In His Hand

I'll never forget it. One of my co-workers at Sears Portrait studio back in Green Bay, WI, in the 1990's grabbed my hand and said, "I can read palms." Inwardly I chucked, because I think palm readers are a bunch of hooey, but I said to her, "Okay, go ahead and tell me how long I'm going to live." Checking out the creases in my hand she said, "67." I curled my fingers into my palm and thought, "Way to throw out any old number and not have to be accountable for the result, but, alright, I've got lots of good years ahead if she's right."

Again, I think it's balderdash, but she seemed quite confident in her assessment of the lines God placed in my hand. I have no idea how those lines made her come to the 67 conclusion, but that's where she settled. Perhaps God has chosen to number my years at 67, but He and only He knows that time. Job 14:5 tells us He's "determined our days" and Psalm 139:16 says, "In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed," so God has this covered. Matter of fact, it says in Job 12:10 "In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind." Nice to know my life is nestled in the hand of the Creator.  He'll decide that day when my heart stops beating. Until then, my life belongs to Him and His purpose for me. And I trust Him completely with it.

That is what we want for you. No, not a good palm reading, but rather trust that God has you completely in His hands. Matter of fact we're told in Isaiah 49:16 that He has us "inscribed on the palms" of His hands. How much more poignant that becomes when you realize those palms were pierced for us. Talk about inscribed on palms. He's in complete control, has the plan, and we can rest assured in that.

Anton and I were talking yesterday about his future job move. I mentioned something I have told my children many times over the years. That when you have a child, it's like having your heart walk around outside your body. It's a very vulnerable place to be. You want to protect your child - no matter what age they are - from all harm. But Anton assured me of something that melted me. He said, "Mom, I'm been praying about every part of this." What this said to me was, "Mom, I trust God, and He's got this," and if there is anything that can give me peace, it's those words. 3 John 1:4 says, "I have no greater joy than to know my children are walking in the truth." We trust our lives to the Almighty. To know our children do as well, is quite reassuring. 

Your days are numbered. Your days are part of His perfect plan. Trust Him and have peace in knowing He has it all in control ... no matter how long the lines in your palm are.

Discussion: How confident are you that God has your life in His hands? What gives you that confidence? Is there any part of your life you haven't trusted God with?

Prayer: Father, we thank you for our days ahead. We trust your plan for us is for our good and your glory. When we struggle in our days, help us remember you have it all in your hands. In Christ, Amen.

Embrace The Detours

Yesterday was the most bizarre day. I had quite a full day planned. Go to the station to voice track; then head to Montgomery's riverfront to watch the Dragon Boat races; then watch about four hours of the LPGA golf tournament at the RTJ course and lastly to attend the last couple hours of En Fuego, the one-day Christian music festival in Verbena. But it got shredded. First, I had to add four songs to The River playlist, which drained 20 minutes of time away from the time I planned for the Dragon Boat races, so had to skip them. Then we get to the golf course and 30 minutes later a thunderstorm rolls in, calling all the golfers off the course. Play was suspended for five hours. That same storm headed to En Fuego. So nothing happened as I expected. They were all minor inconveniences but I was pretty discombobulated trying to salvage the day to figure out what to do. As Daddy says all the time, "You never know what a day may bring."

You will have days like that. Days you've planned and prepared for that life comes in and rearranges for you in a manner you did not anticipate or appreciate. Sometimes it will just be inconveniences. Sometime it may be far worse ... even tragic. The Father tells us we're supposed to concentrate on just the one day at a time because we just don't know what tomorrow may bring and "each day has enough trouble of it's own." (Matthew 6:34) And that quote of Daddy's above ... it comes straight from Scripture. Proverbs 27:1 says, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring."

The key to this is focusing on what the day has given you. You don't know what the Father has prepared for you. There may be gems in the day. Certain people the Father wants you to meet, souls to help, words to share, services to provide. When a curve ball is thrown at your day, you need to look for the detours and see what it is God wants you to focus on. It takes a little practice to get into the habit of doing so, but it certainly helps give those moments a positive spin. Plus you never know what miracles you may get to witness during these moments, so keep an eye out. Because of the incoming storm yesterday, we headed back to the Club House to get an umbrella. That's where I got to meet Lexi Thompson, one of the lead golfers in this LPGA tournament. It was 45 minutes prior to her tee off time, and she graciously stood with me for a picture. Having watched this young lady play at this tournament for the last five years, winning it in 2011 as the youngest woman to ever win an LPGA tournament at the age of 16, it was a sweet moment for me. All thanks to icky weather.

So embrace the detours. God may just have something special planned for you.

Discussion: Tell about something unexpected that happened to you to throw off a day. What struggles or blessings came of it?

