Messy Beautiful Love Giveaway with Darlene Schacht…aka Time Warp Wife
NOTE: Winners to announce!!! Rebecca D. won Lynn Cowell’s book Magnetic. Julia R. won Shari Braendel’s book Help Me Jesus, I’ve Got Nothing to Wear and Katherine won the color swatches. Congrats to all three of you. You will be getting an email from us at the address you left when you commented asking for your mailing address so we can get your prize to you.
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Are you suited up with the armor of God for whatever life throws your way?
I’m so excited to have one of my favorite people to hangout with doing online ministry, Darlene Schacht. You may know her as the Time Warp Wife. Darlene’s new book, Messy Beautiful Love is about cleaning up messes God’s way, exchanging your ideas for His, and being prepared for both the best and the worst that marriage has to offer. {Who wouldn’t want some cleaning advice}? Leave a comment for a chance to win one of 3 giveaway books.
Now meet my friend Darlene.
Darlene’s an Evangelical Christian whose number one priority is to serve Jesus Christ in every area of her life. She started Time-Warp Wife in 2010 out of a place of grace, with a passion to encourage women in their marriages.
She and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada. Married 25 years, they have four children (three still at home), a bird and two pugs who are everyone’s babies, especially hers! Their lives are basically surrounded with three things: faith, music and everything books. She’s an award winning and New York Times best-selling author who is nothing without the grace of God.
I’m Riding Beside My Husband In Battle…an excerpt from Messy Beautiful Love
Can we pause for a moment to talk about one of the most beautiful portions of scripture? It brings us back to that day in the garden, when God completed the work in which He had begun. And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. – Genesis 2:18
Here we see the term, “help meet,” which in the Hebrew text is translated, What’s interesting to note is that the same word is found several times throughout the Old Testament when describing God as our helper. But the fascinating part about this is that in nearly every reference where this term is used, God is coming to the rescue where He protects His people and How does that relate to my role as a wife?
Reading these passages I couldn’t help but wonder if my purpose in being a help meet runs deeper than merely doing the dishes, looking for keys, or folding his socks. Could it be that my purpose is to fight alongside my husband in battle? Could it be that my role as a help meet is to pray for him, to encourage him in his walk of faith, and to exemplify a strong faith of my own?
Don’t get me wrong, Titus chapter 2 calls women to be good keepers of their home, so don’t put down the duster just yet! But being a good keeper of the home includes watching over the affairs of your family–in other words “guarding the castle from harm.”
What I’m suggesting here is that we make a conscious effort to nurture our husbands spiritually through prayer and encouragement. So that we are the helper that we were created to be. Let’s suit up for battle by putting on the armor of God in accordance with Ephesians chapter six. Here are two of the verses that particularly stand out to me as I consider the ways in which our families come under attack. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. – Ephesians 6:16 (KJV)
Our husbands, our children, and we ourselves are constantly faced with negative messages. When we stand strong in faith, we are prepared to quench each and every one with wisdom and strength from the Lord. This is why it’s so important that we stand guard over our heart and those that we love.
What a great teaser to learn more about guarding ourselves with God for the daily battle of life.
Now for the giveaway.
Leave a comment below telling when or how equipping yourself with the armor of God {His word} has helped you stand strong in faith. Or tell us why you would like Darlene’s book on marriage.
Three fabulous winners will win a copy of Messy Beautiful Love.
Why do I want this book? Because my husband is under a constant cloud of the four D’s ~ discouragement, disappointment, disillusionment and depression. All of these I believe to be a direct hit from the enemy. Honestly, they can overtake me too. I have stood in prayer on his behalf for almost three decades. Right now, I am caregiver for my parents who moved into our home this summer. I’m stretched thin and exhausted. Oh, to be refreshed with a timely message that will spur me on to continue the good fight as my husband’s help meet! I hope I win a copy, as finances are tight since I can’t work right now. If not, I will buy a copy. Lord, bless this dear woman for writing on a topic that is sure to ruffle the enemy’s feathers. Please cover and protect her and her family. In Jesus name.
Praying for my husband as a priority is not something my mother taught me.
My mentor outlined my priorities so now instead of looking for God is
Promote me. I pray for my husband and expect God is promote him!!!
God is At work!!!
Wow – 2 reasons that I need this book: 1. I have been married for 25 years to a good man who claimed to be a Christian but has only gone to Church with me for 1 year out of 24 (that was 5 years ago). 2. I can’t get away from the “armor of God theme”! It is everywhere I look. I am even reading a book by Tony Evans right now “Victory in Spiritual Warfare” because my pastor knew I was running into Eph. 6 everywhere so he dropped it off to me!
I know that I have had to battle for our family from angles we weren’t expecting! We will be married for 34 years in November and have come through great financial difficulties, the pull of pornography on our teenage son, and other family issues. God is so faithful and I so love my hubby and my kiddos, but I know sometimes I am battling rather than letting God battle for me!
My husband is and has been going through a huge battle in his occupation lately. I am many times at a loss how to help, and that sometimes translates to him as not caring. I would love the extra help to remedy that and be the best help I can be for him.
This book sounds great. It seems like it would be encouraging and helpful in building a strong marriage.
I’ve been married 43 years to a wonderful man and father of our 5 children. There’s always room for improvement, I’d say, no matter what because the enemy of our souls hates marriage. I get in the Word of God each morning to find a gold nugget of wisdom or counsel from it for not only myself but for something I can share with my husband. These are difficult days when marriage is under attack and I welcome another source of encouragement, this blog and this book offer, to help all of us along! Thank you so much!
