If you haven't read the "I Do" post, scroll down about a third of the way and read through it. I was driving and praying this morning when my heart just felt so burdened over some marriages that I know are struggling. Showing respect to my husband is being obedient to the Lord. Period. So when I hear some of these stories I wonder why they just won't do it. Then I think about the times I know I don't need a second helping of dessert, but still poke it in fast so the disobedience doesn't last too long. It is all the same thing. Satan doesn't want us in God's will so he tempts us with whatever is our weakness.
I have a challenge for you. This isn't original, because as I was praying this morning, I heard a preacher on the radio telling about this. He said that respect is a man's "mother language". The illustration he gave was that if he was in a foreign country around people that only spoke a foreign language and someone said "the Boston Red Sox won the championship" in English, he would not only understand but feel an excitement because of being able to comprehend what was said. Sometimes we go on and on about life issues and our needs and it's as if we are speaking a foreign language to our husbands. They just don't understand. If, on the other hand, we say something that brings them honor or respect, it fills them with a sense of elation, because that is the language God programmed them to understand. Get it? So this is the challenge. Take a little while and think of two or three things that you really respect about your husband. I heard you moan. If you can't think of any go back to when you were dating or early marriage and remember what you used to see in him. If that doesn't work, pray! The Lord will help you because this is something He will smile about. Then when your sweet hubby walks in the door and sits in his easy chair, go over to him and say something like this: "I was thinking about you today. I was thinking about some of the reasons I respect you so much." Give him a kiss then walk out of the room. Don't stop because there is a good chance he will run into you. Watch his response. This isn't a game. It should become a way of life. When you show him respect, he feels love. You will find more and more things to respect. Then you reap the benefits. Just obey the Lord.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Felps Reunion
Every other year on the weekend closest to the 4th of July the Felps family get together for their family reunion in Fredericksburg. Michael's mom Margaret grew up in this quaint town and it is always fun to visit. Margaret and her sister Bonnie had all their kids there for the reunion this year. There seemed to be lots more little ones this year so it was really a treat to get some of these shots over the last couple of days. It's always sweet to catch up with cousins and see how all the kids have changed. Michael's cousin LaDonna has twin girls, so they've taken pictures together ever since all our twins were little. It's fun looking back and seeing how they have grown. Kayla and Kevin were able to come this year which was extra special for us.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Lollie's Boy
border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354742682001847810" />Kyle and Jade came to Arlington to celebrate their 5th anniversary and guess who got to keep Eli? You guessed it! What fun we had. He was the center of attention every where he went. He likes me alot. A whole lot. And boy, do I ever love this little guy.
He called me Lollie. Not because someone told him to, but because he wanted me. He needed me. He's crazy about his Papaw too. Am I bragging? Yes. He probably loves everyone he meets, but we will tell you all day long he loves us and loves to be with us because that's what we believe. Don't try to tell us any different.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Fill the Water Trough
A few weeks back we filled the trough again. A family of three - Jimmy, Shannon and Keira were baptized - and then Hugh. I saw Keira's family the first time when I went to watch Hugh and his brother Landon at the stock show. Her pig was grand champion. The next day they were at church. Her daddy had been doing some talking with God and decided it was time to get back into church and take his family with him. Not long after that they followed his example again and accepted Christ. So sweet to see families walk this together.
Hugh is a young man who started coming to our youth group about a year and a half ago. He and Landon didn't say much, just sat and listened. Very polite - and the first to stand up and help if help was needed. Last fall he and Hannah started talking on the phone and getting to know each other a little better. I could tell they were getting sweet on each other, so one day for lunch the girls, Hugh and I went to Whataburger to eat and visit. I told him about the verse in Proverbs 31 that says, "She will do him good and not harm all the days of her life." I explained to him that there is someone that will be Hannah's husband and someone that will be his wife. Everything they do will either honor or dishonor their future mates. I explained to all of them that their relationship must stay at the level of honor. He is so respectful of us and of Hannah. He takes the responsibility very seriously. If he wants to see Hannah, he sees all three of them. His mom and dad have done an amazing job raising their boys. I'm sure they are at times overwhelmed having three girls around so much.
It was emotional to see Michael baptize him. His desire for the Lord is great. What a blessing to get to watch the growth.
