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Good morning, ladies!

This week we’ll be talking about when a godly man only has eyes for his wife.

1. He’s attentive and pursues his woman

Ladies, it is not our job to do the pursuing, it’s the man’s job. It’s an act of chivalry for the man to go after the woman. We just need to be available and friendly.

I’m not saying that we need to play super “hard to get,” but just like Christ loved and pursued the church, so should a gentleman pursue his lady.

So, what does it look like when a gentleman actively pursues his lady? For me, I love talking or spending quality time with the people I love. When a guy pursues his girl, he makes time for her, talks to her, and prays for her.

“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor.” Proverbs 21:21

2. He’s faithful and loyal

In Ruth 1:16 it says, “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.’” Ruth left everything familiar and comfortable because she loved her mother-in-law. Just as we godly women are faithful to our husbands, so are our godly husbands faithful to us.

We want our husbands to stay loyal to us, right? Both in the small and big things. Proverbs 20:6 says, “Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?”

In our world today, it’s difficult to find someone who is loyal to only one person in a relationship. They might still be looking or have their online dating profile up “just in case.” Our society constantly shoves living together before marriage, sleeping around, and cheating at us.

But God’s Word says, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3). If our men are men of God, they know and practice faithfulness and loyalty. Our men will love us so much because they love God more.

“Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?” Proverbs 5:20

3. He’s gentle, yet passionate

Imagine a man so in love with a gift God gave him that he holds it with tender care. Like holding a newborn baby, so fragile, yet the father loves it deeply.

Philippians 4:5 says, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Men are strong creatures, and that’s okay, but godly men are also gentle and tender. I’m not saying they have to be as emotional as women — that would be weird — but patient and loving when their wives need them to be (Proverbs 15:1).

Same with our bodies. Sex can be a scary thought, especially if our men aren’t respectful, but it’s meant to be holy. 1 Corinthians 7:4 states, “The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.” When we get married, our bodies are in submission to our spouse. That doesn’t mean we’re slaves, but that we’re passionately in love with our spouses physically.

I want my husband to be passionately in love with my mind, heart, and body, but be so passionately in love that he treats my mind, heart, and body with a holy care. On our wedding night, I want him to take things slow and a gentle yet passionate husband will do that.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

4. He’s my best friend.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

I want to laugh, dance, sing, cry, make weird jokes, and spend quality time with my future husband. I do all of that with my friends already. If there isn’t a friendship in marriage, how strong can the “cord” be?

“As iron sharpens iron, so does one friend sharpen another (Proverbs 27:17). Great friends strengthen one another and if we’re married to someone who doesn’t strengthen us, how effective is that relationship?

We don’t want to be in a marriage that’s all sex, kids, work, and “me time.” A friendship between husband and wife brings unity. An unreliable friendship can hurt us (Proverbs 18:24).

“Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel.” 2 Kings 2:2

Heavenly Father,

Help us to wait for godly men who are attentive, loyal, gentle, and are our best friends. Give us strength and courage to wait patiently and in expectation.

God bless,

M.A.

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Hey ladies! Last post we talked about our men loving others. For part 4 of the series 6 Characteristics of a Godly Husband, today we’re going to learn how godly husbands act the way God made them: by being men.

1. Keeps our family safe.

A man is able to keep his family safe from harm. If the Lord calls my husband and I to missions, it’s important to me that my husband wants our family to be safe while in dangerous areas.

King David was a warrior. He knew how to fight battles, but he also was a musician. He wasn’t so hardened by the acts of war that he wasn’t able to love. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t fierce. I want to be in my husbands arms and feel safe—to feel God’s love and protectiveness through him.

Have you ever been in someone’s presence and them just being there made you feel safe?

Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” While I and my children are protected by my husband, my husband will rely on the Lord for safety. God created Adam to take care of Eve, but God also has His arms open to take care of Adam.

In the end, God is the only One strong enough and powerful enough to keep us safe, but a godly husband has a duty to protect his family.

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like of the deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19

2. Knows and practices self-control.

Just as we godly women need to have self-control, so do godly men. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. The enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Self-control comes when we have a clear and sober mind when we’re angry, stressed over finances, and rebuking temptations. If our future husbands don’t have self-control, those situations can become dangerous.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, “Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodged into the hearts of fools.” How different would our marriage be if my future husband and I were quick to become angry?

