Morning Cuppas With Glenys

It could be better!

When I was married the first time, my husband was not a believer. I was born again 9 years after we married. I prayed the kind of prayers that only an unequally yoked wife can... Chris is a believer, but I know the anguish being spiritually unyoked can bring... Here is a prayer for the unequally yoked wife...

Father, you said it is not good that man be alone, and in Your love, You created a help meet just for him.

You ordained the first marriage in the Garden of Eden.

And You said it was good! LORD, we who love you and marriage have found ourselves tasting of the beauty in marriage and we agree with You: it is good.

But he who we have covenanted to love forever is not yet in Your Kingdom- we are together but still lonely... our spirits long for soul intimacy with our husband.

What we know is good could be much better! We ask that You bring our husbands into Your Kingdom. A threefold cord isn't easily broken.

Please grant us our hearts' desire LORD, for being equally yoked is in Your Will..We pray for strength,

Patience and love to endure this lonely path known only to a Christian wife Who wants a truly godly marriage.

In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save [thy] husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save [thy] wife? 1 Corinthians 7:16

The most joyous of days..

It's Christmas Eve here and I was resting between chores thinking that I don't feel very festive. And as the random thoughts came, I realised that I am not alone...

The birth of Christ is a holy time sometimes celebrated with lights on trees and pretty baubles. Presents adorn the floor around the tree and a feeling of hope, and expectation fills the air.

Carols are a lovely way to thrill the soul and worship the Christ Child, and since Covid, this is mainly from computers, CD's and so on. Carollers are for the most, a thing of the past.

A lot of people perpetuate Saint Nicholas' legacy by telling their children that Santa Claus is coming and for them, Christmas takes on a magical quality.

Sadly for me, my children and even grandchildren are grown. With that childlike expectancy of gifts and new toys now gone, a lot of the fun of the season is gone with it. I miss it.

Obviously I find my joy in the Gift of Christ our Redeemer, and I am truly grateful- not only at Christmas, but all through the year. But those who are now missing the joy of children at Christmas will know what I mean.

And I don't believe I am the only one noticing a lack of festive joy this year. The shops are visited by people with tense, even grim expressions and scarcely one person wishes another a Merry Christmas! It is understandable. The last few years have been difficult to say the least. Stress is rampant.

I think now it is more important than ever to remember the reason for the season. The King of glory came as an infant, born in a stable and given a manger for a crib. But the most wondrous thing of all is that this Baby was born to bring hope and joy to a lost mankind.

As mankind struggles to celebrate- truly celebrate- Christmas, and as world events worsen, I want that childlike faith and joy to come back. But I truly believe it will only come back when Christ comes back to take us believers Home. That will be the most joyous of days...

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

Keep some Kleenex in your handbag!

Some of my family are going through the menopause and have a few trials with it, both emotionally and physically.

At 72, this now is a thing of the past for me, but for millions of women world wide, it is ongoing. But like everything in life, this too will pass..

I wrote this post when my hormones were waning and I was going through the Change. This highlights just some ways it can effect us at that time...

Just recently I have been going through some difficult and emotional times! Not only has my fibromyalgia flared, causing me pain and fatigue through not sleeping soundly and my heart has been paining me, but I have had to contend with hot flushes and the roller coaster of feminine hormones both rising and waning- mostly waning I suspect!

I know I am not the only woman on earth to go through this stage of life- but I can only write about how it has effected me- anything else is hearsay and observation! The curious thing is that I thought I left Menopause City behind, but as I walk through the Path of Life, I have been confronted with another sign post that tells me I am still in the boundaries of the City.

Today, for example, Chris and I were having a coffee and cinnamon bun at our shopping Centre…apart from tiredness, I was feeling OK emotionally. A darling little baby girl was in her stroller eating some of her mother’s cinnamon roll and she was making quite a mess of herself. I was captivated by her- she was so cute! As I turned smiling to mention her to Chris, a very pregnant lady walked past me and my mood suddenly spiralled downwards to regret.

With intense sadness, the knowledge that pregnancy and motherhood were no longer things which I would enjoy personally, hit me like a blow across the mouth. The realisation that I was not only getting old- but WAS old, took me by surprise and I tried to counteract it’s horrible gripping effect on me by mentioning the delightful baby girl drooling cinnamon icing, to Chris, who was happily sipping his cappacino.

To my utter horror, my eyes started to fill up and I could not control the feelings of despair and sadness that threatened to overtake me! As I grabbed a serviette to dab my eyes, and to both of our embarrassment, I started crying into my cinnamon bun! Chris was taken unawares as well and just rubbed my hand.

I ran to the ladies restrooms, where I cried for the years of childbearing and mothering that flew by too, too fast!…I cried for the hunger to feel a baby kicking inside me, and to smell that irresistable smell of a new-born baby and to feel the velvet skin of a new blessing against me as I breastfed!

Blowing my nose, I battled the jealousy I felt seeing women carrying babies in their wombs and in their baby slings. I battled the feelings of fear of old age and disappearing waist line and loss of my youthful vigour and health. I panicked momentarily as I realised that I was probably 2 thirds through my life already- and I still felt at times like a girl!

