Love is not a fight

So in my last post I wrote how we saw Fireproof last night and it was a great movie.  This song, "Love is not a fight" by Warren Barfield has a great message and the music video shows clips of the movie throughout.

 

Marriage has been a topic of discussion over the last few weeks here in our small group sessions.  The statistics in the USA about the divorce rates just break mine and Heidi's heart. People give up too easily. Jesus forgive us.  We need to be praying for married couples around the world. The devil is on the prowl seeking whom he may devour and he will jump at any chance to tear families apart.  Let's be prayer warriors for all engaged, newlyweds, young couples and those that have been married for many years!  Marriage is a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, we must fight to promote and protect it!  Love is not a fight, but It is worth fighting for! 

Have any of you seen Fireproof?  What did you take away from it?

Is your marriage "Fireproof"?

 

Tonight, Heidi and I were invited over to a friend's house to watch the movie Fireproof.  I had heard of it and have wanted to get the book, but I wasn't expecting it to take on such meaning for me. With the way our culture treats marriage, it sure doesn't seem like anyone is asking, "How can we fireproof our marriage?"  The story seems pretty typical and touches on issues that almost every man and woman have dealt with, but it touches the heart and convicts the mind.  I dare any married couple that feels like they are losing control to watch this movie--heck maybe even do the "Love Dare!" 

If this movie does nothing else, it portrays accurately that love and marriage is not easy.  Your marriage must be based on Christ and the Word of God or you will have no understanding of what real love is.  Marriage is about unconditional love.  And there is only one perfect example of what it means to love unconditionally--and that's Jesus Christ.  We must look to him in order to know how to treat our spouse!

Another part of the movie that I loved was the bond between the men.  The father-son relationship was extremely meaningful.  I also enjoyed watching the relationship between Caleb and his right hand man, who was a Christian.  Everyone needs a person of their same gender for accountability--and to just bounce things off of each other.

In the end, there is no way to get around it--Christ must be the center of any marriage, or there will be a gaping hole that can never be filled.

Bathroom Bills? Marriage equality? Como Que? Wow...

 

So I think this is absolutely ridiculous what some states are trying to pass as "gender-discrimination" bills.  I mean, it's one thing to have a law that says you can't fire someone because of their sexual orientation--but something so inclusive that some guy can decide on any random day that he feels like a woman and wants to use the women's restroom--and there isn't anything wrong with that?  I don't know about all of you, but I get a little freaked out when the cleaning lady comes into the restroom when I am taking care of business...I can't imagine what Heidi would do if some random dude, who thinks he is a chic, walked into the restroom where she was at.  Get real!  Modesty and sexual morality have gone with the wind...

I love being with this lady

 

I would just like to take the time in this post to talk to you about how much this lovely lady, pictured with me in the picture above, and I love each other.  She is my wife and I love her to pieces.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  It seems that as we are going through this transition, we keep loving each other more.  We will be married 4 years this summer.

Don't get me wrong, we have our fair share of issues--like any married couple has--Sometimes I struggle with being insensitive, talking too much, and trying to make things logical; Heidi says she can be overly critical.  There are times when we disagree on little things or just plain don't like each other.  What do we do about it?  Get mad and storm about the house?  Slam doors and yell at each other?  No, we aren't that dramatic, like in the movies...but it does take time and patience.  Sometimes, we just need to be alone for a bit--and gather ourselves--when we come back together we apologize and move on, together.  When I am working and traveling and Heidi is working her tail off at school, sometimes we don't have much energy left at the end of the day.  Add a dash of stress, 2 cups of irritability, or some sort of cold or stomach ache--there are going to be times when we aren't nice to each other, or we just don't want to talk.  Heidi and I try to make it a point to just sit and talk together--to connect--no strings attached, no matter how we are feeling that day. Sometimes that means talking about how we are feeling and why--just caring for each other.  We have to be very intentional about it, or it will pass us by. It's hard work--to always, unconditionally, care for each other...because we aren't wired that way.

We are all wired, as humans in our sinful nature, to care about ourselves--our needs and our desires.  How do you work this out inside of a marriage?  One must turn to the life of Christ to truly understand what unconditional love is.  And not only did Christ lead a life that was unselfish and characterized by serving others, he gave the most powerful gift of unconditional love ever known, on the cross of calvary--taking all of OUR sins so that we can spend eternity with Him.  It's as if Jesus tells us, through his Word and actions, "Jon and Heidi, love each other unconditionally--no matter how much work you have to do, no matter how much you don't want to do the dishes tonight, no matter how much you don't like each other right now, no matter how bad your day was, or how uncertain the times may be--because you made a promise to love and serve each other for as long as you both shall live. Love one another, as I have loved you."

