Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas

"Star of Wonder,
Star of Night,
Star with Royal Beauty Bright"...

It's Christmas Eve;
Delight in the Joy to come.


Photo: "Star of Wonder, Star of Night, Star with Royal Beauty Bright"...It is Christmas Eve, and we are delighted by the joy to come.


And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14



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Monday, October 1, 2012

Preparing For Marriage

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Free Ebook offer from Desiring God.

Preparing well for marriage means asking hard questions.

Getting to know that special someone includes learning about family and friends and schooling and athletics, favorite pastimes, books, movies, life's best moments and worst, the brightest places in our background and the darkest.

But what about theology?  Ever think to ask about that?

Our (Desiring God) hope is that a few couples, whether dating and considering marriage, or engaged and preparing for marriage, would find some benefit here, get to know each other better in some of life's most significant matters, and be more fit to discern God's leading for their lives.

Click here for free ebook.

Blessings,
MissyLou

A Modern Day Hannah

I had the privilege of meeting a modern day Hannah.  Actually, I already knew this precious lady.  She is our family physician.  She and her husband have been blessed with a baby girl after 10 years of prayers!!!  Ten years!!!  That must have seemed like a lifetime during the midst of it all, but now it must seem to have been  worth the prayers, tears, struggles, etc.  When I heard the news, I rejoiced through tears with her, praised God with her and immediately thought of Hannah and how faithful our God is.


She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.  And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head."  1 Samuel 1:10-11

And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, "I have asked for him from the LORD."   1 Samuel 1:20




























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Sunday, August 19, 2012

These Inward Trials

I asked the Lord, that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek more earnestly His face.

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request,
and by His love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
the hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

‘Lord, why is this?’ I trembling cried,
`Wilt thou pursue Thy worm to death?’
`This in this way,’ the Lord replied,
`I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou mayst seek thy all in Me.’

John Newton

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Boys, Math & Video Games



"In 1992 we began to see a very significant academic decline in boys.  You might remember that before that boys were king of the math world. Girls ruled in the English department, but boys were king of the math world. And they had a rather strong work ethic in their academics. But we saw a significant decline in that beginning in 1992.
Well, you have to ask yourself what transpired right prior to that to make that happen. In the 1970s, in 1971 exactly, the very first computer game came out, but it took a warehouse to store it. When they finally got it down small enough, the only thing they could do was to put it in a public place. So some of you may remember visiting something called an arcade? It took them a few years after that and they came out with a pretty archaic system. Some of you might remember playing asteroids or pong. Blip! Blip! Blip, blip! That was a fast one.
It wasn’t until the early 1980s that we had a viable home system called Nintendo. And computers began to be created specifically for game use including the Commodore 54, Macintosh, and PC Compatibles. By the early 90s, we saw that significant decline. We saw boys who became so concerned about fighting epic battles that were virtual, that they no longer cared about the real world around them.
Today the average boy will spend thirty-five hours in front of his PlayStation or X-box console or in front of the computer playing games. Most of them by the eleventh year of their life will have been introduced to pornography."
Dannah Gresh

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Monday, August 13, 2012

Modeling For Our Children

"If your children learned about submission from the way you submit to God-ordained authority, how would they submit? What are the attitudes of the adult generation toward authority? Are we quick to berate or badmouth anything from the President to the pastor to the husband to the schoolteacher? What is our attitude toward authority? I have watched parents skirting the law, lying about the kid's age to get into an amusement park. That's rebellion against authority. Then you have a mom who rolls her eyes when it comes to her husband's authority and is a disgruntled wife, then wants her children to obey with a happy heart and a good attitude. I think when the younger generation sees us honoring authority, and they see the blessings and the rewards of that in our lives and the peace that that brings, to me that's going to be more compelling than just saying, 'You need to come under authority'".

Nancy Leigh DeMoss

submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Eph. 5:21

For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." 1 Samuel 15:21

The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. Proverbs 21:1

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Story of Ian and Larissa

Meet Ian and Larissa Murphy.  


Their story is a beautiful one of a godly marriage and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ladies, grab and tissue and be blessed :)

Their story:

Their blog:

Ian's company:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Rom 8:28


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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Go Science 6-Vol DVD Collection


Product image

In the exciting world of science and God's creation, textbooks and tests have their place.  But sometimes children need to see the wonders of science demonstrated in real life to fully grasp how science works and how amazing our Creator truly is.

