How Do You Hold Your Husband Near To You?

He works nights. I work days. It seems so hard for us to connect sometimes. When I go to bed, I long for him to be there with me. When I rise in the morning, I think of him and pray for him.

He loves music. He often wants me to check out a song that he thinks is great. We don't always have the same taste in music. Yet as I listen to some of his favorite songs, I think of him and feel closer to him.

I want to make a playlist of a few of his favorite songs and listen to it at night as I get ready for bed and pray for him. Maybe that way, he will be near to me in my thoughts and in my heart when I go to bed without him.

What do you do to hold your husband close when you are apart?

Today, I'm linking up with Crystal Storms whose post today helped me to pray for a deeper connection!

What Was It About Her?

I love reading the book of Ruth. She is a heroine of mine and a great example of a woman with noble, godly character. If it weren't for the fact that it wasn't written until a few generations later, I would say she is an ideal Proverbs 31 woman. Her commitment, as a Moabitess, to the God of Israel shows the preeminence of our God. He alone is worthy to be praised.

Today, I want to reflect on her mother-in-love, Naomi. What was it about Naomi that made Ruth want to leave her people and stay with Naomi? How did the faith and the love of this woman who came to Moab with her husband and sons to escape a famine only to lose them, how did her faith appeal to Ruth?

She loved her husband and sons. The journey to Moab would have taken several days. But they were hungry and they needed food. So they would go to where the food was. Even though the Moabites followed a foreign God, Naomi was willing to go to Moab to care for her husband and sons.

She loved her daughters-in-law When hers sons died, Naomi wanted the best for her daughters-in-law. She knew that she could not provide another husband for them and wanted them to be taken care of. Go, she told them, back to your own families.

She loved her God Even though she had lost much and feared that the hand of the Lord was against her, Naomi still loved God and looked to Him to bless her daughters-in-law. She prayed a blessing over them as she urged them not to follow her.

After returning to Bethlehem, Naomi continued to love and guide Ruth. She is a wonderful example of an older woman loving, guiding, and discipling a younger woman. May it be said of me that I am like Naomi!

I am joining Holley Gerth for Coffee For Your Heart.

Praying for him and...

I love him. I really do. And I long for him when he's working nights and I'm working days. I think of him constantly when we are apart. Well, maybe not constantly, I was distracted by that driver who cut me off in traffic - didn't they know I was late? And I was distracted by the coworker who asked me for help... again... I thought they should know what they were doing by now. But still, I think of him a lot when we are apart. I love him. I really, really do.

And it saddens me because I don't know the last time he read his Bible or the last time he prayed. It's been a while since we've been to church together. So I pray for him. Every day. I pray for him because I love him and want to see him drawn closer to Christ. I pray for him every day.

Today, I was praying: "Direct his steps by Your Word. And let no iniquity have dominion over him." I pray for him because I love him. I love him. I love him.

But it hit me as I prayed, I need to pray this too: "Direct my steps by Your Word. And let no iniquity have dominion over me." Can I say that I am surprised that as I pray for him (because I love him), I am drawn closer to Christ?

This is the way

How did God love the world?

He gave His one and only son.

Do you believe?

Invited

A wedding. 

The glorious celebration of two become one.

Jesus was invited.

Was he invited to yours?

Loving Again

I can't imagine what it is like to have lost a child. To have one that you nurtured and loved so deeply torn from you. What joy the birth of Seth must have brought to Eve. Not in that he was a replacement for Abel but in that she found herself to still have the capacity for love. What a blessing it is that even in the shadow of loss, we can still love!

Can't Buy Me Love

Love is utterly amazing.

Love is able to withstand anything life can throw at it.

Surging waters? Love will stand!

Floodwaters? Love is not overwhelmed.

Aches and pains? Love is there.

A broken heart? Love longs to comfort and heal.

Love is a treasure beyond compare. Love cannot be bought.

Nothing can separate you from God's Love!

Delight

You can't help but notice that Solomon takes delight in his bride. Her legs, her breasts, her neck, her hair, Solomon delights in it all. Does it make you perhaps a little jealous because no one looks at you like that?

God delights in you. He may not give you spoken affirmations of how He delights in you. Nevertheless, He greatly delights in you.

If you knew how much He delights in you, would it affect how you go about your day? Does ther mere thought of how much your Lover loves you bring a smile to your face? Does knowing that you'll spend time with your Lover today make you want to jump out of bed and get ready for the day?

Go forth and let your Lover delight in you. Rejoice and delight yourself in Him.

Lovesick

How do you feel when you're not spending time with Christ? Does life keep you busy enough that you don't even notice that you're not spending time with Him? I confess that sometimes that's me. When I focus on Him and remember all that He is and all that He has done for me, I long to spend time with Him. I eagerly desire to spend time with Him and when I cannot, I want to be lovesick.

Extending Her Hand

The excellent wife loves others. She extends hers hand to shake their hand. She extends her hand to pull them up out of the pit. She extends her hand to embrace them. She extends he hand in peace. She extends her hand to show them she is not a threat. She extends her hand in love. To whom can you extend you hand today?

Knit Together

Colossians 2:2 My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 

Have you ever watched someone knitting? It is very deliberate work. They may be counting stitches to make sure that they got the precise number of stitches that they need in a given row. If they find a problem, they may rip out some (or even all) of it and go back and do it again until it is correct. There may be people who ask them "what is it you are knitting?" Regardless of whether it is a simple scarf or beautiful sweater, the final result is a beautiful work of art into which much time and effort went.

Paul wants that our hearts be knit together in love. It takes time and effort and of course love to knit hearts together. As God begins to knit our hearts together, it may not always be obvious what they will look like when finished. Sometimes, we will make mistakes along the way and need to recognize those mistakes, confess, repent, rip them out, and reknit them. But how exciting is it as we begin to see the beautiful work of art as they are being knit together! Are you ready and willing to be knit together with fellow believers? Be encouraged and be assured that God is making something beautiful of it and that through it, He will reveal Christ to you and those around you!

First Born

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 

Colossians 1:15

The firstborn has certain rights and privileges because they were born first. It is through the firstborn that Mom and Dad first learn the wonder of loving their child. How great is the anticipation as you wait for your firstborn child to be born? How amazing is it to hold your firstborn child in your arms and cuddle them? How hard is it the first time you send them off to school? How scared are you the first time they really get sick? Yes, it is so wonderful to love your children and treasure them, but your firstborn you love first.

Jesus is the firstborn of all creation.  How wonderful is He? And our Father in heaven sent Him to be born as a baby, to grow up, live a sinless life, and die on the cross for our sin.  How great the Father's love for us!