I’ve seen men become so angry that they can’t think straight or control their bodies. In turn, they terrify and hurt the people around them. I don’t want my future husband to scare me, and I certainly don’t want him scaring our children. How is he supposed to protect us from other things when he can’t even protect us from his anger?

“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who is without self-control.” Proverbs 25:28

3. Takes care of himself.

Though the Lord looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:17) and we should too, it’s also important that we are physically attracted to our spouse. It’s not the first thing we should look at, but it’s definitely on the list.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” In this passage, Paul is explaining to the Corinthians that our bodies are holy because Christ lives in us. Therefore, we should treat our bodies as they are sacred, fleeing from sexual immorality.

If we are to treat our bodies as holy because Christ lives in us, shouldn’t we also be healthy and have good hygiene?

Who wants to be married to a man who doesn’t shower, doesn’t brush his teeth, and sits on the couch all day? Yeah…no one is raising their hands.

Now, I’m not saying our husbands have to be supermodels, though that would be cool. Wink wink nudge nudge.

What I’m saying is that our husbands clean themselves, eat healthily (they can enjoy junk food, just not eat every meal at McDonald’s—you know what I mean?), and stay in shape.

Am I being picky? Possibly. Do I want my husband and I to glorify God through our bodies? Definitely.

“The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.” Proverbs 20:25

4. Fights on his knees.

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” We don’t want our future husbands picking fights or handling fights in violence. A man who fights on his knees prays for his enemies and knows that the true fight is against Satan, not brothers and sisters in Christ.

One of my favorite quotes is this by Ruth Bell Graham when she was 17, “If I marry: he must be so tall that when he’s on his knees he reaches all the way to heaven.” Imagine a man so confident in the Lord and so loving that instead of becoming violent or using his own strength to defend himself, he turns to God in prayer. A man who fights with prayer is gentle and loving (1 Tim. 3:3).

The rest of Ruth’s quote goes like this:

“If I marry: He must be so tall that when he is on his knees he reaches all the way to heaven. His shoulders must be broad enough to bear the burden of a family. His lips must be strong enough to smile, firm enough to say no, and tender enough to kiss. Love must be so deep that it takes its stand with Christ and so wide that it takes in the whole lost world. He must be active enough to save souls. He must be big enough to be gentle and great enough to be thoughtful. His arms must be strong enough to carry a small child.”

Moving past physical qualities that make men attractive, the spiritual and emotional aspects make a man attractive indeed.

It’s okay for men to be men and women to be women. God made us different and that’s okay. We need to support our future husbands in being the way God made them: fighters, workers, bearers, and leaders.

Heavenly Father,

We pray for the men around us, that they would keep their families safe, practice self-control, take care of themselves, and fight their battles in prayer. Help us support them with love and acceptance. Amen.

God bless,

M.A.

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Welcome back to our series, 6 Characteristics of a Godly Husband! Last post we talked about family approval, this time we’ll learn how a godly man should love others.

What would it be like to find a man who is so in love with God that the way he loves others only proves his devotion all the more?

How can we distinguish godly men from worldly men and how they love?

Loves animals

A godly man who loves animals takes care of their needs. Proverbs 12:10 says, “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals.” A righteous man looks after what God has put into his care because he knows that all animals of this world are God’s (Job 12:10; Psalm 50:10).

Am I saying that he has to freak out every time he sees a puppy because puppies are absolutely adorable? Of course not. What I’m saying is that he takes care of them and doesn’t abuse them in any way (Proverbs 27:23).

The way he treats animals is a window into showing how he treats those who can’t defend or help themselves.

“Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.” Psalm 36:6

Loves children

A friend and I awhile back were talking about how we want to be disciplinarians first, friends second when we’re parents someday.

Proverbs 29:17 says, “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire. ” Loving a child brings peace. Sometimes loving a child is the best way to discipline them. I want my future husband to be able to discipline our children out of love, not abuse, in order for them to grow.

It’s also important to think about how he disciplines. Colossians 3:20-21 says, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” We shouldn’t constantly nag our kids, that’s not love. We need to be strict, yet show compassion in order to love them well (Psalm 103:13).