Can you tell if an egg is raw or not by the way it spins?  Can water boil in a paper cup?  What is a centripetal force?  If you don't know the answers, you'd better find out fast--because your children are about to learn all that and more!

Recommended for ages 6-14.

Titles in this series:


  • Motion: Discovering the Laws of Gravity and Motion
  • Simple Machines, Sounds, and Weather
  • Magnetism, Electricity, and Engineering
  • Chemistry, States of Matter, and Life Sciences
  • Air and Flight
  • Water, Space, and the Solar System






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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Are Your Sons Prepared?


A couple of weeks ago, I listened to a series of messages, from Family Life Today, about preparing sons.  Now, I don't have any sons, but I still enjoyed these messages.  Occasionally I listen to messages directed towards boys/men.  Why would I do that?  I find it gives me a different perspective that helps me be a better wife and helps me to prepare my daughter.  So, I encourage you to listen to these.  You will be blesseds


Are your sons fair game for the girls?  Dennis Rainey addresses the very real problem of sexually aggressive girls.  Rainey explains that, due to the rise of absent fathers today, many young women are looking for their emotional gas tanks to be filled by young men, and doing whatever it takes to get a boy's love and attention. Find our how to teach your sons how to deal with aggressive girls in the Aggressive Girls series below.



Dennis Rainey talks honestly with parents about protecting their sons from overly aggressive girls.



Would your son know what to do if he was propositioned by a member of the opposite sex?  What about a member of the same sex?  



Does your son attract girls like bees to honey?  Dads need to be proactive in a son's life by having some meaningful, intentional conversations with them about various topics including: the value and application of godly wisdom, how to handle sexual temptation, God's design for sex in marriage, and the characteristics of an adulterous woman.



What does your son know, and believe, about women?  Topics to discuss with your sons in order to prepare them for relationships with the opposite sex.  Some topics include: rejecting passivity, the benefits of initiating, and the value of boundaries.  What can moms do to help...raise girls who aren't aggressive.



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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Can We Please God?



The Bible teaches that since the original sin of Adam, all humans are spiritually dead and morally incapable of submitting to God in faith and obedience.  By nature we have a mindset that cannot submit to God.  "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed it cannon.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7-8).  The reason for this moral inability is given in Ephesians 2:1-"You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked."  And therefore, we are "sons of disobedience" and "children of wrath"...

John Piper,
Bloodlines

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Friday, April 6, 2012

This Is Our God


Meekness and majesty
Manhood and Deity
In perfect harmony
The Man who is God

Lord of eternity
Dwells in humanity
Kneels in humility
And washes our feet

O what a mystery
Meekness and majesty
Bow down and worship
For this is your God

Father's pure radiance
Perfect in innocence
Yet learns obedience
To death on a cross

Suffering to give us life
Conquering through sacrifice
And as they crucify
Prays "Father forgive"

O what a mystery
Meekness and majesty
Bow down and worship
For this is your God

Wisdom unsearchable
God the invisible
Love indestructible
In frailty appears

Lord of infinity
Stooping so tenderly 
Lifts our humanity
To the heights of His throne


O what a mystery
Meekness and majesty
Bow down and worship
For this is your God

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And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.  As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.  And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.  And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.  Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.  And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."   Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.  And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."  So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.  He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"  And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah." And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.  But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.  And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.  The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.  When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" 
Mat 27:29-54




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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

I Am A Worm

I heard this before and was reminded of it today I  found it so fascinating, I had to share.  May you be blessed by it.  

"That word worm in the Hebrew is the word tola'ath.  It's a word that's used 43 times in the Bible and it's usually translated "scarlet."  One time it's translated "crimson."  For example, "Though your sins be as scarlet," tola'ath, "they shall be as white as snow."

But eight times that same word tola'ath is translated "worm"-"scarlet" and "worm."  What's the connection?  Well, this worm in Psalm 22-"I am a worm and no man"-many scholars believe refer to what is known as a scarlet worm that is common in the Middle East.  It's similar to the cochineal that you find in Latin America.  You may have read about these when these insects are crushed the blood that comes out makes a crimson dye.  It's brilliant color that's used in making red garments and red fabrics.

