Not matter what

Ladies,

I thank God for your marriage stories. I hear the heaviness in your voice and I have been in the places so many of you are living especially those living in financial lack. You spend hours each day worrying about hod you will make it. I got it!

Please accept this video as my heart sharing with your heart just how I have learned to deal with the hardest trials.

Let your testimony be from this day forward....

No matter what, I never lost.... my hope, my joy, my faith, and most of all..... 

I never lost my praise! 

Want to live as a Wife On Purpose? 

I am happy to teach you what I know. Click here.  


Staying in God's presence "On Purpose",
Lisa Ellis Williams  

Where is God when you pray?

Dear Wives,

This morning I saw a woman. She was in a large room with many other people. She lifted her hands to give God praise with elbows slightly bent and head slightly bowed. As her words reached my ear so I began to pray for her.  I could see that she was in the right posture but, something was missing. 

I prayed for the Holy Spirit to move in her heart and for God to show up for this woman. I have seen so many who look just like her.  

Slowly this woman moved. Her head fell to her chest and her knees to the ground. Tears rolled down her face but, she didn't wipe them away. Her eyes were tightly shut. She was still in the room as I witnessed God answer my prayers for her. Before my very eyes, she laid face down in the floor!

I continued to stare as she sobbed. I prayed again that she would know God in a very personal way.

I could hear her softly uttering words that I could not understand but I knew that God did.

This once tall stately looking woman looked broken. She was exposed in that room. She had gone from standing to laying down on the floor. I stepped back far enough to see the alter with her body before it. Right before my very eyes she had presented herself  as a living sacrifice taken a posture of worship. God was here! 

Ladies, this was a moving picture brought to my mind as I prayed for each of YOU!  

Believe it or not, I pray for you and your marriage success. I want you to stay married because you have learned to live married God's way so I seek His help to lead you.


The only way I know to heal broken hearts and marriages is to take them to God. Every lesson I teach in Wife School or any where else will take you to God. Every coaching call or talk at a Church will be about how to get to God. This is how my marriage was saved and how it thrives right now every single day.

Ladies, my gift is the voice telling you and teaching you to learn to put God first in your life and marriage. I am here to help you but you must go into that room, become a living sacrifice, and worship God!

When you enter that room On Purpose, you will find (like I do) that ....

He is here    

Be blessed as you pray.

Staying On Purpose,

Lisa Ellis Williams  

Do you want to grow deeper in prayer? 

Get God I am Listening on Mp3 only $3.99 today

 

There is always more

Hello All,

Today, I started using a new design on the new template for my newsletter. This one provides room for me to give you more information and resources. (If you receive it please let me know in the comments)

As I move deeper into the business arena I find no matter what I do... there is always more....

More to do. More to get. More to give and more to BE. I wonder, when it will ever end? After all more of everything may seem like too much.

That is when I remembered this: Jesus came that I may have life and have it MORE abundantly. John 10:10 (NKJV) actually reads:

¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

The issue is that my more abundant life usually comes as a result of change. Things can get ugly, dirty, and painful especially when it involves my husband. Why is that? Aren't we seeking a more abundant life as married women?  

As I pondered the verse, I noted that a few things that I believe keep Wives On Purpose from recognizing our more abundant marriage when it shows up.

• The thief comes and he only comes to mess up our marriage. If we can expect turbulent times then we are not surprised when they arrive.
• The enemy's purpose must be taken seriously if we don't want to blame our husbands for every single wrong doing and treat him as our number one enemy. 
• We must examine the damage done during hard times. Has your peace been stolen or trust between you and your husband been killed? Maybe your finances have been destroyed.
• In this passage, Jesus is telling us that He came. If you live by faith then you will be reassured in hard time knowing that He came!
• By faith you can know that because He came you can have life and even life in your marriage more abundantly.

These days, after the thief comes in hard times I look for more because, I know Jesus also comes. He comes to bring more to my situation. What does that have to do with my newsletter?

