(Anyone remember Charles and Caroline Ingalls?)
I Want a Man, Not a Mouse!
As for the one who shares my life,
It was my choice to be his wife!
And for our jobs, if I could choose,
I wouldn’t want to wear his shoes.
No, I won’t sign the lib’s petition
To do away with wife’s submission,
I’d be a fool to boss my spouse,
I want a man and not a mouse!
I do not have to prove my might
For we are equal in God’s sight,
But we’re to function differently,
God made us that way purposely.
He’s my provider, what a gem,
And I’m a helper fit for him.
To live the role God planned for me
With joy, makes me completely free!
~Nancy Campbell, Above Rubies
Lessons From the Cedar Tree
Cedars resist decay and repel Pests! This is another wonderful feature of the cedar. This quality is an important part of our marriage, too. Perhaps you are having a self-pity trip and dreaming that you deserve someone better than your husband. Resist this evil thought in the name of Jesus!
Perhaps you think you could do better on your own. Repel this deceiving thought in Jesus name! Resist and repel all resentment and all negative thoughts about your marriage union. The devil roams about seeking to devour your marriage. He wants to destroy. Don’t be deceived by his seducing temptations.
A true marriage will also resist all evil. Hebrews 13:4 (NET) says: “Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled.” Refuse all flirtations with other men. Do not even think you can have a platonic relationship with another man while you are married. It is dangerous and always leads downhill. You covenant on your wedding day that, forsaking all others, you will be faithful only to your husband.
Refuse all kinky sex. God has made it beautiful without doing things that are unholy which in the end only lead to frustration and bitterness. Keep the marriage bed pure and holy.
Cedars are also fragrant. The cedar exudes a gum, which gives off fragrance. Does your marriage exude fragrance like the cedar?
Cedars have remarkable lasting qualities and are noted for their durability. In fact, there are some cedar trees that are estimated to be two thousand years old! This is how God sees marriage–durable and lasting. When we make the covenant of marriage before God and witnesses, we are in for the long haul! It is “forsaking all others.” It is “until death do us part.”
We live in an unprecedented hour in history when divorce is as rampart in the church as it is in the world. How God’s heart must grieve as the beautiful institution of marriage, which He ordained, is attacked and torn apart by the devil. This is not the vision of “lovely homes” which God designed.
How can our marriages last? Only by doing it God’s way. Our selfish flesh continually puts a spanner in the works! “Self” and “selfishness” are the root of all problems in marriage. We need to lay down our own rights, both man and woman, and embrace the same attitude of Jesus who did not cling to His rights as God. Instead, He made himself of no reputation, He became a servant, and He humbled Himself and was obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:6-8). The outworking of this truth in our lives is sufficient to keep a marriage to the end.
Too many people think that love is a feeling. When the feeling dies, they think love has finished. Love is a commitment. It goes beyond feeling. It goes beyond circumstances. Even when we have no vestige of love left within us, God’s inexhaustible love is still available to us. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describes the kind of love we need to survive marriage. It is agape love, which starts with: “Love endures long” and ends with “love endures without limit.”
King Solomon used cedar timber to build God’s temple, and his own palace, because of the durability of the wood. God wants our marriages to be built of cedar too, not poplar or untreated pine that will not stand the tests of time.
May you have a marriage like the cedar tree.
Do something to make your marriage beautiful and special today.
~From Nancy Campbell, Above Rubies, A Lasting Marriage
Caveat: I pray this will edify and encourage each and everyone of you that is living in a difficult marriage, but I am not speaking to those in an any kind of abusive situation! Please go to a safe place and get help. The Lord is for you and will help you – call on His name! Also, visit here.
Colin and Nancy Campbell, from New Zealand, are blessed that all their children and many grandchildren live near them. Wesley is the oldest and owns the Christian band, the NEWSBOYS. Stephen manages the NEWSBOYS. Pearl and Serene are the authors of TRIM HEALTHY MAMA and committed to raising their families.
If you’ve been encouraged or informed by something you’ve read here at Deep Roots, please consider liking my page on Facebook, joining us on Pinterest, or subscribing to the helpful email resources. Thank you!
Thanks for reading!
momstheword says
We used to love Little House. Still do in fact, lol! I was just watching it today while I did some work around the house.
Love the poem, especially the part about wanting a man not a mouse, lol! So true.