Well, this scarlet worm, the tola'ath is found in Palestine, in Syria.  It secretes a scarlet fluid that was used in ancient times to make a beautiful scarlet dye.  It was used in things like the curtains in the tabernacle in the Old Testament that were scarlet colored.  These scarlet worms were used to make that scarlet dye.

In the life cycle of this scarlet worm we see what I think is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus.  When the scarlet worm was ready to give birth she would find the trunk of a tree, and she would attach her body securely, permanently to that tree trunk.  Then she would lay her eggs, and the eggs would remain under her body until they hatched.  The mother's body would provide protection for the babies until they were ready to get out and function on their own, and then the mother worm, the scarlet worm would die.

As it died, its body affixed to that tree would burst, and the scarlet fluid inside would flow out and stain her body and her babies and the tree.  I believe we have in that a graphic illustration from the world of nature that points to Christ who said, "I am a worm," tola'ath, "and no man."

As the scarlet worm died whild being attached to a tree, the Son of God was attached to a tree and laid down His life to give us eternal life and to make us children of God.  As the scarlet fluid flowed out from the dying worm and covered her young, so the blood that flowed out from the veins of Christ covers us.  It makes atonement for our sins and clothes us in His righteousness.  As one commentary says, "The glorious garments of our salvation have been procured as a result of Christ's death and suffering.  He became the tola'ath, the worm, crushed in death so we might be robed in glory."

Nancy Leigh DeMoss
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/revive-our-hearts/i-am-worm/
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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Patience, Kindness, & Goodness


But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, 
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 
Gal. 5:22-23 

Patience is like a seed hidden beneath the surface. It silently waits in the dark earth, hidden from view, doing nothing (it seems!), while it secretly, quietly, and slowly incubates life. This sweet fruit makes it possible for kindness and goodness to develop.

Kindness grows from seed of patience in the dark depths where it develops a root system. Kindness pushes its head up through the soil, wanting to break forth and do something until, at last, it cracks through the soul, visible to all.

Goodness blossoms forth, along with its works of love blessing all who see it...which is what this luscious fruit of the Spirit is all about!

A Young Woman's Walk with God,
Growing More Like Jesus
Elizabeth George

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Forgiveness in Marriage



“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each
other, as God in Christ has also forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:32


Forgiveness means I give up my right to punish you for what you did.  If you—
if I come over to your house—I knock over a lamp, and I break the lamp.  You look at 
me and  you say, “No, brother, that’s okay.  I forgive you;” and then, you say, “but that 
will be $195,” you didn’t really forgive me because you’re making me pay.  Forgiveness 
is the cancellation of debt.  

The beauty of forgiveness is not that you can't remember what happened.  The beauty of forgiveness is that, in spite of the fact that you remember and may never forget, you give up your right to punish.  That's the beauty of forgiveness.

To read or listen to this message in it's entirety, please click the following link.

http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.6240603/k.2C4F/Search_FamilyLife_Audio_Library.htm

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Friday, March 2, 2012

Whatever My God Ordains Is Right

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er he doth;
And follow where he guideth.
He is my God: though dark my road.
He holds me that I shall not fall.
And so to him I leave it all,
He holds me that I shall not fall.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me.
He leads me by the proper path;
I know he will not leave me.
I take, content, what he hath sent.
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait his day,
His hand can turn my griefs away.

Whate’er my God ordains is right,
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it all, unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew.
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart,
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right.
Here shall my stand be taken.
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet am I not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there.
He holds me that I shall not fall,
And so to him I leave it all,
He holds me that I shall not fall.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Luthers




