A Label I Don't Mind

I have been labeled. It isn't a bad classification thankfully. Just one that describes my current station very well. I don't mind it as much as ADHD. I had that label slapped on me as a child. This label isn't like that.

SAHD.

Photo credit

No, it doesn't stand for super-active-hyper-drive, though that would be cool. It just stands for Stay-At-Home Daughter. See, nothing too exciting.

I have been asked to explain *why*. Why at the age of 22 am I still living at home? I am capable, responsible, and hard working. So why am I still pining away at home, waiting by my window, looking out towards the road, singing "Someday My Prince Will Come", and helping wipe my siblings noses while slaving in my mother's kitchen?

Well, upon being asked on this point, my first answer was simple; Free food! Free lodging! Free internet! Boo yeah baby! But, as it was my Mom asking, that answer wasn't going to fly over very well.

I had to go to my creative corner and think. Honestly, I had never actually given this much consideration. For me, it was just something all of my friends and I did: simply remain at home till marriage. But, that answer wasn't good enough either. So back to my corner. Here is what I finally came up with. (She better like this!)

What do you think of when you hear the word "home"? I think of safety, love, care, concern, authority, and sharing. A place to share ideas, get advice, being with people who know your faults, and love you anyway. A place where you can be yourself, talk freely, and sleep without having to worry about your safety. I have no concern about where my next meal is going to come from, or fear that I will be rejected for my faith. I am surrounded by people I agree with on many subjects, and hold the same general convictions about things. I fit in. I am accepted as a person. I have my own talents, and I am encouraged to grow and strengthen them.

And, yes, this is where I have learned to cook, clean, care for children, lean on others for help, build people up, submit to authority, consider how hard marriage can be and what it takes to make it work, debate, and search out what I believe. I was not trained to just "grow up", I was trained how to thrive. All from the best teachers in the world; my parents.

I have heard that if you can learn to live with every person in your home, you can get along with anyone in the world. I totally understand why. I am learning about that too.

But something else that being here at home has encouraged me to do; make my own home someday. I see things here that I think, "I will do that too when I am married/have a home." or, "I don't agree with that method; I will try something different when I have children". Mom isn't training me to be just like her, or to do everything like she does. I am not her carbon copy. She knows she has made some mistakes. She is teaching me to make decisions for myself, and make my own choices, but reminds me of the consequences of my actions, whether good or bad. She is not a perfect teacher, but she is the best trainer that Christ could have provided for me.

Dad is not a pro at raising daughters, but neither am I proficient at being a daughter. We are in this together, and I get the privilege of practicing how to relate to my husband and submit to his authority through Daddy. I am protected, and loved. I get to experience what it is like for a man to tell you that you are beautiful, in a pure and sweet way that only a dad can tell his daughter. I don't have to wonder what it will be like to be cherished by a man, or to get the attention of the opposite sex. My earthly father is someone I can turn to for advice, love, opinions, and correction (I don't like that part so much J). He is a fierce protector, and you don’t mess with his girls.

My sisters are my best friends. 100% hands down. I share my life, my opinions (whether they want it or not), my failures, my sorrow, and my happiness. In return, I get the same things from them. We are a team. We face life together. We build each other up in the Lord, spurring the other on to greater glory for God. We struggle, we even argue sometimes, but at the end of the day, we are better people because we love each other. I can't imagine what I would do without them honestly.

I also don't need to wait till marriage to discover that men are not just physically different from women, but intellectually and emotionally as well. My brothers are top professors in the college course of Guy Psychology 101. I am learning how guys respond, think, act, process, and view things quite the opposite than I think they should. I am also discovering how to react, redirect, and encourage them (it hasn't been easy in any way!) by simply living with and observing them in their own environment where they are most comfortable. And I haven't had to go through any heartbreaks or dream-shattering experiences to come to that conclusion. I also get the added benefit of having protectors, even when my daddy isn't there. Though we struggle at times in our relationships, my brothers don't take kindly too guys mistreating their sisters. I really appreciate that!

