Author: Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez)

Kiss husband this way!

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Okay – I’ll come clean. This might not be exactly what you expected. I’m not going to attempt to teach anybody how to kiss well…in the literal sense! However, God reveals something interesting in the Bible about kisses. He says in Proverbs 24:26, “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips”. Wow!


What if you were to bless your husband (almost as good as a passionate kiss!) and be honest with him? According to God, being honest with your guy would be very well received and appreciated! Here are 3 ideas on how you can start being more honest with your husband:


1) Stop hinting and decide to directly and clearly state your needs, desires, and ideas.
2) Be transparent about your past failures and even your current struggles instead of pretending you’re perfect.
3) Be respectful but honest if something is really bothering you, as opposed to stuffing your true feelings and allowing bitterness to close down your heart toward your husband. In other words, when he asks you if something is wrong, don’t say “everything’s fine”, if it’s not!!

Does God want you to stop?

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If you’re like most women, you’re busy…REALLY busy. Most of us are multi-taskers to the max. We are trying to balance housekeeping, with nurturing children, with investing in our marriage, with maybe even working full-time outside the home. Oh, and you might be trying to help out at the local food bank or your church too! More than likely, you’re exhausted, stressed, and maybe even a bit cranky. Did I hit that nail on the head?


How about if we all intentionally slow down? What if you and I were to ask God in prayer for His direction on where we can cut something out of our busy lives? Is there a better way to divide responsibilities in our home? Should you cut out one of the kid’s activities?


Do you simply need to take 10 or 15 minutes twice a day to be still with God? Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”. Maybe it’s time for us to carve out some time to be still for a few minutes each day, perhaps with a cup of lemonade sitting outside on a summer day or snuggled in a comfy chair listening to worships music on a winter day. I have a feeling that we will find our stress drain away as we enter a time of stillness, and as we become less stressed, everyone around us will benefit! In fact, your husband may become the biggest fan of your “be still” time with God! You’ll probably be less cranky. Lol


And by the way, I believe God is calling us to be still in a different way as well. In Psalm 37:7, the Bible says “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” Perhaps God is asking you to calm down in the middle of a challenge, give your anxiety and fear to the Lord, and then wait patiently for Him to respond to your prayers before charging ahead! Maybe this is another way He is asking you to be still. Just a thought.

Are you frustrated with husband?

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If you’ve been married for more than a few months, you’ve likely experienced frustration with your husband on occasion. Sometimes the frustrations are over little annoying habits. Other times, your frustration may mount over bigger behavior issues, such as a tendency to spend money wildly or be too controlling or drink too much alcohol.


There are definitely times when God may prompt you to have a serious talk with your husband about destructive behaviors. However, I’ve learned that sometimes, God wants me to simply consider why my husband is acting the way he is. In other words, God wants me to strive to be compassionate and understanding. People always have a reason for why they behave the way they do. When I pause for a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to give me insight, I’ve frequently sensed the Holy Spirit showing me an underlying reason, such as insecurity, or a need to be respected, or a need for comfort after a hard day. When that happens, I immediately find myself more compassionate and less frustrated!


God instructs us in 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. So, the next time your husband does something really frustrating, pause and ask God if you are to say something and maybe even establish a boundary on destructive behavior, but also be sure and ask God to give you compassion and understanding as to why your husband is acting that way. Compassion trumps judgment every time! Or as the Bible puts it in James 2:13 Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Restoring trust after betrayal

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Betrayal in marriage is so devastating. Betrayal takes many forms…adultery, use of pornography, excessive gambling, alcohol or drug abuse, etc. If your husband betrayed you in some way, you know the resulting heartbreak first-hand. If your husband has finally repented of this behavior, praise God! However, there’s almost always a secondary, deep issue that needs to be dealt with…regaining trust. That’s because betrayal is almost always engulfed in lies. The husband who has an affair does so in secret and deceives his wife about his whereabouts. The husband who has an alcohol problem usually drinks secretly and lies about his drinking.


