Mrs. Price on the Pence's Marriage

Photo from New York Post

First of all, I know that the whole "the Pences have boundaries in their marriage" episode is so last week...literally, but my family and I have been pondering it all weekend, so it's time for me to say just a few things.

If you happen to be out of the loop because you were vacationing in the Australian Outback or lost in the Bermuda Triangle, Karen Pence shared that VP doesn't dine alone with women other than his wife.

Shock! Gasp! Witchcraft!

So, people started bashing the VP because of his archaic and obviously anti-female ways.

I say, "Way to go!" Boundaries. Principles. Intact marriage of over 30 years.

She was quoted as referring to "The Billy Graham Rule" which was started by the evangelist to avoid the appearance of impropriety. I would call it "The Biblical Guideline for a Healthy Christian Marriage Rule." Okay, it's not as catchy, but it is descriptive.

To me, it just goes back to I Thessalonians 5:22 which states, "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (italics mine). The Greek work can mean appearance (duh) or form. In other words, keep from just looking like something could be wrong and actually doing the wrong.

It's called boundaries.

My husband and I realized it could be an issue early in our marriage. There was a newly saved guy at church that needed help getting places. Since I was at home with a vehicle and hubby was in charge of the bus ministry, it was determined that I could take him.  

Nothing happened during our drive besides errands and maybe a little discipleship. 

But there still was talk like, "Oh, I saw you driving around with so-and-so." "So, what was going on with you and so-and-so?"

Was it any one's business? No. Was it wrong for them to assume a possible bad intent? Yes.

On the other hand, if I would have allowed someone else to drive him or ask someone else to join us, it wouldn't have become fodder for sour minds.

And that was 28 years ago!

Today, it's considered barbaric to set boundaries or to be concerned about reputation. It's crazy! People are dogging on the Pences presuming that such boundaries means he's sexist or lustful or some other cockamamie label....that's right! Cockamamie I tell you!

I really appreciated finding this article by Mary Vought who worked for Mike Pence. I suggest you read it. 

Here is my favorite part, 
"My work product determined my success — not private dinners with the congressman. When looking back on my time in the office of the man who is now vice president, I don’t consider it to be a period of missed opportunities.

The fact of the matter is, it’s not as though then-Congressman Pence was out having private dinners with male staffers and I was excluded. He wasn’t having private dinners much at all.

He had children at home, so as often as possible, after voting and his daily duties, he’d race home to share a meal with the people who mattered to him most: his family. Frankly, he modeled for male and female staffers alike that it was possible to serve in a public role with excellence while being wholly dedicated to his family."

Obviously, we live in world where:

1. Freedom to choose how to live your life only applies to those on the left.

2. 

For Women Only--review and GIVEAWAY!!!

Thankfully, sometimes it easy to tell when God is trying to teach you something...

Like when the book in review for Gabby Moms is the same book in review for Blogging with Books.

It is obviously God's way of gently saying...PAY ATTENTION WOMAN!!

I actually read the earlier edition of For Women Only
and it was very informative and convicting. I did not think I would need to read it again. 

I was wrong.

Reading For Women Only, Revised and Updated Edition was very informative and convicting AGAIN. It dusted off some things I learned previously and reinforced some thing I was doing correctly. It also convicted me again on somethings on which I need to continue to work.  

It also showed me what a blessing my husband is because he gives me credit for doing better than what I know I am doing, and he shows me more about himself than some men mentioned in the book.

Shaunti Feldhahn

For those you do not know about the book, Shaunti Feldhahn shares her findings about the inner-workings of men. Things men assume we know that we do not. Things that are part of how God made them.

She found all this out by doing a lot of research with thousands of men.

Do not let the word "research" scare you off. It is not a dull read at all. Shaunti does a great job of not only explaining her findings and what they mean but also of  helping us find applications. What good is knowledge without the wisdom to use it?

I also appreciate that while there is a lot of research put into this book, it does not come off as psychobabble. It is practical and Biblical.

Remember that husband I am blessed with having? He actually read For Men Only, Revised and Updated Edition to help me with my review.

