FOCUS

The Excellent Wife

There isn’t a one of us who doesn’t desire to become an Excellent Wife. For some it appears to come so easily. They seem to be the perfect example of the Excellent Wife. Maybe their personality type displays these excellent qualities easily with what seems to be no effort on their part. Then again, age may be the key and over time they have been tempered and they have indeed learned how to become an Excellent Wife. Truly it is a process of becoming. We do seek to “become” but we will never fully arrive at the “perfect” until we’re HOME!! You’re in safe company here (we haven’t arrived yet!) as we journey together in our understanding of what an Excellent Wife is. During the 2011 year we will discuss the Foundational Truths of the Excellent Wife and also the Faithful Commitments of the Excellent Wife. New topics concerning these areas will be posted six times a year (every two months). Please join us.

WORDS TO INSPIRE

HOME, the Wife’s Domain
Based on the book THE EXCELLENT WIFE by Martha Peace

I enjoy genealogy as a hobby. In my census research, I have noticed that under the category “occupation” all of the women in my families’ past have answered with the words “keeping house.”

What does the Bible say about “keeping house?”

When studying the Proverbs 31 woman, I note that 9 out of the 22 verses refer directly to her work in the home. The Titus 2, 3-5 directive says that women are intended to be “workers at home.” In I Timothy 5:14,15 it states that women are to “keep house.” Martha Peace says that the Greek word for “keep house” is oikodespoteo, that means literally to “guide or rule the house.”

The Biblical concept of a “worker in the home” is not popular in today’s culture, but God gives a clear directive that He intends for women to work in the home and do a good job of caring for their families. Younger women are usually highlighted, as they have children to watch over and train as well as a house to be kept clean. THE EXCELLENT WIFE says that a wife who is gone with too many activities or work may not have the time nor the energy to keep her home as it should be kept, which I agree with. Older women also need to take homemaking seriously and influence their grandchildren in the ways of the Lord. No matter what our age, we need to care for our husbands – even more so when the husband is a pastor!

A personal inventory about the role of homemaking for the Christian woman may include the following questions:

What is your heart set on?
Are material possessions of too much importance?
Are your children/grandchildren high on your list of importance?
Do you have the Biblical mindset of housework being “homemaking?”
Have you bought into the pervasive cultural attitude that a woman who stays at home is an “non-person” and has little value?

A frequently quoted axiom is “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” We smile as we read this quote but a frown comes quickly when truly “Mama ain’t happy.” Either the extreme of perfectionism or laziness can cause emotional stress in homemaking, so both must be avoided or happiness will be destroyed. God wants us to set the tone of joy, optimism, and delight in the Lord and in our families, so consider meditating on Psalm 145:5-10 – read it repeatedly and incorporate the verses into your life. As you go about your daily chores sing hymns and praise songs with “with thankfulness in your heart to God.” Smile and share with your family members what wonderful things God has done for you and for them. A wife’s home is her domain. With the Lord’s strength, make yours a home where faith grows in a calming, soothing, and reassuring atmosphere.

NEEDS OF THE REAL WORLD

The Wife’s Fear-Anxiety

Fear is crippling to the mind, heart and body. It can immobilize you to where you cannot even move out of your home or car or situation. Sometimes your heart races so much you can’t even hear you’re thinking process. Fear is very real. If you have experienced fear in this way it cannot be stopped by just telling yourself to not be afraid. It takes a lot more than that. It takes God actually moving you in baby steps. Sometimes you may have to ask the Lord to help you just walk from the edge of the house out to the curb to get your mail. It takes a divine intervention to get you out to the curb. It is better to take just the baby steps one at a time. Not pressing you to go huge steps. I will just go to the curb and get the mail. Lord help me to just do that. Fear is not a good thing to have and it certainly draws away from the Lord but it is also a very real fact for many women. It doesn’t matter what your fear may be it is still a fear. That fear can drive us. It totally consumes us sometimes so that it is a part of our life on a daily diet. That is when we need to ask the Lord to control our fear. God recognizes that we have the fear. He wants to give us peace of mind heart and soul. We have to put our full trust in Him and lean on Him even to get out to the curb to get the mail. “Jesus says, Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.” The mind plays a big part in FEAR. If your mind is thinking about the FEAR all of the time, your mind is not peaceful. Therefore in order to keep a peaceful mind your mind must be concentrating on Him alone. God does not want us to have FEAR. He wants us to be full of joy and not crippled by one of Satan’s plots. Sometimes God uses other Christians to intercede for us. Sometimes the voice of a believer can calm us and God uses that person to calm our hearts. Intercession is a wonderful tool to be used for those who suffer FEAR. Psalm 34:4 says “I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” The point here is that you must seek the Lord and go to Him to help you from the FEAR. What about you? Is there a FEAR in your life that has grown so much that it has hindered you from drawing near to the Lord?

