Glorifying God, Part 3

How do we, as women, in 2012 glorify God? 

We've already discussed glorifying God in our corporate worship.  Another way we can glorify God is by being committed to our marriage, and our home.

Titus 2:3-5  “the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things – that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” 

 We can show glory to God by being keepers of our homes I Timothy 5:14.  If we allow our homes to be run in chaos, how can we be showing the world a better way of living?  We can show glory to God by being hospitable, Romans 12:13.  This is partly being a good steward of what God has blessed us with, but also being a good example to those around us.  Do we use our homes as a way of blessing those around us, or is it a showpiece kept just for ourselves? 

 We are told to love our husbands.  That includes speaking about him to others in a positive light.  Try not to allow others who may talk negatively about their spouse influence you to do the same.  We want our husband to be able to rise up and call us blessed and to praise us (Proverbs 31:28) and we need to treat him in the right way.  We are to submit to and honor our husbands Ephesians 5:22-24, I Peter 3:1.  We are showing glory to God when we are helpers to our husbands (Genesis 2:18).

 What about our children?  Do we belittle them when we speak to them?  Do we protect them from the world, guarding their hearts?  When we teach our children the truths from God’s word as we sit in the house, walk by the way, when they lie down and when they rise up, Deuteronomy 6:7-9, we will be glorifying God.

The world will take notice of the different way we live, the way our family interacts, the way we show love to one another and that we have a commitment to our marriage, family and home, and God will be glorified.

Happy 2012!

Another year has begun - 2012! 

Our family has had an amazing holiday break!  My husband has been off for 2 weeks and a day, our daughter home from college and the boys home from school.  We've played games, watched television, eaten a lot, shopped, celebrated, enjoyed having families into our home, and being in the homes of others.  We have relished our spiritual family and our earthly family. 

Blog entries haven't been a high priority, but I will be getting back into that later this week.  My goal is to write more for my blog, submit articles to magazines and newspapers, and hopefully have the opportunity to speak at ladies events.  My goal is to focus more on God's people and less on myself. 

Here are some other goals:  daily Bible reading, Scripture memorization, reading more spiritual books, continuing with the "Digging Deeper" study, re-implementing family Bible time, getting more involved with our local church, continuing with hospitality, and limiting my time on things that are not profitable. 

This isn't a complete list, but it includes some of the goals my family will be talking about this week. Do you and your family make New Year's resolutions? What resolutions have you all made for 2012?

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I love the concept and reason for thanksgiving, but  mainly because it has been a consistent thing in my life.  We always enjoy Thanksgiving with my parents.  Sometimes it has been at my home, sometimes at theirs, but always with them.  Our meal is always the same, and when it's not ... well, it's back to the same the next year.  Of course we have the usual foods like everyone else, the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes.  We also have green beans that my mom canned from the summer.  She typically saves back a jar or 2 of the smaller beans, because those are my favorite.  We also have frosted cranberry salad, which is a jello full of stuff!  Makes me hungry just thinking about it!  We use the good dishes and glasses.  We set around the table, some at a card table, some on the couch, but we're all together and that is something worth being thankful for.  After the meal has been cleared away and the dishwasher loaded, we pull out the dominoes for a lively (seriously) game of Mexican Train. 

Well, this year is different.  Our daughter is a freshman in college, 12 hours from our home.  She came home by plane, and only has a few days with us until she flies out again leaving us no real time to make the trip to my parents.  They're also unable to make the trip this year, so it leaves us with being in different places.  We knew this was coming, but the reality makes it a little hard to swallow, much like cold, lumpy mashed potatoes. 

Well, this year may be different, but I am thankful just the same, perhaps even more so.  I am especially thankful for my family.  Of course the ones far away that I'm related to by blood, but also the ones I assemble with each week to worship God who I am related to by the blood of Christ.  I'm thankful for the hospitality and friendship as we, along with others, are welcomed into a loving home to share a meal together.  I'm thankful for the fellowship we enjoy every time we get together to worship, but also the periods of fellowship that occur via texts, email, Facebook, or in homes.  What a wonderful blessing it is to have a loving family!

I actually started this blog post to include some of my favorite Bible verses on thanksgiving, and to mention how many times it's in the Bible, etc.  but once I started thinking about the holiday of Thanksgiving, my thoughts turned of family.  I'm blessed in so many ways.  I am thankful for my Christian walk - Colossians 2:6-7 "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."  I'm also thankful for the opportunities past, present and future to serve Him.  I'm thankful for my heritage in the faith as I've been taught. 

Psalm 100

A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

¹ Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
² Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
³ Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
⁵ For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.