10 Ways to Handle a Spiritually Unequal Marriage...& a Link Up!

Question from a reader.......

Dear Jolene,
I am 22 and a newly married woman and my husband and I got married in July of this year.  He comes from a Jewish background and he accepted the Lord into his heart around 1 1/2 years ago to 2 years ago. He is still very new to the Lord.  I was raised in a Christian family.  I accepted the Lord into my heart when I was 6 and stood firm for a while but then reached high  school and university years and drifted away.  I have come back to the Lord and am walking with him, and trying to grow with Jesus now that I am an adult. 
One way we really need to work on our marriage is spending time with the Lord together. We will wake up have breakfast and then sit down and read separately in the bible and then come together at the end and share a little about what we read and then read our daily "Utmost for His Highest" devotional.  However we always end up bickering about something. I guess because I am from a Christian family I just know more about the scriptures or I don't know.  I don't like saying it like that but anyway I have walked with the Lord longer and have had all of His teachings around me pretty much my whole life. But my husband hasn't and so I guess because of that he voices his opinions and sometimes it freaks me out because they won't be right on track with what the Bible says. Or not even that, sometimes he just won't feel moved about what we've read or he feels like me voicing my opinions or what I thought of our devotional makes him a bad leader. He doesn't feel like he's being a leader.  I just need advice.  I feel discouraged and he does too and then I just feel fruitless.  
 ~frustrated newlywed

Are You More Like His Mother or His Lover?

The need to control.  That's what we do as wives.

It's our flesh seeping out and if we can't get it under control, then our marital oneness will start to erode.

And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.  Genesis 3:16 (NLT)

Here's what mothering our men looks like:

We tell him he doesn't know how to parent, how to handle finances, how to lead the family, or even how to buy groceries!  Don't believe me on this?  Take a look around at our society and you'll see how we're being conditioned by the world as they tell us that men are a bunch of idiots, completely incompetent to handle even the smallest tasks.

Can you just let things go and enjoy the man you married?

Continue reading here where I'm guest posting today at Unveiled Wife!

Live a poured out life for Christ,

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Christmas E-Book Coming Soon!

I mentioned awhile back in a prior post that I wrote a short e-book a few years ago on the topic of strengthening your child's faith at Christmas.  Being that the majority of my posts here on The Alabaster Jar are written on marriage, and when I have more time on my hands I write on growing your Faith, I'm sure some of you were quite surprised that I wrote an e-book geared towards discipling your children.  

Although the tagline on this blog has mothering in it, I've considered dropping it several times but the Lord keeps tells me no, so that's why I leave it there.  Anyways, I focus more on marriage and your walk with the Lord and here's why:  I believe if I can encourage and equip you to deepen your faith and have a strong, Christ-centered marriage, then those two things will help you in your parenting.  With a stronger marriage, it'll make parenting your kiddos easier.  Notice I didn't say easy, just easier!  Remember, we're raising sinners.

You might be asking yourself why in the world did I write a book on discipleship, then?  Well, this post will give you a little bit of history on my e-book as well as my writing ministry.

Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness.  Isaiah 30:8

Free Wives of the Bible E-book!

Many of you have asked if my Wives of the Bible Series can be printed.  Well, I just put the series into an E-book just for you!

Subscribe to The Alabaster Jar and receive my FREE e-book, Wives of the Bible.

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Once you subscribe, you'll receive a confirmation email, and in that email is a link to my ebook. 

Live a poured out life for Christ,

Did you enjoy reading The Alabaster Jar?

To receive future posts you can subscribe via email and Facebook.

More Wives of the Bible?...and a Link Up!

Since I just finished up my Wives of the Bible Series I've been asked by many of you if I'll be writing about more wives. 

Well, the answer is a resounding yes!   But I won't be doing so until much later and I'll be writing about them in a different format.

I've also been asked if my series could be used in a Bible study or small group.  Of course you can share this in a group setting!  I'm blessed to hear that what I've written is being used and ministering to wives all around the world.  To God be the glory!

Another question I've been asked is if I would write about Moms of the Bible.  I've been praying about this one for awhile (since I started the Wives series) and I just might write about them.  But again, this series would come much later down the road. 

I know many of you are new here since you found me on Pinterest. Well, let me just give you a big hug and a warm welcome.  You've blessed my heart already!  I also wanted to let you know that I usually post here twice a week; not everyday like what you were receiving from the wives series.  I'd be brain dead if I wrote daily and my family would go hungry!

The Transformed Wife

13 Wives in 13 Days...Wives of the Bible Series

Wife #13

This wife had a lot of brokenness.

But instead of choosing bitterness, she chose to become better.  And she did so when she walked by faith.

The Lord redeemed her.

And through His mighty hand, she became joyful and transformed.

Who is she?

She's Sarah, wife of Abraham.

The Wife After God's Own Heart

13 Wives in 13 Days...Wives of the Bible Series

Wife #12

I have a love/hate relationship with this wife.

She is a wife I look up to and one I try to emulate, but she puts me to shame.

  

She's dedicated to her husband and children.

She's hard-working.

She's filled with graciousness, compassion, and wisdom.

She seeks to make her home comfortable for her family.

And she ministers to others.

But what stands out to me the most about this wife is not what she did or what she said, but Who she pursued...

She pursued the Lord.

Who is she?

She's the Proverbs 31 Wife.