He found a few surprises out about me like listening does not mean fixing and security means different things to women than it does men. He personally was blessed by realizing that when the Bible says somethings are common to man that it really means somethings are common to man. He was not the only man to have certain issues or ideas.

Oh, and get this. For Men Only, Revised and Updated Edition actually has a quick start guide! Is that book for men or what? 

We both totally recommend these books. It would be great for premarital counseling and for those of us married folks who want to continue to grow our relationship with our spouse.

Not only have they come out with the new editions, but also a DVD study which includes a men's study, a women's study, and a couple's study along with a leader's guide and a copy of each of the books. My husband is excited at the thought of the DVDs...men are visual you know!

In fact, here is a sample clip from one of the DVDs.


Now, here is the great news about the giveaways!
First, Lorrie Flem of Eternal Encouragement is giving away the whole DVD study set on her blog. 
Go HERE to enter that giveaway. (You bet your sweet bippy I entered.) Oh, Lorrie's giveaway ends Saturday, June 22, so hurry fast.
While there, make sure to sign up for the free online magazine at Eternal Encouragement.

Now, on to my giveaway!

There will be two prizes. 

• First place will win a copy of both For Women Only and For Men Only.
• Second place will win a only copy of For Women Only.
• Drawing is for US residents only.
• Drawing will end Sunday, June 30 at midnight.
• Winner will need to return my email within 48 hours of me contacting them or will forfeit the prize to another.

Okay, got it? Here's the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received free copies of the books for me review from both the Gabby Moms and Blogging for Books.

Job's Wife--A Reality Check

I was honored this week to be a guest blogger over at Eternal Encouragement. It was definitely written from real life experience!! Please check it out!

Martin Luther had a Wife---and so did many other religious leaders!

If you have been around my blog at all, you know my affinity for Martin Luther and his wife, Katherine Von Bora. It really should not come as surprise then that I have been reading a book entitled Martin Luther Had a Wife.

This book has several small chapters describing the lives and marriages of several historical men of the faith including:

• Martin and Katie Luther
• John and Molly Wesley
• Jonathan and Sarah Edwards
• Dwight and Emma Moody
• William and Catherine Booth

One nice thing about this little book is that it does not sugar-coat the people or their marriages. It is not The National Enquirer-styled writing, but instead shares the good and the bad of the individuals and their marriages in a gracious way. It makes it nice to realize that these were real people and marriages just like ours. The whole "better and for worse, richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health" gamut! 

I also really enjoy history, so this is a great book about that, but it is told in a story format, so those who may not appreciate history should not get turned off. In fact, you will learn a little history without realizing it! For instance, you may have put a donation in a red kettle this past month, but do you know who started the Salvation Army? What about the Great Awakenings in the United States?  It is cool to learn about these things through the lives of these men and women.

Did I mention it was short?  The whole book is only 160 pages with five chapters. Nice small dosages of reading.

So, I recommend this encouraging and entertaining book. Encouraging because it shows these individuals as no different than us. Entertaining because of it's storytelling format. A great marriage and history lesson all in one.

Quote--Martin Luther on having children

This quote is scary because it sounds like it was written about today's society.  If Luther saw this occurring in age, just imagine how appalled he'd be today.

"Most married people do not desire children; in fact, they dislike them and hold that it is better to live without them because they are poor and do not have the where­withal to support a family. This is true particularly of those who are given to idleness and laziness and flee from the sweat and labor of married life. But the purpose of marriage is not pleasure and ease but the procreation and education of children and the support of a family. This is truly an immense burden, full of great cares and labors. But that is why God created you: to be a husband or a wife and to learn to bear these moles­tations.  People who do not like children are swine, dunces, and blockheads, not worthy to be called men and women, because they despise the blessing of God, the Creator and Author of marriage." 

Martin Luther, as quoted in What Luther Says: A Practical In-Home Anthology for the Active Christian

Til Death Do Us Part--Awesome Short Film on Marriage

You can "like" the movie on Facebook.