How timely that I read through this…… just last night at my 8th grade daughter’s volleyball game, I felt such an enormous feeling of negativity from some of the other parents. I’ve let it distract me all night and all morning! As I was thinking about it this morning and getting angrier and angrier – I had this hushed voice ask me, “Why are you letting this consume you, you are giving in to exactly what the evil one wants you too. Instead, you should be in your word and praying for these people and their children.” And it’s the same thing with my husband, who is a teacher and football coach and he’s been under great stress and negativity. I really needed to read the part you mentioned about….. being more than someone who does the laundry, cooks, etc!!
39 years this past August! I call upon the Word of God every day, all day long, to get through the day! My most memorable clinging to Scripture was 4 years ago when we lost our 7-month old grandson to SIDS. My most extended time was raising 3 daughters ~ Lord help us all through those teen-age years! Now I mentor young women and would love this resource!
When you are married to an unbeliever…things can get messy at times. God sent help is always a blessing.
Equipping myself with the word helped me survive the economic environment here in MI over the past few years. Job losses, company closures, bankruptcies could have totally derailed me but I always knew we’d be taken care of. I may not have known how, but I knew we’d be fine.
Sorry for the duplicate post. My computer didn’t show the first one as posted so I did a second one. Technology can be very frustrating sometimes.
Equipping myself with God’s word has helped me stand strong through the difficult economic times here in MI. Job losses, company closures, personal bankruptcies could have easily derailed me in many ways. Happily, my husband and I have survived all the adversity.
Memorizing scripture and claiming His promises = Shield of Strength against the enemy
It is encouraging to me and I can encourage my husband
As someone who is seeking to do God’s work and to please Him in every area of my life, I feel like my family is always under attack from Satan in some area of our lives. Right now that seems to be my marriage. I am convicted and encouraged by the idea that our husbands need us to ride in the battle beside them and would love to hear more of what this book has to say.
*effort…love auto-correct! :-)
I try to spend time in the Word each day and am making a conscientious aren’t to weekly memorize Scripture.
After 35 years it feels like we are simply co-existing and I know Good wants our marriage to be so much more as do I.
In a few months I will have been married to my best friend for 40 years. There have been numerous trials and issues throughout but God has been there throughout each one and brought us through. My wish is that I can bring my husband closer to God and encouraging him in his faith. I feel Darlene’s book would give me some great pointers in accomplishing this task.
I could use some marriage encouragement and help. I am trying, with God’s help, to do and say right thing to and about my husband. I’ve also been praying more for him. However, I admit that it’s not so hard to support him or pray for him when all is right but when things get crazy or when my husband hurts me with his words or actions I find it harder to pray and talk nice. I know the “crazy” is usually Satan trying to separate us and cause us to fight and I need to learn (as you said your book teaches) how to stick with my husband and guard our home especially during battle rather than wanting to give up or not pray. I have noticed that when I respect my husband and pray for him despite something he did wrong (instead of me correcting or yelling) God works-things can still be hard but I have peace of knowing I’m right before my God and that is most important. Our marriage hasn’t always been easy though, we almost separated not so very long ago. The pastor at our church is actually preaching through the armor of God-I don’t think it’s coincidence that you quoted Eph 6 also, right during a time when my marriage just weathered a storm. Ok, sorry I wrote so much-just letting it out I guess but do pray for my marriage to survive Satan’s attacks and for me to be able to forgive my husband and be with him not against him. Thanks for the chance to win a book and for the blog post!
This would be a wonderful asset. I always feel like I am letting my husband down by not praying enough for him and us, not being encouraging enough. He means the world to me, but I am not sure he really knows that even after 19 years and 7 kids. Thanks
How wonderful. I have two daughters with wonderful husbands. I so want their marriages to be stronger than mine. It certainly did not turn out as I planned, but I know that God’s plan was far greater than mine. How wonderful to travel through life as a help meet for that person to whom you committed your future. Life is so often a battle and we do need to be suited up with God’s Word to meet the arrows of this worlld of darkness. Reading this morning lifts my soul as I share with young women the joys of a committed marriage. I think I will need several copies. Sounds like it might also be a great wedding gift. Thanks for sharing.
We were married 45 years last Saturday!! :) I still love to continue to grow in the area of studying my dear husband – I want to know him better each day. We just talked about this subject last evening…..the enemy of our soul wants to destroy this gift of marriage – whether we are married one year or many, many. Thank you for this gift you are offering to your blog readers.
This book would be such a help to me!! Standing in the gap for my husband can only benefit both of us in our next 20 years of marriage! Thank you.
I would love to have this book. My marriage has grown so much in The Lord over the past 5 years, and it is amazing to see where He has brought us from! Growing in The Lord together is a wonderful and precious experience to cherish with your husband and only time and prayer can make it better!
With our anniversary a few days away, I’ve been thinking a lot about my marriage and my need to step up more and support my husband – my loving, hard working, imperfect man. Perfect timing for this book, Darlene!
I definitely need the book!!! I know I do not do it enough in praying and encouraging my husband. I am good at putting armor on myself and fight against battle but not when I should be standing next to my husband. I have wanted him to stand up and be a godly wise leader. But I am expecting him to be perfect. So I need to learn to remember he is a human being and needs all prayers he can have like I am praying for our kids.