Day 146 8-15

May You fill in my weaknesses Lord. (patience, gentleness). Thank you God for a great prayer time with Mark. Also may I keep the Christian teachers in my prayers as well all the Christian kids out there in the middle of the battlegrounds at school. May they be strong and remember their roots.

Read Isaiah 41:10-29  (focused on 10-13)

- encouragement for anyone going through struggles, which is all of us in some way

- even though speaking to people of Israel, can still apply as we know God is omniscient!!

Day 145 8-14

Decided to conclude my reading of Love and Respect today. I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it. Some concluding thoughts from the last chapter...

- Lord, please fulfill Your desires in me 

- Purple is the color of royalty, as God is our king, we shall strive to honor Him in our marriage with the perfect balance of pink blended with blue

- Be patient! This should be my motto:  If I can't say anything respectful, I won't say anything at all!

Day 144 8-13

Up late after getting home from the Iowa State Fair. Read Psalms 18:1-3 for some reason. 

My main prayer tonight is for Arnie (my stepdad's brother) and his wife Grace to continue to be blessed by the Lord. They are great role models of Christians doing it right. They lived like no one else, so now they can live like no one else. What great people:)

Day 143 8-12

Read Romans Chapters 4-5 tonight. Just wanted to read and absorb.

Day 142 8-11

Felt like reading some parables tonight. At least I think they are parables:) ...

Read Luke 11:33-36. May my whole body be full of light.

Read Luke 14:15-24 May I not be too busy to follow God and His promises.

Day 141 8-10

Read the book of Joel super late. Had read it once before a while back and was interested in reading it again for some reason.

Day 140 8-9

Read 1 Peter 4:1-11 today.

Made some observations/comments about specifics verses.

v.6 live according to God in regard to the spirit

not referencing Holy Spirit here I don't think, as it is not capitalized as in 1 Cor 2:12. Must be saying our human spirit or maybe it's a different Greek word used. I'll look in my NASB and see what word is used.

v. 8 above ALL, love each other deeply

v. 2 he does live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God

Prayers:

- comfort, support, love for wife of Steve's friend who was one of the Navy Seal's killed recently, she has two kids - 2 and 4 and one on the way, can't imagine what she is going through

- be a doer, obey God

Day 139 8-8

Eph 6:4 "Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline of the Lord."

Deut 6:5...

Starts off with a command to parents, love the Lord with all my heart, soul, and strength. Put these words on my heart Lord, more like engrave them to permeate through me so that I make it a priority. May talking about the truths in scripture come naturally to me as we are at home, on walks, going to bed, waking up, basically all the time.

Now I know these commands were specifically to the Israelites, but I believe they are still very applicable to me today. 

v. 18  "You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord that it may be well with You."

I love the intentional, diligent, serious, and passionate love and priority God emphasizes of our children. He knows how important children are and the impact they can have in this world. So doing everything we can to bring them up lovingly in a Biblically sound foundation full of grace is critical in this world.

Day 138 8-7

Had a desire to read Revelation for some reason tonight. Intrigued by Jesus riding a white horse. Read about the 1000 years and acid lake. That's about it for tonight.

Day 137 8-6

Looked up then of Joshua 5:13-15 in my NASB Bible, just to see if the wording was different and it is a bit. Also read Eph 6:7-8 and read about the Energizing Cycle of married couples as described in Love and Respect.

Day 136 8-5

Read aloud Joshua 6 tonight, disappointingly late. Also read the context before, which actually stuck on my heart and had more of an impact.

Joshua 5:13-15  "Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?”The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

The part in bold is what I noticed and what stuck with me. The angel's identity was not about them, it was solely to serve the Lord.

Day 135 8-4

Lately, upon Sam's request, we have listened to the children's Bible song that is about Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho and the walls come tumbling down. It has been on repeat, literally in the car.