So, how does a wife learn to trust after betrayal? Well, the first part is up to you. You must clearly communicate what you need from your husband in order to begin to trust him again. Here is what I suggest. Let him know you will only be able to begin trusting again if you see him taking actual steps toward serious accountability and recovery. I would also let him know that he needs to show that he is willing to do the hard work of recovery over the long haul, not just a few weeks. This is the essence of Matthew 3:8, which instructs us to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”


You need to see fruit, week after week and month after month. That “fruit” may involve long-term counseling, a treatment program, long-term involvement with a 12-step group such as AA, etc. The fruit should also mean willingness on his part to honestly account for his time, money, and computer use.
All that being said, remember to treat your husband with the same kindness, compassion and humility that you would want him to treat you if you were struggling with an addiction or had stumbled in some major way. Your husband is NOT your enemy! He needs you to encourage him, while also firmly requesting that he do the hard work to regain your trust.

Thinking of ending your marriage?

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When you’re going through a serious challenge in your marriage, it seems right to choose the path where the pain can be quickly relieved. In a nutshell, it often seems best to choose divorce. But I’ve been through divorce, and I can honestly say that even though some of your pain will be relieved, you’ll be faced with a whole new set of problems and heartbreak.


So, maybe you should try something else. What if you were to seek outside counsel for your marriage? What if you were to spend time on your knees crying out to God on behalf of your marriage? What if you were to courageously, but respectfully, confront your husband if he is seriously out of line in some area? That could be the beginning of a turn-around in your marriage.


And also, please consider that other people are watching how you handle challenging times. Your children are watching how you handle this. Are you teaching them to bail out of situations and relationships when the going gets tough, or are you showing them how to persevere and do the hard work to restore the relationship? Meditate on Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…”


Yes, sometimes ending the marriage may be the right path, especially if there has been a pattern of affairs or abuse. But often, we choose to end a marriage because of resentment or unmet expectations or because “he’s not making me happy”. Please, please, please work to address the issues that are prompting you to consider divorce. There may be a way to develop a healthier perspective and a healthier relationship. This will likely take work, and the process could be painful, but often good things happen when we persevere through the pain!

Simple way to show him respect

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If you’re a wife and a mom….life can get pretty busy! If you’re a wife and mom and you work outside the home, well then life can be pretty chaotic and crazy!!


Sometimes in that busyness, a wife can get so caught up in work, and chores and children that she unintentionally ignores her husband! So, here’s something I did very intentionally as a wife over the years. When my husband entered the house after work, I tried to remember to actually pivot toward him and make eye contact. I even threw in a smile as an extra bonus! Sometimes, I even took the 3 extra seconds to run over and give him a little kiss.


I know this isn’t rocket science, but a wife is often so intent on her children or cooking or cleaning, that she doesn’t even glance her husband’s way. That leaves him feeling unimportant and disrespected. Remember, respect is a really big deal to men. That’s why God instructs us in Ephesians 5:33, “The wife must respect her husband.”


So, give it a try. Make eye contact with your husband when he comes home from work, and actually, any time he enters a room you’re in. Smile. Make him feel happy to be in the same room with you. He will feel more honored and respected. You will draw his heart to you and strengthen the bond between you.

Learn to follow God’s nudges

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I asked God today what was on His mind for today’s message to all of you, and I heard him whisper to my spirit, “Urge them to trust me completely and follow my prompting, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense.” Yep. That sounds exactly like what God would say! After all, throughout the Bible, we hear God revealing a plan to His servants that seemed preposterous at the time, or foolish or, at the very least, unwise. However, when the servant obeyed God, then God accomplished his perfect plan in a way that was truly astounding. The people ended up being amazed by God and his mighty power!


Consider Noah. God told him to build a humongous boat and load it with every kind of animal. What a crazy instruction! But Noah obeyed, and boy, did that ever work out well for him and his family. Consider Gideon. God told him to get rid of almost all his soldiers before taking on a huge enemy army! What a preposterous instruction! But Gideon obeyed even when it didn’t seem to make sense. In the end, God destroyed the enemy and got all the glory for that incredible victory. Consider Moses. God told him, an ordinary shepherd, to go before the Egyptian pharaoh and demand the release of the Jewish slaves. What a ridiculous idea! But Moses obeyed, and the Jewish people stood in awe of God as they were released from oppressive slavery.


