“You
smell delicious.” My husband snickered
as he leaned over my shoulder.
No matter where I am in the house,
Jazz stares at me. Over the years I’ve
taken on the staring contest with him, but he always wins. What timing for my husband to reduce his status
to alpha feline.
“Stop
it! I already wrote about you last week,
besides you’re developing cat like tendencies.”
I declared as I finished washing the dishes from the evening cat feeding.
“I
can’t help it, you smell good. You could write a reprise and call it Aroma Revisited.”
“No!”
Little did he know that I had already cooked
something up about him in this week’s post; but he didn’t quit and kept giving
me more verbal ammunition. You would
have thought he knew better living with a writer!
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB – Fiorano Canavese,
Piedmont, Italy; Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain; Thrapston, England, United
Kingdom; Raworth, NSW, Reservoir, VIC & Perth, WA, Australia; DasmariƱas,
Calabarzon, Philippines; Haradh, Eastern Province & Riyadh, Riyadh Region,
Saudi Arabia; Gent, Flemish Region, Belgium; Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria.
USA
– Aurora, IL; Farmer,
Level Cross, Raleigh & Watership Downs, NC; Mandeville, LA; Clovis & Texico,
NM; Winnemucca, NV; Farwell, TX; Warsaw, MO; Iona & Shelley, ID; Latrobe
& New Cumberland, PA; Kanawha City, WV; Beloit & Madison, WI; Brigantine,
NJ; Wytheville, VA; Temecula, CA; Washburn, TN.
I am so thankful for your visit and hope that you come
back each week to participate in the weekly challenges. Join us in our new series as we spend time in
the study of Daily Favor Prayers.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below. All are private. I would love to hear from
you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life. Contact me by leaving a message in the box at
the bottom of this week’s post.
Don't miss out on this week's challenge
(below).
The Great Stare Down
It was early evening when I sat down
to actually compile my article. Dinner
was finished and the house was settling so I could get some work done. Well that was the plan anyway.
Jazz on one of his thousand's of stares! |
A few minutes later my husband came into
the living room and sat on the couch leaning forward as if he didn’t plan on
staying. He was in a playful mood. Right then I knew he was up to something.
Hubby thought it would be funny to get
in on the action. It was a stare down between him and Jazzbo our cat. (He named
him that.) Both of them were staring at
me trying to break down my composure.
There he goes again ... |
The two of them were freaking me out;
and then there was Quiggley kitten. In
the background Quiggs was belting out a high pitched squeal letting everyone
know he’s in the potty. Why? I haven’t a clue. He’s the only rescue that has ever done this - every time!
He Was Right
“You’re
smiling, you must be writing something about me. I can tell.”
Hubby said as he watched me type.
Pausing I sat back in my chair and waited
expecting his next comment to be “can I sniff you” just to get me riled up
while trying to write.
“Before
you get too involved can I ask you another question?”
“What?”
I said sternly.
“Can I
sniff you?” Laughing he got up
and went into the kitchen.
“Oh,
forget it.” I said as Jazz
danced across the keyboard.
A few minutes later I got up to make a
cup of Swiss Mocha coffee. I'm normally a tea girl, but not that night!
Now hubby was sitting at the kitchen table reading the mail, when he began talking to Victory (the rescue cat that was shot) who entered the room.
Now hubby was sitting at the kitchen table reading the mail, when he began talking to Victory (the rescue cat that was shot) who entered the room.
“Vic,
come over here. That’s hot water; I should
know, I’m in it enough.”
… and he wonders why he gets in
trouble. Why did I ever write that post? I set myself up for this … I should have
realized that knowing my husband’s personality and humor.
He was right though … I was writing
about him.
How Many Doors Are There?
It all started on Saturday when my
compassion lacked a few levels of humility.
He was having an off day and things just weren’t going right for him.
I know the Bible teaches a lot on
doors, but I don’t think this is what the Holy Spirit had in mind when He inspired
the writers.