CHECK IT OUT

The Power of Hospitality
by Chuck& Kathie Crismier

As a young pastor’s wife I really don’t think I embraced the idea of hospitality. I would like to think that I didn’t recognize it as my “gift” BUT in complete honesty, I don’t think I was thinking of hospitality as a gift. Truth be told, I was trying to NOT even think of others! Probably at the expense of many lost opportunities on my part. HOSPITALITY IS TO BE CULTIVATED IN EACH OF US. Do you agree? It probably is to be the natural overflow of Christ’s love in us expressing itself to others in hospitality. However, how it displays itself in each of us may differ! This book, The Power of Hospitality is intriguing and enlightening. Read it to see how “an open heart, open hand, and open home will change your world!”

HELPFUL HINTS FOR HOME

GETTING AWAY

Home. We appreciate it more when we can get away from it and slide into some degree of anonymity. Often, we are more grateful for it when we come back from time away to once again enjoy our own beds, our own coffee makers, and our own routines. Do you have a get away planned for this summer? Even if it is a mini-vacation, a few days away from our normal household demands can bring us back refreshed and more appreciative of our God given homes.

My dining room looks like a laundry room and camping store exploded within it's walls. Usually, this would make me as nervous as my dog in a lightning storm, but it actually makes me one happy momma. Why? Because it means that preparations for our upcoming vacation are well under way. At the time of this writing, I'm anticipating seeing many of you at the AFLC Annual Conference. While this is a very enjoyable time for us, it is still part of our "work" as we participate in discussions and hear updates on the various ministries within our church at large.

The day after Conference officially begins our vacation. While our plans have never included a cruise, resort, or five star hotel, we still feel like we are getting away grandly while we stay in our tents and cook over the Coleman stove. Long, long, long ago, I used to feel guilty at taking two weeks to devote to JUST family. That guilt I quickly found to be false, and threw it away and began to accept the blessing of spending uninterrupted time with my husband and children.

One of our children has already flown the nest, and this year finds us taking our second camping adventure without him. Our missing him serves as a reminder of how important it is to take the time to create memories with the other children still at home. His leaving also reinforces our conscience decision to take vacation even though for us it doesn't involve cruises or resorts.

Another deciding factor for us in getting away, is that it makes us better servants when we come back home. Even though we return with loads of dirty laundry, gallons of sand in the car, and the inevitable buckets of rocks and pine cones, we arrive refreshed and ready to be used as God would use us.

Time is short, children grow and go, and what is left is memories. What better reason for getting away?

IDEAS THAT WORK

HEALTH for BODY (Physical) SOUL (Mind, Will, Emotions) SPIRIT (Spiritual)

The Soul

The Soul. It consists of your mind, will and emotions. It is what makes you - you. Have you ever desired to be well in these areas? Have you ever desired to help people on this level? A few articles ago, I mentioned stress as the number one root problem of most of our diseases. Stress has its beginnings in our mind, will and emotions. That is one of the reasons that our Lord says to take our thoughts captive. 2 Corinthians 10:5. Does it stand to reason that we need education for healing in this area?

This past month, I had the privilege of attending The Healing Academy sponsored by Wind of the Spirit Ministries. This 4 ½ day seminar dealt with: Jesus’ Model for Ministry; Abba, Father; Healing of the Human Spirit; The Holy Spirit; Word of Knowledge; Forgiveness and The Healing Process; The Power of the Spoken Word; Judgments and Vows; Emotional Healing; Human Sexuality; Healing from Sexual Brokenness; The God of All Comfort; Deliverance; Physical Healing; Scriptural Guidelines to Ministering in the Power of the Holy Spirit; and A Service of Healing and Wholeness. It is important to have education but education without experience is just head knowledge. The sessions give you education plus practical, hands-on experience in the classroom.

