This may sound strange, coming from a 57-year-old woman.  There you have it, I’ve admitted my age!

I married very young in life.  I was married for a total of seventeen years, in my first marriage.  It was not a good situation from the beginning.  All you probably need to know is that I learned to spell Co-dependency in big capital letters.  There was alcohol and physical abuse involved.  So, considering the abnormal and abusive situation, I found little joy in being a housewife and spent many of my days in survival mode for myself and my children.

But, by His Grace, God gave me a second chance in life.  I have been married to my wonderful Hubby, Ed, for almost twenty-three years.  Those early years were tough.  Being a step-family can be very difficult sometimes.  I won’t go into great detail about this now.  I plan to get into the subject, on my blog, in 2012.  Ed and I began teaching and leading workshops on “Building A Successful Step-Family” soon after we were married, and feel that what we learned along the way will always be needful.

Because Ed and I began our marriage with children from previous relationships, and were compelled (by God, who has always been the center of our home) to work very hard at stepping through the step-family dynamics. I had little time to stop and enjoy being a normal housewife.  Also, up until January 3, 2012, one or both of us have been working in our businesses.  Twelve years ago, we owned and operated our local funeral home, a small independent insurance agency and owned rental storage units in two towns.  Slowly, we have sold our businesses, so that we could retire together.

Whose to say, what normal is?  Merriam-Webster online dictionary says normal is: conforming to a type, standard or regular pattern.  Do I pattern the life of a housewife after my girl friends, or perhaps my mother?

What I think I am learning, after fifty-seven years, is that I am not an acrobat ~ I am a creature transformed, floating sometimes gracefully and sometimes not so gracefully through The Presence Of God In my Life ~ Learning to reflect The Fruits of Simplicity, which are Freedom, Joy, Peace, Honesty and Balance!  You will see the fruits of simplicity mentioned a lot by me this year, as this is a huge part of my life in this season.

I have learned that the life of a Daughter of The King is all about relationship ~  relationship with God, my Husband, my family, my Church family and friends and so on…down the line. Housewife normal is not about the daily chores I do.  Housewife normal is about my relationship to those in my household.  What I do in my home will be a reflection of my relationships, and the value I place upon them.

As in Proverbs 31 ~ The Wife Of Noble Character: I will strive not to accomplish my to-do list everyday ~ but to reflect the nobility of my relationship with my husband (which possesses outstanding qualities), and seize every opportunity I have to use my talents, gifts and the wisdom I glean from my relationship with God to make my house a home.

I am not limited.  God has given me a wonderful gift at age fifty-seven.  I think that normal is not the word for me.  I think that to be a Noble Housewife is what I will strive for, within God’s gift for me.  And, I’m going to cherish and have a great time as I anticipate the future.

This, Truly, IS My First Time, To Be A (normal) Noble Housewife

I knew my Hubby was going to pick up a man, who was also attending the board meeting, so they could ride together.  This is what happened, on this day I decided to STAY IN MY JAMMIES.  Instead of going to his board meeting and bringing the mail home afterwards, My Hubby, Ed (I’ll just call him by name because I’m tired of typing ‘Hubby’) decided to drop the mail off before the meeting.  And, for some reason he decided to bring his friend in the house with him.  Ed opened the door, said “knock~knock”…to which I said, “are you alone”…to which he said, “does that matter”…to which I said, “well, I think it does~I’M IN MY JAMMIES”".  So, I ran into the bedroom and threw on a sweatshirt.  Which, by the way, looked really stupid with my JAMMIE bottoms.  No color coordination!  So now this man probably thinks, “what a lazy daisy, and she’s color blind too”!

Honestly, it’s really not a big deal.  But, I have made this mental retirement NOTE TO SELF:

• Unrealistic Expectation~Assume, even though I am in my Jammies when he walks out the door of the house, Ed thinks I will be getting dressed for the day fairly soon.  Do not assume he gets it, that I may STAY IN MY JAMMIES part of the day.  Inform Ed that there is a possibility that I will not get dressed for the day, right away.
• Or, Post a sign next to the coffee pot on STAY IN MY JAMMIES day.  “THIS IS STAY IN MY JAMMIES DAY”!
• Or, just get dressed as soon as my feet hit the floor in the mornings.

