4 things every woman needs

1. Attention:  A woman desires to be listened to. Your relationship won’t work if you ignore your woman. Women by nature desire attention. If they can’t have it from their partner, it will wound their emotions. Why do you think some women would even put on red hair and purple hair? Why all the artificial painting and color combinations? Well, there is something of their nature that’s always crying to be noticed. It is part of how they draw significance. Perhaps if Eve had gotten enough attention from Adam, she wouldn’t have been talking to the serpent. If you won’t listen to your woman, she’ll find someone else to talk to and you will both suffer the consequences of that. Ask Adam. Women aren’t like men that usually talk all the time to make a point. Women often talk, not just to make points but to get their partner’s attention. Only a fool marries a woman he won’t listen to. Cultivate the art of conversation. Learn to listen to your woman. Don’t shout her down or make her feel that her words are empty.

2. Affection:  More than any material things you can give; a woman really needs your affection. It isn’t wisdom or spirituality to be cold and unfeeling towards your woman. You do not love a woman whose feeling you can ignore. Don’t be like those men without character who uses silence as a weapon against their woman. Your silence is like death in your woman. She wants a talker, don’t just listen to her and say nothing. Learn dialogue. Ask her about every little thing in her life. Talk about her hair, her eyes, her smile, the way she walks, her looks, her devotion to God, her praying spirit, her love for God and you, her effort over her children … Don’t just talk to her about yourself, be centered on her. 

          Affection is an undying care and kindness that affects the person it is given unto. If your affection does not affect her, if it doesn’t get into her heart, then there’s something wrong. Don’t just roll over and sleep after your conjugal duty, let her head be on your chest. Stroke her back, her hair, and her cheeks. Ask her to know how you can satisfy her and never assume that just because you got what you wanted, the same is true of her.

3. Appreciation:  Don’t become too used to the little things your woman do that you begin to ignore them. Talk about her soup. Appreciating her is actually more effective in improving her than correcting her. Whatever you appreciate in your woman becomes stronger. Let her know that you do not see her as your house maid or a mistress who only exists to satisfy your passions. Appreciate everything she does in the house. Don’t come from the work and begin to shout at your woman because of an untidy part of the house, some hand towels or clothing that are not in the right place, a littered floor or something she hasn’t yet done. Such an attitude is damaging to the emotion of a woman who has been working all day to keep the house in order. Try and notice the things she has done and appreciate her for them. If she left a place untouched, then you can help her and if you do, she’ll appreciate and notice it, and you won’t meet it untidy next time. 

          Women are more sensitive and responsive to the improvement commanded by appreciation than those demanded by scolding or correction. Always find something to be thankful for. The Songs of Solomon is full of the expressions of King Solomon appreciating his partner’s beauty from her head to toe. He likened her eyes to the doves’, talked fondly of her breasts and so on and so forth. Appreciate every part of your woman’s body even though you see them every day. Never become too used to them that you no longer talk about them. You can never appreciate a woman enough so don’t stop. And when you do, mean it, they’re sensitive to deception and empty words.

4. Protection:  A woman needs security. She must be able to trust you. Her love is a gift to you which must be treasured but you must also earn her trust. Understand that women trust how they feel with you more than what you tell them. If you promise your woman love, you must also show it. When you’ve said so much and do so little, she will retire to watching what you do instead of believing what you promise. Let your woman know that her secrets are safe with you. Don’t go discussing your private matters with your friends. Beware of a third party becoming a threat to your woman’s security. Let her heart be able to trust safely in you. You must work at getting her there, yes, to that point where she feels secure with you. Don’t give her attitudes that threaten her future with you. Be careful of the words you use with your woman. Never talk to her the way Jesus will not talk to the church (Ephesians 5). Godly wives don’t have problem submitting to godly husbands who loves them as Christ loves the church. How much can you give up for your woman? Sacrifice is a proof of love. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son for her (John 3:16). Protect your woman, don’t go siding an outsider against her. Even when she has done something wrong, don’t ever let her feel alone or thrown away. Always stand by her. It’s not enough to make big and sweet promises in the marriage vow, you must live up to those promises.

          Be careful the way you evaluate your wife’s decisions, don’t let her feel that she’s foolish. We all miss it sometimes, but the last person we need after losing something or when hurting is a critical police officer to tongue lash us. Love is appropriate in every situation. Always reassure your woman that you’re by her no matter what and live out your promises. Be there!

Sursa: aici

Autor: Samson Ajilore

What it means to be God's man

Pentru o imagine mai mare, dati click pe ea.

By Todd Wagner
Sursa: aici

What it means to be God's woman

Pentru o imagine mai mare, dati click pe ea.

By Todd Wagner
Sursa: aici

Where did all the happy, single Christians go?

Reblogged from here

Speaking as a single person who desires to wait not for the “perfect one,” but for God’s choice—in His chosen time and in His chosen circumstances—I find myself often discouraged by our current American church culture.

On the one hand, we have a more loose approach which says: “Date around! There are plenty of fish in the sea! See what size fits!” On the other hand, we have a more conservative perspective which says: “Get married as your solution to loneliness, romantic fulfillment and all sexual desire!”

However, I personally have not found myself to be comfortable with either of these two extremes.

Recreational dating aligns with culture quite nicely, but places absolutely no faith in the God who provides for His sons and daughters.

When I read Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33 and Paul’s in 1 Corinthians 7:27, I am reminded that we need not be anxious for our own interests. We have a Sovereign and Almighty God as our loving Father. He cares for us infinitely more than even the best earthly father. Plus, we have to remember that both Jesus and Paul were single, and they commended singleness (Matthew 19:12; 1 Corinthians 7:8). 

