by Marlene Evans

Let’s not sit around telling ourselves how terrible we are as wives, mothers, friends, Bible students, or soul winners, or how horrible we are in any other area of our lives. I am afraid that will just make us feel worse about ourselves and therefore cause us to do absolutely zero about climbing out of the deep, dark hole in which we feel we are sitting.

Let’s take some baby steps. Please don’t minimize baby steps when you have been feeling you have done nothing. Look to see what baby steps you have already taken:

You’ve Taken a Baby Step…

  1. If you refused to eat one little bite of something bad for you that you really wanted.
  2. If you shut up when you did not get a job, a position, or some recognition which you wanted.
  3. If you refused to quit your fundamental church when you really felt hurt about how you were treated during some event or activity.
  4. If you refused to call a friend to have a pity party when something hurtful happened to you.
  5. If you hid your tears or hysteria and pulled back from the edge just once this past week.
  6. If you read one verse or one chapter in the Bible since you started reading the Bible—again.
  7. If you got the trash out of your house, car, office, or purse.
  8. If you have taken at least a ten-minute walk this week.
  9. If you cried out to God instead of people when you were misunderstood.
  10. If you really listened once when your child told you what happened at school.
  11. If you prepared yourself to feel intimate and loving toward your husband one time this week.
  12. If you gave one sincere compliment to someone when you usually do not feel secure enough to be able to do that.
  13. If you said to a friend, “Let’s pray right now,” instead of worrying whether or not you would remember your friend’s request.
  14. If you have given a Gospel tract to anyone.
  15. If you have said or written “I love you” to a parent who has never said those words to you.
  16. If you have given a specific “good” about your preacher’s wife behind her back.
  17. If you have written two sentences on a note card telling your preacher how a particular sermon has been used in your life.
  18. If you have paid $10 more than the minimum payment on some bill you owe.
  19. If you have worked on any area of your dress to make it more modest, more feminine, or more beautiful.
  20. If you watched one hour less television.Now, let’s take that last area and see what we can do to help us want to watch even less television.
    job's wife by ruth ellen zuber

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    Of course, all of the next 28 ideas must be adjusted to your own situation. They are only meant to start your own creativity working.

    1. Play checkers.
    2. Garden.
    3. Go bike riding.
    4. Swing at the park.
    5. Climb trees—watching, holding the rope, cheering.
    6. Read books aloud.
    7. Bake together.
    8. Play dominoes.
    9. Play word games.
    10. Make a little ”library” together out of your own books.
    11. Look through and organize pictures and scrapbooks.
    12. Make short messages so the answering machine can be changed often.
    13. Plan family skits.
    14. Set up a “beauty shop” and “barber shop” to keep each other well groomed.
    15. Go through closets and clean them together. Look for clothes you like that go together best.
    16. Write thank-you notes from the whole family.
    17. Paint special pictures for and write letters to grandparents.
    18. Decorate for seasons.
    19. Do school work, homework, or business work all together around a table.
    20. Giggle, tickle, give horseback rides, and wrestle.
    21. Make homemade ice cream.
    22. Have a water hose or sprinkler party.
    23. Plan a simple birthday party for someone “special.”
    24. Plan vacations together whether or not you take them.
    25. Plan for special day events.
    26. Schedule
    27. Cards
    28. Food
    29. Gifts
    30. Exercise together.
    31. Make family telephone calls together.
    32. Sing to a young piano player’s first songs as in “Here We Go to a Birthday Party.”

    Maybe you will want to write out a baby step you have taken in some other area and make plans to keep taking those baby steps until all at once you realize you have taken a giant step! Have a great year by taking baby steps toward your resolutions!