Created to be His Help Meet

Yesterday was just about the busiest day I have had in a while. Homeschooling families day's are usually busy but we do have some days where we can't wait for a break and yesterday was one of those days. We had our regular schooling to do and cleaning plus the meal prep for my dh's birthday. The kids decorated the house for their daddy and the girls helped a little in the kitchen. We made homemade pot stickers. Those things are mighty time consuming. I didn't think I was ever going to finish making them. Right now I can only use two of my burners on my stove-top, thus I can only make two things at a time on there. Well, I had the pot stickers to cook, brown rice to cook, the chicken had to be coated and fried and finally had to make the sweet-n-sour sauce. It all worked out but meal prep and cooking took about 3 hours. I also made dh the cake his mother made him for his birthday when he was growing up (his parents both died when he was 11, so anything I can do to bring back some memories for him I will), an upside down pineapple cake. I used the cherries and made the number 33 on his cake. I almost forgot to put it on backwards. I am so happy I realized before I put on the cake batter. It was a wonderfully busy day and my dh enjoyed his birthday meal. That is what really mattered.
I have read chapters 2 and 3 in Created to be His Help Meet but haven't been on here to put up a post.
Chapter 2 is about having a Merry Heart. I struggle with this sometimes and really needed and enjoyed the chapter. She shares Proverbs 17:22, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." Our hearts need to be merry, that is the foundation. If you don't believe it, try it. It really helps. Proverbs 15:13 says, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance..." Our husbands want to see a cheerful and happy woman. If we are long-faced and sour, who would want to be around us? I know I wouldn't. This was a really good reminder on why we should be merry.
Chapter 3 is titled A Thankful Spirit. Proverbs 15:15 opens the chapter- "All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast." What a wonderful verse. She talks about being content and how that is important for us as women. If we are always complaining about not being able to do this or not affording that, how is that going to make our husbands feel? What kind of tone will that set in the house? Not a good one, anyway you look at. She says something in here that I wrote on an index card (actually I have quite a few verses and things wrote down) that I really love: Thankfulness is HOW you think, joy is the ABUNDANCE is produces. She goes on to say that even if we don't feel merry or full of you or thankful, practice it at. Keep practicing and working at it.
Also, if you are a child of God, joy will be visible in our life. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. I am going to keep working and trying and I will have that merry countenance almost everyday. I didn't say everyday, because no matter what, there will be a day somewhere that we failed at being merry. No one is perfect. But that doesn't give us reason to quit or not try, that shows us that we should try and on those days that we could have done better with our "merriness" (is that a word?) , rest in the fact that we will fail, that we are normal, and just plan on doing better the next time!
Until next time,
Trusting in Jesus.