~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Responsible!

Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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My fabulous hubby, Austin, is a very responsible individual.

I've posted before about how great he is with money, how concerned he is for me and my welfare, what a great spiritual leader he is, how he takes care of me when I'm sick, and how seriously he takes his role as my protector, so I won't go on and on about all of that, lol!

However, just this past week, he has shown me - in a lot of varying areas - how much he earnestly desires to make good decisions and take care of me, and our family.

The first one came last Friday when we were riding the bike trail around our town.


No, that's not us,
I just thought it was a cool pic

Somehow we got separated, and somehow - miracle of miracles - I ended up getting ahead of him and beat him home. (That never happens!) To this day neither of us can figure out how that happened, but that's not even really the point. When he rode up the driveway, he looked rather cross (to say the least). After he pulled in, we proceeded to have a quite lenghty argument discussion about sticking together on the bike trail. Honestly, at the time, I didn't feel like he was rocking very much, but looking back on the situation I am able to see through the fabulous 20/20 hindsight goggles that he was just very worried about me - he ended up adding 2 miles to his ride just waiting and looking for me!

Another area where he takes his responsibilities very seriously is our house.


Thank the Lord,
we are f-a-a-a-a-a-r past THIS stage,
but, you get the idea

We are getting V-E-R-Y close to being finished, and all of the final touches, not to mention the time limits and pressure from the bank on the financial side of the coin, are causing Austin a HUGE amount of stress. I so appreciate that he cares enough - and is a responsible enough individual - to worry about these things. Although I pray that his worrying will not be detrimental and that he will ultimately trust in God to take care of those things which are out of our control; it speaks very highly of his character that he concerns himself with the whole project :) And he is truly very talented at every piece he has tackled thus far. He is also wise enough to know when something is beyond his ability and how to ask for help!

And last, but certainly not least:

He's taking me here:


Well, maybe not exactly here,
but isn't this a gorgeous view?

That's right, we're going to Colorado to be with my family and spend the week (the whole group of us) in the same condo where Austin and I spent our honeymoon! I am soooooo looking forward to this trip, spending time with my family and friends from home, and relaxing in the beautiful mountain scenery and sunshine!

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Be sure to check in with the other ladies who are bragging on their rocking hubbies today by clicking on the "My Husband Rocks Participants" button in the left sidebar.

I am the only person who has the ability to add blogs to the MHR blogroll. If you are a MHR blogger, and have not been added to the blogroll, plase comment or e-mail me at katylinvw{at}yahoo{dot}com and I will gladly add you to our little group!!!

(if you would like to add the MHR Fridays button to your sidebar, use this code ).

<a href="http://honestandlasting.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-husband-rocks-friday.html"><img src="http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn135/katylinvw/mosaicmhrf.jpg"/></a>

If you're not a blogger, but still want the world to know about your amazing husband (or wife, or husband to be, or wife to be, etc.) leave a shout-out in the form of a comment! If you're unable to comment, e-mail me at katylinvw [at] yahoo [dot] com and I'll add your shout out to this post!

As always, on Fridays Union 28 will refund your shipping on any order of two or more items if you mention the great adventure and ~my husband rocks! Fridays~ in the "how did you hear about us?" section of your order form, so run on over there and check them out, too! Thank you Union 28!

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday, and a wonderful weekend!

31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands ~ Day 12

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Day 12
Pray that your husband will yield his sexual drive to the Lord and practice self control. Pray that your sexual intimacy together will be fresh, positive, and a reflection of selfless love.

Proverbs 5:15
Drink water from your own well—
share your love only with your wife.

Proverbs 5:18
Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

1 Corinthians 7:3
The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs.

Song of Solomon 7:10
I am my lover’s,
and he claims me as his own.

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!


31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands
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Day 4
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Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11

31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands ~ Day 11

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Day 11
Pray that your husband will have a humble, teachable spirit and a servant’s heart before the Lord. Pray that he will listen to God and desire to do His will.

Proverbs 15:33
Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom;
humility precedes honor.

Ephesians 6:6
Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!


31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands
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Day 10

31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands ~ Day 10

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Day 10
Pray that your husband will cultivate strong integrity, and not compromise his convictions. Pray that his testimony will be genuine, that he will be honest in his business dealings, and will never do anything that he needs to hide from others.

Proverbs 20:7
The godly walk with integrity;
blessed are their children who follow them.

1 Timothy 1:5
The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

1 Timothy 3:7
Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.

Ephesians 6:10-12
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!



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Day 9

31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands ~ Day 9

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Day 9
Pray that your husband handle finances wisely, will have discernment concerning budgeting and investments, and will be a good steward of his money in regard to giving to the Lord’s work. Pray that money will not become a source of discord in your family.

