Misplaced Efforts of Manipulation

Coworkers, government officials, politicians, neighbors, husbands, children and even domestic animals . . .

There will always be someone or some behavior that we wish would change in the people around us. Our coworkers make crude sexual jokes in our presence. Our family members gossip about one another. Our neighbors allow their animals to parade around your yard. Our husbands won't fix or finish projects on our timetable. Our children are obstinate and rebellious. Our cat insists upon urinating on our couch. And these don't even begin to scratch the surface of things we would change if we could.

So we attempt to manipulate others by nagging, complaining, whining, giving the cold shoulder, expressing fear, maybe even throwing a temper tantrum. Some wives try to manipulate their husbands by withholding physical intimacy. Some husbands try to manipulate their wives by beating them. But in the end, all our efforts of manipulation are fruitless. Yes, we may win a battle or two here and there, but it will never change the person at whom it is directed.

Let's look at a common example of an unequally yoked marriage. In the case of a redeemed, believing wife and an unregenerate husband, there is nothing she can do to win the soul of her husband over to Christ. The Bible tells us that the woman, by her attitude and acts of service, her humility and chaste behavior, can be a means of grace by which the Lord might entice the heart of her husband to Christ. This is not a guarantee, but a general observation and very real possibility. If the woman tries to nag him, belittle him and otherwise tear him down by provoking him by her sinful actions, she is only perpetuating the problem. He will NEVER change. She will drive him further away from Christ and deeper into his idolatry and rebellion.

Her strategy is all wrong. She is acting out of selfishness and not out of love. She is more concerned about her reputation than she is about the soul of her husband and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a very dangerous habit of sin. Not only will her actions reap judgment for herself, but also encourage the rebellion leading to eternal damnation for her husband! She is not representing Christ to her unsaved husband. The Bible tells us to "love our neighbors as ourselves." Your husband is your closest neighbor therefore, you are commanded to love him. And if you don't consider him your neighbor, but more like your enemy there is a verse for that too. "Love your enemies. Do good to them." Luke 6:27-36. Do enemies deserve love? No, they don't. But this is the commandment of God. Your faith in Christ is clearly seen by your ability to show love to unloveable people, just as Christ did. Love is not just a feeling of affection or sentimentality, but a willful, calculated decision to act on their behalf.

And consider the wife who has benefited from the love of God through Christ. "But God demonstrates his own love toward us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 We didn't deserve the love of God and we certainly didn't deserve the atoning sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. We deserve hell, eternal condemnation, the wrath of God burning in unquenchable fire forever without relent. But Christ stepped in and took that for us in obedience to the Father! How amazing is His love and commitment toward His sheep! If, after receiving such a wonderful gift of grace, we are not urged to do the same, we are above all, hypocrites.

Love includes ceasing from perpetuating a sinful lifestyle. Let's say the husband weighs 800 pounds and is bedridden because of his obesity. The wife should not bring him the 10th helping of food as a means of submissive service to her husband! She's only making it worse! This is not an act of love. We are commanded to submit to our husbands out of reverence for Christ. This means that we submit to the man as long as what he asks is not disobeying the Lord. This works in lots of circumstances: when the husband tells his wife to bring him a drink of alcohol when he's already clearly drunk; when the husband tells his wife to hide the illegal drugs somewhere in the house and lie to the police; etc. Sometimes, the most loving thing a wife can do is to let the husband get into the trouble that he's caused himself. People do a lot of thinking when they're behind bars.

The Biblical response of the believing wife toward her unsaved husband in obedience to Christ is to remain with her husband, serve him and submit to him. She is not responsible for changing him, but she is responsible for her own actions and reactions. Unless SHE is willing to change her attitude and action toward him, she can NEVER hope that he will change either. This is the best way to "manipulate" those around us, by heaping burning coals on top of their heads. We do that through love, service and respect out of a motivation to please God through obedience. Manipulation is always out of a selfish, self-centered desire for our own pleasure. But if we resolve to serve our husbands and children out of a loving obedience to Christ, the impact will be more profound, more genuine, and more enduring. Choose this day whom you will serve: yourself or the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Reuse, Reduce: Keys to Variety within a Budget

Many of our dinners use ingredients from previous meals, saving cooking time and money. Some recipes call for ready-made ingredients, like spaghetti sauce. But if I prepare it myself, I can produce a large quantity for a fraction of the cost it would take to buy the same amount. For instance, one week I’ll prepare spaghetti. I will cook enough meat sauce to freeze at least three containers for later meals, including calzones, pizza, lasagna and chicken parmesan. Plus there is an added benefit knowing all the natural contents of the foods I prepare, taking comfort that we’re not consuming hydrogenated oils, excess salt and sugars.