Well, it was Easter morning, and you would’ve thought that the twelve nuns would be preparing for Easter services; instead, they were climbing into twelve fish barrels, trying to get smuggled out of their convent. So, this entire scheme was devised by a man named Martin Luther, the great German Protestant reformer.
He lived from 1483 to 1546, and he is one of the most prolific and influential men, outside of the Bible, in the history of the world. The story is that he was walking along, nearly struck by lightning, and he took it as a revelation from God that God was displeased with him. And so he then committed his life to going into ministry as a monk.
He took a vow of celibacy and poverty. He was a brilliant legal mind. And he drove himself almost mad studying the Bible over and over and over, looking at all of God’s commands and decrees, and realizing how woefully short he, in fact, fell. Now, this led to severe depression, him spending hours in the confessional with a priest, actually harming his own body, trying to pay penance and to pay God back to atone for his sin, by his own suffering.
And then Martin Luther had the most amazing moment. He was studying the Bible, and he went to places like Habakkuk, which is quoted in Romans and also in Galatians, where it says that the righteous shall live by faith. And it dawned on him—it’s like the Holy Spirit dropped on him, and he realized, “I’m not saved by my works and what I do. I’m saved by Jesus and faith in his works, his sinless life, his substitutionary death, his bodily resurrection.”
And that was, in some regards, the real beginning of what we now call the Protestant Reformation. And he took his convictions and nailed them to a door in a place called Wittenberg, and it was the 95 Theses, as they are called, and it was kind of like a bulletin board or a Facebook wall today. It’s where you would post something that you wanted others to discuss. And that led to this massive alteration in how Christians were viewing the salvation that God gives, and this is all in the context of a time in history with Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press, and Copernicus, and Galileo. It’s this season of massive, global change, and Martin Luther is on the forefront of that, spiritually.
And one of the things that he concludes is that marriage is a good thing, and children are a blessing. And in that time, the basic teaching of the Catholic church was primarily that the best life of all was the life of a monk or a nun, to be celibate, and to give oneself to poverty, and to live in simplicity, and that marriage and children, well, those were sort of base instincts and for those who couldn’t withhold their passions and were, to some degree, spiritually less mature. Maybe they needed to choose that course, but the holiest people of all would be chaste virgins for their lives, living in poverty, devoted only to God.
And Martin Luther decided that’s not true, and he started reading the Bible, and he decided, “I’m going to quit being a monk. I’m going to go enjoy my life.” And he wrote a little tract called On Monastic Vows, and in it he renounced his vows, and he encouraged other monks and nuns to renounce their vows, and for a priest to leave the priesthood, and for nuns to leave the convent.
Well, this tract found its way into one particular convent, where there were a dozen nuns, most of them young, and they got their hands on this little tract from Martin Luther, and they started reading, “It’s a good thing to get married. It’s a good thing to make babies.” And they decided, “It’s a good thing for us.” So, they wrote a letter to the great Martin Luther, basically asking, “Please break us out of the convent,” which was illegal.
And then Martin Luther devised this scheme where a man who was supposed to be delivering food into the nuns on Easter, brought with him twelve empty barrels and snuggled—and snuggled—wrong word. [Congregation laughing] This is not a Mormon story with polygamy. [Congregation laughing] He didn’t snuggle twelve women. He smuggled twelve women out of the convent. (Don’t worry, the Holy Spirit will show up eventually, and it’ll get better.) He smuggled twelve nuns out of the convent.
Now, many of them went back to their families. The other women were quickly, generally speaking, married off, with one exception. There was one woman that no one would marry. Her name was Katharina von Bora, and she, at one point, actually was engaged to a man that Martin Luther had connected her with, and he, at the last minute, backed out. The reasons we find, historically, are many. She was unattractive and unpleasant. Those would be the two primary reasons.
Martin Luther said she was stubborn, and she had pride. Let’s just say she was a colt that was hard to get a saddle on. That was Katharina von Bora. And so she was finally brash and bold enough that she actually approached the great Martin Luther, and she told him, “You know, my mom died when I was about six. I went into the convent when I was around nine or ten. I became a nun when I was sixteen. Now, as an adult woman, I have read your biblical teaching. I’ve renounced my life as a nun. I have fled from the convent, and you owe me a husband; and if you don’t find me a husband, since you’re single, you’re going to be my husband.” That’s pretty bold for a gal in any age, but especially, especially in that day.
Martin Luther said, quote, “Good Lord, they will never thrust a wife on me.” He did not want to marry. He was forty years old and a virgin—the original forty-year-old virgin, the great Martin Luther. No one would marry Katharina. And he was not attracted to her or interested in her, but on June 13, 1525, he basically asked her—I think, in part, so she would leave him alone, “Will you marry me?” She said yes. They were married that day, quick.
His friends wept bitterly. [Congregation laughing] Some of you go, “This is sounding very familiar.” When they came to the great Martin Luther and asked him, “Why did you marry her?” he said, quote, “To spite the devil,” which is the least romantic reason given in the history of the world, why one man would marry one woman. It’s theologically correct, but no woman wants to hear that.