In the same way, the conservative strategy to marry wisely often sacrifices the sweet, romantic gift we observe in the Song of Solomon (as fully realized in the relationship between Christ and His bride), which is dynamic and full of life… not mechanical and systematic.

I'm concerned that Christian singles are pursuing marriage with greater vigor than they intentionally pursue Christ. I believe this is probably fueled both by their own desires and the external pressures within the church. My exhortation is this: "NOTHING is wrong with you." Do not allow yourself to feel as if you are a problem to be fixed simply because you are currently single. We should be far more fearful of not pursuing Christ as our greatest treasure than we are of being single. Also, we should fear our tendancy to value anything including marriage (for the sake of getting married) over and above Christ and His kingdom. 

Marriage is a very good gift. But, we must remember that it is a gift given and not for us to take. The single man or woman finds no less favor with God than those who are married. 

Spend time with your Creator. Wrestle before the throne of your King. Make child-like requests to your Father. Is marriage in your heart? If so, then pray without ceasing and find your satisfaction in God while you TRUST God to provide for you. His promises are throughout Scripture. Stop the silly games of pursuing romance in relationships which so often fail and so seldom satisfy. Wait on the God who saved you and trust Him to provide for you a suitable mate with whom you can excitedly pursue your joy in Christ. The loose approach encourages you to compromise away all that is special and dear to you and your future spouse.

 The conservative perspective urges you to rush into a calculated marriage before considering whether or not you are called to it by God.

Wait on God.

Wait on Christ.

Search the Scriptures and realize that waiting on God is one of the highest and sweetest disciplines of faith.

Nothing is too difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:17). 

You need only be still (Exodus 14:14).

“Wait for the LORD;
 be strong, and let your heart take courage;
 wait for the LORD!" (Psalm 27:14).

In conclusion, I would like to remind the Church that there are many in our number who will be called to singleness until death or Christ's Return. We must esteem their value to the Church. 

Constant questions such as, "When are you getting married?" or "Are you interested in someone?" encourage singles to find their identity in marriage or family. Also, it makes our singles feel as if there is something wrong with them. 

Help those in the Church who have been given the GIFT of singleness to take advantage of it as a means of undistracted service in the kingdom. Encourage them to believe the promise that the Lord will give them the desires of their heart (marriage or not) as they seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

Grace and Peace,

Sam

The Waiting

Reblogged from here

There is something beautiful about waking before the sun does. A quiet that is deeper than any other hour is to be found here, willing to bear with you as you dig deeper still into the Word, talking to the One who who created the stillness of this moment, the One who waits eagerly that you may find it. Hot tea is good company, snuggled down deep in a down comforter, reading the ancient words of Isaiah, knowing that the minutes are flying by too fast and soon, the day will force you out of bed, out of the stillness, but for now, tea and a prophet are the best of company.

Words fill the air, making it fat with promises. The veil seems to lift or at least, the assurance of much is firm. Not seeing what He does in the unseen is beautiful in the deep of now. Not seeing what He does in the unseen out of this moment, when the day has come in ushering with it all the world would have you believe, holding onto the deep and stillness of these hours before the sun has risen and holding fast unto these promises, this will be the test. Yet, the waiting is sweet in the moment of now. The knowing is strong. For the sweet aroma of all He is fills all we are when our days begin in the quiet with Him. Filled with the knowledge and fragrance of Him and carrying it with us into our day, this is what diminishes all the world's lies. This is what makes knowledge of what He is doing stronger and stronger still.

The waiting. The holding unto the facts of how He has been faithful before in our moments. Clinging to a promise that He will above all else come through for all our moments in the future, despite what doubts scream in the logic of day. To wait upon your God is not doing nothing, but indeed to wait upon Him is to do everything. Hard? Yes. Absolutely. Worth it? More than you can imagine. For we are so easily satisfied with stones when He would give us rubies. Waiting will test the tensile strength of courage that He is working in our souls. Waiting requires being deaf to words said like, "I would just hate to see you miss your chance." As if we can "miss a chance" as if our lives will suddenly be irrevocably off course if we don't steer the ship for a while, for obviously He cannot steer our ships without a little help from our hands! No! He needs neither our help to guide nor will He allow a chance to be missed if we are surrendered to Him. It's as ridiculous as believing the sun will not rise without our help this morning. For if our God can raise the sun each morning in the sky, He is more than capable of bringing about His most perfect plan in our lives if we're willing to wait on Him. 

Take heart, the wait is creating a dependance on your God, a beautiful relationship and trust with Jesus, that will only serve to prepare and equip you for all He would have you do in the future. Is it hard? Good. For that which is the hardest is what works the deepest of changes in our lives.

For now, the waiting is what I am called to. To gaze into His eyes, fixing my eyes no where else but on His, knowing with perfect assurance that He is faithful, is all I need do. Nothing more or less than this. The waiting is everything.

Light is beginning to break over the mountains. The hazy blue of morning whispers of the day following, of life that is soon to be met, work needing to be accomplished, people seen, and words spoken. But, the sweetness of time spent in these deepest of hours has settled into my soul, never long enough, and will go with me into the day. And this time will change who I am in this day. For meeting with Him before the day begins changes everything. Always.

"'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul. Therefore I have hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord."

-Lamentations 3:24-26

Make your life count

Make your life count! Fa ca viata ta sa conteze!
Feminitatea pusa deoparte - by Leslie Ludy
A fi pus/a deoparte pentru Hristos nu este usor, dar se merita cu fiecare clipa traita.
Imi pare rau ca nu exista o subtitrare in romana, dar pentru cine intelege engleza, aceste inregistrari sunt o binecuvantare.

Part 1



Part 2