Prayer: Lord when we have things through a kink in our day, helps us to get into the habit of searching for You in it, to see what you may need us to learn or do. May you be glorified in all those detours in our life. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Happy Is The One

Yesterday during my devotion time, I read Psalm 128, one of the songs of ascents (which Jews would read while climbing the stairs to the temple in Jerusalem). This psalm is a beautiful encouragement to everyone, especially men, so I wanted to share it with our husbands-to-be. It says:

¹ Happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
    who walks in his ways.
² You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
    you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.

³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
⁴ Thus shall the man be blessed
    who fears the Lord.
⁵ The Lord bless you from Zion.
    May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life.
⁶ May you see your children’s children.
    Peace be upon Israel!

 When you read these verses, it's pretty clear what the key to happiness is for everyone ... fearing the Lord. Please understand that doesn't mean, "Eek! It's God! RUN!" in the scary fear sense. It means to completely respect. You know how when you were children and you feared disobeying your parents? It's that kind of fear. You are to be righteous enough to be obedient to Him. The phrase after that above explains how ... "who walks in His ways."

And look at what the psalmist says will be the reward! You will be happy, successful in your work, have a wife that compliments you and does good for the Kingdom, have the blessing of children, be blessed, live long and prosper (yeah, it looks like the Star Trek reference came from here). Know that this is not a endorsement for the prosperity gospel, where people believe if you are obedient to God you will be financially successful in life. There are plenty of folks who love the Lord who struggle in poverty. Matthew 5:45 says of God, "He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." Good and bad will happen to everyone. But the eternal consequences of not obeying our Father are far worse. Christ promises us that we will have an abundant life in Him (John 10:10), but that is abundance in the Godly sense. Don't forget how much value there is in the spiritual rewards of a life of faith. Growing God's Kingdom is the best we can do. And being obedient to Him is the place to start.

So strive for righteousness in your life. It is our hope that in doing so, you will be blessed with all that is sung about in the above psalm. And how are we to be obedient? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind," (Deuteronomy 6:5. Matthew 22:37) and "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39). Christ tells us every other law in Scripture hinges on these two commands (Matthew 22:40). There is no greater advice we can give you with regards to your life and your marriage.

Discussion: How difficult is it to be obedient to the Lord? What benefits have you seen to being obedient to Him? How does that obedience make you more successful, a better husband, good father and blessed?

Prayer: Lord God, may we remember to always fear you, love you and be obedient to you. You are our portion, Father, and it is more than enough. May our lives be lived in glory to you. In Christ, we pray, Amen.

Anton Without The E

To think that my baby boy, born on this day 23 years ago, is getting married in June 2016! I will never forget him looking up at me immediately after he was born. I knew his face, because I looked just like him at birth. His tiny blue eyes seemed to recognize me right away. And I was in love. This tiny grubas (as his Great-Grandma Jar called him - I think it meant chubby baby) was a sweet little one, pretty much attached to my hip through infancy. He was named for a man his Daddy considers to be the greatest man he's ever known: Grandpa Anton Zimanek. Athough he's had several nicknames through his life, including One Sock Off and Reggie when he was younger, Little Man, Tone, Toners, Kirby, Little Face and Antush. Anton's love for sports was developed pretty early, as by age 3 he was collecting football figurines and could name any NFL team (Buc-o-ears). If he wasn't watching or playing sports throughout grade school, he was playing with Legos or video games (luckily, each year Madden NFL comes out just days before his birthday making it a perfect gift).

Tone was a pretty smart student. In kindergarten there was a contest to read the most number of books to win a prize. He won, getting an alarm clock which he used through high school. I remember his teacher at parent teacher conferences saying "What do you say about the boy who reads 50 books over the summer?" Tone always needed more formidable classes in school since he was such a quick learner. I remember asking him in second grade, "Learn anything new today?" to which he responded. "Nope, I'm teaching the other kids." This was when I went into the teacher and principal to get him a more challenging work load. He won the Presidential Fitness Award two years on a row and loves volleyball and tennis. Since school work came pretty easily to him, he wasn't a huge studier, but his grades were always excellent. He sped through math courses especially to the point where in middle school he was bussed to the high school to take algebra. It's because of this very thing that Anton met his fiance Kayla.

When we moved to Prattville, we were told by guidance counselors that any classes taken in middle school could not count for graduation. Since Anton had algebra in 8th grade, he had to retake it in high school. This was where he met Kayla, so God has quite a sense of humor, cause I remember Anton being pretty frustrated that he had to retake this class. Not so frustrated about that anymore!

A full academic scholarship in college paired with various part-time jobs (resident assistant for three years along with working with sports information) and honors classes kept Anton pretty busy. He was selected as the top student in the Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management School his graduating year. We are excited to see where the Lord leads him for his future.

