Joy to the World...

Being joyful is a choice.

I know I have said it before, but I think it needs to be said again, even if only to remind myself.

Thankfulness is at the heart of joyfulness.

Are you joyful, regardless of your husband's decisions?

Are you thankful, regardless of your husband's decisions?

You don't know what God's plans are.

Perhaps God knows that you will need the extra money and has put into your husband's heart to pick up some extra shifts at work.

Maybe He knows that, although your husband has spent ample amounts of money on his hobby, it is an outlet for him, and allowing him to be pleasant with you and the children.

Maybe your husband has made some poor decisions, but God is teaching him so that he will not make a bigger mistake later on.

No matter what happens, God knows your husband, and he knows you.

He wants you to be joyful, to trust him, knowing he will take care of you.

He wants to give you His peace.

Philippians 4:4-8

 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:25-30

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Challenge

-Choose to trust God and be joyful, when you are tempted to be discontent, remember something to be thankful for

Dreams...

What are your husband's dream?
What makes his face light up?
What gets him thinking and dreaming and talking?
Does he share his dreams with you?
How do you respond to them?
Challenge
-Go out of your way to support your husband's dreams.
   Ex. If he wants a farm someday, learn to do farm things that will relate to his farm (drive a tractor, run a chainsaw, milk a cow, plant a garden, etc.), if he wants to own a certain classic car someday, buy him the manual for it, etc.  

Confidence...

Most men are drawn to people with self-confidence.

They are people that they can count on and trust.

Are you striving to be someone your husband wants to be around?

It is perfectly possible to be confident and submissive.

Carry your head high and respect your husband whole-heartedly.

Challenge

-Be confident! Attract your husband's attention with your confident smile and honoring heart.

If you are constantly fretting over decisions, stop often and ask God to guide you and give you wisdom.

If you are feeling beaten down and burdened, remember that Christ's yoke is easy, and his burden is light.  He does not intend for you to be broken down.

List it...

Challenge
-Write down 8 things you like/love/admire about your husband, inside and out.  Fold up your list and put it in your pocket or hang it on the fridge.  Whenever you start to think something negative about your husband, look at your list and thank God for all his good attributes.

I'm Positive...

Don't set your husband up for failure.
Don't have the mindset that he is going to fail.
Don't focus on what he can do for you, or what he isn't going to do for you.
Instead, ask what can you do to make your husband's day better?  What will make him smile?
You will never be happy if you focus on what your husband does wrong or forgets.
Focus on what he does right, and what he remembers.
Love him, regardless.
Respect him, regardless.
Appreciate him.

Challenge
-Focus on the positive today.  
-Don't let yourself think anything negative about your husband.

Patiently...

Love is patient...

Challenge

-Be patient today, no matter what happens

Personally...

Challenge
-Do not take things personally today