~ my husband rocks! ~ What's the point?

It has been a crazy year, and as such my posting has been a little erratic. I thought it would be a good idea at this point to go back to the basics of MHRF, and lay out the real reasons we do this on a mostly weekly basis.

If you've read any of my MHR posts from the past two years (I know, can you believe it?), you'll have to admit that my husband is a pretty incredible guy :) - but you know what doesn't go into those posts? Every time we have an argument, or when he does something that really ticks me off, or when he's in a bad mood, or when he's just plain frustrating.

I know what you're thinking, "Wait a second, you mean you post the good things about Austin, but you just leave out the bad things? That seems a little dishonest!"

That is where you would be wrong. Sorry :)

There are several reasons that I don't write long ranting posts about the less-than-great parts of my marriage. First of all, it isn't really anyone's business, and it would ultimately do way more harm than good to me, Austin, our emotional health and the overall health of our marriage. But mostly because that would be far too easy.

Now, that's not to say that the negative aspects of marriage far outweigh the positive (although that is definitely what the world would like us to believe). It would be easier to rant about the negative while overlooking the positive than to choose to focus on the positive because I am a selfish, fallen, broken human being married to an equally fallen and broken human being. There's no getting around that this side of heaven.

So what's the point of My Husband Rocks! Fridays? Simply that choosing to focus on all of the wonderful things our husbands do and say and are helps us remember on the not-so-wonderful days why we got married in the first place. And not only that, but showing enough respect for our husbands to not air all of our dirty laundry, but to brag on them and build them up will do far more for the betterment of our marriages than if they "fixed" everything "broken" about them.

Because when it comes right down to it, we wives do a lot of things to frustrate, annoy, anger, and yes, even antagonize our husbands, and I don't think I'm going too far out onto a limb to say that we would much rather they tell their friends and co-workers about the amazing cake we made for dessert last night than how much we nagged them to fix the leaky faucet.

Just some food for thought!

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

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Man of God :)

Hello blog world!

Lots of things have been changing around here, and you will begin to notice some of those changes as soon as I get around to finalizing them on the blog itself, lol! You know how you think to yourself, "Man, I really need to do ________!" Not just once, but like 50 or 100 times before you actually get around to doing it? That's where I'm at on this, but it will happen!

Be sure to check out the new deal from Union 28! (In green at the bottom.)


Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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A lot of times, I blog about what I see in my husband, or the ways I've seen him grow, but sometimes it's gratifying to have someone from "the outside" of a marriage notice what a great guy your hubby is, you know?

That happened to me this week! We are in the process of raising support to be able to work overseas on a military base with Youth For Christ's Military Youth Ministry (more info on this to come), so that brings us to the town where Austin grew up! (Living with his parents for the time being, actually) As such, I was at a ladies' Bible study this week, and one of the women (who has known Austin all of his life) commented that she has been very encouraged by the growth she has seen in Austin since he's been home. She said, "He is becoming such a man of God!"

This is so awesome for me, most likely because for the past year Austin and I have been the only constant person in each other's lives. We have bounced from place to place to place with BBI, staying in any given location for no more than three weeks at a time. So I have seen his changing and growing through the midst of it, but the people we have met along the way have only gotten a short snapshot of what a great guy he really is :)

He rocks my socks off!

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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!

Our good friends over at Union 28 have sweetened the deal for us! They will give you 10% off any order of two or more items (on any day of the week) if you enter the following code at check-out: U28mhrFriday10 Thank you Union 28!

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

Completing Him Summer Challenge - Week #10

August 9 - Kiss Him Like You Mean It (and be sure the door is locked!)

Need I say more? ;)

<3,

Completing Him Summer Challenge - Week #9

August 2 - R-E-S-P-E-C-T! No complaining, criticizing, rolling your eyes, nagging, or giving him any friction this week. Enjoy a week of peace in your home!

This is so crucial for the health of our marriages! Respect is so important to our husbands, and it empowers them in ways you could never imagine. This is not something that I'm naturally very good at, and I have often failed at making Austin feel respected - in fact, in far too many instances the exact opposite has been true. As much as I hate to admit it, I have at times caused some pretty serious problems in our relationship by failing to show Austin the respect he so needs (and deserves) from me.

A great read on the topic is Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.

