Marriage Monday is Just Around the Corner!

This month, by special request our group topic is “Prayer in Marriage.” Please join us for Marriage Monday on Mar. 1, 2010. You’re free to approach this subject any way you wish. Give your entry a titleand let the Spirit lead you as you write.

A Few Writing Suggestions
It’s no secret that many couples have difficulty praying together. Men, especially, can be uncomfortable expressing their intimate spiritual thoughts. What have you learned to that helps you both to break through those barriers?

Consider sharing your experience in one or more of these areas…

• When do you pray as a couple
• Frequency of prayer
• Why you don’t pray
• Answers to your prayers
• Prayer partners for your marriage
• Praying for your children
• Rewards of praying together
• Prayer for your husband’s salvation

…and so on. Maybe you would simply prefer to post a prayer instead.

Please Bring a Friend

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Used Vs. Loved

I got this in my inbox from my husband. It was the first thing I read this morning and it made me sad…Why do human beings take so much for granted?

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked up a stone and scratched lines on the side of the car.In anger, the man took the child’s hand and hit it many times;not realizing he was using a wrench.

At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.

When the child saw his father…..with painful eyes he asked, ‘Dad when will my fingers grow back?’  The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times. Devastated by his own actions…….sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches; the child had written ‘LOVE YOU DAD’. The next day that man committed suicide.

Anger and Love have no limits.

Things are to be used and people are to be loved, but the problem in today’s world is that, People are used and things are loved.

During this year, let’s be careful to keep this thought in mind:Things are to be used, but People are to be loved.

Be yourself….This is the only day we HAVE.

Orange Love

My dad used the term in one of his sermons “orange love“. It was such a visual illustration, it stuck with me. For some reason, the word ‘love’ has become one that we use without the consciousness of its true meaning and implication. “I love these shoes!” “I love Louis Vuitton!” “I love you.” “I love oranges?”

We love oranges so much, we suck out all the good stuff, then throw away what’s left. That’s orange love; the type that takes and takes and gives nothing back in return. When it has taken and there’s nothing left to take, it discards you and moves on to the next orange.

That is the only kind of love many of us are willing to give. In the bid to protect our hearts from hurt, we end up being takers. The only bottomless love, is God’s love. That is the only love which gives and gives and keeps giving even though it does not receive. And while we are called to love the way God does, the fact is that most of us are not there yet. If you are, that’s good but I know I struggle. The love we have to give needs to be replenished. If you just give and never receive in return, you’ll end up empty – like a sucked orange.

It hurts when you have invested so much emotion and love into a relationship only to find out that the other person never really loved you back. That feeling of emptiness is profound. As a result of that, you may probably go into the next relationship determined to hold back a little, to not put in so much emotion and what happens is that you become a taker. The very kind of person you are running away from.

Nevertheless, there should be a halfway point between being a giver and being a taker. At least I think there should be. But can love really be halfhearted? Is it possible to love only a little? And after love has been betrayed, is it possible to turn it off like a faucet?

I have always thought that love is like an avalanche; once it gets started, it cannot really be halted. It must run it’s course. Therefore if love cannot be turned off, and it must run it’s course, why not seek to enrich the other person’s life, at least for the time that you are together. If you are lucky, it might last forever. If it does not last forever, well, you know you left the other person better for your love. That is my take on it.

Thankful Thursday – Good Health

I missed last week’s TT because I was a bit down. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me just that I was so tired and could not sleep. But by Sunday I had landed in the hospital. I was kept overnight for observation – must have been something that was going round.

I’m still not up to my usual level of strength, but I’m back home and I feel much better. So this Thursday, I would really like to thank God for good health. It’s so easy to take it for granted; until you don’t have it.

^3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence. (Psalm 103:3, The Message)

What are you thankful for this week? Join Iris and the rest of us.

Tyndale is Giving Away Free Books

If you are like me and you love freebies, you’ll be thrilled to know that Tyndale House Publishers is giving away free books everyday of the month of February. They call it their 30 Day Launch Celebration.

The books are in the following categories:

• fiction product
• non-fiction product
• Bible product and
• kids product

It’s already half way over so you have to hurry there if you want a chance to win.

Warning! It’s open only to residents of the US. That leaves me out

Hurry to www.tyndale.com

When You Don’t Feel Like Talking to God

I have not been reading my Bible or even praying of late. I guess, in some ways, I’ve been depressed. Coupled with the fact that I’ve been ill, I just did not feel like talking to God. I don’t think I was mad at Him, just tired of it all. Then today, I got out of bed and decided to do some cleaning while listening to the Word. Even though I’m several days behind, I still went to the last podcast I’d heard and it was the story of the children of Israel in the wilderness. After listening to that, I went back to read it. I’ll post some verses here, but bear in mind that this took place directly after God had parted the red sea for them to cross and had made that same red sea swallow up the Egyptian chariots.

Exodus 16:1-12

^1-3 On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, “Why didn’t God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You’ve brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!”

^4-5 God said to Moses, “I’m going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day’s ration. I’m going to test them to see if they’ll live according to my Teaching or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration.”

^6-7 Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, “This evening you will know that it is God who brought you out of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the Glory of God. Yes, he’s listened to your complaints against him. You haven’t been complaining against us, you know, but against God.”

⁸ Moses said, “Since it will be God who gives you meat for your meal in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, it’s God who will have listened to your complaints against him. Who are we in all this? You haven’t been complaining to us—you’ve been complaining to God!”

⁹ Moses instructed Aaron: “Tell the whole company of Israel: ‘Come near to God. He’s heard your complaints.’”

¹⁰ When Aaron gave out the instructions to the whole company of Israel, they turned to face the wilderness. And there it was: the Glory of God visible in the Cloud.

^11-12 God spoke to Moses, “I’ve listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: ‘At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you’ll eat your fill of bread; and you’ll realize that I am God, your God.’” (Exodus 16:1-12, The Message)

I mean gosh! What was it with these people!!! They had the opportunity to literally experience the Glory of God and each time they faced one small discomfort they began to moan and complain!! What sort of people were these?

As I was busy ruminating on that, a soft voice in my heart replied the sort of people you are.

This brought me up short and really made me think. I have actually seen and experienced God doing wonderful things in my life; He has brought me out of some situations that I could only have gotten out of through His help. Regardless of how hard I’ve tried, He keeps me from destroying my own life. . . the examples are numerous and countless. The things He has brought me through: exams, illness, heartache. . . and yet here I was, because of a little loneliness and depression, I turned my face to the wall and was sulking!

It was a lesson that rammed home. Communication and fellowship with God does not depend on how I’m feeling at the moment. Happy, sad, down, exhilarated, whatever – He wants to share in my life. In every tiny little detail. Just to talk and fellowship and feel that connection.

I guess when it comes down to it, we are not that much different from those Israelites. No matter how many times God has shown us his mercy, we still find it easy to go into a sulk because things don’t go our way. We need to know that God’s love does not change with circumstances or the weather. We need to trust that He is the most Constant in our lives. Ever. Things may change, circumstances may change, we may even change. But his love for us will never, ever change.

For Jesus doesn’t change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he’s always totally himself. (Hebrews 13:8, The Message)