I must admit that building this business/ministry has been hard work for me. I have encountered the thief on many occasions sometimes just because I am called to speak a message of love and marriage. Maybe because I am driven to help you. But I have learned to identify the places where Jesus came and where I keep getting more! As I said, the new template offers more...

I hope you will begin to see with spiritual eyes the places in your marriage where God is giving you more!

Here are a few examples: more smiles, more kisses and soft touches, more shared laughs and more casual conversations and lots more tight hugs.

Life in your marriage can offer MORE. Look for Jesus to give it every time He comes into your situation. 


Where do you see more in your marriage? 
Do you want more from my newsletter? 

Subscribe today.


On Purpose In Marriage
Lisa Ellis Williams

She is Wrong!

Dear Wives,

How funny it was to hear the words, "Lisa, you were right."

That comment came at the end of a conversation with one of my long term Wives On Purpose. She had described an incident where a newly wed wife had messed up and now this seasoned Wife On Purpose had the painful responsibility of telling her "she is wrong."  

When I first began speaking to married women, I was often accused of taking the husband's side. I quickly explained that I was not here to side with anyone but God. Using His Word as a measuring stick would keep us on the righteous side of married. What does that mean to you and this newly wed wife?

It means, consider the long term implications of your short term actions! 

When your husband takes an action that you don't like, that is not permission to take an equally harmful action in response. He leaves the house mad so you leave mad too. You both stay out very late trying to out stay the other.  He over spends the budget so you head for the mall.  Wives this kind of reaction is off purpose and you are wrong when you behave like this.

A simple conversation usually reveals the wife is suffering from hurt feelings. Listen new wives, your husband loves you but, he is only human. He will hurt your feelings from time to time. Wives On Purpose say "Amen!"

When your feelings are hurt, I offer these tips to keep from acting off purpose and just plain WRONG:

• Do Not seek to retaliate.
• Be honest with yourself and admit how you feel.
• Craft a few sentences describing your dilemma in a journal.
• Find the appropriate time to share your feelings with your husband.  
• Tell him how you feel without yelling, calling names, or accusing him of being a bad husband
• Agree on a future course of action that will yield a different result

Whatever you do... don't talk too long or you will lose his focus.
Proverbs 31:11-12  (ESV) says: The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. ¹² She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

Ladies, I know this is not easy but God's way is always right. I am just here to share it with you. I hope this helps all of you as you strive to build stronger marriages and help the newly weds long the way.

I am adding extra help by gifting each of you the Wife School Lesson #1 Free!
 
When you subscribe to my mailing list! 

How do you respond to the wife who is wrong?
What scriptures do you point her to?

Helping you stay married On Purpose
Lisa Ellis Williams

What's Your Love Story?

Greetings Ladies,

I am not one to pretend and so I lose patience with those who do. With that said, I am often confronted by women who wonder and then boldly ask" What is your story?". Now I am not referring to my marriage story. Most of you know that already. If you don't please take a quick read here.  No, I am talking about why I care so much about your love story! These very skeptical women wonder why I do what I do... What do I get from the deal. The deep question is am I pretending? 

I have said this before. My marriage began with the fairytale wedding and my dream husband. We were fine until I decided to follow Christ and had a desire to do good things for God's people. I never thought that decision would cost me my husband and my marriage. Well it did! You know that is how God tends to work. He will require you to give up something that you love in order to gain more love than you could ever know in Him.

That is exactly what happened to me. After seven years of crying, whining, and then finally submitting my marriage and my love life completely to God.... you know the end... I remarried Stuart. AT his prompting I began sharing my love story. In 2005, I shared with friends hoping that they would not ever hurt like I did. These original Wives On Purpose listened and began making positive change.
(kudos to Lori, Terri, Dawn, Michelle, Phronie, Pam, Kat, Tangie, Terralon, Judy, Onie, Stacy, and tons more!)  