So, Husbands and Wives, love each other with all your heart, love unconditionally--no matter how much work you have to do, no matter how much you don't want to do the dishes tonight, no matter how much you don't like each other right now, no matter how bad your day was, or how uncertain the times may be--because you made a promise to love and serve each other for as long as you both shall live.  Love one another, as HE has loved you!

Foxes have holes and birds have nests...

Dave Ramsey is one of the leading financial and economic thinkers and he has a few things to say to us Christians who are freaking out about the economy.  What are we really scared of if we have food on the table and a place to sleep?  Isn't that security enough? 

At a recent Bible Study we learned what the Holy Scriptures say about security and following Jesus in Luke 9:57-62,

The Cost of Following Jesus

 ⁵⁷As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

 ⁵⁸Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

 ⁵⁹He said to another man, "Follow me."
      But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

 ⁶⁰Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

 ⁶¹ Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

 ⁶²Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

The three men are like most of us who are so preoccupied with our own security; whether that is having a home, money or relationships.  Jesus tells the first man that there is no place for him to rest his head to make sure the man is ready to truly follow him.  If he does, he might be in the same situation!  The second and third men, were directly called by God to do something and they wanted to follow, but they had their : "But first I..."  So often we as Christians hear God calling us to follow him in doing something for others, giving generously, going to the mission field, pulling over to help someone with car trouble, being involved in your church, or spending time with someone who is hurting.  But we have selfish security issues.  If you are called to do something, you need to do it.  Obey.  We, all Christ-believers, are called to follow Jesus in some sort of ministry that he will use us in.  The Spirit moves us.  Your ministry might be inviting your co-workers to church--don't give excuses.

Here is a short video interview of Dave Ramsey with Craig Groeschel giving positive advice for us to live out our faith through finances in the current situation of the economy, enjoy!

 

Daylight Savings Initiative

This is a hilarious video that you can use to remind your employees, church members, family and friends that this Sunday, March 8 is the day you spring ahead one hour.  It is very important to save this precious resource of Daylight, we must conserve our daylight so that we don't use it all up.  Otherwise, the generations to come will have to live in darkness.   Funny!

Let the Lord Speak

So I am here in Caracas again, but for the last time. It is a lot different here now. Our mission office, where I stay when I come here, is empty at night time. Missionary Pastor Ted and his wife Rebecca recently moved to the Dominican Republic to join in the work that is going on there. So I am in the big house that LCMS owns here and hearing little sounds and there is no one to talk with, except Jesus.

I wrote and sent our final newsletter as LCMS Missionaries today and the Bible verse I quoted was from my devotion this morning, in The Message version; Isaiah 51:4-6,

""Pay attention, my people.
Listen to me, nations.
Revelation flows from me.
My decisions light up the world.
My deliverance arrives on the run,
my salvation right on time.
I'll bring justice to the peoples.
Even faraway islands will look to me
and take hope in my saving power.
Look up at the skies,
ponder the earth under your feet.
The skies will fade out like smoke,
the earth will wear out like work pants,
and the people will die off like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
my setting-things-right will never be obsolete."

Some people might think it is coincidence, but I believe that God placed this word in front of me today for a reason. I have mentioned that I feel called back to the market place, to a place where life is quite dark and gloomy now; a place where there isn't much hope. But we have hope in Christ's salvation, as it is written here; it will last forever. The stock market may crash, we might lose our jobs, we might lose a loved one unexpectedly; but His salvation is right on time and His will to set things right will never be out of place.

God, give us faith to trust in your Word and Power to save us!

Today it begins

Hi everyone! Just a reminder that today is when 40 days of water begins. In my house we've already started. No juice or coffee to drink with breakfast, just water. You can still join in on this great cause, they even have a Facebook cause set up and nearly 25000 people are signed up for it.

You can too: https://www.causes.com/fb/donations/new?cause_id=968&fundraiser_id=1338852&m=38d81d22; or you can download the scorecard and keep track of your beverages that you normally drink and donate what you would have spent at the end of the forty days on April 9. You can download the scorecard here.

Please keep Carissa, Heidi and me in your prayers over the next 40 days that we will grow closer to Christ and more aware of those that suffer without clean water.