A godly husband knows that children are gifts from God and we should treat them as such. I want my future husband and I to dedicate our children to the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5; 1 Samuel 1:27-28).

“He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” Mark 10:14

Loves others

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind towards one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” I want my husband to be a kind man. Not just some nice guy, not just some dude who doesn’t hang around the wrong crowd, but a godly man who loves others deeply, genuinely, and generously (Deuteronomy 15:7-11; Galatians 6:9-10). I want a man who loves his enemies as he loves himself (Matthew 5:44; 7:12).

I’m going to be honest, I’m not the easiest person to live or work with, so I desire a husband who will be patient with me and will comfort me in times of stress (1 Corinthians 16:14; 4:3).

John 15:12 says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” A man who loves as God loves is a man who loves others indeed.

“Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

If my future husband loves God, he’ll love God’s creation: animals, children, his neighbor, his wife…

I want him to lead me not only in loving God and loving him, but loving the people around me. We can’t lead others to Jesus without loving them like Jesus loved.

If my husband can’t love others, how will he love me?

God bless,

M.A.

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I’ve been feeling unwell lately and had to go through more tests and doctor appointments. Normally when I go through these phases of feeling more sick than usual, I can’t find anything to eat that sounds good. My mom’s carrot soup is always one of my go-to’s! It’s simple to make (even I can make it — which is saying something), gluten-free, dairy-free, and can be enjoyed year-round. It was even featured in a cookbook!

Here’s what you’ll need:

6 medium carrots, washed and shredded (I’ve used a large bag of shredded carrots before)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded (I’ve also used a bag of shredded hash browns)
1 med. onion, chopped
2-3 C Vegetable broth
1 t ground pepper
½ t salt
½ t season salt or Mrs. Dash
½ T Italian seasoning
¼ t nutmeg
½ C soy milk
¼ C rice milk (If you don’t have any rice milk, just add water or more soy milk)
½ stick soy margarine (or butter), softened

Combine the broth, carrots, potatoes, onion, salts and pepper in a large pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots and potatoes are tender.
Remove the pot from heat.
Blend
1. Hand Mixer (wand) Method: Blend slowly until desired smoothness. Return to heat.
2. Blender Method: Transfer the mixture to a blender, 1-2 cups at a time, and place the lid on the blender, leaving the top slightly ajar to allow steam to escape (very important tip!). Carefully blend the mixture at low speed until smooth. Return the blended mixture to the pot, and place on high heat.
Add Italian seasoning and nutmeg and bring mixture to a boil.
Stir in milk and butter until blended and heat thoroughly.
Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls, and serve hot.

Yield: 8 servings

Enjoy!

M.A.

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Welcome back! Today’s post will be a short one. In our series, 6 Characteristics of a Godly Husband, we’re focusing on families getting along.

Like last week, some may say, “Well, duh, our families should be friendly with one another.” That’s true, but I’m not only talking about being nice; I’m talking about being friends.

When my mom and dad got married, my Nanna (dad’s mom) and Grandma (mom’s mom) became more than mere acquaintances, they became family. My Nanna and Grandma didn’t ignore each other until both sides of the family were together for the holidays, they supported and helped each other in times of struggle. My Nanna and Grandma were friendly towards one another and cared about their extended family.

Consider Ruth and Naomi: Ruth stayed with her mother-in-law and took care of her even though Naomi wasn’t her mother by blood. Ruth left everything behind that was safe and comfortable, taking care of Naomi while Naomi took care of Ruth.

But, what if people from each family absolutely loathe each other?

If God put my future husband and I together and He wants us to be married, we’ll get married. Granted, my future husband and I need to pray and listen to God first. It is possible for families not getting along that a couple should step back and think about their choices, but God may be telling us through the discontentment of our families that the romantic relationship we’re in shouldn’t go any further.

Again, that is something to pray, ask, and listen to God about.

It’s an necessity that my future husband’s family and mine love one another. I’ve seen so many relationships fall apart because their friends and family never gave them a chance.

I want my family to be a family. Not just my husband and I, nor just us and my side of the family. I want us all to care and love each other.

