SHMILY Time

Showing our husbands how much we love them can also come in ways they may not see or even be aware of…

Covering your husband in prayer is so important, and regardless of where your marriage is right now (great, okay, or falling apart)… this event is to simply make sure that your man is being prayed for every day for a month… regardless of how YOU feel.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: "The Power of a Praying Wife" by Stormie OMartian (http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=919244).

WHAT YOU’LL DO: Read a chapter a day, which includes a prayer. (Even if you’ve read this book before, you can just do the prayers and skip the reading… the point is for you to PRAY!)

FYI: Daily reminders to pray for your husband will be sent out through facebook messages to you. (So, if you don’t have an account already… get to it! tee hee…)  You don’t have to discuss anything (and no "spouse bashing" will be allowed) but can share if you’d like. You can also leave links to your blog posts if you make any as well. Please spread the word to others and join the event on facebook!  Click the following link to get there… http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1206712385&ref=name#/event.php?eid=79989390679&ref=mf or you look up S.H.M.I.L.Y. for 30 days of prayer… too.

THE POINT: To get wives praying for their husbands… that’s it! Doesn’t matter what the background, denomination, or current state your life is in… Let’s get those hubbies covered in prayer and stand back and expect great things to happen to them, our marriages, and even ourselves as we petition God on their behalf!

(And might I add, that if things are really bad, that this is a great time to do this! When my marriage was falling apart and my husband and I were ready to divorce, I came across this book, and it not only changed my marriage… but it changed me as well!)

To read more about what S.H.M.I.L.Y. is, click the following link: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SHMILYtime/154663/

If you haven’t already, please join us for the Husband Encouragement Challenge from Revive Our Hearts.  We’re excited, as the daily challenge was proving difficult to be online every day on A CLEAN HEART Forum, so we’ve adjusted the challenge to a WEEKLY challenge!  This will be easier for disscussion on the forum, as well as bless our husbands even longer!

If you’re interested, the challenge will be starting this coming Monday!  A re-vamped organizer/journal is in the works and will be available tonight.  If you’d like to be encouraged further, stop by A CLEAN HEART Forum and sign up so you can talk with other women who are participating in the challenge too (The Encouragement board is a closed board to promote an intimate group to share in… once you sign up, you can let me know you want to be in the challenge and we can move you in!)!

Lovingly,
Amy

The 30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge is coming again January 15th and be at A CLEAN HEART Forum for discussion and encouragement as well!  Encourage your husband leading up to Valentine’s Day!

You can get the printable form by clicking the following link (provided by REVIVE OUR HEARTS):
30-DAY HUSBAND ENCOURAGEMENT CHALLENGE FOR WIVES

If you’d like to put together your own little "organizer/journal" then check out the following links from Revive Our Hearts as well.  They will be helpful to the challenge as well.
15 WAYS TO PLEASE YOUR HUSBAND
PRAYING FOR YOUR HUSBAND (31 DAYS)

I have also put together a printable pages to go along with the challenge so you’ll be able to keep track of what the Lord is doing in your marriage (as suggested in the challenge form).  Click the following link to print it out:
Prayer Journal for 30-Day Challenge PRAYER FOR MY HUSBAND (print pages 1-3 only)

…as well as a calendar I made so you can write any notes or reminders of things you’re planning to do throughout the challenge!
30-ENCOURAGEMENT CALENDAR (print this on the back page of the "Prayer for My Husband" pages)

MAKING THE 30-DAY ENCOURAGEMENT BOOKLET:
When putting your booklet together, be sure to print on both sides of your paper.  I’ve put mine together in the following way:

• The cover page (blank on back side) is taken from the Prayer Journal.  You can print out the entire prayer journal and then just put the prayer pages where they belong.
• Prayer for My Husband pages (taken from the Door Posts’ site)
• Encouragement Challenge Calendar
• 30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives pages
• 15 Ways to Please Your Husband page (printed on the back page of the Encouragement Challenge)
• Praying for Your Husband pages (31 Days of Prayer) taken from Revive Our Hearts’ site)
• Prayer Journal for 30-Day Challenge pages (beginning with "Before Beginning", followed with the prayer journal pages, and then lastly the "When it’s All Said and Done" page)