Right now, God is whispering words of instruction to you. He may be counseling you to stay in a marriage that seems hopeless. He may be instructing you to leave a marriage because He may know that is best for you and your children. He may be telling you to give away more money than would seem wise in order to help those who are poor. He may be telling you to share the Gospel with someone who has been your enemy. God has plans to work through you and He is whispering instructions to you right now. Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. What He is telling you to do may seem difficult or even unwise, but if God is instructing you, I urge you to step out and obey. Trust Him. He knows what is best because He sees the future and His ways are perfect. Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

The helpmate God intended

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Genesis 2:18 is a very interesting verse in the Bible. It actually explains why God created wives! In this verse, God says this: “It is not good for man to be alone; I will create a helper suitable for him.” Wow! That is God’s purpose for creating wives. So, in what ways does God intend for a wife to “help” her husband? Here are 3 ways that I have found to be huge and super impactful:
1) Pray for your husband. A wife’s temptation is for God to change her husband so that her husband meets all her desires. However, that is actually a bit self-centered, isn’t it? Instead, pray for God to work in your husband’s heart, mind and spirit so that your husband grasps the love of Christ and desires to honor and glorify God with his life! Huge!
2) Give respect and encouragement to your husband. Most men wrestle with insecurity and the fear of failure. However, when a wife treats her husband with honor and encourages him on a daily basis, he often has the motivation to become an even better dad, husband, and servant of the Lord!
3) Lovingly but firmly establish boundaries with your husband if he is engaged in a pattern of sin against you or your children. Simply sinking into self-pity or resentment is not helpful to you or your husband. However, if you set clear expectations for change as well as boundaries for your husband, God often uses those steps to get a husband’s attention so that he finally decides to repent of the sin and turn back to God.

** or view this topic as a 3 minute VIDEO BELOW

2 benefits from going all natural!

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I’m coming to believe more and more that we would all benefit from living a more natural lifestyle…as in the way God created things to be! Let me give two examples that might apply to you as a wife:


1) Did you know that most husbands, when surveyed, say they prefer their wives to wear less makeup? The clear majority of men say they actually like their women to wear either no make-up at all or just light make-up. In other words, they prefer a natural look…the appearance that God gave you in the first place!


2) If you’ve been battling your weight, did you know that going all-natural can greatly assist you in dropping those extra pounds? Let me tell you from personal experience, it’s true!! For over 10 years now, I have been eliminating almost all refined and processed foods from my diet, and wow! I am enjoying wonderful whole grain foods, cheeses, meats, fruits, veggies, etc. I lost and kept off a lot of weight, my early on-set arthritis has disappeared, and I feel great!


Maybe God knew best when he created us 🙂 Deuteronomy 32:4 says “He is the Rock, his works are perfect…” Maybe it’s time we got back to living the way God intended when he created us!

2 big pitfalls when looking back

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There are a lot of dangers for a wife who gives into the temptation to look backward. Allow me to reveal two specific ways in which we tend to look backward, as well as the resulting danger.


1) Since almost the beginning of creation, we’ve had a tendency to want to look back at our past. I think of Lot’s wife who looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah and suffered for that decision by being turned into a pillar of salt! God may have asked us to move forward in serving him, or perhaps we’ve entered a new relationship, but we tend to look back with longing at how things used to be. In modern day, many wives are tempted to “look back” at their old high school boyfriend by checking them out on Facebook. But that is dangerous. It opens the door to make a connection that can slowly develop into something that pulls you away from your husband.


2) As wives, we also tend to “look back” at the past failures or sins of our husbands. We often replay the hurtful incident over and over again, even 10 or 20 years later! That always ends badly. Resentment rises up again and causes continuing damage in the relationship. We need to have a forward gaze. Philippians 3:13-14 says, ” Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Deal with any sinful behavior going on today, but let’s decide to leave the past in the past.