movie for a while and were waiting on the money to order it. Oh Man! I needed that movie... Not to ruin the movie, but how often do we have Faith enough to do something when everyone else says it wont work? How often do we really listen to what God wants us to do, and then do it with the FAITH that HE will make it work?

Watch the movie, It makes you think about all the things that you havent done because you were scared it wouldnt work. Or you really didnt believe it could happen.

On another note, I have been having a hard time having enough patience with my kids. I get mad at them for little things, I expect them to be perfect when they already are, they are exactly the way God made them and that is perfect. I have been having problems with my Faith in myself as a mother and wife. I dont ever think that I am good enough. I dont have enough FAITH in myself. When reading through my blog list today, and scanning blogs (which I havent been doing alot of lately) I came across this again. It made me realize that I had quit doing this and maybe if I start doing this again, or at least start praying for my kids more, I might have a better day....and the next be better, and the next. I have FAITH that if I put enough effort into being a better wife and mother, that God will help me along.

There is a book that I picked up at the store. It is called "Mothers of the Bible" by Dena Dyer. I have only read a few pages but it is very interesting and uplifting. Makes me realize that I'm not the only one who has bad days and I am not the only one who needs to drop to my knees several times a day and pray.

I am going to try to get back to blogging more. I really miss it but this time away from it has mad me focus on things that I need to fix in my life.

Blessings
Crystal