My Ministry--A Gift of God's Grace

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. (Ephesians 3:7, ESV)

When I read this verse, I thought about Paul's ministry and the challenges he faced.  I'll let him tell it in his own words.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. (2 Cor. 11:25-27, ESV)

Definitely sounds challenging.  Yet he believed being a minister to the Gentiles was a gift of God's grace. A minister is a servant or waiter. Most wouldn't consider a calling as a servant a great gift.  In fact, it's not just a gift but a gift of grace.  In other words, this gift is undeserved. He didn't even deserve to be a servant. 

Then I considered me.  I was made a minister to my family.  I serve my family.  I definitely face challenges in this ministry but thankfully none like Paul's!!  This role to minister to my family is a gift of God's grace.  I don't deserve to serve them, but God gifted me with this ministry.

Too often, the world tries to tell us that our roles as wife and mother are a curse or a trap.  Sometimes we believe them.  Instead, I'm going to choose to consider this ministry I have as a gift of God's grace.  Thanks for the gift, Father!

Linked to:

A Valentine Story--My Grandparents.

On February 12, my grandparents would have been married 84 years.  What was really interesting was that they had married each other 4 times but had never divorced each other.  

I'd thought I'd tell their story today on Valentine's Day.

My grandparents were married in 1928.  My grandmother was 18, and this was her second marriage.  Yup, 18 and second marriage.  Her family life was terrible, so she married when she was 15 to escape, had a son at 16, and divorced at 17. 

My grandfather was 26.  He, too, had been married previously.  They had had three children before their marriage ended.

When my grandfather sat eyes on my grandmother, he was determined!  There was some hesitancy, however, because prejudice was high, and a Mexican man with a "gringa" girl would be highly frowned upon by both groups.  It didn't stop my grandfather, however.  In fact, my grandmother said that when my grandfather had finally tired of her ignoring him, he drove his Model T up onto the sidewalk in front of a store she was in, so she couldn't go anywhere but in his car when she left!

It obviously worked.  My grandfather learned English and my grandmother learned Spanish during their courtship. My grandparents raised me, and I frequently heard my grandpa speaking in Spanish and my grandma answering him in English.

They were married in a civil service in 1928.  That was the first time they married!

Then, they found out my grandmother's divorce from her first husband had never been finalized.  So, after that was finalized, they married again.  That was number two!

Unbelievable but true, they next found out that my grandfather's divorce had never been finalized.  Another divorce, finalized.  A third time married.

My great-grandmother (my grandfather's mom) never liked her "gringa" daughter-in-law.  In fact, she had even sought a witch's help to try and get rid of her...that's another interesting set of stories. My great-grandmother kept telling them that they were never really married because they hadn't been married in a church.  She had said that my grandmother was merely "a patch" attached to my grandfather.

So, marriage number 4 was in a church.

They never divorced each other but married each other 4 times!

Just in case you might wonder what happened to them, I thought I'd share that, too.

My grandfather died in December 1985.  He had become very senile and had come to a point where he couldn't take care of himself.  Both my grandmother and grandfather's pride prevented them from letting me take care of him, so he was in a nursing home when he passed away.

My grandmother had congestive heart disease which made her bedridden.  We kept her in the living room, so she could continue to be part of the action when she wasn't hospitalized.  She died 4 weeks to the day after my grandfather did.

Just about a month shy of their 58th wedding anniversary. 

Happy Valentine's Day.

Linked to:
  

Alzheimer's--I'd like to forget what Pat Robertson said.

I'm so glad I found out what happened from reading Doug Phillip's blog.  I'm saddened to see what a "Christian leader" is saying.

I will let Doug Phillip's blog speak for itself (make sure to watch both videos), but I do want to say a few things.

Christian's can easily find justifications for their selfish actions without Pat Robertson giving them an excuse and validation.  How sad that one who has the ears of many has decided to start tickling them.

And what a slippery slope this one is. 

Even if you vow of "to death do we part" with "death" being defined by Clinton-ese, how about putting some of the rest of Scripture to practice?

"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love." 

Galatians 5:13

5 R's for Godly Womanhood

Sure, we've all heard of the 3 R's.

READING

AHHH!  This was 4 years ago!

       WRITING                                               'RITHMATIC

In fact, a lot of us are probably starting to think in those terms with school starting sooner than we think!

But the 5 R's?

 

That's Lorrie Flem of Eternal Encouragement at it again!