This week's challenge is a good reminder for me to continually work on this! It's too important not to do! I am learning that this is something that I cannot do on my own. Only by daily giving it back to God am I ever going to be the wife that Austin needs me to be!

<3,

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ the climbing Pikes Peak edition

Be sure to check out the new deal from Union 28! (In green at the bottom.)


Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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Hello and happy Friday everyone!

Well we did it . . . while Austin and I were in Colorado a few of weeks ago, we decided to attempt to climb Pikes Peak - summit altitude 14,110 ft! It was one of our goals when we left in January to be in good enough shape when we came back to climb Pikes Peak, and we did it!

And it was HARD!!!

It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life!

But Austin wouldn't let me quit . . . no matter how much I whined or complained, he wouldn't believe that I "couldn't" do it!

And I love that about him!


Austin purifying our water . . .

. . . and cooking our supper

Okay, there were a few moments on the side of the mountain that I wanted to chuck him off said mountain, but I really do love that he loves me enough to help me grow and to stretch me beyond what is comfortable and easy!

our home for the night

He so totally rocks!

We made it!

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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!

Our good friends over at Union 28 have sweetened the deal for us! They will give you 10% off any order of two or more items (on any day of the week) if you enter the following code at check-out: U28mhrFriday10 Thank you Union 28!

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

Completing Him Summer Challenge - Week #7

July 19 - Make him a priority. Ask him what his favorite dinner, dessert and drink are. Be sure to serve him all three one night this week. Bonus: cook his favorite dishes all week long!

Completing Him Summer Challenge - Week #6

July 12 - Make a list of 5 things you currently do and ask him to prioritize them for you of what is important to him. For example - a clean home, home cooked dinner, coupon clipping, service at church, having friends over for dinner, watching/doing sports with him, etc.

Completing Him Summer Challenge - Week #4

June 28 - Ask your husband every morning how you can pray for him that day. Bonus: Fast and pray for him one day this week.

Completing Him Summer Challenge - Week #1

I found this idea via Mommy Melback (who I found via toddler awesome), and I think it's a phenomenal idea! Actually, 10 weeks of phenomenal ideas! And I am excited to join in! I copied the prompts for every week, but definitely click on the button below to watch Courtney's vlog about the challenge! I hope you decide to join us!


Have a great day!


June 7 - announce to your readers you are participating by posting the button on your site and leaving your link below. Optional: Embed the HTML from this video in your blog post!

June 14 – Post Pictures from your dating days (or tell us all about it!). Think about one thing you used to do or have as a couple that you have lost in the shuffle of life. How can you regain it?

June 21 - Remember Your Vows - post pictures of your wedding day. We will review the sacredness of this day.

June 28 - Ask your husband every morning how you can pray for him that day. Bonus: Fast and pray for him one day this week.

July 5 - Admire Your Husband. Write this post and then show it to him! He will smile!

July 12 - Make a list of 5 things you currently do and ask him to prioritize them for you of what is important to him. For example - a clean home, home cooked dinner, coupon clipping, service at church, having friends over for dinner, watching/doing sports with him, etc.

July 19 - Make him a priority. Ask him what his favorite dinner, dessert and drink are. Be sure to serve him all three one night this week. Bonus: cook his favorite dishes all week long!

July 26 - Support his vision. Discuss his vision for your family. Where does he see your family in 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. Share with us how you let your husband lead.

August 2 - R-E-S-P-E-C-T! No complaining, criticizing, rolling your eyes, nagging, or giving him any friction this week. Enjoy a week of peace in your home!

August 9 - Kiss Him Like You Mean It (and be sure the door is locked!)

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Good at . . . . well, everything!

Be sure to check out the new deal from Union 28! (In green at the bottom.)


Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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Seriously, you know those people. In high school they were the ones who effortlessly scored straight A+'s, starred in the school play, started for the football team, led worship for youth group, volunteered at the homeless shelter and the nursing home, and worked 7 days a week! You remember those people?

I'm married to one of those people! Honestly, there are days when that absolutely drives me up a wall because I am not one of those people - not even close!

But Austin is good - he excels - at whatever he sets his mind to.

This week we are in Colorado, where my family lives, and they just so happened to be offering a FREE lifeguarding/CPR/first aid course in which my dad offered to let us participate.