Proverbs 23:4-5
Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.
Be wise enough to know when to quit.
In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,
for it will sprout wings
and fly away like an eagle.

Romans 12:13
When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Hebrews 13:5
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!



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Motivate Me Monday ~ Thoughts on Prayer

Since we are in the midst of a series on Praying for our Husbands, and because it is a topic that has been very prevalent in my mind recently, the following thoughts really jumped out at me when I was flipping through a small devotional book at Bryce & Thelma's house this weekend:

Even though it is often difficult for us to pray when we find ourselves in the middle of great trials, that is exactly the time when we most need to pray. Every time we pray, whether it feels like it or not, we are brought into the very throne room of heaven. Jesus himself ushers our prayers into the presence of the Father, and that alone assures us that they will be heard and answered. Prayer is a matter of obedience, but it is also a matter of survival. Prayer is the lifeline of the soul, and we cannot afford to do without it.
So let us pray to the God who hears and answers. Jesus has promised he will see to it that our requests get God's personal attention.

~ Jan Draveky

God invites us to take all our concerns to him. He never qualifies those concerns as big ones or little ones. His Word says every concern of ours is a concern of his.
I have assumed his attitude toward us is one of immense care. But that doesn't mean I should toss daily trivia to him, does it? The trouble with my thinking is I don't know at what point of my "carings" to bring God into the picture. What constitutes the cutoff point between big and small?
The notion of bringing God into everything has nothing to do with trivializing him; it has to do with the privilege of partnering with him. When I include God on my wild washing-machine rides and as I mentally travel in circles with my computer and its attitude. I'm cheered by his companionship and the knowledge that I'm in partnership with him.

~ Marilyn Meberg

Praise the Lord!

31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands ~ Day 8

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Day 8
Pray that your husband will work hard to provide for your family, to the best of his ability. Pray that the character qualities necessary for a successful career and ministry will be a growing part of his character—persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, positive relationships with people, determination, etc.

Romans 12:11
Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

1 Corinthians 15:58
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!



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31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands ~ Day 7

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Day 7
Pray that your husband will safeguard his heart against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex. Pray that his heart will be pure and undivided in his commitment to you.

Proverbs 6:23-26
For their command is a lamp
and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline
is the way to life.
It will keep you from the immoral woman,
from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.
Don’t lust for her beauty.
Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
For a prostitute will bring you to poverty,
but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.

Romans 13:14
Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!


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31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands ~ Day 6

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Day 6
Pray that your husband will love righteousness and hate wickedness, especially the evils of the culture. Pray that he will recognize and avoid wickedness in his own life, and if necessary, take a clear, strong stand against evil.

Proverbs 27:12
A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

John 17:15
I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13
If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!


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~ My Husband Rocks! ~ teammates!

Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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This week, we have the awesome challenge from Mike over at OPEN Mike in his post Tour de Vie to

If you had to name your Team, the one group with which you most identify, would it be family, friends, schoolmates, work associates, church members, ministry partners? When was the last time you served them as a domestique?

If you can’t recall, do something tactical and supporting for a teammate by the time the Tour de France concludes on Sunday.

First off, let's get some definitions:

tactical
--adjective
1. of or pertaining to tactics, esp. military or naval tactics.
2. characterized by skillful tactics or adroit maneuvering or procedure: tactical movements.
3. of or pertaining to a maneuver or plan of action designed as an expedient toward gaining a desired end or temporary advantage.
4. expedient; calculated.
5. prudent; politic.

support
--verb
1. to bear or hold up (a load, mass, structure, part, etc.); serve as a foundation for.
2. to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for.
3. to undergo or endure, esp. with patience or submission; tolerate.
4. to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction
5. to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for.
6. to uphold (a person, cause, policy, etc.) by aid, countenance, one's vote, etc.; back; second.
7. to maintain or advocate (a theory, principle, etc.)
8. to corroborate (a statement, opinion, etc)
9. to act with or second (a lead performer); assist in performance.

I think it is so vital to remember, but so very easy to forget, that our husbands are our closest and most important teammates! I have often noticed in many relationships, but most vividly in my own marriage, how easy it is to take their partnership for granted - and to treat them far worse than we would ever dream of treating even complete strangers! I don't know if it is because we are so comfortable with them - as well we should be, but we should never allow that sense of comfort to morph into disregard and disrespect.

