THE WORST DAY OF THE YEAR

Well, it's the worst day of the year for me anyway. The day I sit down and figure out the taxes. I guess it's the worst day because I don't like the way the government spends my money. I don't like the complicated and confusing way they write the forms. I certainly don't like that the middle class and small business men end up carrying the weight while the rich and huge corporations walk away relatively scott free. But hey, that's just my opinion and I can help to change things the next time there's an election, just as I cast my ballot in the last election.

I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, to look on the bright side and to follow the Biblical principle to "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's".

I think I need to keep singing, "O say but I'm glad, I'm glad. O say but I'm glad. Jesus has come and my cup overrun. O Say but I'm glad."
Keeping a positive attitude is everything, I've discovered. I can choose to have a great day or a lousy day and I need to make that choice before I open my eyes and place my feet on the floor in the morning. Before I go to sleep the night before I whisper a prayer and ask God to bless the next day, to help me to be in a good mood, to make it a great day. I have no doubt God does his part, it's up to me to do mine. I need to keep the negative thoughts and comments at bay, I need to keep a song in my mouth, a smile on my face, and God's joy in my heart.

I'd better change the title of this post then....okay, so it's not the worst day of the year, maybe simply one of my most stressful.

BECOMING AN EZER

I teach the ladies Sunday School class in our church. Mainly we study things that help us be better Christian women. A few weeks ago we began studying what it truly means to be an Ezer...or if you don't speak Hebrew, a helpmeet. To understand what the true role of a woman is you must first understand why God created woman. I began searching the internet, which has become a fabulous study tool, and came across another blog which introduced me to a book by Debi Pearl, Created to be His HelpMeet. Talk about an eye-opening book!

First, let me be clear, women were not created to be slaves. Being a submissive woman doesn't mean you are a doormat for your husband to wipe his feet on. In fact, an Ezer (helpmeet) is like a strong right arm, a warrior for your husband, one with whom he is not complete. We are the glue that holds the family together.

I've discovered that many things we modern, liberated women do are actually demeaning and harmful for our husband's mental and physical well being. In the quest to be equal (which we already were created as equal) we attempted instead to be the leader, the head. We forgot that we were the feminine, soft-spoken, gentile half. We all forgot the old adage, which I often hear my mother's voice ringing in my ears saying, "you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar."

I've also learned that in our attempts to be what we were not created to be we've blasphemed the Word of God. I think that bothered me most.

I highly recommend women read Debi Pearl's book. It's an eye-opening, life-changing experience.