Let's make a choice!

Wasn't Erin poignant on Thursday? She was precisely on target for the role we wives play in our husband's lives.

Despite the current circumstances, we can choose to have joy or to be miserable. You know the saying, "..if Mom's unhappy, nobody's happy!" or "The woman sets the mood of the home." I might have changed the wording a bit but they mean the same thing. That means that as wives and moms, we hold great power within our homes. It seems to be within our power to choose what the tone of our homes will be.

I believe that when we submit ourselves to God and His desires for our roles as wives and moms, then He can intervene and guide us along that path.

As a mentor couple for "Hope for your Marriage," Bill and I see couples who have endured years of painful suffering they can't seem to get beyond so as a mentor couple we join with the Lord as He works in their hearts to turn damage around to forgiveness and eventually they can once again experience joy together. But they have to begin by making a choice to submit their own wills to the Lord and let Him begin anew in their relationship. At this point they are willing to do so because what they have been choosing has not worked for them.

In tender compassion we can lovingly show these hurting couples that by choosing joy as a first response, no matter what circumstance is looming, we can turn the outcome around and enable God to be glorified.

I am not suggesting that this is an easy task. What I am suggesting is that we as women have the choice to glorify God in our marriage or not. Our heavenly Father is delighted when we choose to rally with Him and take the first steps to edifying Him in our efforts as wife and mom.

My thanks to Erin for sharing with us. It was an inspiring message of hope and genuine truth about our role as a wife.

I am challenging us all in the next few weeks to be deliberate in our choices! God designed the marriage plan. He is the head of our relationship. Let's give it over to Him and see what He has in store for us as half of a most intriguing and unique gift...the success of our marriage relationship.

Love & Joy to you..... Janice..♥

"Joy" returning.....

"I was numb for a long time. I could not feel anything but bitter anguish. I remember the day I knew I was healing. Our dog, Sadie, looked at me wagging her tail, hoping for a bit of response. I felt a flicker in my heart. I smiled at her immediately recognizing what that flicker was, it was love, returning to my veins. It didn't gush in all at once, it trickled through my body in small ripples. Then, a laugh would come, I started to sense "JOY" once again. It wasn't outward, but a lightening inside of me. I was beginning to feel better, hopeful, even joyful at times. I would never be the same person, how could I? But "I" was coming back. This probably took a few years as I began the journey back to feeling somewhat 'normal' again."

I guess you could call that a teaser. It's from my writings that I someday hope to publish as a book. I was re-reading some parts this morning as I came across that word, 'joy.'

As I sit here this morning I can re-call that very moment when Sadie and I stood face to face and I remember that 'flicker' inside of my heart. That day God used 'mans best friend' to comfort me.

This was during an extreme time in our lives as our oldest son lay traumatically injured in a near by hospital.

I made a choice that day to allow Sadie to reach the most tender & aching parts of my soul. She was safe. I could sit, let her nuzzle against me, pet her and cry despairingly as she loyally sat next to me, not a word spoken. Dramatic things were happening. God knew the time had come for me to turn a corner. It was a baby step toward choosing a moment of joy over remaining numb.

If you don't have a pet like Sadie for God to use in your life, don't worry. He'll use something else or someone or some other way, but He will come to you...unannounced, subtle, loving as He is and He will bring you 'joy,' in it's purest form.

Just be ready.

Wishing you all a bit of 'joy' this week.........Janice ♥