This is something that both Austin and I are trying to be far more aware of in ourselves and guard ourselves against. (Admittedly, he does a far better job of keeping himself in check than I do) It is so very easy to fall into this pattern of behavior, but it is also soooooooo worth it to avoid it!!! :)

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Father, please help us to support the mates that you have given to us and to treasure and value them to such a great extent that to treat them with disrespect, unkindness, or contempt would be inconceivable! Thank you so much for the wonderful men that you have provided for our journeys! :)

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Be sure to check in with the other ladies who are bragging on their rocking hubbies today by clicking on the "My Husband Rocks Participants" button in the left sidebar.

I am the only person who has the ability to add blogs to the MHR blogroll. If you are a MHR blogger, and have not been added to the blogroll, plase comment or e-mail me at katylinvw{at}yahoo{dot}com and I will gladly add you to our little group!!!

(if you would like to add the MHR Fridays button to your sidebar, use this code ).

<a href="http://honestandlasting.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-husband-rocks-friday.html"><img src="http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn135/katylinvw/mosaicmhrf.jpg"/></a>

If you're not a blogger, but still want the world to know about your amazing husband (or wife, or husband to be, or wife to be, etc.) leave a shout-out in the form of a comment! If you're unable to comment, e-mail me at katylinvw [at] yahoo [dot] com and I'll add your shout out to this post!

As always, on Fridays Union 28 will refund your shipping on any order of two or more items if you mention the great adventure and ~my husband rocks! Fridays~ in the "how did you hear about us?" section of your order form, so run on over there and check them out, too! Thank you Union 28!

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday, and a wonderful weekend!

31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands ~ Day 5

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Day 5
Pray that your husband will be faithful to his wedding vows. Pray that he will have a desire to cultivate your relationship as a sign of his loyalty and commitment to you, and as a picture of Christ’s love for the Church.

Proverbs 20:6
Many will say they are loyal friends,
but who can find one who is truly reliable?

Genesis 2:24
This explains why a man leaves
his father and mother and is joined
to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!


31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands
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Blog Hop '09!!!

Just the other day I was thinking to myself how long it had been since I participated in a fun blog party! Then, there I am, browsing the twitter/blogosphere, and I run across Blog Hop'09!

I'm so very excited, and I can't wait to make a whole bunch of new blog friends!

First I've gotta get all gussied up in my "Blog Hop" attire:



Austin's hoppin, too:


Okay, so those pics are actually from the New Year's Eve Sock Hop we attended this year, but I thought they were just perfect for the occasion!

If you're visiting for the first time as a part of the Blog Hop, feel free to poke around! the great adventure is most well-known for ~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Fridays! But we've got a LOT going on in our lives! We're in the midst of a total re-build on our house, and we love to travel! This year already we've taken a trip to Cozumel and Colorado (where my family, and part of Austin's family lives), and we're heading back to Colorado in the next few weeks!


Happy to have you here! Hop Away! :)

MHR Inspiration #15

I was blog-hopping earlier this week, and I found this post:

Tour de Vie

Mike is one of the coolest people I know. I have known him all of my life, and I absolutely adore his family! He is a published author whose books I have read multiple times. He is also in the mist of a battle with Lymphoma, and his blog OPEN Mike is always full of his passionate, and often poignant, musings on writing, cancer, and life in general.

The Tour de Vie post really struck me, and I decided to use it as our MHR inspiration this week :)

Especially to the last portion that says:

If you had to name your Team, the one group with which you most identify, would it be family, friends, schoolmates, work associates, church members, ministry partners? When was the last time you served them as a domestique?

If you can’t recall, do something tactical and supporting for a teammate by the time the Tour de France concludes on Sunday.

This is our prompt and our challenge for this week. What are some practical ways we can "do something tactical and supporting" for our most important teamemate - our husbands? (That's the prompt.) Do it! (That's the challenge.)

<3,

31 Days of Praying for Our Husbands ~ Day 4

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Day 4
Pray that your husband will grow in leadership skills in your relationship—protecting and providing for you. Pray that he will lead you wisely and love you sacrificially, so that God will be glorified in your marriage.

Ephesians 5:25-29 (New Living Translation)
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.

Colossians 3:19 (New Living Translation)
Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!


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25th Annual HI Mississippi Valley Blues Festival

We got some fun pics while we were in Davenport over 4th of July weekend, and while I've told some of the story here, but I thought I'd throw the pics up right quick :)


Austin & Doug on the drive!


(L-R)Doug, Austin, & Rachel
We ran into our friend Rachel - we went to college together, and she just happened to be at the festival with her dad! So fun!

Outdoor Bandstand

AWESOME Blues Guitarist


This guy tore it up on the harmonica!

It was a very fun and unique way to spend the 4th! :)