Enter Door #1
The afternoon was wearing on and it
was time for the nightly feeding of the animals. I prepare the food in one room and then
distribute it on trays, bowls or plates depending on the individual need of the
animal. We feed them in three different
areas, so it takes a while to get through the routine.
I had already delivered a tray to one
place when I realized Jazz wasn’t eating.
Jazz lives with a disorder that affects his eating habits and we often
have to switch foods in mid-stream. This meant he needed something else, so I
called out for my husband to bring me a specific can of food.
Not being able to slide it through the
tray slot, he had to open the door slightly to pass the can to me. Using my leg to block the cats from getting
out, I snagged the can and pulled the door back quickly pinching his fingers as
it shut.
Using his baritone voice he let me
know what happened. I felt bad and apologized umpteen times.
… Approaching Door #2
Returning to the feeding center he
banged his elbow on the pantry door he left open when he retrieved the can of
cat food. From a distance I could hear
the sound of a tenor vocalizing the pain that shot through hubby’s arm.
… Shall We Go for Door #3
I was still in the back room when he
came around the corner to use the restroom.
As he entered he hit his head and nose on the edge of the door.
Watching it happen I couldn’t help but
laugh. I know … what a compassionate
wife, right? I wasn’t laughing because
he was hurt or anything, but seriously, how could that even happen I
thought?
There was no shame … his yelping cry switched
to a female high soprano. Holding his
head the only thing he had to say was, “How
many doors are there?”
A Glimmer of Hope
There were still a few hours of
daylight so I decided to bake a gluten free cake and cupcakes for my husband to
brighten his spirit. You thought the
same thing he did … he loves his gluten!
I had just taken the last batch out of
the toaster oven when we lost the electric.
With no dinner made we improvised and ate cake … of course!
With everyone fed we were back in our
own living room … where he first started out on the sofa. Hubby was finally relaxing nicely and away
from all the doors. It was so calming
watching the glimmer of the flameless candles … (I didn’t say it was romantic, just
in the moment.)
There wasn’t anything else to do, and
not having the electric I couldn’t continue working on the computer. I decided to join my husband on the couch to
rest until the electric problem was fixed.
With my eyes closed I could hear the
storm gaining ground as it came closer to our street. Hubby was gently stroking one of the cats he
was holding on his lap, when a big clap of thunder resounded causing her to
jump three feet in the air. It spooked
her and in the landing she plunged her nails deep into his chest and thumb.
Sitting up with a jolt I asked him
what happened. As he shared his plight I
tried to hold back my laughter, but once again couldn’t. What’s wrong with me?
Holding up his boo-boo for me to see,
as he gripped his thumb tightly I said to myself, “Ooo, that’s gotta hurt.” I really did have compassion for him this time,
but thought back on the rest of the things that happened to him that day.
Was he overtired or something that
would cause his steady pace to be a little off balance? You have to admit, it was a bit strange. If he’s said this once, he’s said it a
zillion times …
“I was
just sitting here. I wasn’t waiting to get injured.”
Disturbing the Peace
It would be several hours before we
had electric and it was far past bedtime.
Entering the bedroom he glanced over at the dresser and saw the radio
clock flashing. The alarm clock is his
and I have no idea how to set it, so he naturally went about the task.
After setting the time he thought he
had everything else back to the proper mode; that was until a few minutes later
when the alarm sounded. By now he was
tired and frustrated. Not being able to
figure out how to get it off the “nap” setting he set the clock for fifteen
minutes.
That radio came close to going out the
window. It would take almost an hour before everything stopped buzzing,
flashing or beeping.
Finally getting the alarm off I handed
my husband a barrette to put in a container on the dresser. Not knowing how it should be positioned he
asked, “Like this?”
Not being able to see what he was
doing since he was standing in front of the container I replied, “I don’t know, I can’t see through you.”
I guess that wasn’t the best thing to
say even in jest at that time, because I sensed it disturbed him a tad (an understatement I’m
sure). With a raised brow he looked at
me and held up his hand. In a sarcastic
tone he answered, “Peace, Shalom to you
too!” before walking out of the room.
