GPS to a Joyful Marriage

Love is a verb.  Hmm, I keep seeing that phrase.  I think it's cool how God obviously shows you something to invite you to explore it deeper. I look at the definition of love (on, none other, my computer dictionary) and it does not describe the kind of love I believe God intended for marriage. (It’s a WORLD dictionary.) 1.  Feel tender affection for somebody: to feel tender affection for somebody such as a close relative or friend, or for something such as a place, an ideal, or an animal  2.  Feel desire for somebody: to feel romantic and sexual desire and longing for somebody  3.  Like something very much: to like something, or like doing, something very much Feel and like are not tangible action verbs.  We don’t usually have control over how we feel or what we like or dislike; we can’t consciously make ourselves feel or like.  We can make ourselves show love though.  It may not be genuine at first, but in time, you can build your love by acting on it. I had to read to t

As of today, I will only post articles on Mondays for awhile. Rick and I watched an interesting show yesterday. I believe it was called “Boot Camp for Tough Love.” Interesting. Unmarried couples, (mostly dysfunctional ones of course), were invited to attend this boot camp for seven weeks. At the end, they would either break up or become engaged. They were invited to leave if they didn't want to make that decision in the end. My fascination insisted I sit through an hour of it.  I surprisingly find myself, someone who dislikes reality shows,  wanting to tune in again just to see how the host will handle these couples. The host of the show was amazingly brutal with these couples, pulling no punches and openly pointing out the flaws in each relationship. Most couples were deeply offended. I thought the whole program a bit silly until the host separated the men from the women and each entered a room with tuxes for the men and bridal gowns for the women. They were told, “If you

Okay, back to the marriage stuff.  I got off track a bit discussing God’s plan for you.  I firmly believe, though, if you hold God and His plan above all else, the all else will fall into place beautifully!  Warning though, it is necessary to find the balance that won’t jeopardize your family time.  It is essential to fulfill God’s plan for you, but you can not leave your family in the dust to achieve it.  Your marriage will fail no matter how Godly your intentions are. Rick and I counsel with couples on an average of two times a week.  I’m always fascinated that people are so unaware of the differences between men and women.  Of course they know the outward differences and suspect those inward differences.  Most couples think they are alone in their struggles believing other couples don’t face the same challenges. I almost find myself giggling when a couple begins talking about their issues.  Mostly because it’s the same story we heard last week, or the story I lived through.  Whe

I used to think that our goal as humans was to witness to others, to tell them about the glory of Jesus - witness to them by sharing the gospel and asking them if they knew they would go to heaven if they died that night. I struggled for many years trying to achieve this goal.  Many pastors preached from their pulpits the importance of sharing the gospel with others.  Some came close to equating it with our salvation.  You were not a complete Christian if you did not do this. Now I am a people-pleasing, conflict fearing, sweet mouthed, don’t want to offend anyone kind of person.  Evangelizing was the most unnatural thing for me to do.  I also remember, before I turned to God, how offended I was at others who tried to jam this information down my own throat.  I didn’t like it.  Nevertheless, I took classes, I prayed about it, and I cried out to God for boldness.  What was wrong with me that I couldn’t reach out to a stranger and tell them about Jesus? I studied evangelism in the B

I’m a little late in posting this today - just got back from a few days in Ft. Walton Beach. II Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad . ”  That is where I’d like to hear those wonderful words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells the parable of the talents.  Verse 14 says, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” To one of his servants he gives five talents (in the form of money), another two, and another, one, all distributed according to their abilities. (Talent in this parable is looked at by many as actual talent or gifts the Lord gives us.) “Far country” in this verse represents the time that Jesus is in heaven between his first coming and his final return.  The three servants represent

I hope you all had a blessed Easter weekend.  I did watch “Jesus of Nazareth” which is an excellent portrayal of the life of Jesus - my favorite.  It came out as a mini-series in the 70’s and always aired on Easter weekend.  I haven’t seen it shown in awhile, but fortunately, I bought a video tape version a few years ago for my mother that we watched. Robert Powell plays the part of Jesus and he is phenomenal.  Apparently, when that series was filmed, many stars wanted to be a part of it and fought for roles. Numerous great actors from the 70’s appear in this production.  I wonder how many Hollywood celebrities would actively fight for a movie about Jesus in these days? I’ve always loved Easter and Christmas, my two favorite holidays.  I’m finding, as I get older, the joy is becoming overwhelmed by all the commercialism.  No longer quite the religious holidays, both Easter and Christmas are now a day that merchants capitalize on and people look forward to for the time off school an

Today, Christians around the world celebrate Good Friday.  If I didn’t know the outcome of the crucifixion of Jesus, I would hardly call it a celebration.  It is painful for me to think about what Jesus went through.  I could barely watch Mel Gibson’s, “The Passion”.  I sobbed through most of it.  I don’t think I fully realized everything Jesus experienced until I saw that movie. I think I’ll stick with “Jesus of Nazareth” this year. If you ever doubt God’s love for you, think about today.  He gave his only Son to die for our sins.  Wow.  He gave Jesus as a sacrifice, to be crucified in the most horrific manner.  I can’t even put my mind around that. If God loves us this deeply, to allow His only child to be crucified, how can we ever doubt that love?  We should know - without any hesitation - that He will always be there for us. We look at the outcome of Good Friday - Easter.  Jesus rises from the dead.  What an amazing example of hope and encouragement that we need to hold on