So tonight at bedtime, Mark and I briefly shared with him the story of Joshua and Jericho and that it really happened and Sam couldn't believe it. It was like a light bulb went off in his head that things in the Bible actually really happened and it was really cool to see him stop and try and process this. So he thought about it as Sam does and then he asked Mark if he had a map on his phone so he could see where Joshua lives and where Jericho is:) We told him we would look at our Bible map in the morning together. It was so awesome to see him excited about the Word. So tonight for my quiet time, I am going to read up on the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho so I am more prepared in the morning.

Joshua 6

Day 134 8-3

Continued reading into the next chapter of Love and Respect. 

Had one major aha moment...

The key is always being willing to cut your spouse some slack. 

Prayers:

- energy

- guidance in specific creative plans for the day for the kids and Iintertwined with Scripture, prioritizing our daily devotion everyday

Read Prov 31 for some inspiration, specifically focused on vs. 26-27. "She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness".

Day 133 8-2

Continued reading Love and Respect. On the anticipated chapter Sexuality: His Desire for Sexual Intimacy. Although it's tough to read chapters like this, I realized that is selfish of me and to go into with an open mind and open heart.

This line impacted me right away because it's so true of our culture...(p.250)" just as the devil will do everything he can to bring two people together sexually before marriage, he does everything he can to keep them away from each other after marriage"

Some more take away points....

When I refuse him, it symbolizes to him that I don't care about him or respect him or his need. Never really thought about it from this angle before. I spell respect when I appreciate his sexual desire for me. What if he didn't desire me? That would be heartbreaking. You idiot Sarah, wake up so he doesn't go get it elsewhere (1 Sam 11:2; Prov 7:21). He needs sexual release just as I need emotional release (1 Cor 7:5). What if he didn't talk to me for 3 days, 3 weeks, etc? This is the comparison to not meeting his needs. 

Concluded this chapter feeling surprisingly empowered and feeling good because my husband needs me.

Prayers:

- Be obedient to God's Word!

Day 132 8-1

Read Love and Respect today focusing on being a shoulder to shoulder friend with my husband, along with just simply being friendly. I need to be friendly as well as loving, non-badgering, non-annoying, and non-criticizing. So, what does this look like for Mark? I guess I've never really asked him if this is important to him. I will soon. This shoulder to shoulder thing makes perfect sense. This is what dudes do. They do stuff along side each other together like fish, fix cars, do house projects, etc. all side by side with not much talking. What do women do? We go get coffee or meet for dinner and sit face to face most likely with lots and lots and lots of talking. Finding this balance of meeting both needs with my spouse is the key.  

Read Phil 2:4, Song of Solomon 5:16, and Ecc 3:7 to get more of a Biblical perspective. 
Main point I took away... I need to be quiet more I think and just listen.

Day 131 7-31

Good Morning Lord. Thanks for dying for my sins today. 

Read Love and Respect this morning and took away some deep concepts...

- self righteousness can deceive you more than any other sin, a subtle judgmental spirit

- guard against the attitude that he (my husband) is the center of all the problems. He's not.

- admit my sins, issues, weaknesses

Sam woke up towards the end of my quiet time and came and cuddled with me in the chair. He asked me to read to him from my Bible. So I read aloud Proverbs 3. What an awesome way to start the day!

Day 130 7-30

It is my 29th birthday today:) I have on my heart tonight, which has transpired into prayers, this gratefulness to the Lord for my body. That everything is working fine and my legs work. I know it sounds silly, but I take it for granted everyday. We had an awesome, adventurous, and active day today on my bday enjoying God's beauty as Sam requested:) I just thanked God for giving me the ability to do things like hike trails and play golf. We have the Warrior Dash tomorrow and I'm just grateful that I can do things like that. I say that now, not having done it yet:)

I Cor 3:16-17...

I am God's temple, sacred.

I Cor 6:19-20 ...

May I honor God with my body.

Day 129 7-29

Lord help me to clear my thoughts and focus on You. Really a very selfish prayer now that I think of it to be praying. Disrespectful the more I think about it really. Sorry God. Show Him that respect Sarah. Just do it. 