What a day for hubby … and for those
who had to witness it.
Non-Traditional Favor
When I first set out to gift my honey,
“roasting” him was to serve as the main dish for Father’s Day knowing the kick
he would get out if it. Plus it’s an
opportunity to let others know what a good sport he is, especially since I’m
usually the one being roasted by him.
Not having children my husband and I
celebrate the holiday’s that revolve around parenting somewhat differently than
most. It’s true that throughout the Word traditionally we read how couples were
given favor of having an open womb to bear children for the glory of God after
spending time in prayer. However, not
everyone has that prayer answered and in those cases non-traditional favor is
warranted to those who love and faithfully serve the Lord.
On those “special” designated
holidays, my husband and I laugh, have fun and enjoy the fact that God grants
favor in different ways to couples who haven’t been blessed with kids.
It may be hard to fathom how couples
without children can live a full life in the Lord, but they can. Just as parents have their quiver’s full, we
are blessed in the fullness of other promises from God with some referring to us as the
Isaiah 54 bunch.
If you happen to be among those who
are without child(ren), be not dismayed … God has a place of favor set aside
just for you.
Give Honor & Favor to Godly Men
Even though much of America will be
celebrating Father’s Day this weekend, we don’t want to overlook the blessing
of having godly men in our lives no matter where we live.
Our challenge this week is to give favor
and honor to all Christian men who have influenced the young, regardless of
whether or not they have fathered a child.
We’ll do that by participating in these four things.
1 – Pray. The number one thing anyone can do for their
family is to pray over the male members in the household. Begin praying for your sons, nephews and
cousins while they are children because one day they will be leaders in their
families.
Ask the Lord to guide them in all
wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Pray
that the grace of God will direct and keep them from sin as they serve Him and
their family.
2 – Encourage through Support. Any man will tell you that something they
desire from their spouse is to be supported through encouraging words.
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your
mouths, but only such
as is good for building up, as fits the
occasion,
that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians
4:29)
If you aren’t in the habit of praising
your husband for the good works he has done for God, your family and others,
start doing it now.
God honors those behaviors with His
favor, and your family benefits from his actions.
“He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, but trouble will come to
him who seeks evil.” (Proverbs 11:27 NKJV)
“A good man
obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked
intentions He will condemn.” (Proverbs 12:2
NKJV)
3 – Be Good to Him. It’s easy to get along when you agree with
your loved ones, but what about the times when you don’t? Be good to him anyway showing loving kindness
and favor as Christ has shown you.
“An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he
will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her
life.”
(Proverbs 31:10–12 NKJV)
4 – Go ahead and make that
special roast (or meal) for your "honey", but this time use meat! (Not like the roasting I did here.)
I’d like to close the door gently on
this “chapter” in our life. My husband
may not be a parent, but in a godly manner he has mentored both men and boys
who have become fathers. For that I
thank God, and with love and due honor give him high esteem and favor.
“My son,
do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands;
for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.
for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.
Let not mercy and truth forsake you;; bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor
write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor
and high esteem in the sight of God and man."
(Proverbs 3:1-3 NKJV)
Note: To the Readers of This
Blog:
This is “Hubby”, and I approve
this message. J
Godly Men by Scott Wesley Brown
If this article has encouraged or helped you, please
consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this
post.
Until next time, show favor to the godly
men in your life.
“A man who seeks Me will find favor.”
Jesus Christ
*Unless
noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy.
Note: Emphasis
is given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take
away from the inspirited Word of God.
When used,
the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him
no place in our lives.
Disclaimer:
Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical
issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness.
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Image: Washing Dishes Three Doors Frightened Cat Clock Radio Isaiah 54:1-8
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Jazzbo, Christian Comedy, Honey Roasted, R Kent Hughes, Godly Men, Daily Favor Blog, Daily Favor Prayer, Favored1, Christian Living, Cat Rescue, Fathers Day, Barren