Be An Encouragement

To Your Wife

(Below are listed some hints for husbands.  Examine them and begin to initiate the ones that you may have been neglecting.  Start somewhere and start today.)

I.        Let Her Know She's No. 1

            1.         By telling her

                        "You know - You're very special to me"

                        "I'm sure glad God gave me such a super wife"

                        "Honey, I'd rather be home with you than anywhere else"

            2.         By showing her

                       - acknowledge her presence when in public, "Oh, hi Honey, we were just talking about . . ."  and put your arm around her and draw her close to your side.

                         - take time to be alone with her daily, weekly, monthly & for vacations

                        - a 10 minute coffee  break before supper

                        - a weekly 1/2 hour luncheon or coke together

                        - a monthly date (alone)

                        - a surprise trip or weekend

                        - share yourself - your dreams, goals, accomplishments, problems, fears, your work 

                        - include her in on your decision making and planning 

                        - share what you've been reading.

            3.         By serving her

                        - gifts, cards, phone calls (daily - maybe just to say, "I was thinking of you and wanted to say  I love you.")

                        - helping around the house

                        - babysitting for her

                        - try this winner, - "Honey, what can I do to help?"

                        - remember special days and make them special

                        - make sure that she has money to spend just on herself (as much or more as you spend on yourself)

II.       Help Her Grow Spiritually

            1.         Pray together daily

                        - ask, "Honey, what can I pray for you?"

                        - thank the Lord for her in her presence - be specific

            2.         Encourage her by sharing what the Lord taught you from the Word

            3.         Memorize Scripture with her

            4.         Visit friends and neighbors together and then pray together for those you visited

            5.         Work in an area of the church together

            6.         Encourage and help her find her spiritual gift and use it - but help her not to get over-involved.

            7.         Relieve her of some of her mundane tasks so that she might be able to develop or explore  some area new to her such as music lessons, painting or writing.

III.      Help Her To Develop Into All that God Wants Her to Be

1.         Make a list of all her good qualities - build her up and encourage her in these areas.  Concentrate on finding new areas daily to compliment her on - compliment her often and sincerely in public as well as in private.

2.         Encourage her to set personal goals for herself and help her reach them

                        Example:

                        a. more schooling

                        b. music lessons

                        c. reading more books

                        d. art/decorating classes

                        e. exercise

                        f. diet

                        g. free time

            3.         Listen to her

- don't feel threatened by her feelings or ideas - ask the Lord to give you an understanding heart

            4.         Meet her physical needs

- caress and love your wife with her pleasure and satisfaction in mind

                        - kiss and hug her several times a day

- in public - put your arm around her, pull her close, wink squeeze her hand

Women Really Do Appreciate Romance

            Four Ingredients

1.         It includes an element of the unexpected (surprise)

            - a look

            - dinner date

            - vacation / trip

            - gift / love note / card

2.         It includes dating

            - you plan the evening, you get the babysitter, you two go alone - like before you were married (don't ask where you're going)

3.         It includes the impractical

            - too much money 

            - we're too old

            - not yet

            - gifts

4.         It includes creativity

            - break the rut!