9/19/14

My God Given Birthday Gift!

Hello All,

On September 24th, I will celebrate my birthday. That may not mean much to you however, this year I have learned that any day new life is born is a good day to celebrate! Learned you say.

Yes, indeed. Until a few weeks ago, I was not really planning to celebrate my birthday. Frankly, I am tired and had visions of sleeping for a few days while someone/ anyone else took over my responsibilities. That was all the birthday celebrating I needed. Here is why.

My writing and speaking has grown steadily while my children have grown in huge spurts. My bank account experienced deposits while my heart for you has been overdrawn by your sad stories and marriage challenges. My day time filled with volunteer service while the work God has assigned piled high on my desk. The Holy Spirit whispered "Lisa, hear the Word of the Lord" while my husband shouted "You don't listen".

In my tired state, slumped over in my comfy chair, I prayed. Why? That is what good Christian women do. I prayed for peace, rest, and clarity. Through a series of amazing events, conversations, and chastening, God answered.

He revealed truth. I was not serving with same diligence. He was birthing new life with more book signings, support calls, and other good work. He was creating my reasons to celebrate. through this growth process my attitude and actions were realigned with God's will. It's my birthday and God loves me!
What a great reason to celebrate.

Hebrews 12:6-11New King James Version (NKJV) reads:
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

I have learned that in our zeal for using our gifts, operating in our calling, and working for the Church, we often slip off track. We settle into complacency and frequently allow the needs of people to dictate our decisions. The funny thing about being married is that God will use your husband to warn you. Has your husband been calling to you?  Are you really listening?

Once you get tired enough to pray, God delights in turning things around.


Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11 NKJV

Another year older and I have grown in new ways. Help me celebrate.

Wives On Purpose Support Calls. Don't let your married friends suffer any longer when you know I am here. Bring them with you and get on these life changing calls. There is no other place where you can speak freely in a place without judgment. Share your deepest feelings and get wisdom from God's chosen women to guide your thoughts and actions. I am a master group facilitator. You will be so glad you came. The hardest thing about these calls is deciding to let go of pride or fear or other excuses to dial in. Enjoy new reasons to celebrate and ask me what I did for this birthday.
The next call is October 18th.  Register today.

I am also happy to invite you to my online workshop.
"You, Me, and He"  Need creative ways to keep faith alive in your marriage even when you husband doesn't seem to be interested. Think you are alone? Even the Pastor's wife may wonder if her husband believes what he preaches on Sunday. Let me help you ignite faith and fuel passion in an everlasting love. Register today.

Well, September 24th is coming soon. The Wives On Purpose and a weekend alone with my husband are my very best gifts. I luv you all and thanks for sharing life with me.

Who would have thought that being tired could lead to making my birthday.... Happy!

Ministering to your marriage,
Lisa

 

9/3/14

Wives Head Back to School!

For many of us wives who are also mothers, back to school is a wonderful time of year. We are proud to send our children to a new level of learning coupled with new expectations of character growth and blessing from God. We even brace ourselves for new challenges. This school year has been all of that for me.

I wonder... if it has occurred to you that God gives our marriage relationship new school years too. If we stay married long enough there will be times when we are forced to grow to new levels of learning. We must learn new things about our spouse or find new ways to cope with difficult circumstances. We must adopt new expectations attached to the ways we receive love from our husbands. Back to school for marriage may include lessons on resolving conflict, handling finances, and even child rearing can be used to test our ability to live godly "til death do we part."

But what about bracing ourselves for new marital challenges? Do you look forward to that part of any new marriage year? Do you treat new learning years in marriage the same as you do new school years for your children? I suggest you do and look to God who offers ways to make it easy.

Let me take you on a quick back to Wife School shopping trip.

1) Invest heavily in new clothes. Designed by Colossians Chapter 3, load your shopping bag with tenderness. This comes in soft tone of voice, smiles on your face, even gentle kisses when you don't feel like it.

2) Next stop by the shoe section and try on humility. Now these are hard to walk in but buy them anyway. If you wear them every day they will become the most comfortable shoes for walking in love with your husband this year.

3) Finally I say, use the coupon code and get forgiveness. You won't take it at regular price because you don't think you will need it. Get it anyway. It is good for all matters you will study this year with your husband. 

My book Wife School, Using God's Word to Build a Stronger Marriage offers more tips and lessons on how to prepare your marriage for new growth. You really can go back to school for marriage!

If you want a personal connection and the help of a study group join me each month for
Wives On Purpose Support Calls. Married women gather to pray, solve common problems in marriage, and encourage one another to stay close to God and their husbands. Join the call with your gift of any amount.

Space is limited so register now!

  • First call is Saturday 9/13/14 at 7:00am. 
In the mean time, I hope your back to school season is a great one. Every new marriage year is an opportunity for God to impact our character, family, business, community, Church and the world!

Luv you much!
Lisa

8/22/14

The Gift Of Marriage Support




Being a bride is easy but to be a suitable helper you must be purposeful.
 