Considering all this, why would a rational young woman not want to live at home? I understand there are homes with many different situations and problems, but this is what is true of my home. There are so many benefits, including free food, lodging, and internet. ;-)

I love it here, and wouldn't want to be any other place until it is time to start my own home, or unless God calls me to serve somewhere else.

Home is where the heart of this SAHD chooses to be.

Armour of God

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.                                     Ephesians 6:13-17                                                                             

photo credit: Morguefile.com

I was studying this passage this week, and thought I would share my findings with you!

Belt of Truth.
Girt-gird: To encircle, surround, to secure. To gird oneself is to prepare and strengthen oneself for what is to come.
We are to surround ourselves with truth-Jesus especially, and the Bible, in order to be prepared and strengthened for what ever battles or assignments He might have for us.

Breastplate of righteousness
We need Christ's righteousness to cloth us, for ours is as filthy rags.

Shoes of the gospel of peace
Feet represents going somewhere. We are to be prepared to go and give the gospel to anyone who asks of the hope within us. (1 Peter 3:15)

Shield of faith
Faith-complete confidence or trust in something or someone
Shield-Something or someone that protects you.
We have all the power and grace supplied to be able to extinguish temptations and sin, but we must have complete confidence in our shield of defense- Jesus Christ.

Helmet of salvation
Salvation-saved from sin and delivered form Hell.
Christ is our salvation, our way of escape, deliverance, Redeemer. But He also gives us assurance of that. He is also our helmet-protection of salvation. Since we can't earn it, we can't keep it either. He maintains it for us.

Sword of the Spirit, that is the Word of God
If you have the Spirit within you, it will communicate with you, whether you are displeasing God, or if you should or shouldn't do something. It is your most powerful weapon, because without the Spirit, it would be next to impossible to know God. The sword may also be used to prick me, to show me my sin. It is used for killing the enemy as well.

The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

So, without Christ, we cannot have the armor of God, and can't use it either. Christ is the key element here.

Here is a poem that I wrote as I was meditating on this:

I will be your belt of truth
I will prepare and strengthen you.
There are battles up the road,
Just be still and think on what is true.

I will be your breastplate, I will
Clothe you in My righteousness.
My blood is the price I paid,
Only trust, and rest in My holiness.

I will prepare you with the gospel,
And tell you where to go.
You must be ready always,
Tell the world of your hope.

I will be your shield of faith,
A refuge for you to hide.
Only use the grace and power,
I lovingly supplied.

I will be your salvation,
I will redeem you.
You can in no way earn it,
I will guard it too.

If you abide in Me,
And I abide in you,
My Spirit with the Word of God,
 Will be a light to guide you.

I will be your armor, the armor of God.
I will be with you in trouble,
and guide where your feet trod.
I will set you free,
And give you peace in the storm.
I am your Lord Almighty.
Copyright 2014

Titus 2 Series: Good/Obedient To Their Own Husbands

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 

                                                                       Titus 2:4-5

I decided to combine two posts into one, since both are kind of self-explanatory. 

Being good had me stumped for awhile, because the whole verse seems to be about being good, does it not? 

But looking up other translations helped immensely. It also means to be kind, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, and happy.

Well, I will tell you from first hand experience that if you are loving your husband, loving your children, being discreet, chaste, and guarding your home, you can't help but be joyful!

But when things aren't going as we planned, our siblings are fighting and you can't get them to stop, our parents keep asking us to do things when we haven't finished with the last 5 things they told us to do, feeling ill ourselves but can't stop because there is no one to take your place, our siblings don't finish their chores and you are the one in trouble (it has happened before!), and everything just seemed to be depending on you, it isn't easy to be agreeable or pleasant to those around you!  

