Whatever is...

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

So often we focus on the negative in our lives. I posted a few days back that I had a "pity party," and that I was the only person in attendance. That is so true for almost all of us, isn't it?

And then when you bring your spouse into the picture, I would bet that every person on the planet can agree with me that it is easier to see the faults. But why do we do this? I think I do it because my wife and I are so very much alike... I see my own faults in her, and they remind me of myself, and I get mad and want her to change. However, as a noted father and son pair of authors recently taught my church, no one can change anyone other than him/herself.

So today, I ask that you take the extra seconds necessary to look deeper into your spouse for the things that Paul speaks of in this verse. And then dwell upon how blessed you are to have a husband/wife that truly reflects these characteristics. Because if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we should be looking for the best and most beautiful in the one we chose to share life with!

God bless you all!!!

What a piece of work...

"What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world - the paragon of animals!"

Hamlet (Act II - Sc. II)

Shakespeare truly had a grasp on the human condition. His plays and stories have captured the hearts of men and women for centuries. Personally, I am quite fond of his work. I particularly enjoy the humor and drama of the way he tells a love story, like "Much Ado About Nothing." He truly was ahead of his time!

But there was this other guy who also understood the human condition... more specifically, the male condition. He lived a few hundred years before Shakespeare, and he used to walk around with some pretty impressive folks. But then Jesus came to him, and his name became synonymous with evangelism and conversion. Saul became Paul.

The passage below might seem long, but it is worth the read. We all, gentlemen, can relate to this. Every single man since the original sin is tainted in this way. The question is, can you see it for what it is, as Paul did?

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. ^[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature ^[b] a slave to the law of sin. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:14-25

Men, we must be ready to stand on principle, as Paul did, and recognize that we are new creations in Christ! Stand firm, and lead your family. Remember, all of us go through it... never feel alone!

God bless you all!!!

Today's thought...

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
Matthew 6:5

Husbands, this one is for you.

I will ask tonight that you remember that your role as a husband is that of the head of the home. But please make no mistake in understanding that your headship must be in the capacity of a servant-leader. You must maintain a meekness and calm about your spirit.

Meekness isn't often a word men feel comfortable with, but think of it this way; strength under control. Wise men have said for years that it takes a stronger and better man to walk away. Being that man will enhance your entire life.

God bless you all!!!

Today's thought...

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Col 3:1

Brothers and sisters, we have all been granted the privilege of being raised as Christ, with Christ on the last day. Therefore, in all things we should keep our eyes on the prize! We may never attain true peace this side of heaven, but we should endeavor to keep our focus upwards.

Keep your focus on the greater reward... the reward that only Christ can provide for us! Let go of all of the petty things. Because if you truly sit down and ask yourself whether or not it is worth it to keep up the argument, I think you'll find ample reasons to just let it go.

God bless you all!!!

Attitude

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Col 3:23-24

This morning, when I should have been praising God for another glorious day that He has given to my family and myself, I failed. I showed my humanity this morning, most of all to my beloved wife, who should never see any less from me than that of a powerful, godly leader of the home. But I decided to have a pity party.

No one came.

I was mad at her at first, for shutting me down, but it has proven to be one of the greatest things that could have happened today. You see, my wife is amazing... not to overstate it, but simply AMAZING! She knows when I need to be knocked down and when I need to be picked up. And she knows that I reference Scripture a lot, with a lot of topics.

And when she told me that I made the decision to stay at home for a while, and that I am in control of the option to return to work, I remembered the verse above. I haven't been working at it with all my heart. I haven't been relishing in the joys that come each day. Nope, I have been focused on the negative. But that's all going to change, thanks to the objective view my bride brings to me!

Thank your spouse tonight for being the one person that will put you in your place when you NEED it. We all fall short of the glory of God, and all of us need to be reminded that we are all sinners every once in a while. It takes a true friend to point that out to someone openly... and there is no better friend to me than my wife!

God bless you all!!!

Today's thought...

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
1 Thess 2:4

This one is for the husbands, specifically. And I would ask you to truly reflect for a moment on how you speak. Do you, in fact, speak as a man approved by God? Are you that confident? Do you have the required assurances?

Paul did. And if he can, then so can you... trust me.

Although this passage is spoken to the Church at Thessalonica, I would like for you men to personalize it and speak it over your marriages. We must be husbands after God's heart. Our love and commitment to the Father, Son and Spirit will grow the love our wives have for us, and lead them to chase the same path. And that is our job, men; to LEAD!

God bless you all!!!

Today's thought...