Another key to feeding many mouths on a food budget and still maintaining variety is to use ingredients that are inexpensive, for example carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, rice, dried beans and pasta. Soups also tend to cost less per serving and per pot. These cheap ingredients make a bulk of filling foods without breaking the bank.

It is also important to utilize everything: waste not, want not. For example, I bake all our sandwich bread. But no one wants the end pieces of the loaf. With my bread knife I take a little sliver off the ends and freeze them to use for breadcrumbs later for meatloaf, meatballs, etc. Just thaw in the toaster, crumble in the food processor with the seasonings of choice and add them to the meal. Voila!

Biblically, it is imperative to follow God’s command regarding gluttony. Refraining from the third, fourth and fifth helping allows the family to enjoy the meal longer, thus stretching the dollar as well. The dollar is stretched because less food needs to be prepared, but also because the waist is not expanding to require new clothing. Neither do we starve ourselves, but it is important to stop eating when satisfied and avoid overeating as is popular in the current American restaurant culture. There is always tomorrow’s lunch when you can enjoy the blend of flavors again. Exhibit self-control; it is a fruit of the Spirit. If we're truly still hungry, then we eat more side items, like rice and beans, and not the expensive main course.

There are two important items to maximize your menu potential. The first is a large freezer, which is well worth the investment as many cost less than $10 to run each month and save you hundreds of dollars in food storage power. Secondly, a very large pot to cook huge quantities of soups and sauces. This goes without saying that you would also benefit from a large or extra large baking dish and a good number of freezer storage containers that can be labeled for quick reference.

Can You Imagine a Communist America?

No, America could NEVER become a Communist Nation! Could it?!

It could very well happen. The Communist Party USA has been very successful at accomplishing their goals of making America a Communist State. Communist states are characterized by oppressive dictators and a lack of freedom. Imagine that you are not free to choose where you want to live. You are told where to live, what to eat and what to drink.

You are not free to choose what to wear. That decision has already been made for you.

You are not free to go wherever you would like. Your every move is watched. Nor can you choose what kind of car you can drive, or even if you are allowed to drive a car, ride a bike, take a taxi, etc.

You are not free to speak what you will nor are you free to hold ideology that is different from the ruling elite. Should certain words leave your mouth and it is suspected that they are credited to you, you will be fired upon. How will the ruling elite isolate persons with differing values? They will first target those public organizations and movements with contrasting goals: Right to Life organizations, The Tea Party organization, and doctrinally sound, confessional churches, just name a few. They may not even interrogate individuals from these groups before their eradication but completely obliterate anyone who is even remotely associated with them.

You are not free to choose what music to listen to, which books you can read or movies you can watch. All of these sources of information and entertainment will have to be screened prior to allowing the public to have access. Privileges to the internet would also certainly be limited and all your online activity constantly monitored.

You would not have the freedom to choose which job field to pursue. You would be told what career you must learn. If you refuse to go to work for the benefit of the collective, then you will be forced, or fired upon.

You will not have the freedom to marry whomever you choose, but parameters would be set that you could only marry someone within a certain class of people. Should you transgress, you would likely be fired upon.

You will not have the freedom to procreate as you would like. You may be sterilized by force. If you want more children than allowed, you would be forced to abort them. If you are unable to have children, you might be fired upon anyway because you cannot benefit the collective. It's already being talked about HERE and HERE.

You would not have the freedom to educate your children as you want. The state would take them by force as early as birth. Read HERE

If this does not eventually happen in the United States, imagine a conservative people attempting to collect together and create a separate state that would secede from the union and develop it's own nation. Even if secession were allowed to happen, how long would it take for our Communist neighbors to eventually seek to subdue our land and people? The goal of Communism is world domination, just as it is for Islam. And both are just as bloody. Remember Nazi Germany, Hitler & Stalin? How many millions of people, national citizens, died while the uninformed mob sat back approvingly? Something like that can very well happen here. Don't think it can't.