Perhaps what I am about to say you may find a bit surprising; people can't make you mad. Your family can't "get on your last nerve". You choose to have a last nerve. You choose to be angry. How you respond to situations does not need to depend on the situation itself, but on 1. Your relationship with God, and 2.How you choose to respond. 

There have been several times when something happened, and I was in a different room when it took place, so I was able to hear it before they confronted me with it (e.g. someone broke my favorite teacup, or my tea pot {I love tea}), and I was able to decide before that I was not going to get angry. When they told me about it, I looked at the offender and told her I forgave her. She was so relieved, and thanked me over and over again (it was the same little girl both times). It would have been very easy to have blown up at her, and hurt her in the process. But because I was able to step back and assess the situations, I didn't. 

So, my advice. Cry out to the Lord, stay away from it until you can think clearly, count to ten (never worked for me. I always forgot), and then make a decision that you know would please the Lord.

I don't really know about being obedient to their own husbands, because I don't have one, but I do know about obeying my Dad. Not just obeying, but respecting, honoring, and helping his helpmeet to run his home efficiently. Not to mention being submissive. And how we respond to our Dad's is how we will also respond to our husbands someday. There have been numerous books written on this subject already, so here are some really great books I have read/am reading:

So Much More by Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin

Joyfully at Home by Jasmine Baucham
Preparing to be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl


We can be Christ-like women, while even being at home. Life doesn't start when you get married. It's happening before your eyes. Don't waste this time in your life that the Lord has given you.

Emily Long

Titus 2 Series: Being a Keeper At Home

                                         

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.                                                                                          Titus 2:4-5

I know you all probably think I gave up on this blog months ago, and to tell you the truth, I thought I had as well.

You see, I was confused as to the next part in the Titus 2 Series. It was supposed to be on “Being keepers at home”. But the only thing I could figure out that it meant was that women shouldn't work outside the home, they should be at home schooling the children, women shouldn't be career minded, etc, etc. But the Lord has since shown me that for some women, it is necessary for them to work outside the home to provide for their children because the husband is absent. So that couldn't be what it meant.  So I gave up, and decided I can't write about something I don't understand.

The Lord, in His graciousness, has opened my eyes, and shown me what being a keeper at home looks like for a stay at home daughter like me. And now I am happy to finally be able to share that with you all.

Home is not exactly a place. Home can be anywhere you place your heart. We all know the famous quote, “Home is where the heart is.” That statement holds more truth than people realize.

In Matthew 6:19-21, Christ, who is preaching the famous “sermon on the mount”, says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Whatever you set your heart on, that will become your treasure. It will become your focus, your reason to live on during the hard times, and what spurs you on to greater things. For some people, it is money. Others, jobs. I am not implying by any means that money is bad, or that we shouldn't have jobs. We need to provide for our families and be responsible. But it should not be our focus.

I cannot think of a better illustration of this than in the life of my Dad. He recently switched to a new job, and is home much earlier than he was at his old job. He is usually home around 4-5 now, whereas he would get home around 7:30-9.

Now you have to understand something about my Daddy: he is the type of guy that could work at the same job all his life, and be fine with it. He doesn't like change. He had worked at his past job for a number of years, but it was an hour away. We had been praying for a while that the Lord would provide him a job closer to home, because we really missed him.

Here is the clincher; at his old job, my Dad had a prestigious position. Men looked up to him. He had his own cell phone. He had a desk, and his own forklift. It wasn't very strenuous job. But he didn't see much of his family, and everybody was suffering for it.

My Daddy left all that, trusting God had provided this job, and started working with chickens. Dirty, filthy, loud chickens. It is a very nasty job. More than I care to elaborate.

He had a really hard time this past weekend and actually had it all set up to go back to his old job. But God convicted him, and made him realize where his heart really lies. And my Daddy went back today, and worked with those foul (fowl) birds, because he realized that he wants his heart to be home. (If it sounds like I am bragging on him, or just a little proud, it is because I am!J)

But your heart can be drawn away by other things inside your home, whether it is the computer, novels, iPod, or phone. Satan can use any number of things to steal and draw our hearts away. Things that in essence aren't bad, but if they keep your heart away from what’s best, then for you, they are bad.

