30 DAY HUSBAND ENCOURAGEMENT CHALLENGE - Day 2

Yesterday, I started off well. I snuggled with my husband, smiled and greeted him well. This morning, I even laughed and laughed as I shared a dream of running so fast and so low to the ground it was as if I was flying until I fell into a heap of bushes and hurt my face.  It was fun to laugh together over a silly dream. 

However, by 2:00 pm yesterday, I was not doing so well with the challenge. I had been cleaning and organizing the house all day for the formal start of home educating which involved a lot of day planning of lessons and organizing papers and I was grouchy. My husband asked me a simple question about what to do on Sunday and I went on a tirade of why I didn't want to go somewhere. He was leading well and trying to take my concerns into consideration. I was not encouraging to him at all. Thank God he forgave me and gave me a hug.

I am glad for forgiveness and confession. I am glad for a new day to be a helpmate. I didn't hold my tongue yesterday, but I pray that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and lives in me empowers me today to encourage and build up myhsuband.

Although as women we may serve our household in many more tasks inside the home or outside the home, I pray we can see with God's eyes today to see ways to praise our husband for small and big things he does. I pray we can see the servant heart of our husband and to encourage his servant leadership. Let the praises begin.

From Revive Your Hearts - https://www.reviveourhearts.com/articles/30-day-husband-encouragement-challenge/

"Day Two: Look for His Servant’s Heart

Through love serve one another. —Galatians 5:13

How did you do yesterday with your first day of blessing and encouraging your husband? Was it easy? Was it hard to hold your tongue when you wanted to say something negative? We hope you’re off to a good start. (If you blew it, don’t give up—start again today!) There are so many practical things you can praise, if you look for them.

Today, find some way that your husband is serving you or your family. Does he help around the house? Take care of the car? Fix things that are broken? If your budget allows, give him a new, small tool with a big bow attached. But make sure he doesn’t think it’s part of a “Honey Do” list!

Action Step: Praise his servant’s heart.

Maybe your husband’s not a handyman, but does he run errands for you? Let you go first? Take care of you when you are sick? Help you make decisions? Praise him for his willingness to serve others. Let him know that you see his unique service as a great strength.

A Wife’s Prayer

Jesus, You call us to lay down our lives in service to others. Show me the ways my husband serves others and You, and let me be quick to heap praise upon him for the ways he loves You by serving others. Empower him to respond to the needs he sees; give him a heart that puts others first."

30 DAY HUSBAND ENCOURAGEMENT CHALLENGE - #1

Does your husband need encouragment? We as helpmates can encourage our husbands to live out of God's best for them so they can be led by the Holy Spirit. Then out of the overflow of being led, our husbands can lead us and the children. God's design for families is best. Our ways and our great ideas will not change our family. God transforms from the inside out.

I encourage you for thirty days tonot say anything negative about your husband. If anything comes to your mind that is negative, pray and cast down every high thing that exalts itself agains the knowledge of God. In addition to not saying anything negative about or to your husband (taking off the negative) here are things we can put on and do to encourage your husband.

On Revive our Hearts in November of 2011, they posted a 30 day challenge for us ladies.  You can find the challenges here : https://www.reviveourhearts.com/articles/30-day-husband-encouragement-challenge/.

The first thing we learn in Day 1 is that our husbands can trust us to have their back. We are in their corner, on their team, and one with them rather than in competition with them. We are to do good to our husbands and not harm. The things we say and the looks we give causes harm to the way that our men see God and themselves. If we doubt them, theydoubt themselves more and be more. Then sometimes they are afraid" to lead as God intended them to lead.

What really stuck out to me this morning is the way we respond to our husbands first thing in the morning. I would also suggest we pay attention to how we respond to them at the end of the day after being separated. Do we hand them the children and start complaining about how much work we had to do? Do we start telling our husbands about all the things that have to be done and all the things the children did today?

I know my husband loves to be greeted with a hug and a kiss. Yes, I really can put down that dish or stop stirring the dinner food to kiss and hug and greet my husband. Am I excited to see him or do I just say a quick hello? My husband loves to just snuggle in the morning and smile together rather than me talk for an hour. He does listen to me and care for me but many times I am the one that doesn't stop to just be with my husband.

Start today - say "I LOVE YOU and I AM GLAD TO BE YOUR WIFE." Just smile, laugh and enjoy him on the days he is full of strength and the days he is worn out. Let the praises begin.

I will be posting a challenge daily from revive your hearts.

The first day's challenge is: 

"Day One: Voice Your Gratitude

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. —Proverbs 31:11–12

To help you get started, have you ever thanked your husband for choosing you above all other women? He found you attractive as a person and appreciated you. Though many circumstances in your marriage may have changed, let your husband know that you are glad God brought you together and that you want to be a blessing to him for the rest of your marriage. Let him know that he can trust you to be in his corner.

Action Step: Say it out loud.

One of the best opportunities to express your gratitude is first thing in the morning. How do you greet your husband each morning? Is he confident in your love? Give him a wake-up call that he’ll never forget—a big “I love you” and an “I’m so glad I’m your wife!”

A Wife’s Prayer

Heavenly Father, I want to do good to my husband by encouraging him for the next thirty days. Soften my heart to the ways that he has chosen me. Show me how to voice my gratitude for him, and teach me how to be in his corner." from Revive Your Hearts -https://www.reviveourhearts.com/articles/30-day-husband-encouragement-challenge/