 

 

Lorrie Flem of Eternal Encouragement has compiled a great set entitled Godly Womanhood: The 5 R's for Homeschool Moms.  Trust me.  These 5 e-books and 5 audio MP3′s are good for any wife and mother!

 

Just like the 3 R's are the basics of a good education, these 5 R's are the basics of being a Godly wife and mother.  There is sooooo much material in this set; I'm going to review only the first two R's which are Refresh and Rekindle.  You'll have to wait for next month for Refine, Rejuvenate, and Rest.

 

All I can say is wow!  What a blessing.  You know it's good when you can be convicted and still call it a blessing.

For Refresh: A Woman Who Kneels Before God Can Stand Before Anyone, Lorrie doesn't just tell us we need to be in the Word, but tells us HOW to get into the Word.  It involves a pregnant BB and a pregnant MM, but I'll allow her to explain.  I thought it was truthfully simplistic when Lorrie explained the difference between Bible reading and Bible study is a pencil!


Rekindle, Red Hot is So Cool dealt with intimacy in our marriage in a straightforward but discreet way.  I know I was convicted when Lorrie pointed out the fallacy of romance as we understand and look for it.  "If you are looking for romance you are looking for more than God planned for you,"  said Lorrie, and when she explains the reason why, you have to agree with her.

Another thing I got out of this lesson is the importance of "not letting too long elapse between fires."  I've dealt with some ongoing health issues, that often puts intimacy on the back burner or even in the refrigerator!  Just the simple fact that it takes less effort to start a fire with warm coals than when they've been let to cool has benefited my marriage and has made me attempt to keep my "embers warm." 

This month's Gabby Mom's review is just over the first two sections of The 5 R's.  I'll discuss the other three in my review next month.  If you can't wait to find out more, you can always purchase it HERE for only $24.97.  If you think about it, that's only about $5 for each "R" which includes a MP3 and an e-book.

Speaking of Gabby Moms, I have thoroughly been blessed through this program.  You get free stuff that helps you become a better wife and mother for God, and then you can tell people what you think about it.  If you know me, you know that involves three things I enjoy: FREE, growing, and telling people what I think! 

All that being said, would you like to be one?  The process for applying for the 2012 Gabby Moms program begins now.  The first step you need to take is to fill in the application for 2012 by September 1st.  Yes, it's a secure site/link.  Come join this great group of ladies. It's a supportive fellowship even apart from the reviews.

I received this product bundle for honest review from Eternal Encouragement as a part of The Gabby Moms program. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

A Queenly Review and an Eternal Encouragement Giveaway

My daughter is all into PRINCESSES.  After all, she IS a princess.

Which makes my husband the king and me, well, it makes me the queen...

I know.  I'm really classy and elegant thanks to my Burger King crown.

So needless to say, I was immediately attracted to my newest Gabby Mom review which is a MP3 from Mrs. Lorrie Flem entitled "Keys to a Queenly Castle."  It's about the role of a wife and mother as queen of her home.   I really appreciated how she related to the command God gave for male and female to have dominion over the earth.

Boy, was it ever convicting and timely.  But of course, that's how most things are from Eternal Encouragement

Last Thursday, my husband lost his job.  It's been happening to a lot of people, so I'm sure there are other wives out there who are facing the same thing.  It hasn't even been a week, and people have already commented to me, "Well, maybe you should go out and get a job." 

I know they mean well.  And in a weak moment, if I weren't so "weak" physically right now, I might be tempted by it. 

But thanks to Lorrie's MP3, I remember that I'm "building a wall" and am too busy to come down!  She mentioned how Nehemiah was invited to "come down" by some important Arab men, but instead, he said, "...I am doing a great work and I cannot come down..." (Neh. 6:3).  I need to keep the vision of the great work God has for me here at home regardless of the chaos or temptation surrounding me!

Another MP3 that Lorrie made available for The Gabby Moms is "Attitude Adjustments".  I haven't even really gotten a chance to listen to it yet, because I was still processing all the information from being a QUEEN!

I am defintely going to listen to it, however.  I know my attitude is correct, but maybe it will help me point out what attitudes others need to adjust!  Pardon me now, while I go pull this log out of my own eye! (Matt. 7:3-5)

HOW ABOUT A GIVEAWAY!!