But it can go even deeper than that. “Little” sins you enjoy that you don’t think hurt anybody else, like fantasizing about situations or people, lust, plotting revenge, thinking angry or hateful thoughts toward someone, or worrying about things are sins that will affect you, and will steal your heart away from God and your family. Believe me, I have been there. I’m sorry if I am stepping on a few toes.

So, after all that I have observed and learned in the past couple of months, I have come to the conclusion that God is where the heart should be. Family is where the heart should be. Because God and our family are eternal, but nothing else is.

So what is a keeper? A keeper is a guard, caretaker, or a custodian of something or someone. That means that God is calling us to guard our homes, go beyond taking care of our man and children, but rather, help guard where their home is. God has placed in our hands a very tender, fragile, demanding, and tough at times, but yet it is very rewarding. Scripture says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 4) I think that verse speaks for most parents.

The greatest lesson the Lord has taught me is, I cannot be a keeper at home, until I am a keeper of my heart.

Emily 

This post is linked with:

A Wise Woman Link Up

Welcome Home Wednesday

Encourage One Another

Raising Homemakers

Titus 2 Series: To Be Chaste Part 1

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.                                                                                          Titus 2:4-5

                                                                       Photo credit

So far, we have covered soberness, loving husbands and children, and discretion. We are about halfway through! :)

When I began looking up "chaste", I thought, "Oh boy! This ought to be good!" But as I dug deeper into the word meaning and origin, it became a bit more applicable to me. 

We are all aware of the fact that we are supposed to save physical intimacy for marriage; it's something we just know is right. So why would the women need to be "taught" to be chaste, if they were already honoring this in biblical times?

I was a bit confused, but when I looked up the definition, one of them was "The words 'chaste' and 'chastity' stem from the Latin adjective castus meaning 'pure'." (Wikipedia).  As I explored further, I found that it also meant "Pure in thought and act: modest." (Merriam-webster dictionary). Other definitions also alluded to dressing and acting modestly and  in a pure way. We touched on dressing modesty in the post To Be Sober, but not really on modest behavior. 

I will be the first person to raise my hand when asked if my behavior has ever been flirtatious or suggestive at times. I have by no means "arrived" in this area. So let us (together :)) discover what God has to say about the way we should conduct ourselves.

I would like to direct your attention to a woman who is commonly referred to in our house as, "The Proverbs 7 woman". Let us see how her behavior characterizes her as a harlot.

Verse 9: She does her work in the black of night. Or when no one is looking.
Verse 10: She dresses in a way so as to attract young men.
Verse 11: She laughs loudly, thinks she is right all the time, is prideful, and would rather be out partying than being home.
Verse 12: You never know what to expect of her next.
Verse 13: With an innocent face, she lures him into her trap, and catches him.
Verse 14: She is religious, and this would explain why she does this in secret. She goes to church, perhaps helps out in ministry, and her religious friends don't suspect a thing!
Verse 15: She appears"needy ". Men have a natural desire to protect females, and she is appealing to that.
Verse 16-17: I think she is telling him here that she has really made it romantic, and everything is pleasing to the eye, as we know that goods from Egypt was expensive.
 Verse 18: I can just imagine her cuddling up to him and looking up at him with puppy dog eyes as she says, "Let us have fun together!" (Insert seductive smile).
Verse 19-20: My man isn't home, so no one will know!
Verse 21: She strokes his ego, she flatters him in a way that he likes, making him feel like A MAN, and she leads him away like a ox to the slaughter. She has done her dirty work, and only destruction can come of it. 

"But wait! I am not a harlot!" I can just hear you saying. Well, at first glance, we wouldn't place ourselves at such a low standard. 

Here is my version of a Modern Day Christian Harlot.