First day of the class, Austin completes his distance swim and his swim/dive for weight/swim some more tests without even breaking a sweat! (Okay, it did require some effort on his part - a lot of effort considering it was also our first full day at altitude, but come on!) He also breezed through our first written test, and if our study session last night was any indication, the final testing that we do today will be a piece of cake for him!

Now me, on the other hand, I'll be thrilled to death if I can stagger to the finish line on my distance swim today - which I attempted on the first day, but decided that I choose life, lol!

Anyway, that's just one small way that my husband has rocked my world this week :)

Love you, Baby!

How did your hubby rock this week? Link up here to join the fun!


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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!

Our good friends over at Union 28 have sweetened the deal for us! They will give you 10% off any order of two or more items (on any day of the week) if you enter the following code at check-out: U28mhrFriday10 Thank you Union 28!

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

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ just love to love him . . .

Be sure to check out the new deal from Union 28! (In green at the bottom.)


Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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HELLO!!!!!!!!

Long time no blog!

We are back in the States for about a month checking in with our families and friends, speaking at churches, and doing some more fundraising!

What that means for the great adventure is that the Internet will be far more reliable, and I may get to post more often - hopefully, that's the plan anyway, lol!

Anyway, here we go:

My husband ROCKS because people just can't help but love him!

I know what you're thinking ('can you say partial?'), and I know I probably am a little biased, but once you hear my stories, you'll understand :)

The other day we were visiting some friends, and we ended up getting to their town on the night of their small group. We told them not to cancel, and they invited us to go with them, so we found ourselves eating dinner with a roomful of strangers, except for our friends with whom we were staying (not an uncommon occurrence these days, but always a little rattling for me). Part of the way through the meal it struck me that not only was Austin having a great time, he was also the life of the party! He kept us all laughing from start to finish, and everyone was having a ball! He has such a great sense of humor, and he just puts people at ease!

This got me to thinking, and as I reflected upon it I realized that he does this all the time - no matter where in the wide world we are!

When we were in the Czech Republic we were working with Military Community Youth Ministry, and on our second week there, Austin was put in charge of a group of American students doing a work project in one of the schools. He was also in charge of running a workshop that would encourage the American students and the Czech students to hang out and get to know each other. The first day that the groups got together to plan their strategy for the week, Austin's work group took to him so quickly, and by the end of the meeting everyone was referring to him as "awesome Austin!" The first day that the groups were in the schools, they were offering several workshops (journal making, football, basketball, cheerleading, etc.) Austin's group (board games/hang out) drew about a dozen Czech students. By the end of the week they were up to almost sixty!!! :)

Lest you think his magnetic personality is only in effect on the other side of the ocean, I have one more piece of bragging anecdotal evidence! :) As I said at the beginning, part of the reason that we're back in the States for a bit is to speak at churches and raise support. (And when I say "we" are speaking, I mean Austin is speaking and I'm in the back being nervous for him, lol!) So, this past Sunday we had engagements at two churches, one right after the other, so after the first one Austin had to hurry over to the second one, so I stayed and greeted people as the service got out. It seemed that everyone I talked to had something to say about how interesting and entertaining it was to listen to Austin speak, and many went on and on about how they couldn't believe how polished and professional he was - and he doesn't use ANY notes!!!

He's pretty amazing!

Wow! It's obvious that I haven't been doing this often enough because I had A LOT to say! And there's so much more I'd like to add, but if you're still reading this I don't want to push my luck :)

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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!

Our good friends over at Union 28 have sweetened the deal for us! They will give you 10% off any order of two or more items (on any day of the week) if you enter the following code at check-out: U28mhrFriday10 Thank you Union 28!

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

~My Husband Rocks!~ prayer

My husband rocks because he prays for me, he prays for our marriage, he prays for our ministry, and he prays with me! It doesn't get much better than that!

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ You learn something new everyday :)

Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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One thing I love about being married in general, and being married to Austin specifically, is how it seems to me that almost every day I learn something about his character or preferences or personality quirks that I was either unaware of, or that have recently developed.

I think it is so incredible to watch this wonderful man, closer to me than anyone else in the world, grow and change and reveal more and more to me. For example, I found out this week that he loves Christmas. This may seem very obvious, and I knew that he liked it well enough, but I never knew that he loved it! And that makes me excited because I love Christmas, too!