If the righteous inherit their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!
Prov 11:31

The right thing. The straight and narrow. The path less-traveled. All of these are synonymous with righteous choices. They are also similar to the more difficult way to live; being in this world, but not of it. After all, we are all only here on leave from our true home with the Lord.

So many people take the quick and easy way out of things, believing that it will go unnoticed. However, as today's verse says, it will not only be seen but multiplied!

Take a moment today to encourage your spouse to remember their own Christian integrity. The riches of this world should not be the motivator... remind them that the harder path pays greater dividends in an eternal sense.

God bless you all!!!

Exercise...

Exercise is such an interesting thing... it revitalizes the body, as well as the spirit. And no one knows that more than the person who dives back in after a long respite from working out.

Another way to put that, though, would be to say that no one is in more pain than the one who lays off for a long time and then gets back into it. The muscles have atrophied, the lungs don't want to cooperate and breathe deeper, and the attention span for other things is always more appealing than for the work. But then comes the aftermath...

The joy of invigorated muscles and a revived sense of accomplishment that can only come from hard work. But this is also true with spirituality... and marriage.

The more you work to memorize Scripture, the easier it becomes. Similarly, the more you offer compliments and servant-minded love to your spouse, the more natural it will feel. And it's not that hard to do, on either account. It does take a purposeful approach, though, along with a conscious decision to better yourself in those areas; kinda like going to the gym, huh???

Take a moment this evening to thank your spouse for something you have not mentioned recently. Remind them of one of the key reasons you love them. You will find the joy of speaking those praises is quite powerful, indeed!

God bless you all!!!

Weight Loss!!!

Well... I won't say that I have made a resolution, because the statistics show that something like 93% of people fail to keep resolutions. I will say that my wife and I have made a conscious decision. We have both decided to approach 2010 with a more healthy lifestyle.

We will both be involved in more exercise, and I am going to kick-start the whole thing in the Book of Daniel, with the Daniel Fast. For the next three weeks, I will fast as Daniel did, and pray. I will add to this a regimen of exercise, and become more healthy.

I would ask that you pray for both of us as we endeavor through this. Also, keep watching for updates as we post them. And, as always, pray for your spouse and that he/she would also choose to embrace a more healthy lifestyle in 2010.

God bless you all!!!

Today's thought...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

It is odd how things work out, isn't it? How one can believe that they are in the perfect place, and then it all gets ripped away in an instant, only to find an even better place! My wife said to me yesterday, "I have given it over to God (my work situation), because He already has the details worked out."

Now THAT is true wisdom! And she is correct; the Lord knows what is happening now, what has happened, and what will happen. And through the sadness of a lost job, and the trials of a job hunt, I have grown closer to my entire family. Neat, right?

But the key is this... God knew who to put me with. She has helped me in so very many ways, the largest of which has come in my growing up. And His plans for me have definitely not harmed me.

Spend time today thanking your spouse for who they are, and for what they support you in, regardless of how big or small. As said before, an attitude of thankfulness changes many things. And I am asking again for you to be thankful for your spouse. And thank God for your spouse, as well. He deserves all the glory, after all!

God bless you all!!!

New Year; New Challenges

Every good and perfect gift comes from above.
James 1:17

So I took the month of December and spent it with family, not typing or blogging at all. I have had some interesting new developments and challenges come my way, and I think it's time to share the way I have faced them. After all, with much advice, plans succeed, right?

I lost my job in November (in retrospect, actually a pretty good thing). Our family has been blessed enough to have a dual income, and my wife is capable of supporting us, so I have been at home with the children. It was the prudent decision to make, as daycare is our largest single monthly expense. So I have now become the 21st century Mr. Mom, cooking and cleaning and playing with the munchkins. But you wanna know something? I wouldn't trade this gift for the world!

I have a whole new appreciation for the stay at home parent now, since I am one, and I realize just how difficult it can be. It's a lot of stuff to juggle.

But I am looking to re-enter the workforce. I have given thought to all kinds of things... most prevalent would be returning to the career for which I have a degree. That's probably where I will end up; back in a funeral home.

Big point to all of it though, is that my marriage has NOT... I repeat, has NOT suffered because of this. We are actually closer now than we were before. And I know, as my wife does, that it is only by the grace and peace that only God can provide that we are allowed to do this!

So, as I wish you a happy New Year for 2010, I would ask one favor of you. Please thank God for your spouse daily this year. Just do it. Your spouse is a gift from God. You'll be surprised how a thankful attitude can change so very many things in your life!

God bless you all!