Marriage has no room for selfishness

Lately, my friends (online and "in real life") and I have been talking about the changes God has made in our lives over the last few years, and I realize that, while I've shared some of those things here, I haven't really gone into detail on all of it.

Some people know me from "way back" and know the person I once was, while others are new readers and don't really know my "story". I feel it's important for us to share our testimonies of God's grace and mercy in our lives, even if they reveal a side of us we don't care for, so I'm going to start doing that more often, and will focus on that a lot this month.

The person I use to be is not one I care for much. Back then, I would have told you that I was a good person, but upon further examination, I would have had to admit that I was not. Of course, I allowed my friends to convince me that whatever made me happy was good and great, even though, deep in my heart, I knew I was disappointing my family and God. Of course, I didn't have a good understanding of God then. I grew up reading the bible, but was trying to follow Him with my own will and energy. Guilt led me, not the freedom of Christ's salvation, not love of God. Fear of hell drove me to avoid the things I did (or at least feel very guilty if I did indulge).

I didn't realize it until several years ago, but I was blindly driven by selfishness. Deep down, my heart and mind were always surveying what I could get out of any situation or deal. I was blind to the fact that I was living my life with that sort of attitude, but I can clearly see it now.

Let me tell you, selfishness has no place in a marriage, but I walked into my marriage with buckets full. It became painfully obvious as my relationship with my husband began to collapse for what would likely have been the final time had God not intervened.

My husband will tell you that he wasn't a perfect spouse. He had a lot of "issues", but I see now that my attitude toward him magnified those problems and made his behaviors worse.

For example, when he did something I felt was rude or disrespectful (whether that was his intention or not), I would call him out on it using some unsavory words. I was constantly picking apart his actions. He stopped doing nice things for me and stopped spending time with me. Of course, this only made me more furious, so I lashed out at him more.

Then, after things began to shatter, I realize....... why would my husband want to spend time with his wife who calls him disgusting names or flies off the handle, instead of approaching him with love and patience?

I saw this confirmed in my brother-in-law's relationship with his (now-ex) girlfriend. She couldn't figure out why he wouldn't spend more time with her and why he always seemed so angry with him. I asked her, "Why would he approach you with love, when your words are so hateful? Why would he want to spend time with a person who degrades him and makes him feel worthless?" Of course, this was after my marriage had been mended, so I was able to point this out to her with love and the "I've been there" standpoint.

Sometimes we are blind to the obvious? Why do we think nagging and name-calling will compel our husbands to "do our bidding"? Would that work on us? No! It makes a person go on the defensive, to resist the request or demand. It doesn't compel! It's REPELS! Seems like common sense, yet.... most couples do not learn this until later in life, if ever.

Like I said, I was very selfish. Unless I was feeling especially loving, I didn't want to go out of my way to make my husband feel adored. I was too caught up in my own expectations for him, big or small. Afterall, good husbands should take out the trash on time, keep the cars' maintenance up-to-date, put the toilet seat down, financially provide for the family, help with the dishes, do a little laundry, give lengthy back massages, allow me to go shopping regularly.....

I never really thought about what a good wife should do. Subconsciously, I knew what would make my husband happy, but I wasn't worried about doing those things. I had better things to do, like.. make sure he was making ME happy!

There was a turning point. It was the night that all things probably could have come to a complete end. My husband stormed out late at night, and I begged him not to go. I was furious, and I found myself angrily discussing the situation with God as I paced around our apartment. I couldn't wait until he got home so I could chew him into pieces. He deserved it.

But God touched my heart and said, "Shh. Be quiet. When your husband gets home, welcome him with loving arms. Leave your anger, and approach him with care."

This was SO difficult for me to do at that time. I wanted to curse at him and maybe even take a swing at him. I was spitting mad! However, when he returned home in the wee hours of the morning, fully expecting to be verbally torn to shreds, I swallowed my pride and met him in the livingroom with a hug. I told him I was glad he was back, and didn't even mention that I was fearful, frustrated, or fuming. I asked if I could pour him a glass of cola or water, or if he needed something. I gathered his clothes as he tossed them aside and took them to the wash. I pulled back his sheets, turned off the lights, climbed into bed, and whispered, "I love you."


My husband admits that this totally threw him off. Of course, things didn't get better all of the sudden. He resisted, but I persisted.... but, eventually, both of our hearts were turned in the right direction- towards the Lord, and we came to know the Lord together as we kneeled before our loveseat in the livingroom, tearfully praying and asking God to take the reigns of our relationship and lives.