Another interesting thing that I am beginning to recognize in myself is the way that I perceive many of his characteristics now versus how I saw them earlier in our relationship. A very wise friend reminded me this week that every foible or quirk about your spouse that frustrates you or drives you crazy is just the flip-side of something that made you fall in love with him in the first place! This has really helped me this week when I have been tempted to give into my stressed-out-ness and just snap :) lol!

What are some of the things that you are learning about your spouse these days?

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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!

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ he loves the Lord

Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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I think I may have used this reason sometime in the past, but it's one that I just keep coming back to. It's the one that would have been a deal breaker for whether or not we would have ever gotten together, and it's the one that keeps us together even when in our humanness we would just as soon rip each others' heads off!

What has impressed this upon my mind the most this week is in his zeal and passion for being who God wants him to be and doing what God wants him to do and going where God wants him to go. Always. No matter what it costs or who thinks he's crazy. I am convinced that this facet of his character is the one that is the most crucial for the health and happiness of our marriage. If you think I'm crazy, then I'll let someone with a lot more experience and wisdom than myself explain it her way:



Why does your hubby (or wifey :D) rock?

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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!

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Hard Work & Consideration

Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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Just when I think my husband could't be more amazing, he goes and knocks my socks off! We are preparing to go into the ministry, and therefore need to get our house on the market ASAP. Most of our projects on the house are done, but there was one room that we have been putting off because we knew it would be a pain in the butt to get done...the dreaded guest bathroom.

We had installed new fixtures into it, but never removed the old plaster and lath or insulated the walls, so we knew that had to be completed, but we also knew it would be a nightmare because the fixtures would have to come back out (except for the bathtub). I was dreading this project sooooooo much, but I knew it needed to get done, and soon, so I was trying to steel myself for the inevitable.

Imagine my surprise, then, when Austin called me at work on Monday to let me know that he and his buddy from work would be taking care of the bathroom this week, so to expect them to be making a mess of our upstairs! He knew that I was terrified of doing that job, so instead of asking me to help him with it, he hired a friend to help him finish it! And on the nights that his friend couldn't be here, he worked by himself!

And this was not an easy job, folks! Heavy lifting, terrible dust, and a very small space in which to work - I just cannot get over how great he is! :) He finished the demo part of the job, and drywall should be in within the next few days! Praise the Lord!

Tell us all about your amazing hubby (or wifey :D)!!!

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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!

Wowza Poem

I found this poem months ago, and saved it in an un-sent e-mail. I ran across it while I was cleaning out my inbox and was struck anew by how true (and convicting) it is!

There's one sad truth in life I've found
While journeying east and west -
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I hope you like it, too!

PPW: His Work

Book Study
The Power of A Praying Wife: His Work
Pages 49-54



Happy Monday, everyone!

This week we're looking at Chapter 2 of The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian.

Our husbands' workis such a huge part of who they are. As Omartian puts it: "God recognizes that a man's work is a source of fulfillment to him. He says there is nothing better than for a man to 'enjoy the good of all his labor - it is the gift of God' (Ecclesiastes 3:13).

I love praying through the prayers that she has written. They are always so thorough and eloquent. My pattern is to usually pray through the prayer in the chapter we're currently studying, go back through the prayers from previous chapters, then pray about specific things that Austin and I are going through.

More great "power tools" in this chapter, and I'm going to focus on Psalm 90:17 "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and extablish the work of our hands for us; yes, establis the work of our hands."

If you're reading and praying and memorizing along with us, and you'd like to share your thoughts on chapter two, paste your link here:


Praying for my hubby, and for you all!

PPW: His Wife

Book Study
The Power of A Praying Wife: His Wife
Pages 25-47



Good morning, all!

Today we tackle chapter 1 of The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian.

Each chapter of this book focusues on a unique aspect of your husband's life and appropriately enough, Omartian starts in chapter one with His Wife.

The first time I read this book, it struck me as odd that I should begin praying for my husband by praying for myself. But as Omartian so eloquently put it:

"My heart had to be softened, humbled, pummeled, molded and reconstructed before He even started working on my husband. I had to learn to see things according to the way GOd saw them - not how I thought they should be."