And then she got pregnant, and this was quite a scandal, because there was a bit of an old wives’ tale and folklore in Germany that the Antichrist would come from union between a rebellious nun and a renegade monk. So she got pregnant, and everybody was thinking, “Here comes the bride of Chucky. This is going to be the end of the world.” She did give birth, and they ended up going on to have six children—three boys, three girls—and their thirteen-year-old daughter tragically died, and they write of this as a devastating season for them.
They were very socially awkward, because they’d not been around members of the opposite sex, since, well, for her, since she was a little girl. So, the stories are told that she would be sitting with him, as a married couple, and not have any idea how to talk to a man, so she would just throw stuff out like, “Who’s the King of Prussia?” Just trying—and he would be like, “What is this weird woman, addicted to Jeopardy, who I am married to?” She would just throw out these random statements. And they were very socially awkward.
And when she moved into their home, it was a complete bachelor pad. It was an old monastery, and guys were coming and going, and she’d have up to one hundred people over for dinner a night, because the Reformation was sort of exploding out of their home. And he was such a nasty guy. He really was a bachelor. He slept in straw, but hadn’t changed it for years. Yeah, nasty. And so she cleaned up his house, threw out a bunch of stuff—I’m assuming burned the rest—and she turned it into a lovely home, and then she planted a garden, because he had a horrible diet, destroyed his digestive tract. He had legendary flatulence. Actually, there are many stories in the Reformation just connected to that particular fact, that I would share with you, but we won’t. And she was a bit of a naturopath, so she started growing vegetables and helping him to heal physically.
And do you know what happened, over time? They really built an amazing friendship. And you don’t get this from reading the theology of Martin Luther. He’s usually just railing against the pope, which is fun, but— [Congregation laughing] But when you read their letters—and I think there’s a few dozen remaining letters that we have between them—the tone, over the years, gets really affectionate and sweet.
There are occasions, too, where she saved his life. She had a dream that he was going out to preach, and men were lying in wait to murder him, and so she told him, “Honey, I don’t think you should go,” and he didn’t go, because he trusted the Holy Spirit in his wife. And he got a letter, saying, “It’s a good thing you didn’t come. It was all true. You would’ve been killed.”
She became a great confidante and ally. As he’s writing letters, and books, and treatises, oftentimes, she was literally just sitting at his side as his friend. And so she’s included in some of his correspondences to others, you know, “Katharina’s here. She says hi.” They were friends. In the letters, he calls her “Lord Katie,” “dear rib,” “the empress,” “my true love,” “my sweetheart,” “gracious lady,” “wise woman,” “doctor,” “your grace,” “holy lady,” “dear wife,” and “a gift of God.” He’s got nicknames for her. I call Grace, “Beauty.” That’s what I’ve called her for years. He had a lot of nicknames for his lovely wife.
And what I love about her, as well, is she had a really strong sense of humor, irony, and sarcasm, which was necessary for a big personality like Martin Luther. So, once in a while, he would start to pick at her a little bit, and she would just look at him and say, “Obviously, you didn’t pray about that sermon you’re about to preach,” and she would really sort of hold her ground.
And there was one occasion, where he would get very melancholy, very depressed. He would go into serious bouts with depression, and she knew how to snap him out of it. One occasion, the story is told that he was away and returning home, and she dressed in all black like a mourning widow, and opened the door, and he was sort of shocked. And she was standing there, and he asked her, “Who died?” And she said, “Well, if the great Martin Luther is this depressed, I just assumed that God has died.” She had a flare for the dramatic and the comedic.
And what happened to Martin Luther is that what started out as, “We’re not really friends. We don’t really like each other. I’m not really interested in her, but I kind of need to marry her, because I did jailbreak her out of a convent,” turned out to be one of the most glorious marriages, outside of the Bible, in the history of the world. I would go so far as to say that their marriage is the most important marriage, the most influential marriage in the history of the world, outside of the Bible, because now the view of Christian maturity was a husband and wife loving one another, and they had a friendship in a day when marriage was primarily functional.
And as I’ve read and studied Martin Luther on this issue, and as Grace and I were working on this book together, she was reading the biographies of Katharina von Bora, and I was reading the biographies of Martin Luther, and we were studying together and sharing notes. But one of the things that we noticed is that through the course of their life together, his thinking about marriage and his teaching on marriage changed. It went from, “Well, it just exists to keep us from carnal passions and to give us legitimate offspring,” to it really being about friendship. And the laws were changed, and the view of marriage was changed, and life, as we know it, regarding a healthy biblical view of Christian marriage can, in large part, be attributed to the Luthers.
And here is a statement that he gives a little later in his life about his wife: “There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage.” What he’s talking about is friendship. This sermon is titled, “Friend with Benefits.” Unlike the culture, we don’t have friends with benefits—one friend, married friend, with non-medical or dental benefits. That’s what we’re talking about.