The Lord began to show me how a godly wife behaves. I was so strongly convicted, but, of couse, I'm still a work in progress. I finally understood what God desired from me in our marriage. My husband finally saw that a wife and children were not merely accessories to his life. We began working TOGETHER. I found that I was much happier in approaching him with a servants heart.

It's strange how that works. Who would ever think that willfully submitting to someone else and setting aside your own desires would actually make you happier and more at peace than if you were chasing your desires?

I have found myself desiring to wake-up early (and I am not a morning person) to make him coffee and breakfast, then see him off to work. My chores around the home have truly become "home blessings" as I do them "as unto the Lord", as well as for my husband. I don't see it as such a big "ugh, harumph, sigh" to have dinner ready (or nearly ready) when he gets home from work, and, I really like to tidy myself up before he gets home (sometimes this means taking a shower, because I've become quite sweaty from playing with the kids or doing things around the house). I use to think women who did this kind of stuff were SO old fashioned.

Now I see that it is SO worth it. When I kindly ask my husband to do something, it usually gets done in a timely manner. And, he does a LOAD of things that I don't ask him to do (and sometimes have to request that he NOT do because I know he's tired, but he does it anyway out of love).

For example, just the other day he came home from a short trip to Louisiana to gather the last few things we had left behind. I knew he was exhausted, and, truthfully, I was pretty exhausted as well. On top of my regular home blessings, I had added a half dozen extra things to do in preparation for our guests (who are now here, safe from the hurricane). I had really hoped to have it all completed before he got home, and I nearly did, except I had yet to finish the dishes in the sink and mop the kitchen. Everything else was sparkling clean (which, if you know me, cleaning is not my best skill, and I do not have the mind for "home maintenance", so it takes a lot of effort to not become distracted and to do a complete job), except for this one area.

I sighed. I didn't want to be doing these things while he was home, because I really wanted to spend time with him. Still, it bugged me to have the house ALMOST clean, especially since the kitchen is one of the main rooms in our home. We spend a lot of time in there, not just cooking and eating, but also reading our bibles, doing projects, having meaningful conversations, and learning around the kitchen table. I expressed my disappointment, and apologized that I hadn't finished it before he arrived home. I went off to put away laundry, then returned to see, to my surprise, that my husband was cleaning up the kitchen. I joined him at the kitchen sink to wash dishes, and the sweet fella took over the part I hate the most... the washing! Then, I cleaned the table and swept the floors before he mopped.

AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO ASK!

This is the husband I had desired in the first few years of marriage, yet didn't have because I DEMANDED IT, and here I wasn't even asking him to do these things (and would have gladly done them myself), but he did it anyway!

Isn't that just amazing?

God has shown me SO much about what it means to be a biblical wife.

Proverbs 27:15 says, "A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious wife are alike." (KJV). God's Word Translation reads, "Constantly dripping water on a rainy day is like a quarreling woman."

When I read this verse, I think of the drip-drip-drip of a leaky facet. A while back, the bathroom facet leaked, and as I laid in bed at night, I was annoyed by the constant dop-dip-dop. This is what nagging feels like to our husbands!

Proverbs 12:4 says, "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones." (KJV)

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be a CROWN to your husband? Let me put it this way. Would you rather be the "rottenness in his bones" or the "crown" to his head?

When Brandon and I were going through our marriage transformation, we made a promise to no longer (EVER) speak poorly of each other in front of each other or (ESPECIALLY) behind each other's backs. I remember feeling like he was going to blast me to pieces and just rag on how BAD of a wife he had when he was with his friends when things were really bad in our relationship. Now it is such a relief to know that he will speak highly of me, whether things are good or bad, whether he is frustrated with me or not. I know he feels the same.

I think what we say about our spouses when they are not present says A LOT about what kind of spouse WE are. I use to call my mom just to tell her what horrible thing my husband had done or said. I rarely, if ever, called to tell her the sweet things he did. When we got in a fight, I would pull out all of the mean things he had done. Our fights never resolved anything, but we did manage to stir up a lot of old hurts!