She goes on throughout the chapter to describe the way she used to pray for her husband, stating that her favorite three-word prayer was "Change him, Lord." I have to admit, that I have probably prayed that same prayer more times than enough times to be aboslutely humbled by the rest of her explanations that if I expect to see any positive change in my marriage, it's crucial to begin with my own heart and motivations and reactions to my husband and let God take care of it.

She speaks with so much wisdom throughout this whole chapter, and she gives such sound biblical advice on how to be a good wife.

"When you are praying for yourself - his wife - remember this model of a good wife from the Bible. It says she takes care of her home and runs it well. She knows how to buy and sell and make wise investments. She keeps herself healthy and strong and dresses attractively. She works diligently and has skills which are marketable. Sh is giving and conscientiously prepares for the future. She contributes to her husband's good reputation. She is strong, solid, honorable, and not afraid of growing older. She speaks wisely and kindly. She doesn't sit around doing nothing, but carefully watches what goes on in her home. Her children and her husband praise her. She doesn't rely on charm and beauty but knows that the fear of the Lord is what is most attractive. She supports her husband and still has a fruitful life of her own which speaks loudly for itself (Proverbs 31)."

As always she provides a pre-written prayer to guide us in praying for the traits she has described throughout the chapter, as well as several scriptures she calls "Power Tools."

For this week, I'm going to work on memorizing Mark 11:24, 25 "Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."

If you're reading and praying and memorizing along with us, and you'd like to share your thoughts on chapter one, past your link here:


Praying for my hubby, and for you all!

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Passion!

Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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...no...not that kind of passion...though that's great, too...today I want to talk about Austin's passionate nature and how that plays itself out in his faith.

Austin loves the Lord, and he has never been shy about sharing that fact with anyone who will listen. Lately, that passion has been directed toward getting everything rolling for BBI and preparing for our first trip in January. He is also becoming a very powerful preacher. Granted, he has yet to preach to an audience, and most of his "sermons" have been in the midst of conversations with just a few people - his passion and conviction is blatantly evident to anyone he talks to. Not in an abrasive, pushy way, but in a thought-provoking, heart-string-tugging kind of way.

It is so exciting - and stretching - to see how the Lord is developing his gifts and moving us forward on this amazing journey!

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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!

PPW: The Power

RE-POST! Okay, we are going to try this again! I started this series, and then everything exploded with BBI - while we're still really busy, I think that this is an important series to finish, so that's what I'm gonna do! I thought I'd re-post the introduction post to get us moving again! :)

Book Study
The Power of A Praying Wife: The Power
pages 13-23



Good morning everyone!

I am so excited to start our book study of The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian.

This book is set up so that every chapter deals with a different aspect of your husband's life, with a specific prayer at the end of each chapter dealing with that particular characteristic.

This week, we're going to be looking at what is essentially the introduction to the book, a chapter Omartian has entitled The Power.

The Power emphasizes the absolute essential nature of praying for our husbands. On page 18, Omartian describes marriage in this way: "They are a team, one unit, unified in spirit. The strength of a man and wife joined together in God's sight is far greater than the sum of the strengths of each of the two individuals." She goes on to say that "the enemy" despises "this oneness" and "devises ways to weaken it." Which is why it is so crucial to cover our spouses and our marriage in prayer.

The final portion of this chapter covers an area that I have honestly wondered about, and I'm so glad that she highlights. The heading at the top of page 21 says, "What About Me? I Need Prayer, Too." Omartian lets us know that "it's natural to enter into this prayer venture wondering if your husband will ever be praying for you in the same way you're praying for him. . . .Regardless, whether he does or doesn't is not your concern, it's Gods. So release him from that obligation."

That is so tough for me, but it is so necessary for both my sanity and the sincerity of my prayers for him.

What it comes down to is we're all in different places in our marriages and in our walks with God. But no matter where we find ourselves, God longs to commune with us, and he longs to give us fullness of joy in every aspect of our lives. That does not mean that it will be easy, I don't think that anything worthwhile ever is. But it does mean that we do not have to do any of this under our own power. The Power to persevere comes from the One who is greater, and stronger, and more wonderful than we could ever ask or imagine. Praise the Lord!

"Keep in mind that you are both imperfect people. Only the Lord is perfect. Look to God as the source of all you want to see happen in your marriage, and don't worry about how it will happen. It's your responsibility to pray. It's God's job to answer. Leave it in His hands."

Praying for my hubby, and for you all!