For the last several weeks I've had a draft which I started to write that deals with abortion, but each time I go to work on it I feel "nudged" to write about my husband's affair instead. I'm not sure why that is, but if it's God then I want to be obedient!
Anyway, I think what I really want to do is share some hope through these next few posts. I can hardly believe it's already been over fourteen months since that ugly morning I found out about the other woman in my husband's life. And yet, in a good and healthy way it seems an eternity ago too. I think that's because the marriage I have now is vastly different than the relationship I had with Aaron before his affair. Vastly better! I honestly believe that this can be the outcome of anyone - man or woman - who seeks the Lord earnestly and is willing to "stand in the gap" on behalf of their marriage.
Since I tend to get a little long-winded (sorry!), I want to share the things that I've learned in the face of adultery over several posts - each week focusing on one point. At any time during this series please feel free to contact me by private email if you're in this situation and need encouragement, titus2homemaker@gmail.com. While I had wonderful, godly friends who stood by me, whose help was immeasurable, at times I really felt like I needed to talk to someone who had been there. To a woman who could relate. Since none of my friends had experienced infidelity, it was hard for them to understand the depth of what I was going through. For that I relied on books and the Internet. Later on I will share some of those resources and ministries that helped me to keep going. Right now though, I want you to know that I'm praying for those of you facing this trial who might be feeling like you can't go on another day. If I can help, it would be my pleasure to be your "listening ear," as well as a partner in the battle for your marriage.
For me, the day I found out about my husband's "friend" was one of the most painful in my life. Like many people in that circumstance, I saw the warning signs but never thought infidelity would rock my world. After all, we were Christians! We believed in commitment and the permanence of marriage. Unfortunately, words just don't mean much. Adultery does happen in Christian marriages and at an increasingly alarming rate.
In our relationship, the months prior to Aaron's revelation were very lonely ones. We had really drifted apart and spent little time with each other. I was focused on the kids while my husband seemed to grow more and more selfish. He spent a great deal of time exercising and grooming. It got to the point where he skipped family meal times so that he could go running. He spent so much time in front of the mirror that I remember thinking he was worse than a teenage girl. I felt frustrated with the lack of interest he showed the children and me, but I had no idea what to do about it. Whenever I approached him to talk he always seemed so angry. Eventually I gave up trying because I felt worse after I did. Added to all this I was insecure because his sexual desire for me had completely died as well. To help myself I tried to reason that he was probably just stressed out and tired from work. Of course, most of all, I hoped that things would get better sooner or later.
However, the thing that was really shocking, and made me feel afraid, was when he began holding views and opinions that were totally contrary to Scripture. For the first time in our seventeen year marriage he was saying things like he was sick and tired of being good and "following rules." He expressed regret for not having sown wild oats as a young man and for keeping himself sexually pure! I was hurt and bewildered by these statements; I just couldn't understand it! I remembered back to a conversation he had had with our oldest child only months before where he had shared some great nuggets of spiritual wisdom. My mind screamed out, "Could this really be the same man?!?"
After learning the truth about his affair, my husband's irrational behavior brought to light my first vital discovery: God never changes. My husband may change, but God never will. Simple enough truth, but when I grasped it in its fullness it became a soul anchor for me. Because He remains the same, you and I can rely on His faithfulness. He will not, nor can He, let us down! Our Father is our refuge. If you are experiencing the heart-wrenching trial of marital unfaithfulness, I cannot emphasize enough the primary importance of an intimate relationship with God.
You must seek Him now in ways you may never have before; spending more time in prayer (which I will expound on more in an upcoming post) and in the Word than at any time in your Christian walk. It will also mean a radical change of perspective if He has not truly been your all-in-all. This is especially true if you have inadvertently made your husband the center of your heart and affections. You do not "...live, and move, and have (your) being," (Acts 17:28) in your spouse - you do those things in Him! Please believe this. Don't lose sight of this truth!
"In Him (you) live." First, realize your living and your life consists of more than just your marriage. If you're in the throes of adultery all you may want to do is ruminate about your spouse's behavior; but let me encourage you to get your focus on Him first, and then on all the other blessings in your life. Secondly, let me ask you a question. Does it ever hurt so bad that you have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning? It certainly did for me. But look what it says in that verse - "In Him (you)...move." Did you catch that? You move in Him. You CAN get up and get moving because you are in Christ, if He's your Savior. (If you don't know Jesus then please go to the following link which will tell you how you can: http://www.godssimpleplan.org/gsps-english.html.) Assuming however that you are, consider finally that your entire being is "in Him." A great way to meditate on this is to begin a topical study of all the verses in the New Testament which speak of being "in Christ" or "in Him." You will be really blessed!