So, in conclusion, if there were ten pieces of marital advice I could pass down to you from what I have shared it would be this:

1. Stop focusing on yourself. It's not all about you.
2. Don't be demeaning or degrading. (Don't call your spouse names or curse at him.)
3. Don't nag.
4. Don't talk poorly about your spouse behind his back or when you are together with others. AND, CERTAINLY don't make a habit of making negative reports to your mother or father. Your marriage is PERSONAL, and your parents are NOT getting both sides of the story so it is NOT fair to your spouse.
5. Seek marital advice from those who have successful, loving, godly marriages.
6. Read the bible daily and ask God to show you where you can improve in your role as wife.
7. Put forth extra effort for your husband, above and beyond.. to show that you love and care for him. Even little things like looking nice and fresh when he gets home make an impact.
8. Sometimes we treat strangers better than we do our own family members. Try to always speak with love and kindness (even when you are tired, frustrated, or angry) towards your spouse. A gentle word turns away wrath! (Prov 15:1)

9. Remember, your husband is a sinner, and so are you. Neither of your are perfect. Sometimes we have such high expectations for our spouses, but not for ourselves.
10. PRAY TOGETHER as husband and wife. We are so vulnerable when we pray to God alone, and when we pray to God with our spouse, we share that intimacy with our loved one. This builds trust, strengthens communication, and promotes spiritual intimacy. The couple that prays together, stays together. Make it a daily habit... even if you don't feel like it. Our walk with God started when we both kneeled together in prayer and submitted our lives and marriage to Christ.

I thank GOD that He has revealed so much to me in the youth of my marriage. I am truly blessed!

Hurricane Gustav

The predictions are in, and they are each so varied that no one knows what the believe when it comes to Gustav. It hit the western tip of Cuba at a category four. By the sounds of it, New Orleans will be hit pretty hard, once again. Now it churns towards the gulf, and storm teams are speculating on it's direction and strength.

Many of our friends are evacuating Louisiana. The town we moved from, Lake Charles, has been told they will be hit hard by some meteorologists, while others insist it will likely calm to a category 1 or 2. Who knows, but it's better safe than sorry.

I'm glad our friends, John and Ashley (along with John's mom and her pup), will seeking safety in our home! We miss them and are looking forward to spending time with them. They should get here some time this afternoon.

The Mayor of NOLA claims Hurricane Gustav will be "the storm of the century", feared more than Katrina, which severely damaged New Orleans in 2005. (And, those in Lake Charles remember Rita, which hit shortly after Katrina.)

It has weakened, but you never know what will happen as it gets further into the gulf. Please pray for those already affected and those to be affected by the hurricane.

Those kids next door don't go to school...

Now that we live in a neighborhood filled with children, I understand how rare homeschooling is. Previously, I didn't have any neighbors with children, and so most of my children's buddies were those we met at church and were homeschooled.

The landscaper came to mow our lawn this morning. He's an early riser, and was here at seven on the dot. Because he was in the backyard, I had to walk the dog in the front, where I realized how "out of place" we are as a homeschooling family. It was quite strange, really.

Everyone on our street that had children was loading them up in their vehicles. I counted at least ten families preparing for take off on the "education expess". It was absolutely crazy. It reminded me of the Olympic's sychronized swimmers, and then, it occured to me how robotic it all seemed.

The nearly-due pregnant neighbor to the left of me waved. "Are your children in school already?" she queeried.
"Well, sort of," I replied.
She cocked her head and raised a brow.
"I homeschool them," I reminded her. It was only a few days ago that we had a similar conversation when she welcomed me to the neighborhood and asked if my daughter would be in kindergarten at that nice huge school down the street.

She gave me one of those looks as if to say, "Homeschooling? People still do that?"

While Houston is full of alternative learners, there are still plenty... an overload... of children in public schools. When I was in school, the student to teacher ratio was often 30:1, and, in many areas, not much has changed.

My neighbor asked me, "When will they go to school?"
She seemed quite worried that my children weren't being shipped off so I could have "time to myself", but I assured her, "Oh, I don't know. We like to have them at home with us, and we always have a blast. I know it sounds crazy, but we like to control what goes in to their little hearts and brains, because they are so young. I had a bad experience in schools, so I want to make sure they don't have to deal with those issues just yet, if ever.

She nodded, still not quite satisfied with my answer or my ideas. I waved good-bye as the dog tugged me back indoors.

I cannot wait to connect with other homeschoolers in the area. I know quite a few, it's just a matter of arranging get togethers now that we're settled in.

I feel so strongly, for my own family, about homeschooling. I just cannot imagine sending my niave little children (who are so prone to mimic anyone and everyone) away from the safety at my home. They are so little, so unprepared.

Delicate timing of picture-taking & routines

I snapped a few photos this morning of the kiddos because I need to "refresh" some of my picture frames hanging up on the wall. Man, I have some ADORABLE children. (It's not biased if it's true, right?)

It's an event that requires delicate timing, if you know what I mean. Keagan has to have a full belly and be in a playful, not sleepy, mood. The kids have to be focused, which means they can't be in one of their rambuctious spirits, nor can they be too tired. Therefore, the morning, around 8:30-9am, seems to be the best time slot for such things as taking photos. Half an hour beyond that is too late because, by then, Keagan begins to fuss for a nap, and the kids are fully awake and hyper as can be. Half an hour previous to that would infringe upon feeding time, in which you will find frowny faces and noncompliant attitudes.