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).”

In Genesis 24:50-51, Rebekah’s family agrees to send her with Eliazor (the servant) to marry Isaac. When Isaac sees Rebekah, he goes to her and marries her with his father’s blessing and her family’s approval. Both sides of the family approved of the marriage between them because they knew that God was in the midst of their meeting and sent each other on their way.

For me, it’s important that I have full support from my future husband’s parents and my parents in furthering our relationship because that makes the relationship more solid. We would be able to further the relationship with more confidence knowing that the people that matter most to us approve.

When it comes down to it, God’s approval is the only approval we need, but it’s important for me to have the blessings from both sets of parents. If they don’t approve and God still wants us to be married, then we’ll wed, but that’s something we need to pray, ask, and listen about.

In the end, God’s approval is the ultimate blessing and surpasses everyone else’s opinions. But, God does call His family to unity (John 17:20-21).

Heavenly Father, we praise You because You are the ultimate judge. Help us to become unified in You. Help us to be loving towards one another and seek Your blessing above all else. Amen.

God bless,

M.A.

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Good morning, ladies! For our first week of the series 6 Characteristics of a Godly Husband, we’ll be talking about how godly husbands act with responsibility. I know what you might be thinking, “well, duh, a Husband should be responsible.” Yes, that’s true, but how should they be responsible and what does the Bible have to say about it?

Out of the many different ways a husband acts responsibly, we’re going to focus on 4:

1. Responsible with money

2. Responsible in getting things done

3. Responsible in being spiritually disciplined

4. Able to take care of a family

I feel like a teacher talking to a class and beginning a lesson. The little girl who likes to play pretend is coming out. Lovely.

Anyhow, let’s continue.

1. Responsible with money

Financially, we want to be stable and out of debt, whether I’m married or not. We and our husbands need to be able to handle money carefully. I want my future husband to be generous as well (Proverbs 19:17), bring blessings to our family through his hard-earned money (Proverbs 11:25), and be rich in good works (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

When we do these things, we honor the Lord with our money (Proverbs 3:9-10).

If we happen to have debt when we’re married, which is normal, then I want my future husband and I to be honest and pay back what we owe.

“The wicked borrows, but doesn’t pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; but those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off” (Psalm 37:21-26).

2.Responsible in getting things done

Alright, be honest, have you procrastinated before? I know I have. Ah, the perks of being a college student.

But, with a family, it’s important to get stuff done. If we have a habit of starting projects and not finishing them, that can cause stress for you and/or another. Then, at the end of a project or a goal, we hoped for completion and wanted success, but all we have are broken pallet boards and empty prayer journals (Proverbs 10:4, 13:4, 20:4).

After all, the hands of the diligent are successful (Proverbs 12:24).

“In whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord knowing you’ll receive the inheritance as your reward. You’re serving the Lord” (Colossians 3:17, 23-24).

3.Responsible in being spiritually disciplined

I want to pray with my husband every morning and every evening. It’s important that my husband is spiritually alert, able to defend himself with the Word and with prayer, so he can lead me, his wife, and his family towards Jesus (1 Peter 5:8-9).

I want my husband to spend time with God on a daily basis, to lean on our Savior for strength and wisdom. I want him to run the race, pay attention to how he lives, loves, and uses his life as an example for Christ in order to bring others to Jesus (Ephesians 5:15-16). It’s important for me that my husband is an example, along with myself, on how to live an honorable, loving, and disciplined Christian life so we can teach our children to do the same.

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of His reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom He loves, as a Father the son whom He delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).

4.Can take care of a family

When we put these 3 points together, we can see they all fit under the responsibility of taking care of a family.

Boaz, for example, knew how to use money and resources well. He had a whole field of workers under his command and still gave grain to the poor (Ruth 2:4-5, 8-9, 16). When he promised Ruth that he would talk to her kinsman redeemer, he didn’t hesitate and got the job done (Ruth 3:18, 4). He was spiritually disciplined in knowing God’s law and was a man of God (Ruth 2:20, 4). In doing all of this, he was able to marry Ruth, take care of her, have a son, and be in the line and genealogy of Jesus. Now that’s taking care of a family!

