HAPPY FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND 2014!!!!

As Father’s day approaches, I write this in honor of my husband Ed, whom I love to call “My belovED”. My daughters call him their “belovED dear daddy”. (There is an obvious endearing pun with his name “My belovED”) And I smile when he calls me on my iPhone and I see his name appear that way on my phone screen.) I hope he smiles this weekend when he gets a chance to read this blog entry. As I honor my husband, My Heavenly Father is The One prompting me to write this for HIS ultimate glory and honor. May you be blessed and encouraged as you read this post. And may the father or fathers you celebrate be richly blessed in whatever ways you choose to honor them.  Happy Father’s Day Weekend to all Fathers around the world!  (Feel free to let whomever you think might delight in some encouragement or inspiration to follow me at heartgiftsofHOPE.com. Thanks for your support as I venture out as a new blogger.)
XOXOX, Joy 🙂  (aka “Bea” Joy)

---

I met him, My belovED, when I was 18 and he was 19. We started out as friends, then college sweethearts, and now we are life-long soul-mates married 20 plus years, committed to stick with each other—through thick and thin and all of life’s ups and owns— ‘til death do us part. Marriage and family matters are never perfect—in this less than perfect world—which thankfully is how real marriages and real families are, but what holds us together in the challenges of life is our foundation built on “The Rock” of our Faith.  We are able to love, because God Himself first loved us! We are committed and know that forever, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine….” (Scripture is from Song of Songs 6:3a NIV).

I’m prompted to write about My belovED today because of overwhelming gratitude for the gift of my husband—a true heart gift from God. My belovED is kind-hearted, gentle, thoughtful, faithful, very forgiving, and is my best friend whom I can completely confide in; and he totally gets me in every way—even my silly sense of humor with LOTS of puns, which makes our relationship fun. He also works very hard to support our family as best as he can, and five days a week, my husband diligently and responsibly goes to work as the main breadwinner.

This past week has been a little different from this past year in regards to his job. He is facing his greatest challenges as an employee at his current company. His immediate boss just resigned earlier in the week to take on a new position at another company—leaving My belovED facing new tasks and responsibilities.   When his boss had given her 2-week notice earlier in the month, he personally expressed to me some natural anxiety about how everything would be so different without her.

My belovED really appreciated his boss. He expressed recently to me his opinion, that “she was the best boss I ever worked for.”  It was her time to move on this past week, and we truly wish her the best.  With his boss’s resignation, My belovED is understandably slightly anxious, but is clinging to HOPE he has with a positive, forward-thinking outlook. My belovED sees such a time as this to be an opportunity for personal growth, a chance to develop and learn new skills, as well as gain more confidence in leadership and problem solving.  Overall it’s an opportunity for him, he says, to “step up to the plate”.

My belovED has shared with me his heart’s desire to do his job well with all the new responsibilities set before him. He’s human, and humbly realizes the areas in which he will need to develop himself as an employee. His humbleness at times reveals some self-doubting, but I believe in him—that he is most capable to “step up to the plate.”  Most importantly, I believe in HIM (God above) who is able to help My belovED do everything he is meant to do, called to do, and be— for God’s glory.

In my eyes as his wife, I know that any anxiety he has in this season of his career is just due to what I call his desire and pressure (he places upon himself) to do well. I pray over My belovED’s perspective regarding his own value, strength and capabilities. I know in my heart he is valuable, strong and capable to do anything he sets his mind to. What I love about My belovED is that he never thinks more highly of himself than he ought to; and never desires to be spinning wheels to climb the “ladder of success” solely for himself, his own gratification, or for his own glory. He definitely desires to be successful in whatever he does, but not with a heart trying to prove himself in the world’s eyes. I truly admire him— he wants to please God. He inspires me. I do know this—that my husband is grateful to God every day for his job. He’s committed do his work to the best of his ability; and with God’s help, can succeed above and beyond his own ability.

Whenever My belovED ever expresses any desires to succeed or even be considered for a promotion—it’s never for selfish desires. He simply wants to be a responsible employee, and a hard-working husband and father who can provide for the needs of his family. He has shared with me from his heart, “Work is challenging, and sometimes it’s so stressful, but God-willing I will continue to go to work everyday. I will always do my best so that I can take care of you and the girls. That’s all I want to do—take good care of you and the girls. I will take care of you.”

In our home, my husband acknowledges that God has given him this huge responsibility as the head of our home; and being called to provide, he doesn’t take this job lightly. I so admire my husband for his diligence that stems from his heart of love that ultimately wants to please God. As best as he can, My belovED lives out God’s command:

 So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 Amplified Bible (AMP)

My belovED knows he is being called to greater challenges in a new season of his job, and he realizes that anything he does —even in his attempts to “step up to the plate” requires something —or rather—SOMEONE BIGGER than himself. Every morning, my husband literally says “please remember to pray for me today.”  And in response I pray for supernatural help and favor from God—that God would give him all that he needs each day to make it through. And each day before My belovED heads out the door, never does he fail to express appreciation for my prayers. It is a blessing to hear him say, “Thank you my beautiful wife, my heart’s joy. May God bless you, I love you. Have a blessed day,” as he gives me a hug and kiss good-bye.

As I watched him drive off to work today, I could not help but whisper, “Thank you God, for my humble husband who faithfully goes to work each day because of his great love for you and our family. Please bless and protect him. Please shower him with your favor. I ask this in Your Name.”

“Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah). Colossians 3:23-24 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Today, my friend, will you take a moment to thank God for those God has blessed you with? Maybe it’s your husband? Or maybe it’s your boss? Or your children? Maybe for you it might be a simple prayer of thanks for the very job God has given you this day to fulfill. Are you a mom or will soon be a mom? Or maybe you are a boss, an employee, or a student?  Whatever your job or calling is this day, in this life, your days might be filled with challenges, but when we take time each day to give thanks to God for what He has given us or what He has given us to do each day, God will surely be pleased and delighted to hear your voice. And whatever challenges you might be facing in whatever situation you are in, He promises to help you. I encourage you to call on HIM in a simple conversation called “prayer” (which, if you’re new to “prayer” it is just like talking to your best friend. God is my ultimate, best friend and I talk to Him all the time. ) If you’re in a transition phase…maybe unemployed, searching for a job and/or seeking God’s will for what He has planned next—I encourage you to offer a simple sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise for the plans He is willing to unfold to you as you wholeheartedly seek Him.

“…if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV

 Always and in closing, I encourage that you can trust God and every promise He has for you— given in His trustworthy Word, The Bible. His precious promises are the very reason I blog—I believe His Living Word is a heart gift from God that I recognize daily and joyfully accept; and all his promises are truly heart gifts of HOPE— the very encouragement we need for living the abundant life we are meant to live, empowered and joyful. May you recognize and receive all the many heart gifts of HOPE he wants to personally bless you with.

Many blessings with an abundance of Heart Gifts of HOPE,

 “Bea” Joy  

(aka “Bea” Joy Christianna Baldoz—”blessed bringer of joy, Christ-follower”)