I’m still trying to decide which option is best.  Maybe I’ll just STAY IN MY JAMMIES tomorrow and think about it!

Romans 12:1-2 says, “Threfore brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship”.

Romans 12:9-18 says, “Love must be without hypocrisy.  Detest evil; cling to what is good.  Show family affection to one another with brotherly love.  Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.  Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.  Be in agreement with one another.  Do not be proud;  instead, associate with the humble.  Do not be wise in your own estimation.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.  If possible, on your part, live  at peace with everyone”.

Become a part of the family of  God by joining a Church.  This is where you will find support and encouragement

Step 2:  Publicly Profess Your Faith by Being Baptized

Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life”.

Step 3:  Pray and Read Your Bible Every Day.  God Communicates His Will For Your Life Through Prayer and His Word.  (If you do not have a Bible, the Church Family you join will give you a Bible)

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path”.

(Scripture References taken from the English Translation/Holman Christian Standard Bible)

God Loves You, And He wants you to know His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ

Do you know that God loves you?

He Wants To Be Your “God of Hope”

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may overflow with hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit”.

He Wants To Be Your “God of Peace”

Romans 13:33 “May the God of peace be with you”.

He Wants To Be Your “God of Mercy and Comfort”

2 Corinthians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort”.

Most Of All, God Wants To Be Your “God of Grace”

1 Peter 5:10 “Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little”.

The God of All Grace is Calling You to His Eternal Glory, In Christ Jesus

Who Is Jesus?

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us (this is Jesus).  We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father (this is God), full of grace and truth”.

He is the Living Word and the One and Only Son of God, full of Truth and Grace

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him to be baptized he said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”.  John 1:29

He is the Lamb of God, who takes away your sin

After Jesus had been baptized by John, there came a voice from heaven (which was God) and said, “This is my beloved Son.  I take delight in Him”.  Matthew 3:17

He is the Son of God

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, except through me”.  John 14:6

He is the Only Way that you will have Eternal Life In Heaven.  He is The Truth!

When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am”?  Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”.  Matthew 16:16

Jesus is the Messiah, The Christ, The Anointed One, The Way, The Truth and The Life.  No One will live eternally in heaven, except through Him

Do You Want to Accept God’s Love, Hope, Peace, Mercy, Comfort, Grace and Eternal Life Today?

If your answer to this question is “Yes, I want to accept God’s gift of eternal life”, follow these steps to A New Life In Jesus Christ:

Step 1:  Admit to God that you are a sinner.  Make the decision to turn away from your sin and make changes in your daily life

Sin Makes Change Necessary:  The Bible says,

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.

Sin Earns Death, But God Gives Life:  The Bible says,

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus”.

Step 2:  Believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and accept God’s gift of forgiveness from your sin.

THE GOOD NEWS IS, GOD LOVES YOU: The Bible says,

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us”.

Step 3:  Confess your faith in Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord.

Confess With Your Mouth and Believe With Your Heart:  The Bible says,

Romans 10:9-10 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.

Christ Died On The Cross For You And Then Rose From The Dead As An Acceptable Payment To God For Your Sins!

Step 4:  Call on The Name of the Lord

Call On The Name Of The Lord In Prayer:  The Bible says,

Romans 10:13 “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”.

At This Very Moment, Receive Christ’s Gift of Salvation By Praying This Prayer

Dear God,

I believe that Jesus Christ is your son.  I belive that He died on the cross and was raised from the dead.  I know that I am a sinner and need forgiveness for my sins.  I am asking Jesus to come into my heart.  I am willing to change the direction of my life.  I know I can do this by living my life for Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and by turning away from my sins.  Thank you for forgiving me of my sins.  Thank you for giving me eternal life and hope.    In Jesus Name, AMEN

Congratulations!  You are my Sister (or Brother) In Christ!  Leave a comment on my blog and let me know about this most important choice of your life.  I will be praying for you because God has a plan and a purpose for your life (Jeremiah 29:11-13).  Search for Him with All Of Your Heart.  He Is Waiting For You With Open Arms!