Our son is driven, a perfectionist, handsome, loves to work with youth, is technologically quick, athletic and honorable. I have never heard him ever utter a cuss word and he rarely gets angry. He loves the Lord and is head over heels for his fiance, Kayla. And the heart this boy has is a big one. At his engagement party recently, Kayla's parents made sure to have Anton's favorite beer on hand. When asked why he wasn't drinking it, Anton commented that he didn't want to set a bad example for any of the youth who were there. Anton, we thank God you came into our lives. You completed our little family perfectly and have brought so much laughter and fun into our lives! Happy Blessed Birthday!

Discussion: Share an Anton memory.

Prayer: Lord we thank you for the life of Anton and pray you keep him tenderly in your care. We ask that you watch out for his future and bless him in adventures ahead and his marriage to Kayla. We ask this in Jesus, Amen.

Boldog Esküvo Nap!

We haven't done one of these for awhile, but as Kayla has some Hungarian in her, we decided to take a look at some of their wedding traditions.

I think Rob would have liked this Hungarian tradition, but when couples are engaged, both the bride and groom wear rings. They wear them on their left hand during their engagement and at the ceremony move them to their right hand to signify marriage.

In rural villages, the bride processes with her family and bridal party from her home to the groom's home, where she drinks a glass of wine and breaks the glass by throwing it behind her. She may also break an egg to insure healthy children. Sometimes she is given sweet bread, coins or will break dishes for good luck.

A civil ceremony is necessary before the church ceremony. While the bride wears white for her wedding, Hungarian traditional embroidered wedding dresses are red, covered in flowers and includes an apron and elaborate headdress. Often times the bride may change into the traditional dress at the reception around midnight. The bride gifts her new husband three or seven handkerchiefs (three and seven are lucky numbers) and the groom gives the bride a bag of coins.

Wedding are usually in the late afternoon. Guests participate in singing, reading poetry or sharing stories about the couple as part of the ceremony. Names are interesting in Hungary in that the last name comes first. There is no Mr. and Mrs. prefix, so to show the bride is married she adds an "né" (meaning "wife of") at the end of her husband's name. So Ayla would become Goggin Robertné and Kayla would be Zimanek Antonné. Although these days, the bride can have her own first name combined with her husband's surname - which still comes first.

During the reception a huge feast is offered with lots of paprika to spice things up. Paprika is considered to have magical powers. After the meal, there may be traditional Hungarian folk dancing.

Sometimes a guest will steal the bride's shoe, which is held for ransom. The groom usually has to drink champagne out of the shoe to get it back (ew, ick) leaving the bride with a sticky, soggy shoe for the rest of the night. The Dollar Dance is popular at the reception as a way to raise money for the honeymoon (where guests pay to dance with the bride or groom). Usually just before the groom gets to the bride, she's kidnapped by the bridal party. Again the groom must do some activity to prove he is worthy of her to get her back and head for the honeymoon.

Because the party lasts all night, breakfast is offered to guests in the morning as they watch the sunrise on their new life together.

Boldog Esküvo Nap! (Happy Wedding Day!)

Discussion: What of the above traditions do you find interesting? Which are not appealing to you?

Prayer: Lord God, we give you glory and stand in awe of the different cultures found in this world. We thank you for all the differences and as for your blessing on the traditions used in our children's weddings. In Jesus name, Amen.

Always and Never

"You never..." or "You always..." You know those generalization statements are two of the Top 10 things to never, ever, ever say to your spouse? Because first of all, always? Really, always? Or never? That is a pretty huge generalization. Talk about an exaggeration, so right off the bat we're talking about an untruth. These types of comments are made always - yes, always - as a cut down. You never hear at the end of that statement "You always tell me you love me" or "You never fail to encourage me in all I do." They are always blanket critiques of a spouse to come around to your way of thinking or chip away at their character.

But let's look at it from the other side for just a minute. If your spouse is making such a broad statement, is there a shred of truth in that whatever you are being criticized for? If your spouse feels the need to use the terms "you always" or "you never," you may be doing said problem more often than you should.

So here's the solution: don't generalize. It's demeaning, inflated and critical. If you are frustrated that your spouse "Never makes the bed," "Never rinses off the dishes," "Always make us late," or "Always leaves the cap off the toothpaste," find a way to comment without critiquing. "Honey, the toothpaste gets hard if you leave the cap off. Could you take a few seconds to put that back on?" Or "It's frustrating for me to be the one to always make the bed and it makes the room look tidier when it's made. Could you help me do it or do it every other day?" Now that doesn't mean you'll get a positive response, but then at least you haven't cut your spouse down, but rather asked kindly for help and given a reason for it. And if you don't see results, that is when you get on your knees as ask God to do a work. He's much better at it anyways. Just know when you ask, He may flip the situation around to do the work in you, especially if you are being overly critical or picky.