“And the women of the village gave him a name, saying, ‘A son has been born to Naomi.’ They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17).

I used to think that asking God for a responsible husband was silly — that it was obvious — but I realized that God cares about the obvious.

I like to joke about men and how they mature less quickly than women. It seems that men don’t mature until they’re 40.

I’m joking, only joking.

Partially 😉

Anyways, there’s nothing wrong with asking for someone to be responsible. That’s part of being a husband and father. Look at God; He’s the epitome of responsibility!

I urge y’all to observe the men in your lives and how they handle responsibility. Do they stress over things? Are they lazy? Do they take the time to care for you? Do they handle money responsibly? Do they spend time with God daily?

Heavenly Father, I pray for our future husbands and ask that You help them become responsible young men. As their future wives, help us to be responsible young women to support them as they support us. Amen.

God bless,

M.A.

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Lately I’ve been struggling with purpose and identity. I’ve recently moved very far from home and friends in obedience to what God has called me to do in this season. Now that I’m where I’m at, I’ve become a little restless. During a break at work I was able to take a walk and write in my prayer journal. While in college, I had written this:

“To be honest, I have been questioning Your purpose for me and how it connects with what You want me to do after I graduate from college this May. I’ve been struggling with self-worth and where my identity is found. At church my crush was praised in the middle of service for all of his accomplishments and I’m sitting there wondering how the heck would I be good enough for him because I haven’t done half the things he’s done. So, I called mom crying, ‘I’ve become a recluse. My anxiety is ruining my life. What have I accomplished? What’s wrong with me? There’s no hope for me.'”

But where did all that come from? Why did I feel like that then and still do now? Is that what God’s Word says? Have I been getting it wrong the entire time? Have I been preaching the Word, but not believing it when it says I am a cherished child of God? Multiple things come to mind:

When I am weak, He is strong.

I’ve had an unhealthy view of God’s grace. I thought I believed that God’s grace is unconditional, but I’ve been living as it is conditional. The Bible is very clear: when we are weak, God is strong. His grace is made PERFECT in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 2:10). He died for our hopeless state (Galatians 3:20), so why are we allowing our former hopeless states to have control over our lives when Jesus already died for it and crushed the snake with His heel?

God is greater than our hearts.

My favorite Bible verse of all time is 1 John 3:20, “when our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything.” I really should get that tattooed on my arm or write it on a note card to take with me wherever I go because, man, do I need a reminder on a daily basis. Our hearts condemn us all the time. It is so easy for us to think nasty things about ourselves, ya know? “I wish I was that accomplished” or “I can’t believe I just did that” or “what’s wrong with me?”

My identity isn’t in my accomplishments.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians that he counts everything as garbage for the sake of Christ (3:7-11). Paul had a lot to boast about, too. His lineage comes from the Jewish tribe of Benjamin, he was circumcised, a leading religious leader, and followed the law flawlessly (3:4-6). No one was more of an outstanding Jewish citizen than him, but he disregarded all of that when he began to preach Christ’s message. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free (Galatians 3:28). We are all on the same level, the same playing field, the same common ground. What have I accomplished? I’ve accomplished love, loyalty, steadfastness, wisdom, intelligence, kindness, courage by the grace of God.

My identity isn’t in my anxiety disorder.

Having to tell all of my professors that I have anxiety disorder at the beginning of each semester while in college basically stamped the words “I’m a freak” on my forehead from the start. It is easy of me to feel ashamed of my anxiety disorder, which debilitates my mind. This disorder affects my daily life so much, that I sometimes wonder if this is all that I really am: just a struggling young girl with a mental illness. That is a lie from the devil himself. Where in God’s holy Word does it say that He identifies His children by their mistakes? Where in His holy Word does it say that He calls His children by anything else other than who they are, His children?

My identity isn’t in the fact that I’m a Christian.

Jesus Christ did NOT die and rise again so we could parade around town saying we’re Christians. We’re not called to just be a part of a religious group, but the body of Christ. I hear people say they’re Christians and it means absolutely nothing. Jack-squat. Zero. Zilch. Why would our identity be found in something so fragile when we belong to the resurrected body of the living King?

We are children of God. We are not of this world. This isn’t our home. In the end, none of this matters.