(Scripture References taken from the English Translation/Holman Standard Bible)

Words that define stress: pressure, tension, press, push, pull, twist, force…

“Tension is the sign of an exhaustive inner struggle” quote from the movie “The Nun Story” with Audrey Hepburn

It’s funny that I feel a little stressed, in writing this post!  What’s the deal with that?

I suppose all you need to know is this:

• I am lovin’ this retirement thing.
• My quest to simplify my life has just started, even though my thoughts of it began many months ago
• I have relieved myself of two major activities in my life, that were not bad in and of themselves, but, they were time-consuming.  One activity was un-necessary at this point in our (my Hubby’s and mine) lives and the other was one that the Lord directed us to pass on to another(s).  These activities were~my full time job in our independent insurance business, and serving in a ministry which the Lord set before us 8 years ago as Mission’s Directors in our Church.

I had been living under so much pressure that the tension was causing all sorts of physical, mental and spiritual struggles within me.  I had health issues, mental issues and yes, spiritual issues.  It was exhaustive!  I think back on some of the things that happened and can laugh at them now.

Did I Just Put Catsup On My Pancakes?

Yes, I did  put catsup on my pancakes.  No, I did not intend to put catsup on my pancakes.  And Yes, I did it in a restaurant in Branson~full of people including my Hubby, Sister and Brother-in-law.  And Yes, our server made a huge deal out of it.  I asked her politely to attend to her duties as a server, and that No, I did not wish for her to correct my mental mistake by bringing me a whole new plate full of food.  However, I did leave her a nice tip for asking!

Then there was the “Baby Doll In The Toilet” incident.  No, I do not have a picture of the mishap simply because I couldn’t think fast enough to snap a picture with my cell phone.  However, I do have a picture of the other two crazy girls involved.

‘S’ and ‘J’ ~ My Grand-Daughters

Long story short version: My Hubby and I were in a restaurant with our Grand-daughters. ‘S’ had placed her baby doll in my purse, hanging off the side of it by the arm.  We three, giggling girls, had gone to the restroom together.  I took my purse with  me (I never do this when my Hubby is with me~he’s a great purse watcher).  Why did I do it?  I had forgotten the doll was only hanging by her arm off the side of my purse.  When I entered the stall of the restroom, something went curplop (bigtime).  I thought I had dropped my cell phone in the toilet, only to find it was the doll.  I immediately started laughing.  You must know this: Laughing is one of the things I do best!  Actually, my whole family is known for this outstanding quality~laughing!  ‘J’ was still in her stall at this point and ‘S’ was washing her hands.  Both girls started yelling, “What’s so funny Granny”?  I opened my stall door and burst out with (laughing all the while), “I just dropped ’S's’ baby doll in the toilet”!  ‘S’ could not decide whether to cry or laugh, because it was her baby doll floating in the toilet.  After about 30 seconds she decided it was just as funny as I thought it was.  So, I pulled the doll out of the toilet (which was not pleasant) and washed her as good as possible.  At this point ‘J’ came bursting out of her stall to check out the excitement.  I took my eyes off of the doll for 1 small second, and ‘S’ decided to drop the doll in the toilet again to illustrate to ‘J’ what was so funny.  I couldn’t believe it!  So, I pulled the doll out, again, and washed her as good as possible.  We wrapped the baby doll in swaddling brown paper towels, put her in the back of my car for the ride home~we three giggling girls, and my Hubby~LAUGHING ALL THE WAY!

Oh yes, I was on the subject of stress.  It’s Funny, I don’t feel stressed about writing this post anymore.

Retirement ~ It’s Wonderful, I Feel So De-Stressed!

