Little Big Things

Free Printable!

Check out this free printable from Rachel Wojo for 20 things to say to encourage your husband.

Husband Encouragement #3

I'm just going to give it to you straight.

I can be a really lousy wife sometimes.

The last several days I've been focusing on being a better wife and you want to know something?  I've not been all that great at it.  I sincerely believe Satan turns up the heat when you try to do something right.  I've noticed that as I try to be more loving and thoughtful and kind, Satan throws more things my way trying to trip me up.

Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.

Not so fast, devil.  I'm making my marriage a priority and you can't stop me.  My honey happens to like the attention and it's good for him (and the kids, and me).

To encourage our husbands today I'm making a suggestion that we do a little gift giving.  You can make this as big or as little as you want.  The smallest of things can make a big difference in your man's day.  If you want to go small- pick up your guy's favorite candy and put it somewhere for him to find.  If you want to go big- get some tickets to his favorite kind of thing.  Anything you think he would like is perfect.

My honey and I stopped buying gifts for each other at Christmas a couple of years ago.  We decided to buy for our six kids and our family members and forgo giving each other presents.  He has been known to cheat a little but for the most part this is what we have done.  Christmas is an expensive thing to pull off, especially with six kiddos.  We always have lots and lots of company too and that is an added expense in itself.  I tell you that to say I'm pretty excited now to go shopping for my honey and surprise him with a few ~totally unexpected~ presents!

What might you buy for your man?  Get creative!

A few ideas...

His favorite candy bar or gum with a little note tied on
A cool new shirt, or hat
Tickets to a basketball game
A gift card to his favorite store - a place HE likes to shop!
A book or cd
A magazine subscription 
Movie tickets (Surprise him and arrange a babysitter too.)
Nuts, or beef jerky, or some other man food - put in a basket with his name on it
A Starbucks gift card (leave in his car for him to find)
A sweatshirt (his favorite team??)
Some new house shoes or pajama pants - give them to him on a Friday night with a promise for a relaxing weekend!  :)

Husband Encouragement #2

This morning while I was thinking about what I should do to encourage my honey one of my kids brought me a coloring page they were working on.  This bible verse was on the page

Love your neighbor as yourself.  Leviticus 19:18

Isn't that just a sweet little verse you've heard all your life?

But, wait!  My husband is my neighbor.  Do I love my husband as I love myself?  Do I treat my husband as well as I treat my neighbor?  (Ouch.)

Isn't it true that we speak to those closest to us in the most unkind ways sometimes?  Would you talk to your neighbor/friend the way you do your husband on occasion?  Am I more patient and kind and understanding toward my friends than I am toward my own husband?  This shouldn't be!

I've decided today to encourage my husband with my words.  I am going to speak kind and thoughtful words and show him the manners I show toward my neighbor.  I've already blown it this morning so I will be asking for a do-over.   

It is God's Spirit working in us that helps our hearts to be healthy and whole.  Pray and ask Him to help your words be sweet.  Ask the Lord Jesus to work in your heart and give you the words that will build your man up and encourage him in his walk.  God hears our prayers and He is an ever-present help.

Kind, thoughtful, patient words will not go unnoticed.  Remember moms, your children are watching and listening!  If you (like me) have to restart today, ask your husband to forgive you and purpose to turn things around.  Our words have power, so let us use them to spur our husbands on toward good deeds!

Husband Encouragement #1

I'm glad you are here and I hope you are planning to join in as we encourage our husbands.  There's nothing that makes the home cozier than two people who really love each other sharing life together.  There's also no greater gift you can give your children than a happy, healthy marriage.

As busy women it is all too easy to neglect our husbands.  There are many things pulling on us throughout our days...kids, laundry, errands, cleaning, shopping, church responsibilities, appointments...sometimes there's just not much energy left.  I don't want my husband to feel lonely or neglected and I bet you don't want yours to feel that way either.  To turn our focus back toward our marriages I thought it would be fun to come up with creative ideas for encouraging our husbands every day from now until Valentine's Day, (and thereafter hopefully).

First up:  Fix your hubby a special meal.

How about it?  Make a delicious meal, set a nice table and make your way to your husband's heart {through his stomach}.  Perhaps this will be a family meal, or maybe you can swing it so that it's a meal just for the two of you.  Be sure to cook something you know he will love.  Use a special tablecloth, or light a candle, or do something else to let your husband know you've made this special dinner just for him.  I'm pretty sure he will love it.

Need a recipe?  You can click on Recipes at the top of this page or here's one I just tried and my family loved it.

Poppy Seed Chicken

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 1/2 sleeves)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
Boil raw chicken breasts with salt and pepper until done.  (I like to add some onion when I boil chicken breasts.) 
Place chicken in 9x13 casserole dish.  
Stir together soup and sour cream.  Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and pepper to the mixture.  

Pour over chicken.  In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter.  

Sprinkle over the chicken and sauce.

Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven.  Top will be golden brown and sauce will be bubbly.  

It's VERY yummy!

This post is linked up with growing home blog.

A Crown

I read this recently:  Some women spend so much time trying to make good husbands they forget to be good wives.

Ponder that for a minute.

Since Valentine's Day is just a couple of weeks away I thought it might be the perfect time for a husband encouragement challenge.

I'm thinking we could do something each day to encourage our husbands and show them our love.

I will supply some creative ideas here and I would love to hear yours as well.

Who's in??

Proverbs 12:4  An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is as rottenness in his bones.