Submission is not being a doormat. Everyone has an authority. God has laid out the structure to make the man be over the woman. It doesn’t mean that women are anything less than men, but things work in harmony when there is a head. Then we each have a role.

Genesis 2:18-23
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone ; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”  19  Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever  the man called a living creature, that was its name.  20  The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.  21  So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept ; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.  22  The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.  23  The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh ; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”

Submission is putting yourself under your husband so he can be the leader/head that God intended him to be.

It is not an option, but a directive given to us in Ephesians 5:21-24

And be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

1 Timothy 2:11-15 says, A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

Titus 2:5, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Perhaps your husband has a wrong idea of what submission means. Do you not expect your children to submit to your authority? But at the same time, they are not your slaves to treat poorly. We raise them for the Lord’s glory. Your husband is told to treat you with dignity.

Ephesians 5:25-30 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 says, The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Does this help in getting a different picture of what submission and authority are?

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Beautiful Submission!

God’s Way:
Dad
Mom
Child

Culture’s Way:
Child (Smartest, proved through “kid power” and disobedience towards a good outcome is accepted because “kids know better” and the ends justify the means.)
Mom (Wiser than dad. Lets the kids get away with more, which is made to appear acceptable and compassionate and “reasonable”, when she is actually tearing her house down.)
Dad (Dumb oaf that is not involved with anything in the family’s life. He is the dumbest member of the family and not to be honored or revered. He just “doesn’t understand”.)

As Tedd Trip, author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart, states, “God has established authority structures in the home. Men are to provide loving leadership, laying down their lives for their wives. Wives are to receive and follow the leadership of their husbands (Ephesians 5:22–33). Children are to honor and obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1–3).”

Let’s not get this messed up anymore.

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Kid Power

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (Meaning “God with us”). Isaiah 7:14

Dear Friends and Family,

I bring you good greetings in the way and name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on this day we commemorate God became a man; And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

This day is not a day about giving or family. This day is not about a baby in a manger or of wise men and silent nights. This is a day about God becoming a man to save us from our sins. Yes, our sins. What will you do with this Savior? This is a day about the eternal gospel found in Revelations 14:6-7 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment (deciding between) has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” This is a day we say: ” Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips (sinner), And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5 This is a day when we must consider the words of John the Baptist: The word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance (Change direction) for the forgiveness of sins; (Luke 3) And also: “Repent (Change direction), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”Matthew 3:2 And: The next day he (John) saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 This is a day we consider the words of the apostle Paul; “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Romans 3:23 And “For the wages (earned payment) of sin (Rebellion against God) is death (Wrath of God), but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus(Lamb of God) our Lord.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 What will you do with Jesus Christ Crucified, Resurrected and Glorified… today?

God Said:

“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me (Moses) to teach you… Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! ” You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6

… He (Jesus) took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem… a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” Luke 9:28ff

Jesus Said:

“THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.” From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:16-17

He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.” Matthew 13:31-32

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:44-50

Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, `Look, here it is!’ or, `There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Jesus IS the Kingdom of God) Luke 17:20-21

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. Matthew 16:24-27

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

What would you give for the Kingdom of God?

As John the Baptist said: But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; Matt 3:7-8

With all love and sincerity,

Dennis & Ruth and Family

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From The McLean Household

Dearest Children:

My greatest remembrances of my mother are of her singing hymns and reciting poetry at her work. I hope you remember times similar to enrich your life. I remember my mother telling me to use my difficult and unhappy experiences to better understand other people and help them.

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My Mom’s Memoirs Part 8

Dearest Children,

I have not much in the way of goods to will you but I have definite
ideals I will you. I am such an imperfect human that I do not know
if these ideals are being conveyed to you as I hope to have done. But
I can only pray and try. Here they are —

1. A love of God and closeness to help through prayer.
2. A love of the Bible and its use to help.
3. A love of the church and an active, helpful participation in it.
4. An attitude of understanding, courtesy, love, and helpfulness
toward others.
5. An appreciation that things are not so important.
6. A love of good art and music and creative expression.
7. A love of books and reading.
8. An appreciation of the better cultural products, and an attitude
of selectivity in regards to TV, radio, books, etc. you ingest.
9. A sense of humor that will save you in times of depression or
crucial moments.
10. Ability to be creative and of a creative mind.
11. Self discipline.
12. And furthermore, the inculcating of your children with these ideals which would presume another of my wishes for you – that you know how to choose a good mate.

I feel these so strongly that I have deliberately tried to promote these. In some, I am weak and your father helps me teach you these. But my constant prayer is that you will grow up to be fine adults who will contribute to the ongoing good of the world. I try to contribute to this ongoing good by trying to vote intelligently, trying to read up on issues so that through conversations, I can contribute true knowledge, working in the church and contributing a tithe to it, working with the school and taking an interest in it, belonging to organizations that further peace and having international students as friends, trying to help others like reading to a blind lady or helping a new mother. But all of these are small contributions compared with my investment in you, and so I will you all I can. If my imperfection can make this will tangible, it will be more valuable than a will of money. God help it be so.