Morning brings freshly bathed children wearing clean, laundered clothing, and light filtering through the windows.... which is another reason why mornings are best for pictures.

Delicate timing, I tell you. Delicate.

Anyway, Brandon happened to catch a few shots of me and the dog, who has become so snuggly towards me, that it's difficult to separate the two of us. When I'm working on my laptop while sitting on the couch, she practically sits up top of the keys. When I cuddle under the covers with my husband, the little booger tries to wedge between us (probably the warmest spot). In the morning, she likes to belly up and lay her head on my pillow. This creature has no idea she's a dog. (And I have a hard time reminding her.)

We've fallen into some sort of routine around here. Seven-thirty usually finds me making breakfast or ironing a shirt (last minute) for my husband after letting a full-bladdered Kiki into the backyard to do her "duty". I hear the beat of children's feet upstairs, and remind them that it's not time for them to get up until 8:00am. They seem to wake up earlier and earlier every day. Still, I need those thirty minutes to spend time with my husband before I see him off to work.

I really need to buy them each a cheap wall clock and place a picture of a clock beside it (showing 8 o'clock on it), so they know when it's time to get up, and they don't have to keep asking. (I assure them each time that I will personally let them know when it's time, but their eagerness keeps them running up and down the stairs.) They have loads of things to read, coloring books and boxes of colors, notepads to doodle on, and toys to play with... and they can dive into all of that, as long as they play quietly until I come to gather them.

I was the type of child that was up at the crack of dawn. I usually woke up at 4am or 5am, and would sit in my closet (light on, door closed) reading comic books until I heard my dad get up, and then I'd shimmy back under the sheets and appear asleep when he came in to kiss me good-bye. If Dad caught me up, he'd urge me back to bed, so I tried to hide it from him! (I would even position my "my-size-doll" and a few pillows in the bed juuuust right so it would appear I was still sleeping.)

I was a stinker!

So, I really can't blame my children for getting up early, and I have no problem with them being UP, but they need to keep to themselves until eight, so I can spend that precious time with their father. It's important to me and to starting my day off right. It is difficult to wake up to lots of noise and children climbing all over me, especially since I am no longer the morning person I was as a kid! Those times are reserved for weekends now.

I think it's good for children to understand "there's a time for everything under the sun".... not just natural seasons, but a routine for our day, for our week. Some things are flexible, and some are not.

I can't even imagine.....

One of my friends and fellow writer for Heart of the Matter (homeschooling online magazine) lost her little boy this week. My heart is aching for her and her family. Throughout the day, I have found myself praying for them, thinking about them, and crying over them.

If I lost one of my children, what would I do? My life would be forever changed. I was taking a shower and thinking how hard it must be for my friend to do even the smallest of tasks with such a heavy weight on her heart.

How to you mesh feeling of loss and mourning with the desire to celebrate and cherish a life? How do you go on caring for those remainings- those loved ones still here, when you feel your world crashing down around you.

Even though my mind has conjured up what it might feel to have my worst fears realized, I really cannot imagine what she must be going through.

Please pray for Marsha and her family as they go through this difficult time in dealing with the loss of their little boy, "Dozer".

I wrote a song. I don't know if it's appropriate or not, but I wrote it from my own point of view- how I would feel if one of my children were to be called home from God (suddenly or not). I decided not to post it, because I feel it's a little depressing (a "how do I cope" sort of song), and I want this post to be one that praises God for and celebrates Dozer's life.

I cannot get this family out of my head or heart, and I pray that there will be an outpouring of generosity and love in the name of Jesus for them.

I don't know these people personally, but I feel like I do since working with Marsha on Heart of the Matter and reading her blog. If you would like to send her a card, whether you know her or not, please do!

Cards or Correspondence can be mailed to:
David and Marsha Drews
c/o Rachel Harris
12830 N. Cypress Lane
Tomball, TX 77377

Christian "Dozer" Drews was three years old and the cutest "blonde Korean" you'll ever see. He will be missed!

Family Photos!

I thought it was time to post a few pictures of our family. We haven't taken a family photo in quite some time, so we set up the tripod and snapped one before church this morning.

As you can see, Nolyn has his fresh mohawk, Merikalyn looks like a perfectly prim princess, and Keagan has that little sparkle in his eye as if he's about to leap out of my arms and gnaw on the camera.

We're currently watching Nim's Island. So far, it's a pretty cute adventure. Reminds me of the stories my dad once told us as critters.