By 2009, the health educator in me kicked into high gear and I began speaking to groups, writing, and coaching about the power of God's love story. My heart has been transformed and my mind has been renewed by scriptures. As a result, I can stay married, live in the power of God's love and teach from my story. What is your story? 

If it is the gospel of Jesus Christ then your love story is the power of love too. Growing my relationship with God everyday is the only way I was ever able to re-marry the same husband, raise two more children, live with peace in our home and tell others about Him with clarity. 

You are welcome to do the same. Let God fill you with joy. Watch His Spirit fix your attitude and guide you to win your husband without a lot of words.

To day, God takes me to Churches and Women's groups to teach the growing number of Wives On Purpose about love and marriage according to His Word. You are welcome to join me.

On Sunday February 23, 2014 I will be at the

Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ 5301 North Capitol Street, NE  Washington, D.C. 20011

I will speak to the Women's Ministry group about sharing your love story to influence marriage. We start at 1:00pm EST. If you are in the area please stop in and greet me.

What's your love story? 
Why do you stay married?
Who are you sharing your story with? 
 
Comment and let me know...


Staying married On Purpose,
Lisa Ellis Williams

Did you know that my messages are available on MP3?
Get your favorite today!

Looking for Luv

Hi Ladies,

I am so excited that I wanted to share some extra luv with you today!

Many of you come to me for marriage "advice" and to find good Christian resources. Your goal is to grow your relationship with God and your husband.

You know that I luv God and that I luv you. That is what drives me to constantly work at  providing easy to use bible based principles on CD, MP3 messages, in Wife School classes, and yes my writing.
I know how much you value my services and for you I am ever thankful.

My heart is also grateful and glad when others give me the honor and opportunity to share my expertise with their audience. Today is one of those days!

Please take a moment to visit me at the International Christian Mompreneur Network.

While you are there take a long look at Theresa's programs and other book interviews. I have learned a great deal from her work and her resources.

Why, because I too search for places to feel luv and I choose only those where the love of God is present.

I am not concerned about popular or nice (although Theresa is both). I am seeking the knowledge of God shared in a way that I can understand and use. Just like what you are seeking from me.

I receive those things from the International Christian Mompreneur Network, as I strive to grow my business from home. I hope will always find those things as you strive to grow your marriage in godliness.

Happy Reading and when you are finished...
Comment here and let me know what you think?
  
Remember, you are invited to join me in Wife School.
Learn more. 

Ministering to marriages, one wife at a time
Lisa   

How Wives Celebrate Valentine's Day

Ladies,

Happy Valentines Day

There is no secret here, I luv weddings!

Any time a woman tell me that she is getting married, I become her biggest cheerleader. Now let me tell you a few things about me. First of all, I am really a cheerleader. From elementary school to college I wore the short skirt, clapped my hands for my team, and was lifted to the top of the pyramid. For those of you who don't like cheering from the side lines, sorry. I luv it.

Secondly, I have found that my husband needs a wife who can be his ultimate cheerleader. When life puts him on the defense, I need to cheer. When he scores a win in some area he has been challenged, I need to cheer. When our family is winning, I cheer and when God wins another couple to His covenant called marriage, I really cheer.

Now that we have that straight, let me tell you about my newly wed wife in North Carolina and why we should all love like this newly wed. After being married for a few months, this wonderful wife noticed that her husband wanted her to cook. He is apparently the better cook in the family and has never minded preparing the meals. They had agreed that he would do it however, she is already a Wife On Purpose so she readily picked up on a simple comment he made one day. She realized that he really did want her to cook, at least sometimes.

This great wife, did not complain. She decided to do something special for her husband once a month. For month 5 of their marriage, she took off from work half a day and prepared this meal that he would luv. 
I dare say, he enjoyed every bite and was one proud husband taking his lunch to work the next day.

What is my point?

That all Wives On Purpose can love with same care as newly wed wives by doing these 4 simple things.