I humbly come before You and recognize Your presence here, everywhere, not just within me. I acknowledge that You are my King, my Savior, my Creator, and my Friend. May I crawl up in Your lap and learn from You. You're the boss so whatever you want this time to look like, I will accept, even if it's a whoopin.

I'm sitting out in the garage at the kids' table while they are napping because I have been so cold today and it is warm out here. Just kind of had an unsettling feeling today. Not sure what it is, but have on my heart to "Be Still", specifically the song "when the oceans rise and thunders roar, I will soar with you above the storm. Father You are king above the flood, I will be still and know You are God." I may have misquoted that, but that is how it flowed in my head. 

Decided to read Psalm 46.

v.10 "Be still and know that I am God."

Enough said. Not sure if I have ever read the whole context around this before.

Day 128 7-28

Continued my marriage study in Love and Respect. Wrote down what stuck out to me...

- no smoothly running organization can have 2 heads

- acknowledge that my husband is the leader, the one in authority

- he has more responsibility before God which equals more authority

- has has 51% of the authority/responsibility

Read Genesis 12:1-5 which provides an example of wifely submission...

Sarai not only recognized her husband's authority, she honored it. She packed up, left her country, her people, her comforts, to go to an unknown land.

12:10-11 She obeyed Abram by pretending to be his sister. I saw it as trusting her husband's passionate protection and love for her.

Day 127 7-27

Just had Sam and Gracie's 2 and 4 year old checkups. I am so thankful I have healthy and happy kiddos. I pray for safety for all participants (including Mark and I) in the Warrior Dash on Sunday. I also pray for an extra dose of energy. I seem to be lacking it lately.

Read Psalm 93.

This was engraved on my heart as I read it...

"holiness is the beauty of your house for all the days to come." v.5

May holiness be the beauty of my home and heart as well Lord:)

Day 126 7-26

More take-aways from reading Love and Respect. I really love this book. 

- a degree of conflict is inevitable in marriage. This is reassuring and common sense.

- a quiet, gentle, and respectful spirit will melt a man's heart. May I carry out this spirit.

Prayers...

I love the hope you have given me Lord and the plan for my life. Thanks for protecting me.

Day 125 7-25

Continued reading Love and Respect and the Scripture references today. Here is what stuck out to me...

- men are more vulnerable to criticism when it comes to "headship" issue

-if there's one fan a man wants in this world, it would be his wife

-don't put down, belittle, especially about his work

-I should verbalize more my admiration for him for protecting me, literally being willing to die for me and the kids, his commitment to the family

Prayers:

-safety and health for Laura Bowling and her baby

-Aunt Lana

-LG girls general protection and guidance

-carry out Biblical principles and ideas presented in our LG marriage study and from reading Love and Respect

Day 124 7-24

My Sammy's 4th birthday today.  Hard to believe.

I'm starting to hear what I should have done/said in an interaction with Mark. So may I carry out Your words/actions at the right time instead of thinking about it after the fact. I like the revealing of it to me though. Like Mark said "please don't throw anything of mine away without asking me" (referring to mail and some sermon notes). I have a problem with throwing things away. Anyway, I said "well it was on the floor by the trashcan." After the fact, it was laid on my heart that I came across pretty disrespectful and I should have said "you know what, you're right hunny, I shouldn't do that. That was pretty disrespectful. I will try better at that."

Prayers on my heart...

May my kiddos fall in love with you Lord and follow You. May we have another child if that is Your will. They are so sweet and so precious and time is flying by and they are getting so big. It's a bitter sweet experience. I'm just so glad I get these precious days with them while they are still little. May I make the most of everyday with them doing our best to glorify You Lord!! Thank you for good friends and family who love us.

Day 123 7-23

Read from Love and Respect today focusing on a chapter about Biblical hierarchy in marriage referencing Eph 5:22-27. Two main concepts I took away...

- Let him (my husband) be the head, the leader

- A light bulb went on in my head after reading this because it is so true of me a lot...

I want to be treated like a princess, but I'm not willing to treat my husband like a king.  Gut check:)