Hugh is a young man who started coming to our youth group about a year and a half ago. He and Landon didn't say much, just sat and listened. Very polite - and the first to stand up and help if help was needed. Last fall he and Hannah started talking on the phone and getting to know each other a little better. I could tell they were getting sweet on each other, so one day for lunch the girls, Hugh and I went to Whataburger to eat and visit. I told him about the verse in Proverbs 31 that says, "She will do him good and not harm all the days of her life." I explained to him that there is someone that will be Hannah's husband and someone that will be his wife. Everything they do will either honor or dishonor their future mates. I explained to all of them that their relationship must stay at the level of honor. He is so respectful of us and of Hannah. He takes the responsibility very seriously. If he wants to see Hannah, he sees all three of them. His mom and dad have done an amazing job raising their boys. I'm sure they are at times overwhelmed having three girls around so much.
It was emotional to see Michael baptize him. His desire for the Lord is great. What a blessing to get to watch the growth.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
See Jane Run
Run Jane, Run!!
I believe that is what we would have heard last Friday when the doors of heaven opened up so this beautiful 79 year old woman could be reunited with her husband and to finally see her Jesus face to face. I think she got there, said hello, then asked where He was. The crowd of witnesses waiting for her pointed her in the right direction and began to encourage her to move those now very strong legs. I think she took off. Running. She was at the finish line.
If the truth be told, she really started running a couple of weeks ago. She knew she was dying and wanted desperately to leave a legacy with her son and grandchildren. She knew Jesus, but she wanted to be baptized to show her family that it was important to her. She wanted them to know Jesus too. A week ago last Sunday morning, her son Rick, his fiance and his best friend were baptized. Michael had visited with them and knew their commitment to be real. Their emotion was unbelievable. It was almost as if we were intruding on a very intimate time as we watched each of them go down below the water.
Then that afternoon Michael and I left Mom and Sandy here at the house to get ready for our big church family cookout while we drove to the nursing home to meet with Jane and her family. The staff there had prepared their jacuzzi tub and Rick wheeled his sweet momma down so she could be baptized too. Michael, Mark, and Rick lifted her fragile body up and into the tub. It was beautiful. When she was settled back into her chair, covered with blankets, and the oxygen back on, Michael explained how her baptism was a picture of the resurrection. She said, "I'm getting there before ya'll! I'm leaving all my troubles behind. Ya'll have fun!"
Yesterday Rick stood at his mother's graveside and unashamedly told everyone there they needed the Lord. He said that his dad had been gone 45 years and that his mom had grieved a little every day. That she raised her two children as a single parent as best she could. He commented that she had lived with her demons but that the last weeks of her life were different. She was different. She ran the race strong those last few weeks. She had crossed the finish line. He told us that as he was driving over to the cemetery that afternoon a song came on that he felt was from the Lord. Victory in Jesus. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was from Him.
I believe that is what we would have heard last Friday when the doors of heaven opened up so this beautiful 79 year old woman could be reunited with her husband and to finally see her Jesus face to face. I think she got there, said hello, then asked where He was. The crowd of witnesses waiting for her pointed her in the right direction and began to encourage her to move those now very strong legs. I think she took off. Running. She was at the finish line.
If the truth be told, she really started running a couple of weeks ago. She knew she was dying and wanted desperately to leave a legacy with her son and grandchildren. She knew Jesus, but she wanted to be baptized to show her family that it was important to her. She wanted them to know Jesus too. A week ago last Sunday morning, her son Rick, his fiance and his best friend were baptized. Michael had visited with them and knew their commitment to be real. Their emotion was unbelievable. It was almost as if we were intruding on a very intimate time as we watched each of them go down below the water.
Then that afternoon Michael and I left Mom and Sandy here at the house to get ready for our big church family cookout while we drove to the nursing home to meet with Jane and her family. The staff there had prepared their jacuzzi tub and Rick wheeled his sweet momma down so she could be baptized too. Michael, Mark, and Rick lifted her fragile body up and into the tub. It was beautiful. When she was settled back into her chair, covered with blankets, and the oxygen back on, Michael explained how her baptism was a picture of the resurrection. She said, "I'm getting there before ya'll! I'm leaving all my troubles behind. Ya'll have fun!"