• Take care to listen to your husbands desires.
• Take time away from your work to meet his needs.
• Take the credit he freely gives when he is happy with your gift of love.
• Take time to share a picture with other wives who need reminding and encouraging.

By the way, notice the "M". It starts her new last name. Thank you Mrs. McLaughlin for being a fabulous example for us.

I pray you all cook up a great Valentine's Day for your hubby and enjoy fresh new love all year long.

Want help to love like the newlyweds?
Get a copy of my teaching" Beautiful In His Sight"

Need some help making time to cook?
Get a copy of my new release "Time Management for busy wives"

Comment below and tell us how you show your husband that you love him? 

Helping Marriages Stay On Purpose

Lisa Ellis Williams

It's Valentine's Day... again!

Let's get ready Wives! 

Valentine's Day is coming and this year I pose this question. 

Whose affection are you seeking on this day of LOVE? The most common answer for a Wife On Purpose is "my husband". So dear wife, how do you plan to capture his heart and fuel his passion this year?

If your marriage is red hot and on fire then anything you do will be cooking. This year is easy. Purchase any gift, card, or make any reservation you like and see what the day and night yields.

If your marriage is Luke-warm and mundane, it's going to take some creative effort on your part and you will need friends to motivate you to action. Go ahead and do something. You won't regret it and since I have just  encouraged you, skip asking your girlfriends. The chatter will waste valuable time needed to plan.

If your marriage is ice cold, dry and dead, you have probably given up on any reason to celebrate and any hope that your husband will even care. You may even be worried that his affection has been taken by another woman. Yes, I said it. It happens around this time of year.

Rather than focus on receiving your husband's affection and struggling to get it, I propose that you make a shift.

Wrap your thoughts around giving with grace and pleasure! After all this is Love Day and as Christians we are called to love thy neighbor and *thy husband (*emphasis mine) as thyself.

How do you love yourself?

Let's count the ways: 

1) Wake up with a smile- Now go ahead and smile when you say good morning to your husband.

2) Dress giving special attention to details and covering flaws. Love will cover a multitude of your husband's flaws.  The world does not need to know everything he fails to do for you.

3) Feed yourself- Try fixing a special plate for your husband and feed him.  Make it breakfast instead of dinner for a change. 

4) Treat yourself to all kinds of delightful "stuff." Well, get to it. Pick up all of those little treats for your husband. You know what he likes.

5) Compliment yourself on just about everything. Go ahead, give him a long list. Start by saying "Honey, here are just some of things I love about you...." Write the list in a card using red ink if you like.

6) You make provisions to rest and refresh from a long day. Your husband needs this too. Get your marriage bed ready so that when he falls into your arms, even your scent will be a refreshment. Love him and receive his love so that rest will come easily. Entice him even if you don't feel like it. You love yourself to feel better. Do the same for him.

Valentine's Day is the appointed time. This year, if you are going to love then do it by giving.


Count the ways you will have loved yourself and your husband. Once you are finished you will captured the heart of God and nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Now that is worth a Valentines Day celebration!

Write your plans in the comments. I luv to hear from you! 
  
Ministering to marriages, one wife at a time,
Lisa Ellis Williams

Need More? 

Subscribe to News Wives Can Use?   

Wife Talk is a monthly call available free to Lisa's subscribers. 

In fifteen minutes Lisa shares candidly about love, marriage and living as a godly wife in today's society.Take a lunch break and call in.


I never knew there was a method or a skill to being a good wife!  I didn’t know because I had never seen one.  Coming from a single parent home with no role models has presented me with challenges in my marriage. I thank GOD for you, Lisa! You are doing Kingdom work and GOD is so pleased!

~Hope, Washington, DC, Wife On Purpose, 2010 

Want to join to call? 

Subscribe today 

You will receive "News Wives Can Use" right to your email along with free downloads and Wife Talk call information!   