You always do such a great job with visiting everyone and leaving a comment. I don’t know how you do it. I had over 100 last week on my linky party and I just couldn’t visit them all, although I wanted to. Thanks for hosting today!
Jen @ A Heart For My Home says
Nan, I own the whole series. lol I love little house and now thanks to you and Jacqueline I am going to have to watch an episode. 🙂
Vickie says
Good evening, Jacqueline, I hope your day went well. Thank you so much for hosting this linky party. When I was 9 years old my family and I moved to a new town, right after school was out. In the new town I had no friends yet, so over the summer I read the entire series of Little House On the Prairie books on a bunk in our travel trailer parked at the side of the house. That was a very memorable summer for me and even without friends, I had a wonderful time!
I hope the rest of your week is fabulous and your weekend is full of wonderful memories!
Gail says
Yes, I remember Little House. How I wish TV programming was on that level now. I suppose it wouldn’t make it in today’s market without some violence or sex thrown in.
Thanks for hosting each week too.
Have a blessed week,
Gail
Jen @ A Heart For My Home says
Thank you Jacqueline for your encouraging blog and for hosting this link up!
Katie@simplefoody says
Thank you for hosting another lovely link-up! I shared a recipe for a blended mocha frappe (honey sweetened) #62. Praying you have a great week.
Toni says
They just don’t make ’em like they used to! Thank you for the linkup.
Have a great day!
Heather says
Thank you so much for hosting another link up party! Love to read through the selections I see every week!
Blessings to you,
~Heather from The Welcoming House
Amy Jung says
I still love Charles. We watched Little House every Sunday night as a family. Right after Hee Haw. I have the first two seasons on DVD and am watching them now with my kids. I can’t believe it but they love the show too! Thanks for your lovely link-up.
Nancy@ThereIsGrace says
Love the Ingalls! (Still one of my favorite shows) And love the poem. Thank you so much for sharing!
Modern Homesteaders says
Thank you so much for hosting!! Looking forward to reading all of the posts! Please come join us over at the Homesteaders Hop, every single Sunday through Tuesday! you can find us at: http://www.modernhomesteaders.net
Ann says
I enjoyed the poem you shared. I’ve been married for 27yrs. My husband and I are Navy veterans. He retired with 20yrs of service. I left the service after 6yrs. Choose to put my marriage first and supporting my husbands military career. It’s not always easy but I know that this was part of God’s plan for us.
Thank you for the Little House picture it’s one of our favorite TV shows.
Ann
Deb Harris says
I just found your website from a link in Strangers & Pilgrims on earth about herbal medicine. I’ve been reading about that & so much more. I’ve enjoyed discovering this site. I’d like to subscribe but really prefer email subscriptions. I haven’t seen that option & wonder if there’s any chance you might offer it. Thank you for a wonderful site just filled with important information.
Jacqueline says
Hello, Deb,
I am blessed by your very kind words. Thank you 🙂 JES from Strangers & Pilgrims is a wonderful friend, so I am glad you know about her!
My daughter just told me that if you click on ‘Subscribe’, it will take you to feedburner and there is a box that says “Subscribe Now’. In there you can click on a link that says ‘Get Deep Roots at Home delivered by email’.
May the Lord Jesus bless you and your loved ones!
Serafina says
Yay! It’s Wednesday 😀 I’ve been waiting, seems like such a long time-but can’t have been more than 6 days! haha :] So now I get to enter a post… fun! Thank you for hosting and for always having such lovely, encouraging things to share!
Rose @ Walnut Acre says
Thank you for hosting 🙂
Gigi says
Love the poem! I keep hearing about these series/books? But never read/watched.
Very inspirational 🙂
Thank you! I think I finally understood this “link-up” thing…I may try next time 🙂
Jacqueline says
Oh, I will look forward to it 🙂 Will be watching for, you, but leave a comment to tell me what # you are! Blessings!
Nicole says
I like the poem!
Jacqueline says
Nicole, I love the ram and doe that was forged for you!
I can’t get in to comment on your blog! I can read it, but not comment 🙁 So sorry ! Many blessings!~
Hilary says
Thank you for hosting again. I was “introduced” to Nancy Campbell (authoress of the poem) when a friend found a copy of her Motherhood book in a rental property and gave it to me. It really encouraged me to keep swimming upstream. (I trust you know what I mean by that). Have a blessed day!
Jacqueline says
Oh, I do, Hilary 🙂 Let’s swim together~ It’s our daily exercise and keeps us strong!! Haha!
Blessings!