Now for the really fun part!  Mrs. Lorrie Flem is making one MP3 available as a giveaway.  Not only will it be free, but it will be one of your own choice.  That's right!  You can choose one of these I mentioned or another one of your choice.  Trust me.  You can't make a poor choice.

Here’s how to enter: (please complete all in ONE comment-one entry per person)



1. Click here to chose the MP3 file you’d like to win


2.  Go to www.TheGabbyMoms.com and post a comment on which one you’ve chosen. (The link for comments is under the Facebook and Twitter icons.) 


3.  Make sure to also comment that you found out about it from me.  (Betsy or MrsPriceisRight)


4. Leave your contact email.  After all, I think you would want to know if you win, right? :-)

5. Winner will be chosen on Saturday, June 18th via random.org.  You will need to claim your prize within 48 hours or an alternate winner will be selected.



I recieved these MP3s free in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was provided.

As the family goes, so goes the economy

As the family goes, so goes the economy
Posted By Jennie Chancey on May 30, 2011



From Mercatornet:

As we know, the family in western countries is not going very well. In its introduction the FRC report points out that people have a reduced capacity for the intimate social relationships that marriage demands.


Most American parents cannot stand each other enough to raise the children they have brought into existence. In 2008, only 45 percent of American seventeen-year-olds were in a family headed by their biological parents, leaving them weaker in their relational capacities than prior generations. The numbers are lowest among African-Americans, where only 17 percent of seventeen-year-olds have spent childhood in an intact family. Among Asian Americans the intact family is strongest, but even for them it is only 62 per cent.


Some people claim that family breakdown and the rise of cohabitation is nothing more than growing pains experienced as the family changes and becomes more diverse. Laws, social policy and the economy have to catch up with the evolution of the family, they say.


In sharp contention with that view is the title of the report: “Marriage and Economic Well-Being: The Economy of the Family Rises or Falls with Marriage”. Authors Patrick F Fagan, Andrew J Kidd and Henry Potrykus have analysed federal data and academic studies and demonstrate their case convincingly: the family based on a lasting marriage (the “intact married family”) outperforms other sexual partnering structures — by a mile.


Read the full piece HERE.



I Raise my Ebenezer on the Day After Memorial Day

The day after Memorial Day, specifically May 31 since Memorial Day doesn't fall the same each year, is a special day to me.  It's one of the days the reminds me to obey God above human logic, and He will provide help and hope.

Ooooooo, it sounds really deep.  Doesn't it? 

You see, way back when I was 21, I did something drastic.  For various reasons, the Lord had me leave the church I was attending.  My good friends were mostly understanding, but also concerned for me.  After all, I hadn't been able to attend a Christian college to earn my M.R.S. degree.  Now, I was leaving a church with an active singles' department  to attend a church where I was the singles' department. 

THE HORROR!!!!

I truly wasn't concerned.  Sure, I would like "the guy" in my life, but I apparently was naive enough to believe that God could bring it about as long as I followed Him.

So, I went to my new church and also kept up with my "old" friends.  One of my old friends was a guy named Tim.  He was in the Air Force and ended up attending a church that was closer to his post which fellowshipped with my new church occasionally.

No, it's not going where you think it might.

Tim was a great friend and helped a single girl friend a lot!!  Some people thoughts went where your thoughts might have headed, but that wasn't God's plan.  Thank God.  Tim was a great friend, but he ate a peanut butter sandwich with chili.  Who could be married to someone like that?  It grosses me out just typing it down.

Well, Tim actually found a girl at the church he attended that could accept his peanut butter sandwich and chili habit.  Her name was Tracy.  They got married, and she became just as good a friend to me as Tim.

Now pay attention.  This is where God really does His interesting stuff.

Tracy knew this guy.  She had graduated school with him.  So, about a year  and a half later, she and Tim just really felt they needed to get us together.  They tried a few times, but things just didn't work out.  Obviously, the guy just wasn't that interested in meeting me.