Our identity isn’t in our race, gender, age, occupation, social media accounts, schools, what the old people at church think, or what professors think. Nor the clothes we wear, the color of our hair, what cars we drive, how much money our parents make, our major, if our crushes like us back, our singleness & lack of a love life.

We are loved. We are cherished. The King of kings & Lord of lords loves us to our cores. He wants us. We’re enough for Him.

M.A.

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“How do you clean a room?” I get this question a lot because so many people struggle with simple ways to clean a space and keep that space clean. Here are the five steps I use to simplify cleaning a room (and an extra bonus):

1.Clear the clutter

Put everything away like laundry, dishes, trash, school supplies, papers that need to be filed, etc. This is oftentimes the hardest step because people don’t know what to do with all of their stuff! But this step is crucial because if you can’t do this step, you can’t do the others effectively.

2.Wipe all surfaces

Dust, spray, and wipe every surface. Dust and wipe down all side tables, bookshelves, cobwebs, picture frames, doorknobs, light switches, and coffee tables.

Spray and wipe kitchen and bathroom countertops, sinks, outside of appliances, and outer cabinets.

3.Scrub the extra dirty

Scrub the toilets, showers, and tubs. These are the dirtiest parts of the house and need extra attention.

4.Sweep and vacuum

Now that everything has been scrubbed and wiped down, there’s going to be a lot of residue on the floor! This is where I sweep the corners the vacuum can’t reach and vacuum everywhere else.

5.Mop

Don’t forget to mop those floors and make them shine! Mopping will actually clean the surface of the floors while vacuuming just gets all the extra “stuff” leftover.

Bonus tip: set a timer

Don’t have all day or a limited amount of time to clean? Set a timer! When I’m off work on the weekends, I don’t want to spend my whole Saturday off cleaning. So, I set a timer for an hour to get what I need done. I call this my “Power Hour” and it has helped me keep my sanity! Whatever doesn’t get done can wait until next weekend.

When you narrow down the to-do list, the job seams less daunting and more possible! That’s only five things. You got this!

What cleaning strategies do you use?

God bless,

M.A.

P.S. Need a reusable cleaning checklist to keep track of your progress? Download a free one here.

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When I was in college, I went through a rough season of depression and loneliness. One thing that helped me was constantly surrounding myself with Scripture.

A lot of people have asked me how one surrounds oneself with Scripture and here are a few ways that I’ve done so and have seen others do:

Write or print out Bible verses to carry with you wherever you go.

When I had classes to attend or activities throughout the day, having my little stack of notecards with verses written on them helped me stay focused and comforted me. Sometimes I would even give one to a friend or someone who I noticed was struggling, too, and it helped spread the love of Christ.

My mentor made me this to put in my purse or wallet. You can tell I carried it everywhere because the paper is so worn.

Write or print out Bible verses to put around your home or room.

My dorm room walls were covered in hymn lyrics, quotes, and Bible verses. I would put certain verses in specific areas that I know I’d see everyday or at certain moments in my day. For example, I put Psalm 51:7 on my bathroom mirror:

“Cleanse me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I’ll be whiter than snow.”

I keep these cards taped to my computer at work.

Make it a priority to read the Word every morning and evening.

The moment I woke up I’d grab my Bible to spend time with the Lord before my day began. The moment I got in bed for the night, my Bible was on my pillow waiting for me to end my day. How one wakes up and goes to sleep can alter a person’s mood for the day and give them peace to sleep at night.

Listen to songs that quote Scripture.

Some of my favorite hymns are Great I Thy Faithfulness, It Is Well With My Soul, Take My Life, and Abide With Me.

Use Bible verses for art.

Something that is really popular today is Bible Journaling. Doodling, drawing, or painting a picture that represents the story, character, or verse you’re reading. In my down time, I’d listen to hymns and draw art that reminded me of what I read that morning in a journal.

I hope these ideas help you on your journey to be surrounded by Scripture! I’ve also made some Scripture cards you can download and print to carry with you as you go! You can get them on my Freebies page.

God bless,

M.A.

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We made it! These past five weeks have gone by fast. Take a moment to reflect on all we have learned…

In our last week of our series, Characteristics of a Godly Woman, we’ll be talking about godly women who are led by the Word and not by the world and stand firm in the faith.