Mark Driscoll, Real Marriage, Friend with Benefits


To listen to the message or read the entire transcript, click above link.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Choosing To Be Thankful





Thank you Lord, for providing a new printer after I broke the old one today. 

Thank you Lord, we still have one empty trash can to use after I forgot to put out the trash today.

Thank you Lord, there wasn't any damage to my passengers, my car, or the gas station after I drove away today while still attached.

Thank you Lord, for friends who will drive 45 minutes to rescue me after I locked my keys in my car today.

Yep!  That was my day Tuesday.  Thankfully, they don't happen like that very often.  As I reflected back on the days "adventures" & "memory makers", I saw blessing in each one of these incidents.  So, I am choosing to be thankful for the blessings instead of dwelling on the trials.

Thank you Lord, there are always blessings in the midst of trials :) 



And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  
Col 3:17

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Biblical Fatherhood as the Key to a Thriving Family

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On Sale Today Only For $6!!!!!!!!!

What this country needs is a few good men - husbands and fathers who are willing to love and lead their households with many resolve and godly vision.  Frankly, the Church needs these men every bit as much as the rest of the country.  We are experiencing a national crisis of manhood of epidemic proportions.  Absent of revival of fatherhood, we can expect to see an ever-increasing rise in the number of effeminate boys and masculine women, as well as the breakdown of the Christian family as it is defined in Holy Scripture.  What we desperately need today are men who will be family men and family leaders.  But how?

Family Man, Family Leader first presents the vision of biblical household leadership.  Next, it addresses the many practical issues necessary for achieving victory as a man, from learning and acting upon God's priorities, to decision-making as a father, to growing in oneness with your wife, to personal accountability before the Lord and victory over secret sins.  Whether you are a veteran visionary father, or a dad just beginning the journey of patriarchy, we hope you find the Family Man, Family Leader to be a source of inspiration and practical help.

Click picture to purchase.

On Sale Today Only For $6!!!!!!!!!

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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Vision Forum's Deal of the Day!

Product image10 Truths about America’s Christian Heritage delivers reliable, convincing information about America's Christian heritage and the great legacy established by our nations's Founding Fathers.  Discover the influence of Christianity on the American Revolution, the Bible's role in shaping America and the world's unique perspective on our nation's Christian past.  These easy-to-read truths will equip you to defend the spiritual heritage of our nation and to demonstrate why it is essential for modern Americas to recapture the faith and philosophy of the Founding Fathers. 


Regular price:  $15.00
Sale price:  $6.00 


TODAY ONLY
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Friday, January 6, 2012

More Like Jesus Would I Be

More like Jesus would I be, let my Savior dwell with me;
Fill my soul with peace and love--make me gentle as a dove;
More like Jesus, while I go, pilgrim in this world below;
Poor in spirit would I be; let my Savior dwell in me.

If He hears the raven's cry, if His ever watchful eye
Marks the sparrow when they fall, surely He will hear my call:
He will teach me how to live, all my sinful thoughts forgive;
Pure in heart I still would be--let my Savior dwell in me.

More like Jesus when I pray, more like Jesus day by day,
May I rest me by His side, where the tranquil waters glide.
Born of Him through grace renewed, by His love my will subdued,
Rich in faith I still would be--let my Savior dwell in me.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Vision Forum's Deal of the Day!

Regularly $48
On sale today only for $24!!!
Limited stock

You don't need to be an artist or even hire one to adorn the walls of your home with inspiration from the Word of God.  Our lovely matte vinyl lettering is pre-spaced and looks hand painted when applied to interior wall spaces, including textured walls.  choose from the four designs created exclusively for Vision Forum by Fruitful Vine Creations.  Comes with simple instructions and applicator tool.

The lettering for Psalm 128:3 is dark read.  The color of the actual product has been represented as closely as possible, but may vary slightly from the online preview (due to monitor color calibration).



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