FINALLY, they got the guy to agree to coming down for a fish fry to meet me.  First, they didn't know he didn't like fish.  Second, they didn't know he didn't have a driver's license or a car which meant he bicycled EVERYWHERE.  Third, they didn't know there was a chance for rain showers that Tuesday afternoon.
 
All that meant that:  First, he ate fish anyway because he didn't want to offend.  Second, he biked from Leavenworth, KS (city not the prison) to Bonner Springs, KS which is about 20 miles.  Third, he arrived damp from riding in the rain.

That was 23 years ago today.  It wasn't necessarily love at first site (although Mike said it was for him after he heard me crack a Star Wars joke), but it was a definite interest.  Enough interest that we were married a little over 7 months later. 

So, today stands as an ebenezer, if you will.  Evidence of God's help.  I didn't have to manipulate my situation to find a husband.  I just had to follow God and hang around others who did the same thing. 

Thanks God.
Oh, and thanks to Tim & Tracy who allowed God to use them!

Here comes the Marriage Bundle...

April showers bring May flowers.

And what do May flowers bring?

June weddings, of course!



www.pdclipart.org

As graduation season slows down, wedding season picks up which brings about bridal shower and wedding gifts.  I'm going to tell you about a gift that can keep on giving.

This month, The Gabby Moms had me review The Marriage Bundle for Eternal Encouragement.  This would make an awesome gift for a future wife (or a current wife like me). 

When I say bundle, I mean BUNDLE.  It includes:

Audios

5R's Session 2 - Rekindle
One Life to Live, One Man to Love

E-Books

Loving Your Knight in Shining Armor Even When He Doesn't Shine
Roadmap to a Marvelous Marriage
Marriage Tidbits to Treasure
Quotes Not Quibbles
Marriage Report

E-Booklets
31 Daily Biblical Prayers for Wives to Pray for Their Husbands
Encouragement Report
Don't Settle
SHIMLY
What God Says about Marriage
75 Inexpensive Romantic Rut
It Happened One Afternoon

Magazine Back Issues
2001 Summer Issue TEACH Magazine "Loving Your Husband"
2009 Spring Issue TEACH Magazine "Marriages Made Marvelous"

All this could cost a bundle, too, since it's over $100 worth of stuff!  Instead, you can get the electronic version for $39.97 or the shipped version for $49.97. 

Either version would make a great gift to be sure, but it can also provide a wife at any stage of life with a personal workshop on being the woman, wife and homemaker God wants her to be.  After all,  Lorrie Flem's goal at http://www.eternalencouragement.com/ is "Inspiring Women to Become More Like Jesus Every Day." I think this bundle will accomplish that.

So instead of buying bathroom towels to match the decor in the new home, purchase this bundle that will help the homemaker make a marriage!  It will last longer than the towels; that's for sure!

I received this product for honest review from Eternal Encouragement Magazine as a part of The Gabby Moms blogging program. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Modeling Marriage

This was from today's edition of Home School Heartbeat from HSLDA.  You can listen to it online here.

Modeling Marriage


Is it possible that spending less time with your children could make you a better parent? If that time is invested in making a strong marriage, it might! Learn more today on Home School Heartbeat, with host Mike Farris.

Mike Farris:

In 1975, when Vickie and I became parents, there were some voices that we heard that seemed to suggest that we should adopt a child-centered focus for our family. Children come first.

It’s right to stress the incredibly high value of children, but children do not take priority over your marriage. Why? You are training your sons to be good husbands and your daughters to be good wives.

It is not taking time away from the ultimate goal for your children when you spend time alone as husband and wife. That’s very quality time for the benefit of your children. First, you’re modeling marriage for your children. If you have a lousy marriage, your children will learn from you how to have a lousy marriage. Model a good marriage for the benefit of your children.

And you are also building the strength you need for your own life. Parenting alone is a very challenging thing. There may be single parents listening, and God bless you and give you lots of strength, but I think single parents would be the first to say, it’s best when you have an intact, two-parent family: Mom and Dad, loving each other and raising kids.

I haven't done everything right as a parent, but Vickie and I have a very strong marriage, and I think that in and of itself has made a huge difference in our kids.

Finally, your marriage will remain when your children are grown and gone. It needs to be vibrant for your own sake.

I’m Mike Farris.