What does it mean to be led by the Word instead of the world? It means that as women of God, all of our hope and trust is in God and His Word alone.

Jeremiah 17:5 and 7 says, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord…but blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.”

We cannot put our trust wholeheartedly in our future husbands, mere men. As daughters of the King, we’re called to higher standards than the rest of the world. That means we don’t wait for a knight and shining armor to save us and make our lives complete because He already did. Trust me, “the world has plenty of girls who know how to do their hair. We need women who know how to do hard and holy things” (Unknown).

In 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, Paul explains to the Corinthians that he doesn’t come to them in confidence of what he says, but what the Spirit says through him. He does this so they wouldn’t put their faith in Paul, but in God.

Women who aren’t easily swayed by what this world has to offer stand firm. When they keep God’s promises in their hearts, they can’t be shaken.

“Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” (Isaiah 2:22). God’s Word lasts forever. God Himself is eternal. “All Scripture is God-breathed” and that’s a lot of Scripture. If God can breathe life into man and write the whole Bible with just one breath, why would we trust in man instead of Him (2 Timothy 3:16 and Genesis 2:7)?

Isaiah 7:9 says “If you do not stand firm in the faith, you will not stand at all.” Ladies, our Heavenly Father, our King, our rock. He is steadfast, firm, always loving, patient, reliable, and never changing.

He will never forsake us. He is our deliverer (Deuteronomy 31:6).

I know some of you who are reading this don’t understand how good God can be, I still don’t understand it, but I have never seen His children lacking in what they need when they come to Him and ask (Proverbs 37:25).

To stand firm in the faith means to not be led by the world when they doubt how good God really is. We need to go to His Word and see for ourselves how many times He’s saved His children.

When we don’t feel like we’re enough, we remind ourselves that we’re more than enough in Christ. When we’re mocked, ridiculed, and bullied for putting all of our hope in Jesus, it doesn’t bring us down because we know a true follower of Christ suffers trials (James 1).

As I sit here writing this, I can’t help but reflect on my life and when I stood firm in my faith and when I did not. I remember in 9th grade when I tried committing suicide for the first time. I had had a headache and went to grab ibuprofen to help with the pain when I paused and stared at the bottle full of pills.

A voice inside my head laughed, “It’s too easy! Why not?” More laughter, “It could all go away and then it would just be you and me kid.” After that night, never once have I looked at pain pills the same way.

At the time, I was a new Christian who believed in God, but didn’t know what to do about it. The amount of faith I had was so miniscule that I didn’t know what to stand firm on.

Fast forward to my junior year. Man, was I on fire for God.

I was a leader at my youth group, involved in my church, had plenty of friends, and I thought my crush liked me. Well, every day I would bring my Bible to school and read it in my free time. Bringing a Bible to a public school was not something people normally did. I remember being mocked because of my faith, but that didn’t stop me from bringing my Bible to school.

Was I standing firm in the faith though? On the inside, I still felt broken and hopeless. Maybe there was more faith to hold on to than I had in 9th grade, but was there enough to be an anchor for my soul?

If we feel we have nothing to stand firm in, that our faith at the moment is running low, let us stand firm in this:

“For I have been crucified by Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me

and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Whatever is going on in our lives right now, whatever mistakes or hurt that we just can’t let go of, whatever the world keeps telling us…

Jesus died for us.

All of our sins have gone away because our souls were crucified on the cross with Christ some 2,000 years ago (Galatians 3:20). And if there was no one else in the world and only you left, He would do it again in a heartbeat.

As women who are constantly waiting for something, know it’s not in vain. Let us find our hope in Jesus Christ. Stand firm in His death and resurrection. Stand firm in the fact that God loves us.

We can’t afford to put our hope in ourselves or our future husbands and to be swayed by the world full of brokenness and emotions that don’t last.

If we only remember one thing from this series and past five weeks, I hope that we remember that to truly be godly women is to put all of our hope, all of our trust, all of our faith, all of our desires, and all of our love in God.

Don’t be swayed. Stand firm.

God bless,

M.A.

Like this post? Check out my whole Godly Woman series here.