Since 2005, I have created a safe place for wives to gather, discuss common marital issues, and learn biblical principles for dealing with them. Wives all over the country have found support, encouragement, and refreshment in these small group gatherings.

New This Fall, I am hosting Wives On Purpose Support Calls!  

Join me Saturday 9/13/14 early at 7:00am for informal wife talk sessions. The call will last 45 minutes and cover specific topics, raise questions, share ideas, pray, and build a thriving community of godly wives! 

Pay whatever the call is worth to you. 

I will use all funds collected from these calls as a gift for me to do nice things for my marriage. This is your opportunity to give back some of the support you are given through Wives On Purpose. I am excited to make these calls available. 

You must register to participate and space is limited. Dial in information will be provided with all gift registrations.

Tell your friends Wives On Purpose is still ministering to marriages one wife at a time.
Don't wait. Register Now!

2/24/14

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  

2/21/14

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,

Do you want to grow deeper in prayer? 
Get God I am Listening on Mp3 only $3.99 today
 

2/20/14

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

2/19/14

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

2/18/14

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!

2/17/14

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   

2/14/14

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

2/13/14

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?   

2/12/14




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 

2/11/14

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

2/10/14

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 

1/27/14

Marriage Maintenance





As I was organizing files on my computer. I found this great post from my old blog. Although it was written on 1/9/12, the message is still relevant. We must be diligent about marriage maintenance.  

I hope you enjoy the post: 
This morning I moved a stack of clothing from a basket, to the bed and then to a chair in my bedroom. This wrinkled pile of pants, skirts, and blouses needed to be dry cleaned. I rehearsed my "to do "list in my mind and wondered when I was going to get them to the cleaners. 

I looked across the room to my open closet and surveyed my shoes. Some needed to be polished, others discarded and few needed heel replacements. I added the shoe shop to my "to do" list. 
 
Signing, I remembered a time in my life when running errands to the dry cleaners and shoe shop did not require list placement. Here I stood the wife and mother of three who desperately wanted to wear nice clothing but could not maintain her wardrobe. 

What changed? 

Me!  

Carefully I evaluated my situation. I was guilty of failure to maintain the clothing that I have. Instead of making time to dry clean and repair I let worn things pile up. I stored and shifted the items needing attention rather than take appropriate action.  Do you know what else?

I realized that I am guilty of the same behavior in my marriage. 

If you are like me, you can look at some issues that need attention and store them away or simply let them pile  up. Things like hurt feelings, anger, or money issues should not be placed on a "to do" list. 
Instead you must address them with your husband. Don't move conversations around the room without deciding on when you will clean the issues up or get them repaired.  

Marriage is a bit like clothing. You get the designer pieces and enjoy wearing them at first. Didn't you stand tall and flaunt your new husband when you first got him? Well, just like that great "little black dress" your marriage will get worn and need to be repaired at some point. Don't put it off with a sigh. 
 
Enjoy your marriage. Just don't forget the maintenance! 

Ministering to marriages, one wife at a time

Want help to maintain your marriage? 
Subscribe to News Wives Can Use
   


1/24/14

Wife Dont' Panic




 Ladies, 

I often get calls from wives who are in a panic about something in their marriage. When that happens my only response is to offer a word from God. He is the only real comfort we have to count on. 

If you are in a panic right now, here this Word from the book of Isaiah 41:8-10 (The Message)
 

 8-10"But you, Israel, are my servant.
   You're Jacob, my first choice,
   descendants of my good friend Abraham.
I pulled you in from all over the world,
   called you in from every dark corner of the earth,
Telling you, 'You're my servant, serving on my side.
   I've picked you. I haven't dropped you.'
Don't panic. I'm with you. 
   There's no need to fear for I'm your God.
I'll give you strength. I'll help you.
   I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
And we all said” Amen”. 

Hold on my dear wife God never leaves you or forsakes you. 

Don't panic! 

Turn to His word for comfort anytime. 

All of the time. 

Ministering to marriages, one wife at a time
Lisa Ellis Williams

1/20/14

A Godly Wife On Purpose



A Godly Wife On Purpose
Living with Jesus as the Center of a marriage is not an easy thing to do. That is because often we move Him from the center of our lives without thinking and then see heart breaking consequences show up in our marriage. Living through seven years of separation, single parenting, divorce, and ultimate remarriage to the same husband drove me into the arms of a Savior who resurrects dead marriages. Now I am living to share with you!


 Ladies, 

Do you recognize this? 

It is the banner from my very first bog in 2009. I wrote these words from my heart then and I still mean them today. 

I hope you understand that:

  • marriage is a calling from God,  
  • wives have an honorable position,   and  
  • it takes work to hear "well done". 

You are not alone, God gave us His Son, His Word, and His Spirit. He also gave us a network of Christian wives to walk together. 

I am thankful for my husband, my family, and my Wives On Purpose! 

Ministering to marriages, one wife at a time

Want more?