Why do I mention this? So, you will have a resource. They respond to requests for seminars. For pastors and their wives, they suggest they attend a pastors and wives seminar first because of the honest, sensitive nature for your own healing. Then, prayerfully, consider a seminar for your own church.

Any interest for a pastors and wives seminar? Contact Lori at loriawillard@gmail.com or 218-463-3756.

Pay attention to “soul” in these verses: Psalm 19:7, Psalm 23:3, Psalm 119:175, Psalm 142:4, Isaiah 55:3, Matthew 16:26, Mark 12:29-31, I Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 10:39, James 5:19-20, 3 John 2.

Resource: www.wosm-nw.org

HERE'S WHATS COOKING

Grilled Peaches

Ingredients

3 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly ground black peppercorns
2 large fresh peaches with peel, halved and pitted
2 1/2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the white sugar, balsamic vinegar, and pepper. Simmer until liquid has reduced by one half. It should become slightly thicker. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place peaches on the prepared grill, cut side down. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the flesh is caramelized. Turn peaches over. Brush the top sides with the balsamic glaze, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the peach halves to individual serving dishes, and drizzle with remaining glaze. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese.

Rhubarb Crisp Recipes

Ingredients:

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups sliced rhubarb
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla


Preparation:

In mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, butter and cinnamon; mix together until crumbly. Press half of the brown sugar and oats mixture into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Top with the sliced rhubarb. In a saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, and the 1 cup of water and vanilla. Cook together until clear, then pour over rhubarb. Top rhubarb with remaining crumb mixture and bake

(allrecipes.com, about.com)

TOGETHER THROUGH PRAYER

Dear Father,

As we tend to our homes, give us a spirit of joy in our service. While we clean, organize, prepare, and plan, help us remember that our roles in the homes are of eternal importance in Your eyes. As we repeat the same tasks again and again, help us to praise You again and again for our families, homes, and plans that You have for our good.

Do not let us be gripped by fear and worry as we are faced with pressure from without and within to do something of more importance in the world's eyes. Whether we have employment outside the home or not, help us see the value in creating warm, hospitable homes for our family and friends as of first importance.

Father, thank You for being the cornerstone of our homes, and of our hearts. May our work be a reflection of our love and gratitude to You.

Amen.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

THE INTERVIEWS IN REVIEW

It has been six months hearing from many of our pastor’s wives through interviews.

What has been the main theme for all the interviews? From the oldest Pastor’s wife to the youngest we have heard many things but some things remained the same for all the interviews. Let us look at some of these. The first one is when I asked what they thought there ministry was in the church that they served with their husbands every lady said, “First it is to my husband” Not one lady was coached to say this but each lady said that it was their first ministry. We give Glory to God for all of these women who have been such testimonies to us. The second one was to their children. Taking care of their children needs was the ministry that they felt God leading them in. The third area then varied from one lady to the next with each one of them having different interests from crafts, music, children’s ministries, Bible studies and many more.

Now the other important thing that we have noticed is that when asked “How would you encourage each of our Pastor’s wives they all said to stay in the Word of God at all times to not leave it. This is a key to all of us who are in the ministry and to those wives who will be going into the ministry. Each time these ladies shared they also said that prayer is the key. The other main thing that was shared is that we are to be good listeners to our husbands. They need us to be sounding blocks and to pray for them in each situation. Another main theme that was said by many is to be who you are. Some like to send quick breads to the shut ins. Others like to visit the sick with their husbands and still others like to talk on the phone with some of the women who never get phone calls. Whatever it is that God has you to do in your church home just be who you are don’t try be like someone else. Sometimes we like to compare ourselves to other women and that only brings frustration.

This has just been a little taste of what has been shared over the last six months. For those of you who have not been able to read the interviews we hope that this gives you an insight of what was shared.