The other half of that solution is - for crying out loud - listen to your spouse. There is a reason they feel exasperated enough to make such a sweeping statement, so hear what they have to say, and make adjustments. It will probably only take a short period of time to do so, leading to more peace and sweetness in the relationship.

What does the Bible have to say about always and never? This: "Always be joyful. Never stop praying." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (New Living Translation). The only time we want to hear you say "you always" or "you never" is when it's followed by a word of edification.

Discussion: Have you ever been on the receiving end of a "you always" or "you never" statement? How did it make you feel? Do you ever say it?

Prayer: Father, we pray we never make such statements as above and instead communicate in love to one another. Help us to be good listeners to our spouse and encouragers. In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Slippery Slope

I remember when my friend told me she lied to her husband. "Well, he hates when I go shopping - he gets angry - so I just told him I had to work late." Okay, red flags went up all over the place with that one. Rather than deal with his anger, she decided it was better to lie to him. The problem is he learned about it. I remember hearing from another friend that he said, "How do I trust her when she lies to me?"

There are so many things wrong with the above situation it's hard to know where to begin. First off, why was he angry when she shopped? Was she breaking the family budget? Was she spending too much time away from him? That was the issue that needed addressed. Secondly, lying, really? When you think that lying to your husband is the best solution, you've got a much bigger problem. To quote your Daddy, "That is a slippery slope." Because as we know one lie leads to another. And if you are caught in that lie, the last bit of the above story comes true, which is the third point: how do you trust each other?

Your Daddy used to ask me every time I shopped, "How much did you spend?" I would get angry with the question because it seemed he didn't trust me to shop frugally, which I worked very hard to do. It seemed no matter what the amount was, it was too much. So I started telling him a rounded-up number. $200 when it would be significantly less. So when I got an angry "You spent $200!?" from him, I would do the old, "No, of course not, it was $50." Now suddenly $50 didn't sound so bad. Except he caught on pretty quickly to that and was all, "Even $50 is too much!" As you can see we had a bigger issue - the budget. Covering that with anger and exaggerations was no solution.

Here's the bottom line: Do. Not. Lie. There is no advantage to this. You may think you're staving off the beast, but honestly, you're just feeding him and making him larger. Plus, don't forget this is a commandment. "Thou shalt not lie." (Exodus 20:16, Leviticus 19:11). That includes the little white ones, lies of omission and exaggerations. You will not be benefiting your marriage in any way by lying. If you catch yourself doing this, back up immediately, ask yourself why you feel you need to lie and address that bigger problem. Nip this issue in the bud before it gets far uglier. Lying is never the answer.

Discussion: What are some ways to handle a problem rather than lie to one another? Tell of an experience when one lie led to another or when you were caught in the lie.

Prayer: Father, you has us to speak the truth to one another. We pray, Father, for patience in discussing important issues and remembering how much we value one another that we do not lie to each other. Give us the wisdom in advance to stop ourselves before we go in that direction. In Jesus name, Amen.

It So Desires

It is one of the most erotic pieces of literature in the world, this romance novel. But you won't find it on the shelf of a used paperback book store. It's in the Bible. It's called the Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs. Our boy King Solomon wrote it for one of his 700 wives (yes, 700, the crazy man). She was the daughter of a prince, a dark-skinned Shulamite who cared for vineyards. And Solomon was obviously deeply in love and lust for this woman. So much so that he wrote eight chapters of mushy love in the form of a play or dialogue between himself, his bride and friends. And boy oh boy is it sexy. Now scholars will tell you this is a symbolic representation of Christ and the church - and perhaps it is - but you cannot hide the sexually suggestive verbiage. Here's a few just to give you an example:

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." 1:2
"My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts." 1:13
"His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me." 2:3
"How beautiful you are my darling! Oh how beautiful." 4:1
"Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let me lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits." 4:16
"My lover thrust his hand through the latch opening; my heart began to pound for him." 5:4
"His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely." 5:16
"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." 6:3
"Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit. I said, 'I will climb the palm tree; and take hold of its fruit.'" 7:8

I mean, hubba hubba. Hard to see the Christ/church representation in that. It's romantic, sexy love right there. You want to turn on your spouse, just read a few of those! Daddy likes to listen to the Bible when he's going to and from work. He says if he's listening to the Song of Solomon, it makes him want to rush home.

Now there are a few verses that I have to giggle at, simply because they aren't quite as romantic as the others, like: "Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep, just shorn," (4:1-2) That won't get you panting. But they make for good comic relief in an otherwise "better take a cold shower" poem tucked in the center of the Bible.