Now, going back to my original point - there are just a TON of Scriptures that illustrate that God never changes and that He is your refuge. I truly believe the most meaningful ones to you will be those God leads you to; however, let me share just a few that really comforted me:
Deut. 31:8 - "And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."
Deut. 33:27 - "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before you; and shall say, 'Destroy them.' "
Psalm 27 - The entire Psalm (God gave this to me on the morning I found out about the affair), but of special significance was:
Psalm 27:10 - "For my father and my mother (my husband) have (has) forsaken me, but the LORD will take me up."
Psalm 63:8 - "My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me." (I would cry out this verse over and over whenever I felt overwhelmed.)
Isaiah 54:17 - " 'No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,' declares the LORD."
Romans 8:31 - "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?"
Colossians 3:3 - "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Next time we will dig into the second thing God showed me about Himself. It was the truth that literally saved my marriage! I can't wait to share that part of my story with you because His ways are SO AMAZING! He loves you and so do I.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Seeking to be Blessed, or to be a Blessing?
Sunday morning my pastor had some challenging words that reminded me of things I've experienced in my own life. He was discussing Genesis chapter 27 where the members of Isaac's family were all obsessed with getting the blessing. Rebekah stooped to using deception against her husband to obtain the blessing for Jacob, her favorite son; while Esau, upon learning that it had been stolen from him, cried out to his father to bless him anyway. "Bless me, even me also, O my father!" (Genesis 27:34)
However, in the very next chapter, with Jacob running for his life from his enraged brother, we read about the deceiver's dream. In it he sees angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven, and the Lord God standing above it. In the midst of this, God speaks. Amazingly, He not only does not pronounce judgement on Jacob for his sinful ways, He instead shows mercy to him by promising to bless him - reminiscent of the promise He gave Jacob's grandfather, Abraham. This included the blessing of land (28:13) and descendants (v.14), as well as the announcement that in him and his descendants, all the families of the earth would be blessed. God would now make Jacob, the one who sought to be blessed, a blessing to others.
Pastor went on to say that we too often make the same mistake. We're seeking a blessing, when we should be seeking to be a blessing. How true this is! The paradox is that when we become a blessing to other people, we also help ourselves. We feel good about it. In a greater sense, we get to join the Lord in the work that He's doing around the world.
All this got me to thinking. I've seen this happen in my own life. What came to mind was my work in post-abortion ministry. While the Lord did an incredible healing work in me regarding my abortion, I could have decided to keep that to myself. I could have said, "Thanks for the blessing Lord," and went on my merry way. But then I would have missed out on so much more. Instead, through leading Bible studies for post-abortive women, God has allowed me to witness His work in their lives too. So then, in being a blessing to others, I myself have been blessed beyond measure!
Let me give you an example. During one of the earlier studies Caroline and I led, three women had joined us. However, one of the women was a problem. You see, in the first meeting we would always explain the "ground rules" for the group. One rule was that group members had to refrain from using foul language. Brenda, for some reason, couldn't remember that. By the third week, between her swearing and bitter attitude that put everyone on guard, Caroline and I began considering what we should do. We could take Brenda aside and give her a warning, but would that alienate her? On the other hand, if we did nothing would it hinder the other two? After praying about it we felt that we should call her during the week and gently say something. Much to our relief she received what we said and promised to behave differently at the next study. She kept her word. She also worked hard at the homework and became a real asset to our group. God began to move in her life - in a BIG way!
Incredibly, just a few months prior to the Bible study, Brenda's fiance had been murdered. The pain and anguish of that, coupled with the fact that she was dealing with her abortion for the first time in twenty-five years, meant that it was a brutal time for her. The day for her would-be wedding came and went during our study. The man who had killed Ron was in jail and awaiting trial. But God was at work in Brenda's heart and she came to see that she needed a Savior. She repented and asked Christ into her life. What an absolutely amazing change took place in that woman! Even her physical appearance was transformed. It was as if her whole countenance softened and grief, once etched into the lines on her face, was replaced by a calm peace. She looked years younger.