"Cindy" is a Christian woman whom everybody adores. She is single, popular, young, still living at home, and seems to attract quite a few men. 

Cindy loves parties, and is commonly referred to as "the life of the party". 

One day, one of her good friends has a party. Cindy carefully gets herself ready, fixing her hair in a flattering way, dabs some makeup on, especially on the eyes, puts on nice earrings, not gaudy, but just the right "flare". A nice "modest" shirt with a slight v neck, belt tight around the waist, short skirt with tight leggings underneath, and high heels complete the look, not to mention the bright red nail polish on her long fingernails and toes, as well as a long necklace down the front. With a satisfied look in the mirror, she marches off, ready for action.

Upon arriving, she quickly looks around for any new men she hasn't yet met. As she spots a handsome young man, the following scenario unfolds.

Action 1: Get his attention.

She greets her friends with peals of delight, and laughs loudly. She doesn't want her friends to know that she has eyes for that man, but she wants to know who he is, how old he is, and if he is available. She will drop hints or questions, and they will eventually lead to the answers she is looking for. She tries to stay in the same room, or at least in his view. Continually being loud, or constantly drawing attention pays off, and she sees him glance her way, and she looks into his eyes. It may look innocent enough, so as her friends don't suspect, but she allows just enough of a sparkle in her eyes as to attract him and draw him in. After meeting eyes for a while, and moving in ways to get his attention, she is finally introduced to him.

Have you found yourself in here so far? Next week I will finish this story, and share a bit more.

Blessings,

Emily Long

Titus 2 Series: To Be Chaste Part 2

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Titus 2:4-5

And we continue our story of a Modern Day Christian Harlot. To read part 1 of this post, click here.

Action 2: She flatters him.

 Upon being introduced, she flatters his shirt, and how much she likes it, and how it looks good on him. They chat about life for a little, and she talks about herself and stands in a way so it is slightly seductive.She tells him all about her ministries, and lets him know how godly she is. She rubs her hands on her thighs, runs her hand through her hair, plays with strands of her hair, laughs at all his jokes, and looks at him so as to make him feel like she really admires him. They come up with little jokes, and then later when they are with everybody, he will say something and she will laugh and smack his arm lightly, but doesn't remove her hand immediately. She will lean down to get something, and her shirt may come down, and her skirt comes up in the back. It looks innocent enough to her friends, but she knows it is luring him in. 

Action 3: Makes herself look humble, and sort of pitiful.

She will talk to him, and perhaps say with a sigh, "My family is better at everything than me! They are so much prettier, etc., etc." in which he will reply how pretty she is, and how talented she is, etc. She may have a slight ailment, and will capitalize on it, so as to incite his sympathy, and make him want to help her. He feels like the hero, but she knows he if falling. She continues to flatter him, and give compliments about this or that. 

Action 4: She goes in for the kill. 

Cindy knows she has him. They stay late talking, and when it's time to leave, he helps her to the car and as they are standing in the dark, so close together, she looks up into his face, and with a seductive smile, she slowly puts her arms around his neck and draws him in...

Now, I know most of you haven't gotten to step 4, but in your hearts perhaps, that may be the case. I know I have been guilty of several of these things, including some of her dress and actions. I don't know if you were able to find yourself anywhere in here, and I genuinely hope you didn't. I have met many Cindy's, and they may go to your church, your homeschool group, your musical groups, or you like to hang around them. It is easy to want to be like them, because they are popular.

 I guarantee you that she will not be luring in good guys. "Guys know who the players are." A friend once told me. Are we even slightly imitating her? 

I encourage you to really take a look at your life. Your clothing standards, your jewelry, your shoes, your appearance, your actions, your heart, and your motives. The Bible says that when a man looks on a woman to lust after her, he has committed adultery WITH her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28). So many times I hear women say, "Well, he just needs to control his thoughts!". But God says that he committed adultery WITH her, not against her! Something in her behavior and looks trapped him, and they are both guilty. 