I flushed the toilet as I waited until the tears abated, hoping to drown them out from the ears of other people. It was a frightening and embarrassing moment! And a puzzling one too! For I “know” I am too old to be a mother..too many health issues too..too fatigued to take on a child 24/7 for the rest of my life…too selfish in a lot of ways now…YET the desires and maternal feelings haven’t died!

And now that I have had a cry, thought through the whole thing and had time with the LORD, I feel silly. I suppose I shouldn’t really feel silly…the maternal hormones are a God-given part of being feminine and so too is this season of my life. I just find that sometimes the maternal hormones go on hyperdrive as the childbearing ones wane.

How grateful I am that God has given me an understanding husband…one who says he understands even when I don’t. One who passes me a cinnamon bun and a tissue without too many questions….and rubs my hand…it all helps.....

I hope that you will realise that like every season, this Changing Season will not last. We have made it through Menopause City and you will too.

As you traverse the valley, keep looking up and forward. Try to think of positive thoughts- Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Pray continually and keep close to the LORD, and remember He loves you dearly. Isaiah 46:4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

And keep some Kleenex in your handbag!

"To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: " Ecclesiastes 3:10

Sometimes you just want to be seen

Many years ago Chris and I visited my daughter accompanied by my 12 year old grandson. As it turns out, my ex-husband was there visiting her as well.

Not wanting to be around him, we sat outside under her pergola with my grandson, sipping on a cup of tea.

My daughter and her father were inside when we heard as plain as day my ex-husband ask her, "Who is this kid?" My daughter replied quite embarrassed, "That's your grandson, L-!"

Well, my poor grandson, L heard it too and he went very quiet. Then he took off in to the back garden, obviously upset.

Putting down my cuppa, I followed him and found him crying and quite embarrassed about being found in tears.

A sensitive boy, I knew he was hurt, and I put my arm around him and drew him into me. Not needing an explanation, one was soon forthcoming.

Between sobs, he told me that Grandpa didn't even know him! He then declared that Grandpa Chris was his real grandpa and quite correctly he lamented that he himself didn't even know his own grandpa but that it was too late now. He didn't want anything to do with him.

I felt L's pain because often in my marriage with said negligent grandpa, I too was invisible. Rejection and indifference hurts.

We all want to be known. We want some bond and attention from those who are supposed to love us and if it is not forthcoming, the emotions can be quite strong. Devastatingly so.

Reflecting on this, I thought of God Who knows us from birth and Who knows us by name.

The LORD replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:17

What a precious thing to remember! It is something to reflect on in moments of feeling invisible and forgotten..and this was brought to L's attention and helped him through...

Because sometimes you just want to be seen.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. Psalm 139:16

Christ has done it all.

What is the process for being saved by Jesus? It's quite simple really.

It doesn't require a ritual nor the church to do anything. Even death bed confessions of belief will save you. That's what happened with the thief on the cross next to Jesus. Faith. Belief. Confession = salvation

You can be saved right now. Wherever you are, simply proclaim Him with your lips and believe with your heart.

Then you will be born again. The gospel is not complicated- man messes it up by adding works. We do nothing but believe and confess. Christ has done it all.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10

"We give You thanks"

"We Give You Thanks"

Lord, as we gather at this table
May we be truly grateful
For the bounty You have given us.
We thank you for the earth and rain,
The good harvest and the wholesome grain
That went into our daily bread
And kept the stock that kept us fed.
Thank you for the hands that cooked and baked,
And for the water that our thirst slaked.
Please accept our thanks as we honour You
For Your goodness in giving us this food.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:15

Silent wings

As you probably know, Chris and I have been married before. He was deserted as she went with her boss, and I was severely abused. The emotional pain of separation and divorce took its' toll on us, especially as they both were long marriages..

We never really achieved true bonding with our first spouses (because they didn't love us), but twenty-seven years after our marrying, we are still amazed at the depth of intimacy in our marriage. We guard our marriage and both of us believe it is our first priority after God...

Our marriage must be our first priority after God for like any relationship, it can slowly die off if not tended. It is like air from a tyre: a slow leak can eventually do as much damage as a blow out!

We love a particular song by Tina Turner called On Silent Wings. It describes exactly what can happen in a marriage that is not tended... We never want to find ourselves in a loveless marriage again and we purposely cultivate intimacy- and I am not talking only of sex, even though it is important to enhance it. I am talking of spiritual bonding, cleaving and longing for each other... the hallmark of a successful marriage...

Becoming one is God's plan for marriage, and cleaving to each other is critical to its' survival. Today with so many things pulling us away from home, it is easy to become complacent about our marriage and eventually it can fizzle out.

"Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." Ephesians 5:33

Of all things in this world, attending to our marriage is critical. It deserves our best effort because not only has God ordained it, but our family and home depend on it. Marriage is the foundation of civilisation .... let's make sure ours is a good one with no silent wings...

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24