I rejoice even now as I think about it. But that's not the end of the story! Well, as I mentioned before, the guy that murdered her fiance was in jail. Her previous hatred for him had been intense; but equally intense was the work God was doing in her. One day she called and told me that she felt like God was telling her to go visit this man and share what He had done in her life. Wow - I was blown away! That would be a big step even for a mature Christian. However, her mind was made up so she jumped in and never looked back. She took a Bible to him. She prayed with him. He became her ministry and so did everyone else around her. The transformation in her was so inspiring that it blessed me way beyond the simple seeds I had sown into her life.
About a year after the group ended I got another call. This time she was phoning to tell me that she had met a wonderful Christian man at church. They were getting married. When I had the privilege of meeting him I could see the love between them and their shared commitment to Christ - another blessing added to my cup!
Settled into life with her new husband, she soon got in touch again to let me know that she had been speaking in churches, sharing her testimony. As a result, she and another lady were starting a post-abortion Bible study in their own area. I was totally thrilled! It felt like God had poured out, through just this one lady, blessing after blessing upon me simply because I had obeyed when He asked me to help others. That one decision to be a blessing multiplied into abundant fruit. It affected others' lives beyond what I could ever have imagined. Praise the Lord!
So before drifting off last night I thought again about Brenda - and I thought about the man lying next to me. What about that situation? I could have chosen a different way last summer. He cheated on me. I had a "Biblical" out of the marriage if I wanted. But what did God want? Friend, if you find yourself in a difficult circumstance right now, what does God want from you?
One morning (I still remember the moment well) I just knew. I knew that God wanted me to love my husband unconditionally. To leave the outcome to Him. "Love never fails, my daughter," He whispered. Then He gave me the strength to be a blessing to one who didn't deserve it. But come to think of it, I didn't "deserve" His blessing either! None of us do. We are just blessed anyway. The overwhelming realization of that makes me want to love like He loves; to be a conduit of His love - a blessing.
I don't know what you might be going through right now. Life is painful at times. It's hard and it hurts. However, at the heart of all your trials is a God who filters each of those circumstances through the goodness of His mercy and purposes. Will you believe that? I encourage you to trust Him in this. Don't seek His blessing - seek Him. Every heartache I've been through God has redeemed, but not without me dying a little more to myself each time. It is His work. He is making me a blessing through those dark seasons - now won't you allow Him to do that in you?
"For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."
Philippians 2:13
However, in the very next chapter, with Jacob running for his life from his enraged brother, we read about the deceiver's dream. In it he sees angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven, and the Lord God standing above it. In the midst of this, God speaks. Amazingly, He not only does not pronounce judgement on Jacob for his sinful ways, He instead shows mercy to him by promising to bless him - reminiscent of the promise He gave Jacob's grandfather, Abraham. This included the blessing of land (28:13) and descendants (v.14), as well as the announcement that in him and his descendants, all the families of the earth would be blessed. God would now make Jacob, the one who sought to be blessed, a blessing to others.
Pastor went on to say that we too often make the same mistake. We're seeking a blessing, when we should be seeking to be a blessing. How true this is! The paradox is that when we become a blessing to other people, we also help ourselves. We feel good about it. In a greater sense, we get to join the Lord in the work that He's doing around the world.
All this got me to thinking. I've seen this happen in my own life. What came to mind was my work in post-abortion ministry. While the Lord did an incredible healing work in me regarding my abortion, I could have decided to keep that to myself. I could have said, "Thanks for the blessing Lord," and went on my merry way. But then I would have missed out on so much more. Instead, through leading Bible studies for post-abortive women, God has allowed me to witness His work in their lives too. So then, in being a blessing to others, I myself have been blessed beyond measure!
Let me give you an example. During one of the earlier studies Caroline and I led, three women had joined us. However, one of the women was a problem. You see, in the first meeting we would always explain the "ground rules" for the group. One rule was that group members had to refrain from using foul language. Brenda, for some reason, couldn't remember that. By the third week, between her swearing and bitter attitude that put everyone on guard, Caroline and I began considering what we should do. We could take Brenda aside and give her a warning, but would that alienate her? On the other hand, if we did nothing would it hinder the other two? After praying about it we felt that we should call her during the week and gently say something. Much to our relief she received what we said and promised to behave differently at the next study. She kept her word. She also worked hard at the homework and became a real asset to our group. God began to move in her life - in a BIG way!
Incredibly, just a few months prior to the Bible study, Brenda's fiance had been murdered. The pain and anguish of that, coupled with the fact that she was dealing with her abortion for the first time in twenty-five years, meant that it was a brutal time for her. The day for her would-be wedding came and went during our study. The man who had killed Ron was in jail and awaiting trial. But God was at work in Brenda's heart and she came to see that she needed a Savior. She repented and asked Christ into her life. What an absolutely amazing change took place in that woman! Even her physical appearance was transformed. It was as if her whole countenance softened and grief, once etched into the lines on her face, was replaced by a calm peace. She looked years younger.