If a man is staring at you, don't automatically think, "He likes me! He keeps staring at me!". Is there something in your behavior or apparel that is drawing unwanted attention to you? Perhaps you should have a heart check up. 

Now, I am not suggesting we all dress like rag bags, and wear no make up or jewelry, and become Amish, but I am suggesting that we check our heart attitudes. What is your motive for wearing that? Is it so you can get attention? Then perhaps it would be wise not to wear it. 

It is the heart attitude that is important. "...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth;  for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b) Our hearts should desire God's opinion, not our friends or family. But you don't just wake up one day and your heart is desiring God. It comes by reading and obeying the Word of God, and praying that the Lord would make your heart bend to His will. 

Please take a humble look at your life, and see "if there be some wicked way" in you (Psalm 139:24). We don't want to be stealing from other women's husbands. And that is exactly what we are doing when we act or dress like Cindy. 

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.

Blessings until next time,

Emily Long

Titus 2 Series: To Be Discreet

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Titus 2:4-5 

Discretion can be a hard thing, especially for women, as we love to talk! The Bible says "In a multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." (Proverbs 10:19) That's how gossip starts. And slander. And friendships get cut off, and people get hurt. Not a fun cycle, but because women of this day and age have no discretion, that is exactly what happens.

Can we as Christian women set an example to the world, or have we also been sucked into this?  Let us take a closer look at discretion, shall we?

 The Dictionary describes it as "Careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, esp. to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage; curbing one's desires and impulses, self-controlled, temperate." Some synonyms are, maturity, prudence, carefulness, thoughtfulness, and wisdom. Okay, so we get a general idea of what it is. Now what does the Bible have to say about it?

Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. – Proverbs 2:11

As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion. Proverbs 11:22 

 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. Proverbs 14:15

 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. Proverbs 16:20

He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. Proverbs 18:13 

 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. Proverbs 19:11

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2 

These are just a few verses that talk about discretion, or some form of it. So we know what it is, and what God has to say about it, so what does it look like in our lives?

Have you ever heard the saying, "Input, output."? What you put into something is what you will ultimately will get out of it. If you put a pizza in the oven, you will pull a pizza out. Same concept with your mind and heart. If you are constantly talking or thinking about what so and so said about so and so, guess what you are going to be talking about?

If you have ever noticed the headlines on the magazine racks at the grocery store, you already know that the world is all about getting the inside scoop or digging up dirt on people because that is what we are naturally drawn to. We enjoy talking about people, and getting in all those little details that are "important", because God has made us naturally curious, but with that curiosity, there must be wisdom to know what not to explore, or what not to look at.

Ever catch yourself telling a story that may be true, but you feel this check in your spirit about sharing it? That  is your conscience telling you that what you are about to share isn't the best thing to say, or isn't the most encouraging thing you could say to this person, or will probably cause an offense with the person you are talking about. It is always best to listen to that little voice and not share it. Even if you are in the middle of the story, you could simply stop and apologize for sharing that and explain that you don't think you need to share this story. Not only will you feel better, but the person you are talking to will respect you, and will know they can trust you.

Think about this for a minute; if the person you are talking to is gossiping about someone, what makes you think that they won't turn around to someone else and talk about YOU? You have to guard who you talk to, and what you talk about.

Now, what I am about to say next may be hard, but it is necessary. Daughters, do not, I repeat, DO NOT speak evil or wrongly about your Dad, Mom, or your siblings. This may seem like it is obvious, but we tend to do this, and it could really ruin the very relationships that you are trying to build! Also, wives, Don't talk bad about your husbands or share your marital problems to everybody. Share your heart with only a trustworthy friend or two who will point you back to Christ, but no gossiping. This could really tear your marriage down.

Discretion is a huge issue in our society, and we as Christian women really need to be setting an example in our church, community, and world. You never know who is listening!

Blessings!
Emily Long