We bring the Song of Solomon up for a couple of reasons. First, to show you how exquisite these words of love are found right in the pages of Scripture, thus of great importance to our Father; and second, for you to remember how beautiful sex is in a marriage. This is divine guidance at its amorous best. So delight in God's words through Solomon. It's part of the Bible for a reason.

And with that, I'm going to go find my beloved. I have some Scripture to read to him.

Discussion: What do you think of the Song of Solomon? If this is a representation of Christ's relationship with the church, can you point to a few verses in the Song of Solomon that describe this?

Prayer: Father, we thank you for your beautiful creation of marriage and love making in it. May be always delight in one another ... and in your Word. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Sing Praises! Sing Praises!

The other day I was hanging a shadow box I made for your Daddy in his newly redesigned man cave/office. The shadow box is heavy, thus has two hooks on the back for hanging. I typically hate hanging these particular pieces of artwork because you need to measure the distance from the top of the frame to the hook and the distance between the hooks to level the frame ... which for me more often the not requires a second time for correction after the nails have already been pounded in. Then you have to hope the hooks can catch on each nail perfectly. So here I am hanging something way above my height, trying to get these hooks to catch ... and they just won't. Over and over I'm lifting the heavy frame attempting this, sometimes getting one to catch, sometimes it catching and pulling the nail out of the wall. I was already uncomfortable with the height and weight of what I was doing and getting increasingly frustrated, then angry. And that's when I looked over to my right and saw there an engraved wooden copy of the lyrics to How Great Thou Art hanging on the wall. So I started to sing the song out loud. I felt a peace come over me that can only be explained by the Holy Spirit. Singing praise to my Father in heaven during this frustrating experience, calmed and centered me ... and the shadow box hooked right on. Yeah, it wasn't level, so I had to redo it, but it didn't matter. I was praising God in the midst of it.

When we are in the heat of circumstances that frustrate us, if we immediately went in prayer or burst into glorious songs of praise, we might have far fewer arguments, outbursts and failures. There is something overpowering about songs of praise, and the Bible is chock full of them. They are called Psalms. Every time I come across a Psalm with the word "sing" in it or "praise," I underline it. Working for a Christian radio station, I love to see those words in Scripture, as that is what the artists do on The River. Matter of fact, many of the songs we hear on The River come directly from Psalms.

• "From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised." Psalm 113 and Sing Your Praise To The Lord by Rich Mullins.
• "For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies." Psalm 108 and Your Love O Lord by Third Day.
• "Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great." Psalm 104:1 and How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin.
• "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name." Psalm 103 and 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman.
• "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music." Psalm 98:4 and Shout To The Lord by Darlene Zschech.
• "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:1 and How Majestic Is Your Name by Michael W. Smith.

And those are just a few. You want to be uplifted in spirit? Go to the Psalms. Searching for just the right words to be in praise to the Father? The Psalms have that. Even looking for words of prayer? Yep, the Psalms are your go-to place. Let that be where your soul goes in times of struggle, frustration, sorrow and anger ... singing in praise to the One True God. When the two of you get into an argument, perhaps one can start to sing in glory of our Father. Imagine how quickly the argument will come to an end!

"I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." Psalm 146:2
Amen and amen.

Discussion: What is your favorite praise song? Is there a time when you were frustrated and a song to God brought you peace? Do you have a favorite Psalm?

Prayer: Father, how good it is to sing praises to you. (Psalm 147:1). I will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. (Psalm 145:7). I will sing you a new song of praise. (Psalm 149:1). I will give thanks to you for you are good! (Psalm 106:1) I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High." (Psalm 9:1-2). In the sweet name of Jesus, Amen.

Every Secret Thing

I respected him as a father and husband. I admired his political and moral views. But today ... today I am embarrassed for him. I am disappointed in him and even angry. I have lost respect for him. And my heart aches for his wife, children and extended family. I'm talking about Josh Duggar, the eldest son of the 19 Kids And Counting TLC reality show parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. Several months ago it was revealed Josh had molested his younger sisters when he was a young teen. It seemed like he and his parents had gone through the appropriate channels to both punish and educate their son and protect and comfort their children. He seemed to put that behind him and make better choices through his life. However, he secretly opened two accounts at the adultery-encouraging website known as Ashley Madison. Hackers recently released account information to the public (which the Ashley Madison folks denied could happen), Scarlet-Lettering marriage-destroying folks to the world. The fact that this site had 37 million followers thoroughly repulses me. Their goal was destruction of marriages and families, and now with this high-and-dry exposure, that will certainly happen. What a sad and sorry state these men and women have put their relationships and family into. What prompts a husband or wife to sign up to purposefully cheat on their spouse? It makes me absolutely sick.