I rejoice even now as I think about it. But that's not the end of the story! Well, as I mentioned before, the guy that murdered her fiance was in jail. Her previous hatred for him had been intense; but equally intense was the work God was doing in her. One day she called and told me that she felt like God was telling her to go visit this man and share what He had done in her life. Wow - I was blown away! That would be a big step even for a mature Christian. However, her mind was made up so she jumped in and never looked back. She took a Bible to him. She prayed with him. He became her ministry and so did everyone else around her. The transformation in her was so inspiring that it blessed me way beyond the simple seeds I had sown into her life.
About a year after the group ended I got another call. This time she was phoning to tell me that she had met a wonderful Christian man at church. They were getting married. When I had the privilege of meeting him I could see the love between them and their shared commitment to Christ - another blessing added to my cup!
Settled into life with her new husband, she soon got in touch again to let me know that she had been speaking in churches, sharing her testimony. As a result, she and another lady were starting a post-abortion Bible study in their own area. I was totally thrilled! It felt like God had poured out, through just this one lady, blessing after blessing upon me simply because I had obeyed when He asked me to help others. That one decision to be a blessing multiplied into abundant fruit. It affected others' lives beyond what I could ever have imagined. Praise the Lord!
So before drifting off last night I thought again about Brenda - and I thought about the man lying next to me. What about that situation? I could have chosen a different way last summer. He cheated on me. I had a "Biblical" out of the marriage if I wanted. But what did God want? Friend, if you find yourself in a difficult circumstance right now, what does God want from you?
One morning (I still remember the moment well) I just knew. I knew that God wanted me to love my husband unconditionally. To leave the outcome to Him. "Love never fails, my daughter," He whispered. Then He gave me the strength to be a blessing to one who didn't deserve it. But come to think of it, I didn't "deserve" His blessing either! None of us do. We are just blessed anyway. The overwhelming realization of that makes me want to love like He loves; to be a conduit of His love - a blessing.
I don't know what you might be going through right now. Life is painful at times. It's hard and it hurts. However, at the heart of all your trials is a God who filters each of those circumstances through the goodness of His mercy and purposes. Will you believe that? I encourage you to trust Him in this. Don't seek His blessing - seek Him. Every heartache I've been through God has redeemed, but not without me dying a little more to myself each time. It is His work. He is making me a blessing through those dark seasons - now won't you allow Him to do that in you?
"For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."
Philippians 2:13
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Surrendering in Marriage
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a
grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it
remains alone; but if it dies, IT BEARS MUCH
FRUIT." John 12:24
Lately the Lord has been impressing on my heart the verse above. I mean, really impressing. Ever since last summer, after learning of my husband's affair, I have had a thousand opportunities to put that verse to practice. I could choose to go down fighting, demanding my rights, and end up alone - or I could die to myself, giving up my rights, and see the fruit of that one way or another.
Well, you know, I went along like that for a while. It was really a time of tremendous personal growth, learning to surrender my so-called "rights". These included things like: my right to have a godly husband (which I wrote about in an earlier post), my right to be "heard" (as opposed to keeping quiet or letting it go), my right to have things my way, and my right to assert that I'm right and you're wrong! Most importantly, I began realizing that I didn't need to "win" all the time.
Then bam! I just sort of hit this brick wall about two months ago. You see, I started to revert back to old habits of thinking that I was doing more than my fair share of the relationship work. While in that state of mind I felt that I had been living very intentionally toward Aaron - for many months seeking the Lord to understand unconditional respect and applying that learning to our marriage. But then I just grew tired of doing so much. I didn't feel like giving 100% to my husband. So I succumbed to feelings, faltering temporarily, and returned to the 50/50 mentality. We each give 50% and together that equals 100! I forgot to count my blessings. I forgot that I had seen some wonderful changes - for one, my husband seemed happier and more pleased with me than he's ever been. So then, what went wrong?
Well, I just felt like my needs were going unmet. I mean, hey, aren't there two sides to the equation? LOVE and respect?!? Couldn't he be just a little more affectionate Lord? And can't he remember to say affirming words more often? These thoughts were whirling around in my head more than I'd like to admit. I knew they were selfish sounding and I was complaining, but deep down I think I felt justified. After all, hadn't I been a good wife for fighting for my marriage, forgiving my husband, and then loving him unconditionally? (More than just a little bit of pride there!) For months I had been praying, "Father, please restore our marriage a hundredfold - make it better than it ever was."
