PSALM 27

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.


Claim these promises. They are yours.

Being a woman isn't always the easiest thing in the world, but it's what I have to work with right now. There are so many aspects of ourselves that merit self-respect. We are unbelievably competent at what we do. We are flexible and strong and can be both simultaneously. We have good ideas that are practical and creative, and we can articulate them well. We have the ability to deal with several tasks simultaneously and attend to each one. We are organizers, creators and doers and we have great capacity for being. We have much to contribute including a perspective on life that is different from that of the men around us. We are here to stay, and we and others need to accept that

 

.....

In the beginning, a relationship is like a new car - that new car smell, lots of knobs and buttons to play with. It's exciting to drive and because it's new and shiny, it turns heads. Then it begins to get comfortable and familiar.

Soon it's easy to overlook the fact that the windscreen wipers don't work as well as they should or that the knobs no longer light up, if the car gets you from A to B. And let's face it, most of the time we're so busy getting from A to B that we don't have time to worry that the car is using more petrol than it used to or makes a funny noise in second gear. If things break, we fix them.

But I've recently realised that a marriage, just like a car, works better if given regular tune-ups. We should take time to really look at the car, make a list of what isn't working right and get them sorted before they become irrepareble.

In Altar Ego, Kathy Lette asks, "Why is it that people are always using the word 'work' next to the word 'marriage'" But just as we wouldn't expect a car to run forever without regular oil changes, neither should we expect it of a marriage.

 

Isildae

 

I encourage anyone in a relationship to print out this questionaire and fill it out. Wish I had had it 6 months ago..  http://www.marriagebuilders.com/forms/enq.pdf

A TRIBUTE TO ALL THE "SISTERS" IN MY LIFE!   

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage,
about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully  and  turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter. "Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass,
"they'll be more important as you get older." No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may
have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. "Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL women... your girlfriends, your daughters and all your other women relatives too.  "You'll need other women. Women always do."
 "What a funny piece of advice", the young woman thought. "Haven't I just gotten married?  Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grown-up!  Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make life worthwhile."
 But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year.  As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life. After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:
 
Time passes.
Life happens. 
Distance separates. 
Children grow up. 
Jobs come and go. 
Love waxes and wanes. 
Men don't do what they’re supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die. 
Colleagues forget favours.
Careers end.
 BUT------Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many
miles are between you. A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her can reach.
 
When you have to walk that  lonesome valley and  you have to walk it by yourself,  the  women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering  you on, praying  for you, pulling  for you, intervening  on your behalf,  and  waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you or come in and carry you out.
Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters,
sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers  aunties, nieces, cousins, and
extended family, all bless our life!

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.
Every day, we need each other still.