The Fruits of Simplicity are: Freedom, Joy, Peace, Honesty and Balance!

Retirement Date: January 3, 2012

This is where you will find, My Real Life, fun and (hopefully) meaningful journey of my Retirement…

First Posts Coming Soon:

• It’s Wonderful ~ I Feel So De-Stressed ~ Done, posted on January 23, 2012
• Knock, Knock ~ Go Away ~ I’m In My Jammies! ~ Done, posted on January 26, 2012
• It’s My First Time ~ To Be A Normal Housewife? ~ Done, posted on January 28, 2012
• For The Seventh Time, I’m Telling You…I’m Not Old Enough For The Senior Pass!
• Are You Screening Your Phone Calls Now That You’re Retired?
• Coffee?

Enjoy Our Apple Salad Recipe

Just Click On The PDF File Below, To Print

Recipe Pams Apple Salad

“You are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good things.  God planned for these good things (long ago for you personally) to be the way that you live your life.” Ephesians 2:10

Who Are You?

You are chosen by God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ to be His Daughter ~ Ephesians 1:4,5

You are completely and fully accepted into my family, The Family of God, never more an orphan to be ~ Ephesians 2:19

When my “Hubby” and I first married…

…we were determined to learn everything we could about our new family dynamic.  We are a step-family.  That was almost 23 years ago.  One of the first things we learned was that the word “step” in step-famiy was taken from an Old English word, “steop”.  It means bereaved or orphaned (lacking a parent).

Little did I know that I would learn many things about that little word, “steop”.  I know what it is to choose and accept children into my family, in several different ways. I have step-kids, I have a step-grandson, I have a beautiful child in east Asia that is anything but out of sight and out of mind (we love and support her in many ways including having spent time with her), and I have an adopted grand-daughter and grand-son from Africa.

But the most wonderful thing I have learned about the word “steop” is this.  I was once orphaned, but now I am found ~ I am a chosen daughter of God, the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, never more an orphan to be.

Who Are We?

First and foremost are these: We are God’s masterpieces created to do good things! God planned, for each of us, specific good things He wants us to do.  And, we are Daughter’s of the King, never more orphans to be and to have relationship with Him! When we understand this we understand how important it is that we place the highest of value on the God who created us, which in turn helps us to understand Who We Are ~ In Christ Jesus!

The Simplicity of it?

Selfish, self-esteem issues (which are lies) cannot survive against Who We Are In Christ Jesus!  It is a Matter of The Heart!  So, Just Be You!  You are the very person He created YOU to be ~ Masterpiece and Daughter!  Believe It!

The Fruits of Simplicity?

…Freedom, Joy, Peace, Honesty and Balance

How Much Salt Does The Recipe Call For? pdf/poster (8 1/2 x 11) ~Available Soon ~ January 2012

Hey God, I Didn’t Ask For Humility ~ I Asked For A Deeper Walk In The Holy Spirit: Printable Book (pdf format) ~ Projected Availability Date is February 2012

The Teacher (The Book of John~Journey Into Easter): Printable Book (pdf format) ~ Projected Availability Date is March 1, 2012

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You’re Gonna Love My Favorite Girls Of Faith!

 Girls of Faith Bible Study (printable/pdf format)

My Butterfly Bible Study Titles:

• Girls of Faith, Vol. 1
• Journey Into God’s Love
• The Disciple
• BE ~ Attitudes vs Emotions
• God Has A Plan and A Purpose For Your Life

Note: You will find all of my Bible Study, free downloads, by clicking on “Exclusively Yours ~ My Printable Bible Studies and Other Printables” in “Read My Posts by Catagories” from The Left Sidebar, here, at Butterfly Bible Studies.

Please Enjoy ~ Exclusively, From Me To You!

]]> http://butterflybiblestudies.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/exclusively-yours-girls-of-faith-vol-1-ebook/feed/ 0 butterflybiblestudies Girls of Faith Bible Study Cover Page JPEG