Then the Lord answered me. He gently showed me that what I was praying for was to receive a harvest. Well, yeah, I guess I have been. I didn't think of it like that though. "For the harvest to come, something must be sown," He went on. My defenses shot up! Lord! I protested, I have been sowing - it seems like all I ever do! His simple reply was, "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and DIES, it remains alone; but IF it dies, it bears much fruit." From that moment on, that verse has been constantly coming to mind. It rings out its truth every single time I'm tempted to demand my needs be met. The Lord is faithful. He's giving me the "way of escape" (1 Cor. 10:13) from my sinful way of thinking.
Really He's asking me to take things to the next level, so to speak. I've been willing to give up many of my rights until now. But He doesn't want me to be content just living at my present level of "surrenderedness," because in truth, living at one level eventually becomes habit, and habit requires no effort. Instead you and I should be challenged by Paul's words, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." (Galatians 6:9) If the good we are doing is old and habitual, not taking much effort or strength, then maybe it's time to step it up.
The Lord's asking me to do that right now. He's pleased with my willingness so far, but I've yet to give Him everything. He truly wants me to die to my needs as a wife. I really can get on without affection or affirming words from my husband. Oh, trust me - there was a time when I gobbled up all the books, Christian books, that speak of each spouse meeting the other's needs, and I'd think to myself that I just had to have that kind of marriage to be satisfied. I longed for it and would never have thought I could say the things I'm saying now. But I'm discovering a new way. The way of surrender. And that's not to say that Aaron never gives me those things either! It's just that I'm beginning to see that as I die to them, I find pleasure again in meeting his needs and in knowing that I'm pleasing God. As far as my needs go, if the Lord thinks I need anything, I have confidence that He'll supply it.
Eternal perspective. A humble attitude. These go together in marriage. Will you join me in laying your needs, rights, desires, and longings before the Lord? Can you take it to the next level and crucify them? Notice what the Scripture says - "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies" - that grain of wheat, that's you and me; if it doesn't die, what will the result be? "It remains alone." These are sobering words. Do I want to be married, but all alone? Do you? However, we then have the wonderful promise that follows! "But IF it dies, it bears much fruit." That's it then! Isn't that what we want most of all - to die to self and live godly in a world that clamors for my needs and my rights, and to reap ripe, beautiful, and abundant fruit?
Tell me what you think, won't you? As always, I'd love to hear from you! Blessings on your week as you seek to "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, (and) to please Him in all respects." Colossians 1:10
grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it
remains alone; but if it dies, IT BEARS MUCH
FRUIT." John 12:24
Lately the Lord has been impressing on my heart the verse above. I mean, really impressing. Ever since last summer, after learning of my husband's affair, I have had a thousand opportunities to put that verse to practice. I could choose to go down fighting, demanding my rights, and end up alone - or I could die to myself, giving up my rights, and see the fruit of that one way or another.
Well, you know, I went along like that for a while. It was really a time of tremendous personal growth, learning to surrender my so-called "rights". These included things like: my right to have a godly husband (which I wrote about in an earlier post), my right to be "heard" (as opposed to keeping quiet or letting it go), my right to have things my way, and my right to assert that I'm right and you're wrong! Most importantly, I began realizing that I didn't need to "win" all the time.
Then bam! I just sort of hit this brick wall about two months ago. You see, I started to revert back to old habits of thinking that I was doing more than my fair share of the relationship work. While in that state of mind I felt that I had been living very intentionally toward Aaron - for many months seeking the Lord to understand unconditional respect and applying that learning to our marriage. But then I just grew tired of doing so much. I didn't feel like giving 100% to my husband. So I succumbed to feelings, faltering temporarily, and returned to the 50/50 mentality. We each give 50% and together that equals 100! I forgot to count my blessings. I forgot that I had seen some wonderful changes - for one, my husband seemed happier and more pleased with me than he's ever been. So then, what went wrong?
Well, I just felt like my needs were going unmet. I mean, hey, aren't there two sides to the equation? LOVE and respect?!? Couldn't he be just a little more affectionate Lord? And can't he remember to say affirming words more often? These thoughts were whirling around in my head more than I'd like to admit. I knew they were selfish sounding and I was complaining, but deep down I think I felt justified. After all, hadn't I been a good wife for fighting for my marriage, forgiving my husband, and then loving him unconditionally? (More than just a little bit of pride there!) For months I had been praying, "Father, please restore our marriage a hundredfold - make it better than it ever was."