And here's a guy, Josh, who has a beautiful wife, precious children, a family that loves the Lord, fame in a reality show that espouses faith and values, a career in morality, plenty of money - he's got everything - and it's just not enough. He decides to commit adultery, which he claims started with an addiction to pornography.

You know, we have this Father in Heaven who has created this beautiful institution called marriage and gifted those couples with love making, and for some folks that isn't good enough. They take what is good and make it evil, as mankind has been doing for thousands of years. I read one women comment on pornography as "natural and a reality." Say what?! There is no way God intended for people to be exploited in this manner. And its effects on marriage and love making are catastrophic. It is not okay. It's disgusting and destructive.

My children, you must understand that these vows you take ... they are legit. They are binding in the eyes of the Father. Adultery is a sin, one with consequences like the destruction of marriage, separating families and losing trust. Remember when we talked about how Adam and Eve, by disobeying God and eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, didn't learn about good? They already knew good in the Garden of Eden. What they learned in their disobedience was evil. By opening doors to things like pornography and adultery websites, you are learning about evil. Why would you ever want to learn about that?

I am begging you to please be wise in your choices. Shield your eyes from things that tempt you. Focus on your faith. Love your spouses. Remember the vows you make. Be a person of integrity and respect. I promise you Satan will never let up on you, so be armored up. Take delight in the beauty and good that God has given you. Remember King Solomon, who had it all, commented at the end of his book Ecclesiastes in 12:13-14, "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." It appears God has indeed brought the people of Ashley Madison's secret things into judgment.

You have been blessed to find someone you love more than anyone else in the world. Cherish and nurture that always. Be obedient to the Lord. Christ promised us that He came so that we may have life abundantly (John 10:10) and that comes from obeying His voice. That is our prayer for you ... obedience and an abundant life. It's so worth it.

Discussion: What are your thoughts on adultery and pornography? What are things you can do to prevent yourself from being tempted?

Prayer: Father, we live in a broken world, which you so graciously gave yourself up for. Father, I pray that your children, the ones who say they belong to you, will remember to be obedient to you and will shut the door, close their eyes and cover their ears to prevent exposing themselves to evil. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Content In Any Situation

I will never forget visiting a friend once and looking as she opened her pantry. In it she had two or three of everything from canned goods to cleaning products. I remember being awed by it. She noticed and said, "When I was little, we had nothing, so I make sure I have plenty of extra around." The reason I was awed was because in our financial state at the time we were lucky to have the one we used let alone extras. When we ran out, we got more, unless the money wasn't there, in which case then we went without. At that point, I couldn't imagine having an extra bottle of laundry detergent, extra box of cereal or second box of Q-tips.

I also remember the first time I got a paycheck for a job I loved. I remember weeping thinking someone was actually paying me to do something I enjoyed doing. I was honored by it, almost feeling undeserving. I think when God gifts you with a talent and you use it to serve him, it's humbling when someone wants to pay you to use it. But I was also used to making so much less, that receiving a larger paycheck was a bit of a shock.

I remember times of turning down invitations to go see something with friends because the money just wasn't there. I remember a number of Ramen noodle soup lunches. I shopped thrift and discount stores for our clothes, furniture and other household needs (still do, actually - I enjoy finding treasures). I rejoiced (and still do) when friends gave me hand-me-downs.

But I don't remember going hungry. I don't remember worrying about filthy windows just because I was out of Windex. I don't remember having nothing to wear. I don't remember ever not having a warm place to lay my head in winter. So even our "for poorer" was far richer than many will see in their entire lives.

It did give me a respect for what I have and a desire not to waste money. I am always searching for the better deal.

My sweet ones, you may end up being financially set in the future with not a monetary care in the world, and honestly I wish that for you. But then again, you may have times where the dollar isn't stretching as far as you wish it would. You will learn from both. You will be blessed in both. Proverbs 22:2 says, "The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all." And 1 Samuel 2:7 "The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts." And Philippians 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." We pray whatever situation you find yourself in that you praise the Lord and remember those who have less than you. Remember where your money comes from and to Whom it belongs. And bless the Kingdom with it. 

Discussion: Tell of a time when you were in plenty. In want. What did you learn from those experiences? How can you bless others in the times of want? What are things you do now to not be wasteful?

Prayer: We give thanks to you, the Most High God, for any blessings you give us. We know all good things come from you. Thank you for caring for us. Help us to be wise and generous with what we have. And may you always be glorified in it. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Wedding Prayer

When I was a little girl all the way through college, my friends loved my mother. I mean loved her. I cannot tell you how many people told me that very thing. "I love your Mom. She is so cool." She was certainly that and funny, took in interest in them and loved them deeply because I loved them. When you hear of girls who didn't get along with their mothers or were embarrassed by them growing up, that wasn't me. I loved watching her continuously reach out to the lonely and hurting to lift them up. My mother was one of my best friends. I loved to be with her and at the same time deeply respected her.