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My Mom’s Memoirs Part 7

Dearest Children,

Now there are three of you. When I first started this, it was letters to a daughter, now there are two more of you to write to. I haven’t much to write, except somehow to convey the happy glow I feel this morning. I am truly grateful to God for our happy family. God is so good! Each age you grow into is a good age. Laurie is such a sweet age, overflowing with school, best friends. You are such a companion for me. We can do things together. We talk, “woman to woman.” I love this. Lawrence is the spice with his love for everyone. And Ruth is a refreshing doll in our household. I used to think two or three years old was ideal, but now I know each age is satisfying.

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My Mom’s Memoirs Part 6

Dearest Children,

Don’t wait for the other person to do it and avoid responsibility. 36 People watched as a man killed a woman and didn’t even phone the police. When asked, they said they didn’t want to get involved. When you were born, children, you became involved. There is nothing you can do about that fact. If the dog needs feeding and you are close, even if it is someone else’s turn, you must not let the dog go hungry. “You ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.”

Being involved and doing the Christian thing is not as some preachers say not an assurance of health, wealth, and happiness. A minister said, “religion is not an inoculation.” Being involved led to Jesus’ death and Martin Luther King’s and the Kennedy’s .

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My Mom’s Memoirs Part 5

Dearest Children,

Here is a saying your Grandma Seymour sent, which I like especially – “One thing we can do for our children’s future – give them fine memories of today.”

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My Mom’s Memoirs Part 4

Dearest Children:

Don’t ever lose creativity. This is imagination at work. I used to see private jokes, or interesting stories, or fascinating pictures in everything. Life was always interesting and I felt youthful. Then I lost this. I forgot to wish to hop down stairs, I looked at a tree and it was just a tree. Now I’m working to cultivate it anew. it is difficult, but necessary, or one is dead inside — life becomes dead. Even if your creativity never achieves recognition, cultivate it for your own livelihood and satisfaction. Keep on the growing edge of life. Your father is very creative in a different way. He likes to rearrange furniture, plan a house, or arrange a bed of flowers. That is good and keeps him having that spark he has.

Dear God,

The well is dry. My prayers are rote and routine. Bring back sincerity and enthusiasm to them. begin with thankfulness — not just me and mine thankfulness. Let me close my eyes and go through my day, every act, every emotion, every taste, every smell, every touch, every sight, every sound, every sensation imagining realistically and then thanking. Then let me open my arms wider, picturing the faces, the voices, the actions or day of someone I know and touching him with blessing.

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My Mom’s Memoirs Part 3

Dear Children:

Mature love is so comfortable; not as exciting as young love, but far more steady and assured. Love is knowing your mate will come home to you and likes his family and chooses to be with them instead of somewhere else in spare moments. It is knowing he sacrifices bowling and a better job because he wants to be with his family.

Love is conversing together. Love is the warm feeling one gets when one’s mate is praised or when one’s mate does or says something you admire. Love is the constant wonder, “How come such a fine person chose me with my inadequacies and still chooses me?” Young love is erratic very high and very low. Mature love never gets as high but neither does it go so low. It goes deep. It is not a moment in time. It is time and, God willing, beyond time.

Young love is ecstatic at one time and at another, is deeply disappointed in one’s mate. It is a time of discovering the bad and the good. Mature love is comfortable. It has adjusted to the bad and the good. I wrote a poem about this before I ever knew it. I wrote two poems, to be exact. Both express this as my mind reasoned it must be from what I’ve seen of my family and others. It’s funny now to discover the trueness, which before I only guessed. How well I hit upon it! And the reason, as I said before, is my good home with its example and discussion of homes we saw.

LOVING IS A CURIOUS JOY

Loving is a curious joy
It changes as it grows.
Our courting was in poetry,
Our marriage is in prose.
I loved the dashing words we used,
But now I love more.
The love we show in acts and words
Is deeper than before.

DEFINITION OF LOVE

An old familiar ease and coziness
Inviting two to make themselves at home
Within the depth of life experience
And there reveal their thoughts and dreams and hopes
– Is love – and not the pounding pulse alone.

A challenge, hand upon a hand agreed
To tough the top of every blocking hill
Within the span of their horizon view
And there to laugh in joyous unison
– Is love – and not the pounding pulse alone.

The outstretched hands of two uniting souls
Who wish to share the warmth and joy that rests
Within their heart’s expanding width and breadth
And thus be worthier of all this joy
– Is love – and not the pounding pulse alone.

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My Mom’s Memoirs Part 2