On Marriage and (gasp!) Submitting

Well, another 2 weeks have gone by... and we have another post on submitting in marriage. I wrote this a week or so ago, but as I stated last, I have some things to catch up on still, so kept postponing... However, school starts next week and by that time I need to be fixed up around here so normal posting should return soon! As I said in my last post, I want to focus here on marriage- and I have talked before on how I feel submitting can achieve a more successful relationship. I recently saw, while doing a Google search of Christian homemaking blogs, a listing which purports to be an "alternative" to the "regular" homemaking blogs who are written by Christian women who are conservative and submissive (cue disparaging tone.) Uh oh.
Personally, I thank her, I believe this only accentuates what I am trying to show here. I think many of us "conservative" ladies try to show how deriding us as weak is ridiculous. I believe that submission (in the biblical way) makes marriages stronger.
I have both submitted and not in the past five years with Mr. Shelley, and when I don't does it make our relationship better? Am I more "empowered" and happier? No! I feel worse, and can always see that my pride causes me to be irritable with hime for the least thing, or no thing at all. Then, I speak in a snippy tone (as my Mom always called it, basically it means I sound like a whiny kid!) We often end uf arguing because of this, and as much as in the moment I like to blame him... he didn't appreciate me, didn't help me with the kids, etc the fact is if I hadn't been thinking of myself I would have reacted differently.
Is this the example of a working relationship? Maybe- if you take your example of a good marriage from the sitcom shows where the husband and wife trade jibes back and forth and constantly bust each other up verbally. An example of marriage- sadly, yes. But successful, positive marriage? I don't think so.

I am happy to share this at Works For Me Wednesday.

Time Away and New Intentions

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted! After a family trip 2 weeks ago, I've felt overwhelmed with a seemingly never-ending list of tasks to catch up on. This was worsened by my fight with persistent sleep issues, and a resulting lack of motivation to really work on my tasks. I've been beating myself up because I felt like I was dropping all the balls I should have been juggling and keeping up with. However, I have come to a realization due to the good work that God has been doing in me and my heart. When it does happen that I keep my balls all up in the air, it is only because of His grace. And the other more usual time, I am dropping most often the balls that are most important to me. It seem as if I have so much time for these things that don't matter to me, or that don't fit into my long term plans for our family and such, than things that I really care about and that are truly meaningful in my life. I have decided on a new course of action: a determined effort to move forward in my life on the path I feel God has laid out.

I have been thinking for a while now about how I might be able to provide a ministry for others through my blogs, and also be able to reach out more to my offline friends. I feel that everyone has a special gift, a place they can reach out to others from, and draw them in to God and His word. With so many things going on in the world, I kept moving back and forth, even though I knew what I wanted to talk about. My decision was difficult for me for a simple reason: I feel completely unqualified to impart much wisdom on this topic. First of all, it is a problem I stills struggle with on a regular basis, however, now I realize that I am in a unique position of dealing with the problem just as many others are. This is a close topic to m heart- I feel that this one aspect of life can improve the entire line of other common difficulties people have with parenting, and the fallout of troubled kids -a troubled society. This is what I really feel is the foundation of strong families, lives, and societies: a strong marriage.

I will still include much on homemaking here at MAHM, but am happy to introduce a new viewpoint geared towards strengthening marriages. For some great links, please see:

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Revive Our Hearts

 

I am happy to share this at Works For Me Wednesday.