Then the Lord answered me. He gently showed me that what I was praying for was to receive a harvest. Well, yeah, I guess I have been. I didn't think of it like that though. "For the harvest to come, something must be sown," He went on. My defenses shot up! Lord! I protested, I have been sowing - it seems like all I ever do! His simple reply was, "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and DIES, it remains alone; but IF it dies, it bears much fruit." From that moment on, that verse has been constantly coming to mind. It rings out its truth every single time I'm tempted to demand my needs be met. The Lord is faithful. He's giving me the "way of escape" (1 Cor. 10:13) from my sinful way of thinking.
Really He's asking me to take things to the next level, so to speak. I've been willing to give up many of my rights until now. But He doesn't want me to be content just living at my present level of "surrenderedness," because in truth, living at one level eventually becomes habit, and habit requires no effort. Instead you and I should be challenged by Paul's words, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." (Galatians 6:9) If the good we are doing is old and habitual, not taking much effort or strength, then maybe it's time to step it up.
The Lord's asking me to do that right now. He's pleased with my willingness so far, but I've yet to give Him everything. He truly wants me to die to my needs as a wife. I really can get on without affection or affirming words from my husband. Oh, trust me - there was a time when I gobbled up all the books, Christian books, that speak of each spouse meeting the other's needs, and I'd think to myself that I just had to have that kind of marriage to be satisfied. I longed for it and would never have thought I could say the things I'm saying now. But I'm discovering a new way. The way of surrender. And that's not to say that Aaron never gives me those things either! It's just that I'm beginning to see that as I die to them, I find pleasure again in meeting his needs and in knowing that I'm pleasing God. As far as my needs go, if the Lord thinks I need anything, I have confidence that He'll supply it.
Eternal perspective. A humble attitude. These go together in marriage. Will you join me in laying your needs, rights, desires, and longings before the Lord? Can you take it to the next level and crucify them? Notice what the Scripture says - "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies" - that grain of wheat, that's you and me; if it doesn't die, what will the result be? "It remains alone." These are sobering words. Do I want to be married, but all alone? Do you? However, we then have the wonderful promise that follows! "But IF it dies, it bears much fruit." That's it then! Isn't that what we want most of all - to die to self and live godly in a world that clamors for my needs and my rights, and to reap ripe, beautiful, and abundant fruit?
Tell me what you think, won't you? As always, I'd love to hear from you! Blessings on your week as you seek to "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, (and) to please Him in all respects." Colossians 1:10
Friday, August 6, 2010
Best Stove Cleaning Tip Ever
"She looks well to the ways of her
household..." Proverbs 31:27
Well, a little complete digression here! But you know, I guess I'm in good company because the apostle Paul is famous for digressions in his epistles. Not that my blog is on the same level, or stove cleaning is of any eternal significance, but hey! Anyway, I just had to share this tip for cleaning the burner grates on your stove because it's easy and it WORKS!
A friend shared this with me a while ago - like probably a couple years ago! - and so I finally tried it. All I can say is that my burner grates literally look like new. Wow! So what you do is take your grates outside and place them in a large trash bag (mine was of the black variety). Next, pour one cup of household ammonia in the bag, and then tie the bag up with a twist tie. Allow them to sit overnight. The next morning take the grates out and wipe them down with a damp sponge, or better yet, a Dobie pad, and you'll be as amazed as I was. Wiping the residue off took very little effort and I'm still smiling at how they look. Hope this helps you too!
household..." Proverbs 31:27
Well, a little complete digression here! But you know, I guess I'm in good company because the apostle Paul is famous for digressions in his epistles. Not that my blog is on the same level, or stove cleaning is of any eternal significance, but hey! Anyway, I just had to share this tip for cleaning the burner grates on your stove because it's easy and it WORKS!
A friend shared this with me a while ago - like probably a couple years ago! - and so I finally tried it. All I can say is that my burner grates literally look like new. Wow! So what you do is take your grates outside and place them in a large trash bag (mine was of the black variety). Next, pour one cup of household ammonia in the bag, and then tie the bag up with a twist tie. Allow them to sit overnight. The next morning take the grates out and wipe them down with a damp sponge, or better yet, a Dobie pad, and you'll be as amazed as I was. Wiping the residue off took very little effort and I'm still smiling at how they look. Hope this helps you too!
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