Anyway, here are a few more photos from the last few days! Btw, all you lurkers out there, leave a note to let me know you stopped by! Much appreciated!



Keagan flashes a wide grin while sitting on top of freshly laundered clothes while Daddy winds down work on his computer.



The kids love playing outside. They drew a chalk pathway to the door; isn't that cute?


A picture of proof that our littlest booger DOES sit-up unassisted, but not when we WANT him to. Little stinker!


My husband with Kbaby!



And, the two of us.... actually a decent picture for once!

Now I'm going to go back to my previous entry and throw in some photos too.

Friday Adventures

We had a fairly eventful day. It started out with scrambled eggs. I've been being a good little wifey waking up with my husband to fix him breakfast every morning. If the kids are up, they eat with him. If not, I fix a little extra and set it aside until they "wakey-wakey". They are definitely loving having "real breakfasts" that don't include poptarts and frozen waffles.

When I was out walking yesterday, one of our neighbors told us the "back way" to our subdivisions park. I loaded up Keagan's stroller and we ventured out. It was a much longer walk, and the rock pathway ran out halfway there leaving us to walk on uneven ground. Had to use my muscles to push the stroller! It took us twenty minutes to get to the park, which would normally be a two minute drive! Exhausting! I was so tired, that I only let the kids play for about fifteen minutes before we headed back home.... the easier way (although, a tad bit longer in steps, but about even in time.. much easier on the muscles!) on the sidewalk.

We had eaten brunch before we left for the park, but had a little snack when we returned home, then headed off to nap because we were all quite worn out from the heat! When we got up, the kids assisted me in baking banana bread (which was so tasty, it's nearly gone already). I love the sweet, mouth-watering aroma that fills the air when we bake goodies.

When Brandon got home, we ventured out to look at some little churches in the area before heading to Krogers to by more eggs (we go through them pretty quick) and other yummies. I'm looking forward to the weekend, because we haven't had any time to hang out as a family for several weeks.

Oh, I almost forgot. Brandon got a fresh noggin shave (so beautiful when a bald, shiny head!), and I gave Nolyn (who was turning into a poofy-head) his signature mohawk. Say what you want, but it's totally fitting in regards to his expressions and personality!

Three weeks until Keagan's 1st birthday! He's growing like a weed!

Nolyn has been saying some hilarious things lately, but I always forget when it comes time to blog, so I put a piece of paper up on the fridge to jot them down.


The other day, I was popping up some popcorn before we snuggled down to watch a movie. Brandon asked, "Do you smell what I smell?" Nolyn smiles and said, "Dad, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Brandon asked, "I don't know.. what are you thinking?"
"I have Transformers in my bed, and they don't have any legs but they can shoot bad guys."
And then he returned to normal composure and continued watching previews. Ha!

Today he told me, "Mom. You know what? My head is in a circle. Is your head a circle?"

He's so random and unexpected. Gotta love it!

I have a bunch of pictures to post.... but I don't want to upload them to Brandon's work computer, so I'll have to wait until later. Much love! -Mandy

Up and Running

I was using Wordpress to host my blog, but it keeps giving me trouble (bad blog, bad!), so I put it in a permanent time out. I'm using blogspot now, which seems to be the lesser of two evils. I'll be updating regularly once again and uploading older entries as I get the time. (And, I'll also add my blogroll again, so if you want to be on it and you were not previously, let me know.)

Everything is going well with the new home. Slowly, but surely, I narrowing down the boxes and putting things away. We live in a great location, and, I found out today from a neighbor down the street (whilst out on a walk) that we also live within walking distance to the park and pool. I didn't even know our subdivision had a park and pool!

The critters love having a fenced yard to play in, as does the dog, who lets me know when she needs to exit to do her "business". I've already fallen into a new routine, which, I wrote down and stuck into my home management binder.

Currently, money is tight, so I've been doing all the cooking, but I'm anticipating the day when we can check out some of the local restaurants. There are quite a few little "hole-in-the-wall" Mexican restaurants, and those small little joints seem to offer the best food!

Nolypie keeps asking if we're going to stay here "foooooreeevvaaaa?" I hope we're able to settle down for several years, at least. Seems we only stay in one place for 1-2 years at a time!

We're going to be visiting some of the small churches in the area, so pray that God will show us where we need to be! We're looking for a small church in the beginning stages. We definitely have a heart for building churches after attending a small, new church in the town over from where we lived last.

And yes, it has been raining here quite a bit since we moved in, but it cleared up this morning, and we are really enjoying the sun!

Blessings!
-Mandy