On Purpose In love and marriage
Lisa 

Lunch Dates

Greetings Ladies,

The more we talk, the more I am convinced that we are too busy. Our days are packed with events and commitments that we are constantly seeking ways to make time for self care. Repeatedly, I hear your cry for rest, solitude, and time to refresh the spirit. Most of us would enjoy a week long retreat with a nanny to care for home in our absence.

If you can schedule that, please do it as soon as you feel the need. For the rest of you, I offer a short easy way to care for yourself every day. If you do this one thing regularly you will be sure to keep yourself at the top of your priority list. Wives On Purpose know how important that is to me.

Here is my secret:
Make a lunch date with yourself and keep it. 

I know you are thinking: I am too busy. I eat lunch at my desk while I work. Others worry that co-workers will disrupt their time or perhaps you forget to take lunch at all. As my twelve year old daughter would say" Pish Posh!".

For most of you, lunch time during the work day is the only time you still have control over. It is the only time you can consistently plan for and give to yourself.

Since 1995, I have been keeping lunch dates with Lisa. During lunch I can eat foods that my family doesn't like. I shut off my phone to get away from gossip or idle chatter from friends and even family. I read books for pleasure and flip through magazines. Lunch time can be a long walk, grocery store errand, or time for a power nap.

If planned for, lunch time can be one of the most productive, and refreshing times of each day because you did what you wanted to do. For just and hour each day you were first on your list. Don't you deserve that? I think you do. Go ahead and make a date with yourself for lunch. Just remember the success comes when you actually keep it! 

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Plan to take lunch by marking the time as busy on your calendar.
• Set an alarm on your phone with reminders with the time, date, and location.
• Pick a spot. A nearby park, library, your car, and even a building lobby will work.
• Treat yourself to food that you like. Even your favorite sandwich is a treat.
• Guard the time as if you are meeting with your highest boss.
• Don't cancel unless it's an emergency

I hope this helps you get much needed "me"time. If you still need help working on priorities, visit the lesson in Wife School.  You can purchase the study complete with lessons on CD here.

Now, I am off to grab my lunch and think about what is for DINNER! (that post is for another day)


Staying on Purpose
Lisa Ellis Williams

Want more? 

Subscribe to Lisa's List

You will get News Wives Can Use, Wife Talk calls, tips and resources to support your marriage

Praying with Purpose

Greetings Ladies!

It's hard for me to believe that February is underway and 2014 is not so new anymore. What have you been doing to grow in love and marriage so far this year? I have been stretched in a few areas. One of them is going deeper in prayer.

Can you believe after all I have taught on prayer and that God would really think I should grow more! Yes, go ahead and laugh, I did but these were my true thoughts for a quick moment and thus began my growing by conviction. God always wants us to pray and grow closer to HIM. Our flesh and common sense will have us think we are good with that.

Wrong answer!
Here is how growth looks for me.

I registered for a new Bible Study in January.
Rule #1. Always find a new class and study the Bible. My study has incorporated a early morning prayer call.

Rule #2. Get up early to pray and let other women hold you accountable. I was doing great at first. Then I got sick, and overslept the call. I missed the others in my group.

Rule #3. Press your way to God's throne of grace to receive mercy. I made it to my daughters family birthday dinner....missed the prayer call.....
After missing the call for not one but two days, I woke up feeling better this morning. I laid in bed deciding if I was going to dial in. What!  Did I say deciding? Had I lost my mind?

Rule #4 When God wakes you up and wants to be with you by all means go! You will NOT be disappointed. From today's time in prayer God gave me new plans to serve my husband, family, and YOU!

I am glad I did not let my body, good reasoning, and pure disobedience keep me from hearing what God wanted to share with me today.

I hope you will grow in your prayer life this year. After all, if you are like me and leading other women, you must lead by example. I am praying for you and please keep me in your prayers.

Serving on Purpose
Lisa Ellis Williams

Want more? 
Subscribe today! 

You will get News Wives Can Use, Wife Talk calls, Tips, and other resources to grow love and marriage