Today is my mother's 73rd birthday and she has fully lived those 73 years. She's has gobs of stories to tell you all about it. She believes that God has blessed her to be a blessing. She trusts He will completely care for her and thus cares for His children. She's the one who will hunt for the perfect gift for you, even when there is nothing to celebrate. She is creative, hilarious, animated, adventurous and faithful. And seven trips to the hospital in the last 10 months can't keep her down. Thelma, Timmy Jo, Themla, Sisty Ugler, Mom, Gaga ... so many names to describe my precious mom. A woman who has loved my children exuberantly and helped raise my nephews. It may be my mouth speaking, but it is my mother's words and intonation that often come out. I am proud to have her for my mother and I know she is one of God's favorites.

My mother helped me put together our wedding nearly 28 years ago. She was like our wedding planner. I know I would have never been able to pull it off by myself, especially since I was in my last year of college and preparing to move to Tennessee where my future husband had gotten his first job. Taped to the inside of our Wedding Book of Memories is a card given to us by my mother the day of our wedding. On the front it says, "The Wedding Prayer" and on the inside it says this:

GOD IS LOVE

May you have His kind of love for each other.

LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND

May you be able to lovingly overlook each other's faults and weaknesses.

LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS OR BOASTFUL

May you seek praise for each other and not for yourselves.

LOVE IS NOT ARROGANT OR RUDE

May you give of yourselves for each other's needs

 and treat one another with utmost respect.

LOVE DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY

May you genuinely listen to each other 

with a willingness to be wrong yourselves.

LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE OR RESENTFUL

May you be tolerant of each other's moods,

always ready to forgive, never holding a grudge.

LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE AT WRONG

BUT REJOICES IN THE RIGHT

May you experience happiness because

of each other's triumphs and successes.

LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS
May you seek to understand each other's differences

knowing you will stick together through it all.

LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS

May you fully trust and support each other in all your endeavors

LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS

May you always expect the best in each situation

LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS

May you never give up your commitment

to work on improving your relationship

LOVE NEVER ENDS

May you spend the rest of your lives together enjoying His love

GOD IS LOVE

Most of the above comes from 1 Corinthians 13, otherwise known as The Love Chapter of the Bible. Rob and Ayla have selected 1 Corinthians 13 as one of their Scripture readings at their wedding. What is interesting about that is Ayla vowed she would never have the Love Chapter as part of the wedding because it was so over used. However, at a recent worship service, the pastor focused on this passage and Ayla was sold. How precious to note that it was highlighted in my Mom's card to us.

Love is the key, the center, of every marriage. And it's a tall order, as you read above. And it's not just a marriage Scripture but rather the way God intends for us to treat everyone. You will fail in many aspects of that as you go through life, but we pray you never cease to aim for it and forever try to emulate it... I know my mother has. Wishing her a birthday filled with as much joy as she exudes. Happy Birthday, Mom!

Discussion: Share a Gaga/Thelma story. Which aspect of 1 Corinthians 13 is the hardest for you?

Prayer: Father, we glorify your name and praise you forever! Thank you for the life of Thelma Jo Haas Lauritzen. We ask for your healing hand to be on her to keep her healthy and for you to bless her day and year. And may we all strive to love as you love us. In Christ's name, Amen.

For The Long Haul

Today is Jadoosh and Busha's 54th anniversary. And I think if you asked them, they would say these have been the most blissful, beautiful, perfect, carefree, fun, romantic, loving, financially-easy, fairy-tale 54 years. And if you believe that, we have a great deal for you on a bridge we're selling. If they are reading this right now, they are giggling, knowing those 54 years have not all been rosy. There have been challenges as they have certainly seen both sides of "good times and bad," "in sickness and in health" and "for richer or for poorer." But I can also guarantee you they will say, regardless of the circumstances in their marriage, there has always been love.

They are a precious couple. Dad Z's the more boisterous of the two: fun, energetic, adventurous and hard working. Mom is quieter: precious, patient, sweet, generous, caring and also hard working. They come from backgrounds where they know what it takes to make things work and appreciate what they have. They both care for their church, neighbors and family. They reach out to the hurting. They know how to have fun and know when to let each other go off and have it. They enjoy road trips together. They adore their grandchildren (just ask them to pick a favorite, I dare you). They compliment each other beautifully, knowing each other's quirks and habits. You may hear a "No, Honneeey," coming from Dad and a "To-ny," coming from Mom, but they've been together long enough to know what both of those really mean, and neither comment is demeaning or a deal breaker for either of them.

