Remembering the Little Things

My wonderful hubby has been writing, well I don't know what you would call it, for about 2 years. I would call it a book but he has repeatedly stated that he is no author.  He felt lead to write this little book to help couples of all ages. I am very proud of him and I know he has wisdom in this area.  He is so tired of seeing couples give up but most of all he wants to help men love their wives like Christ loved the church.  I am so proud of him that I decided to post some bits of his book on my blog.  I may post the whole thing in the future but for right now until his book is edited I will just give you tidbits.  I hope you enjoy it.  Please leave a comment if this helped you in whatever way.

Remembering the Little Things

Where It All Begins…..

            “For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in good times and in bad, forsaking all others…”  These words can be heard an average of 2.4 million times a year, that’s and an average of 6,666 times a day just in the United States alone.  Not to mention the millions of girls each day who rehearse these lines in the privacy of their bedroom fantasizing of their dream groom waiting for the day that they can have their “storybook wedding”.  With this phrase repeated so many times daily in the United States, why are we then faced with a 43% divorce rate in America?  Because we forget the little things in our marriages.

            Husbands may say something like, “I know her favorite color, her favorite actor, her favorite soda, her favorite song and her best friend”.  A wife may check off a list and say, “I know his favorite football team, his favorite meal, his favorite movie and his favorite breed of dog”.  Unfortunately both the husband and the wife may finish each of these sentences with the phrase “but my husband/wife does not know me at all”.  In our marriages we can easily get wrapped up in ourselves and our everyday activities that we become selfish and sometimes unknowingly block out the only one to whom we say we love.

            God has designed marriage to be more than an “institution”, (a structure and mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals), and much more than a  social union or legal contract between individuals.  God designed a man and a woman to be joined to create a bond and a fellowship that nothing can come between, “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” Mathew 19:6.  Just what does come between a husband and a wife that may cause a division between them? It is the forgetting of the “little things” in our marriage that can cause division and strife that is unwanted and unnecessary.  Just what are “Little Things”?.........

Look for the answer to that question next week!

Happy New Year

This last year has had it's ups and downs.  Some times I wasn't sure everything was going to work out and had doubts about many things.  It is amazing how the Lord gives us so much in our time of trouble as well as when everything is going great.  The problem is that sometimes we forget to thank him in the good times the same way we thanked him in the bad.  Last year the church we attended had the yearly theme of stewardship.  Our Pastor asked the other night if we were better stewards going into 2011 then when we were going into 2010.  Stewardship isn't just about money but it's about everything.  Plainly put it's about ownership.  Who owns you, God or yourself?  I hope that in 2011 I can give the Lord more ownership over me.  I hope you will strive for that as well.  Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Here it is Christmas morning.  What a great day to celebrate the Lord's birth. Like most families last night the children sat out the cookies and milk for Santa and when they were fast asleep we put put the gifts.  But this morning I think our family is a little different then most families.  The children are excited but not about the gifts under the tree.  You see we have taught our children the reason we have Christmas at all.  They, minus the 2 year old understand the true meaning of Christmas.  They understand the gifts we give to each other can never equal the gift Jesus gave us through his birth, life, death and resurrection. 

Every Christmas morning before a present is touched my family sits around the tree and reads the story of Christmas from Luke 2.  We read about the miraculous virgin birth and the baby King that was born in a stable.  We hear about the wise men that followed the star with gifts.  Everything in this very detailed account has a purpose.  Oh how Mary must have felt holding her saviour. Augustine said "He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, He the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute." So this Christmas BEFORE you open your gifts I hope maybe you will take the time to reflect on Jesus and what he did for you. He came to earth and lived a perfect life only to die on a cross for our sin.  Oh what LOVE!

Bible devotions

This morning I woke up with an intense desire to read my bible.  I have always struggled with my bible reading and devotions.  I am a person who needs a schedule for almost everything.  I decided that I wasn't going to struggle with this any more.  With the Lords help I am going to stay committed to reading and learning His word. 

I went online this morning to find a good, God honoring, ladies online devotional to help and I really had a hard time finding one.  Then as I was searching and find none the Lord brought to mind a devotional that I already have sent to me on my facebook page.  I don't know how I overlooked this for so long.  So I rushed over to my facebook and found it.  It took me to www.diannasdiary.com

Dianna Carroll is a wonderful lady that once upon a time was my Pastor's wife.  She is such an encouragement to my heart.  Her life is a testimony to so many.  She has had her ups and downs and has remained faithful through it all.  Thank you Mrs. Carroll