There you go!  When you’re all done putting it together, you will have a wonderful booklet ready to help you bless your husband!  May the Lord be glorified as we seek new ways to spark our marriage and fufill our purpose as wives!
Lovingly,
Amy

Lorrie’s recent death has had me thinking almost constantly.  One of the many things on my mind is the loss her husband must feel.  It was just last night as I snuggled in close to my husband, that I said, "I can’t imagine not having you next to me at night…"  Just the thought of it brings tears to my eyes…

But tonight, like so many nights for the past decade, I will go to bed with the man God blessed my life with, while Lorrie’s husband lays in their bed alone.  I can only imagine the pain of losing your earthly love, yet, how many times have I taken my husband’s life for granted?  How many seconds have turned into minutes… minutes into days… days into weeks… even weeks into months that added up have been wasted arguing, in silence, pouting, or indifferent to my Love? 

I tell my husband often "I love you"… but I don’t tell him often enough how much I appreciate him going to work every day… working in the heat in the summer, and the cold in the fall.  I don’t tell him often enough how blessed I am by his life, and how thankful I am he’s the father of our children.  Have I ever told him how proud of him I am?

S.H.M.I.L.Y. Time:

• Write a letter to your husband.  This is something for you to "throw together".  Take your time.  Think for a moment, if you knew you had limited time with him before you left this earth.  What would you want him to be able to look back on after you’d gone? 
• Remember, TAKE YOUR TIME on this.  Maybe you’d like to write a few letters with specific topics such as: your children, him as a father, him as your husband, reflections on your life, etc.
• End by writting, "Forever Yours…" (or however you’d like)
• Put into an envelope (don’t forget "SHMILY" on the outside!) and give to your husband before bed one evening.  (Candles are optional, but certainly a nice touch!)

And, if you haven’t already, take a moment to read "Empty Arms – In Memory of Missey Gray" for another S.H.M.I.L.Y. Time idea.  Bless your husband, and don’t take your moments for granted.  It’s ALL precious.

I got this in my email from a dear friend and had to share it… just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page here… so………….. is it time for your Drawer of Many Blessings to be updated?

Encourage your husband throughout September by taking the 30-Day Encouragement Challenge!  You can get the printable form by clicking the following link (provided by REVIVE OUR HEARTS):
30-DAY HUSBAND ENCOURAGEMENT CHALLENGE FOR WIVES

If you’d like to put together your own little "organizer/journal" then check out the following links from Revive Our Hearts as well.  They will be helpful to the challenge as well.
15 WAYS TO PLEASE YOUR HUSBAND
PRAYING FOR YOUR HUSBAND (31 DAYS)

I have also put together a printable pages to go along with the challenge so you’ll be able to keep track of what the Lord is doing in your marriage (as suggested in the challenge form).  Click the following link to print it out:
Prayer Journal for 30-Day Challenge

You can also join A CLEAN HEART Forum where you can share how things are going with other women as well as be encouraged through prayer needs you might have.

May the Lord be glorified as we seek new ways to spark our marriage and fufill our purpose as wives!
Lovingly,
Amy

UPDATE: 
I found this at DOOR POSTS‘ site, and thought it was perfect for the challenge…
PRAYER FOR MY HUSBAND (print pages 1-3 only)

…as well as a calendar I made so you can write any notes or reminders of things you’re planning to do throughout the challenge!
30-ENCOURAGEMENT CALENDAR (print this on the back page of the "Prayer for My Husband" pages)

MAKING THE 30-DAY ENCOURAGEMENT BOOKLET:
When putting your booklet together, be sure to print on both sides of your paper.  I’ve put mine together in the following way:

• The cover page (blank on back side) is taken from the Prayer Journal.  You can print out the entire prayer journal and then just put the prayer pages where they belong.
• Prayer for My Husband pages (taken from the Door Posts’ site)
• Encouragement Challenge Calendar
• 30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives pages
• 15 Ways to Please Your Husband page (printed on the back page of the Encouragement Challenge)
• Praying for Your Husband pages (31 Days of Prayer) taken from Revive Our Hearts’ site)
• Prayer Journal for 30-Day Challenge pages (beginning with "Before Beginning", followed with the prayer journal pages, and then lastly the "When it’s All Said and Done" page)

There you go!  When you’re all done putting it together, you will have a wonderful booklet ready to help you bless your husband!