Yesterday Rick stood at his mother's graveside and unashamedly told everyone there they needed the Lord. He said that his dad had been gone 45 years and that his mom had grieved a little every day. That she raised her two children as a single parent as best she could. He commented that she had lived with her demons but that the last weeks of her life were different. She was different. She ran the race strong those last few weeks. She had crossed the finish line. He told us that as he was driving over to the cemetery that afternoon a song came on that he felt was from the Lord. Victory in Jesus. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was from Him.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
May 10th falls on Mother's Day
Every year instead of checking the calendar to see what day Mother's Day falls on, I check to see where May 10th falls. A few times in the last 22 years it has ended up on Mother's Day. Just like it did in 1987.
On that date I was up at the church getting ready to teach a youth Bible study when Steve walked in and told me there had been an accident. That is all he said but I knew what the rest of the story was going to be. "She's dead isn't she?" were the words that came out of my mouth. Don't ask me how I knew, I just did. Just like I knew something was wrong the day I called to check on her only to hear her crying on the other end of the phone because her husband told her he was moving out. Or the times through Jr. High and High School when one would call the other because we had a feeling things weren't right.
We always called ourselves "twin cousins" because we looked somewhat alike. But it was deeper than that. I used to think about her all the time, remembering all the fun times we had. Remembering the times we cried together and laughed together. When we were younger and all the cousins, aunts, and uncles would gather at my grandmothers' house, Paula and I would always sit together at the dinner table. Until our parents separated us because we couldn't ever finish our meal for the laughter. Almost every time. We would just look at each other and start laughing. We played racketball and laughed. We bowled and laughed. Everything we did, we laughed. Oh, I miss that so much.
I find myself still thinking about all the fun times we had, but more often now I think of when I will see her again. She's gonna be waiting for me at the gate smiling from ear to ear, running to embrace. Michael bought me a 'Women of the Way' piece that is called "Joyous Reunion". The way the two are embracing brings tears to my eyes because I know that is what I have to look forward to. We're going to hold on tight. Sweetness. What a blessed day that will be.
Jesus, tell her hi for me. Tell her I eat a Reese's Cup on our birthdays, on the first snowfall of the year, and if there is another reason to celebrate, just like we always did. Tell her that her grandbabies are beautiful and mine is too. That I have a horse and chickens and a garden. She'll get a kick out of that. Tell her I'm amazingly happy. Then again, maybe You don't have to tell her. I have a feeling she just knows.
Don't you love the 80's hair?
On that date I was up at the church getting ready to teach a youth Bible study when Steve walked in and told me there had been an accident. That is all he said but I knew what the rest of the story was going to be. "She's dead isn't she?" were the words that came out of my mouth. Don't ask me how I knew, I just did. Just like I knew something was wrong the day I called to check on her only to hear her crying on the other end of the phone because her husband told her he was moving out. Or the times through Jr. High and High School when one would call the other because we had a feeling things weren't right.
We always called ourselves "twin cousins" because we looked somewhat alike. But it was deeper than that. I used to think about her all the time, remembering all the fun times we had. Remembering the times we cried together and laughed together. When we were younger and all the cousins, aunts, and uncles would gather at my grandmothers' house, Paula and I would always sit together at the dinner table. Until our parents separated us because we couldn't ever finish our meal for the laughter. Almost every time. We would just look at each other and start laughing. We played racketball and laughed. We bowled and laughed. Everything we did, we laughed. Oh, I miss that so much.
I find myself still thinking about all the fun times we had, but more often now I think of when I will see her again. She's gonna be waiting for me at the gate smiling from ear to ear, running to embrace. Michael bought me a 'Women of the Way' piece that is called "Joyous Reunion". The way the two are embracing brings tears to my eyes because I know that is what I have to look forward to. We're going to hold on tight. Sweetness. What a blessed day that will be.
Jesus, tell her hi for me. Tell her I eat a Reese's Cup on our birthdays, on the first snowfall of the year, and if there is another reason to celebrate, just like we always did. Tell her that her grandbabies are beautiful and mine is too. That I have a horse and chickens and a garden. She'll get a kick out of that. Tell her I'm amazingly happy. Then again, maybe You don't have to tell her. I have a feeling she just knows.
Don't you love the 80's hair?
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