I’m a member of an email group headed by a gal named Lori. She sends out a daily post that encourages women to be a generous wife. I’m giving just a sprinkling here of what she’s shared recently and I’ll post her link at the bottom so you can subscribe for yourself if you’d like to. Just one per day comes in, so it’s not obnoxious.

I was sitting here trying to come up with a tip for tonight and thought to myself, “what do I really want to say to these ladies?” At the bottom of my heart is the desire to encourage y’all to be generous, to have a loving and giving heart toward your husbands. Our world wears us out and teaches us to be stingy and before we know it we are meting out what our husband’s “deserve” or are looking for ways to get out of having to give to our husbands. How does that happen so quickly and easily? As believing wives we are so much more than that. We are His expression to our husbands and our families. We can be filled with His goodness and love and share that with our sweeties. So today’s tip is to spend time with God today so that He can encourage you and build you up. From that place we have His strength and ability to love, forgive, and be really, really, really, really, really generous. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV

Just thought that today we might pray for those women on the list who are married to unbelievers. Pray for their ability to be loving and understanding. Pray for their ability to stay faithful in prayer for their husbands and to speak truth in a peaceable and gracious way. I think that for many there is also a sense of loneliness and grief over their marriages. Pray for hope and encouragement for them and for friends to come along side them. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up … 1 Thessalonians 5:11a NIV

I was visiting with a lady this evening and she was sharing with me something that the Lord taught her about relating to her husband. She realized that for years she had told her husband when to do the things on her “honey do” list, being rather demanding and not very thoughtful. Today she asks her husband for help, but is caring and respectful about his time use, letting him choose when it is convenient for him to do household fix ups. She is seeing the fruit of her thoughtfulness. 🙂 (Thanks, Sunflower Lady!) I was deeply impressed with this lady’s humility. It’s hard to own up to being thoughtless, yet she was very transparent and wanted to share what God was doing in her life. I am happy to pass on her story so that we too can learn from her example and humbly allow God to show us those areas where we have acted thoughtlessly or carelessly toward our husbands. May we all be as gracious and willing to change. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 NIV

Let him know that you are his #1 fan. Support his efforts, applaud his abilities, and praise him sincerely. [daughters of Jerusalem:] What kind of beloved is your beloved …? [Shulamite:] My beloved is … outstanding among ten thousand. Song of Songs 5:9-10 NAS

I’ve always had a desire to offer true hospitality in my home, both to my family and to anyone who wanders in. As I have grown in the Lord and seen His emphasis on hospitality, I am even more motivated to learn how to bless my family and guests with a welcoming home filled with warmth and care. That said, I read a really neat book (actually I read it a few months ago, but am just remembering to mention to y’all). A Life That Says Welcome (by Karen Ehman) is a very thoughtful book that is about more than sticking a couple of flowers on your dining room table. The author talks about heart issues and shares a lot of fun and practical examples that reveal the nature of true hospitality. I don’t often recommend books, but this one just stuck in my heart. If y’all have a few extra dollars, I encourage you to pick up a copy. Whether you are a newbie or a long time homemaker, you’ll find creative ideas and encouragement for the journey. Your husband will bless you, as will all who enter your home. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13b NIV

Stretch a bit in your conversations with your husband. Open up new areas for discussion. At a loss for what to say? Share something that you recently read in a newspaper, magazine, or book. A happy marriage is a long conversation which always seems too short. Andre Maurois

Lori’s Site addy: http://www.the-generous-wife.com