Bible Passage for the Week

This week take time to reflect upon Psalm 62:8.  "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."

As you go through the week and face whatever the week throws at you, is your trust in the Lord to get you through?  Post the bible passage around your house to remind yourself and others that God is our refuge and our trust needs to be in Him for all things. 

Cheryl

Parenting vs. Marriage

One of the things that I really enjoy about my job is the opportunity to research many topics.  I spend a great deal of time reading up on a number of things.  One of those topics is parenting.  There are a ton of books, magazine articles, and research that cover the topic of parenting.  This is a good thing as parenting is a monumental task involving the very little people that God has so generously blessed us with; but can be overwhelming because there is so much to read and so little time to read it!

Once again I was reading and studying today and it hit me that most of the parenting material builds upon the foundation of making sure couples are solid in their marriage.  Let me unpack this a little.  We get married and we devote our time to each other.  There is time to just sit, talk and laugh.  There is time go out and have a good time.  Then the little bambinos come along and our devoted time is diverted to the bambinos.  There seems to be no time for just sitting and laughing let alone going out.  It is almost as if our “married status” is put on hold and our “parent status” is put on full time status.

Well, “married status” doesn’t stop because kids come along.  We have to make sure we have “married status” as well as “parent status”.  In fact, if we keep “married status” on the forefront we will have a better “parent status”.  You see, God created an amazing unity amongst a husband and wife.  In Mark 10:6-9 it states, “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.  Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  So they are no longer two but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”  When we put our “married status” on hold to tend to our children and life in general we start to lose that sense unity with our spouse.  It opens the door for life to take over and for couples to drift away from that amazing unity God created.  We are “allowing” man to separate us.  When we lose that connection, we are not at our best in parenting due to the lack of unity with our spouse.

So don’t put your marriage on the back burner because you have little one’s or teenagers running around.  Give your kids the best gift you can – a demonstration of an amazing love and unity you can share with a spouse!  A suggestion given by Les and Leslie Parrot is to take 60 seconds when you come together again after being apart all day to “reconnect”.  Let each other know that you love and missed each other throughout the day.  It is just one simple way to keep your “marriage status” current!      

Cheryl

Bible Passage for the Week

This weeks bible passage is from John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world"

I am sure there is not a week that goes by that we don't face some kind of trouble.  Post this passage all around so you are reminded that we have peace in Christ!  He has overcome the world.  What great hope He has given us!!!

Cheryl

Respect

As noted in an earlier blog post I send out marriage reflections to couples each week.  One week we looked at the word respect and the importance of giving respect in marriage.

Respect

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Philippians 2:3

Respect is one of those attributes that is highly regarded as well as many times highly misused.  Many people have “earned” the respect deserved and others just expect the respect to be there.  A marriage where respect is expected but the actions show otherwise from one or both spouses is a marriage that is missing out on the beauty of respect.  It is a marriage missing out on the beauty of a deep connection with one another.

The definition of respect according to dictionary.com is…

“Esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability.”

Do you hold and see your spouse in esteem and in excellence?  Do your actions make it easy for your spouse to hold you in esteem and excellence?

In looking through different materials about respect, I believe there are levels of respect.  One level of respect is what I will call automatic.  You respect each other because you are married to each other.  That should be an automatic.  Ephesians 5:33b states, “The wife must respect her husband.”  Romans 12:10 notes, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.”  It is respecting one another because you have made a commitment to one another.

The levels of respect beyond “automatic” are what I would call “earned”.  As you grow in your marriage, you discover one another.  You discover what makes each other tick.  You discover what is okay with your spouse and what isn’t.  As you make discoveries about your spouse you have learned new ways to respect them. 

As you go about your week find ways to show respect to your spouse.  By showing them respect, you are taking the time to honor them as well.

Cheryl 

Bible Passage for the Week

This week we will ponder 2 Thessalonians 3:3 which states, "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."

What a comfort it is to know that the Lord is always faithful and He will give us the strength we need as well as protect us from the evil one!  Share with others how the Lord has protected you and given you the strength needed.

Cheryl

Bible Passage for the Week

I am late in posting my bible passage for the week.  I am in Hawaii enjoying the weather as well as have no Internet in my room.  It is kind of weird to not be online all the time!

So the bible passage for this week comes from Isaiah 55:3  "Incline your ear, and come to me; hear; that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David"

Have you taken the time to hear what He is saying to you?  Are you in His word and listening?  Take time to be still and hear!  Take time to delve into His word and see where He is leading you. 

Cheryl

Bible Passage for the Week

The bible passage for this week comes from Matthew 28:19a.  "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..."

All nations and all people need to know the Good News!  How do you share the good news with those people you come in contact with throughout the day?

Cheryl