Thursday SHINE...

Thursday's reading:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20samuel%2014&version=MSG

Good morning SHINE girls! How's the reading going?

Can you believe the precious gems that are in 1 Samuel? Did you ever think that these few chapters could so relate and intertwine with our lives today? Wow. Just another reminder that God's Word IS living and active.

I have a gift for you today. My friend, Lisa Inlow, will be guest-blogging.

I asked her a couple of days ago if she would do this, and of course she gladly accepted. She asked me what she should write about and I told her to pray about it and let the Holy Spirit lead her.

Oh, man...did she ever. When she sent me the copy of this, I literally had to sit down. I had just been feeling the Lord telling me that very day that I  needed to find rest and quiet in my days. In fact, I ended up deactivating my Facebook page, because I felt like I needed less distractions in my life and more focus on Him.

I love how God sends us His messages and affirmations at just the right time.

Read and be blessed, friends.

again, i like visuals...so here is my beautiful friend, Lisa. (she had no idea  I was posting a picture. )

Genesis 2:20b  ...But still there was no helper just right for him.

So God created Eve...

Definition of 'helper' from dictionary.com:
a person or thing that helps or gives assistance, support.


Encouraging other women in their marriage is a passion of mine, not gonna lie.  I love to encourage and help them see their role as wives, though our Father's eyes, not the worlds.  And for the record, the two typically do not match.

I am the extrovert in our marriage, my husband is the introvert.  We do have great conversation about the kids, his work, my work as a stay-at-home-mom, our church that we love, etc.  But when it comes to what he needs, what he feels, what's on his mind, what he's struggling with, well, those things are kept inside...tight.


For years this kind of annoyed me, as what I'm thinking about anything, flows freely though my lips and thought it would be nice if he carried on the same way.

I would ask questions, really wanting to go deep in his psyche.  Crickets.  (But ask anything about the mobile industry, his line of work, and well, hold on sista!)

I posted a comment the other day on SHINE ( http://shinegirlsshine.blogspot.com/2012/01/discussions-116-120.html ) about living in quiet so I can really hear my God.  And not silence noisy things when I want to hear Him, but strive to live quietly so I can always hear Him.

I am no longer on a certain social networking site because personally, I find it very, very loud.  It is not best for me, does not bring out the best in me, and definitely does not make me a better daughter of the King, wife or mommy.

I have other areas in my life where I may be more low-key or keep myself on the down-low.  A verse that pops in my head on a regular basis, I Thessalonians 4:11
Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.  I strive to live inside this verse.


Back to the hubby.  These principles are also how I operate at home.  I have learned with my husband, that in order to help and support (great word used from definition above) him, I need to pay attention.  Sit quietly and listen.

Watch.  Listen.  Quiet.  Shhhh.

Hear.

I know we are all busy.  But are there some things in your life that you could turn down, turn off, or omit all together?  Couldn't our hearts really hear better if we made some changes?  Wouldn't we be able to "see" more clearly?

I really want to hear my Heavenly Father every time He speaks to me.  I want to hear my husbands heart, even when he's not saying a word.  Wouldn't he find that helpful?

Will you join me SHINE sisters?

Let's support our husbands, listening to them, being still with them.

Let's quiet our spirits so we can truly hear our Father who so desperately loves us and wants to communicate with us.  Can we hear Him through the noise?

Our precious Father in heaven...wow, do we love You so much.  And we are honored to be your daughters.  Lord we want to hear You. We commit to quiet the noise, omit the noise, kick the noise to the street!!  We are here.  Waiting.  We are quiet.  We are still.  We are listening.   In Jesus precious name.