They are in love. They have loved each other for more than 54 years. And they have loved others in the process. God brought them together as a team to do great and glorious things for Him. And they will continue to.

If there is one thing I am proud to say your Daddy comes from, it's a long line of successful marriages. His grandparents, great aunt and uncle, his parents, his aunt and uncle on his paternal side and several aunts and an uncle on the maternal side ... all have had successful, long marriages. These folks married for the long haul and have been devoted to their spouses through successes and failures. It gives me peace knowing these are the examples my beloved has had in his life. And he is setting the same for our children.

We celebrate the marriage of Anthony and Barbara today. We rejoice with them and praise God for them. This is how it's done, and done well. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad Z. We love you.

Discussion: What have you observed about people who have been in long marriages?  Share a story about Jadoosh and Busha.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you for those who have placed their trust and confidence in you and have been true to their vows. We thank you for Tony and Barb and ask for your blessings on their marriage and the years to come. In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Rejected ... Again

While creating Daddy his own office space yesterday, I came across something as I was tidying. It was a old brown envelop, and in it was 22 letters ... rejection letters. Every single letter your Daddy received from newspapers all over the country who did not want to hire his recently-graduated, 22-year-old self. In the days before the Internet, Daddy would have to wait to hear about job openings through a magazine called Editor & Publisher. And in a desperate attempt to get a job, knowing he was getting married in just five months, he send out resumes, cover letters and clips to newspapers all over the nation. And nobody wanted him. He received rejection letter after rejection letter. I want you to imagine this young man, knowing he was getting married and wanting to support his future bride, hearing over and over again, 22 times, that they had no opening for him, or that he wasn't what they were looking for. He then sent a resume to a newspaper in Murfreesboro, TN, for a job opening at The Daily News Journal. He hadn't received a rejection letter from their sports department yet, so he called to find out the status of his application. He was told he was "over qualified," and that they had thrown his resume in the garbage. Your Dad then told them, "Well, take it out of the garbage, cause I need a job." They hired him, and he moved down to TN in Wanda, our new, unairconditioned, light blue Plymouth. My sweet husband was tenacious about finding a job, regardless of the constant rejection.

No one likes to be rejected. And to be rejected over and over again is quite taxing and a blow to your self-esteem. You start to second guess yourself, wondering what's wrong with you and what you could have done better in your application process. It's frustrating. And there are two ways to respond: dust yourself off and try again, or dejectedly slack off and hold yourself a little pity party.

A friend shared with me two Monday's ago that she had applied for eight day care jobs and that every single one turned her down. She said, "I think I am going to call the last place and ask what more I can do to make myself more marketable, because I'm consistently told 'You're not what we were looking for.' Well, what are they looking for?" I told her I would pray for her and keep an ear open for available jobs, but heard a few days later that she was hired at a day care. What impressed me about her in this process is she was not about to give up. Her response was, "What do I need to do to improve?"

Right after Anton went to high school and with Ayla off to college, I decided to find a job to bring in a little extra money when we lived in Wisconsin. After being a stay-at-home mother for years, I wondered how open the job field would be for someone with little job experience over the last 18 years, except for some part-time work and freelancing. I found out pretty quickly as no one would hire me. In a last ditch attempt, I had one more interview which I went to pretty pessimistically. They hired me. And it was not long after that that I was hired for a dream job as a DJ at a Christian radio station.

There's a couple things Daddy and I have learned in this process. First of all, God has a plan. He already knows what He wants you to do. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart." It's the wait that's hard. Waiting for His direction when we want to know right now, that requires patience and praise. His timing is perfect. So the rejections may have nothing to do with you personally and everything to do with where God wants you. He's closing the doors He does not want you to pass through.

The second thing we learned is rejection is an excellent teacher. You learn patience, endurance and empathy. You learn how strong you are. You know Dr. Suess's first book was rejected by 27 publishers? Did you know Walt Disney once was fired because he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas?" Did you know Steven Spielberg was rejected from USC's film school three times? That Elvis Presley was told after performing at the Grand Ole Opry, "You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck." And when you remember that Christ Himself - God Incarnate - was rejected by the high priests of His time, you realize you are in excellent company.

I asked Daddy once why he kept these letters. He said he wanted a reminder of what it took to get where he was today.

Dear ones, you are going to be rejected many times over the years. Rejected by employers and rejected by friends. The latter will hurt far worse, but both can be a blessing. So first off, don't waste your time lamenting the rejection. In the words of my friend, Kem: "Water off a duck's back." Take it for what it is, a gentle push in a new direction, and step forward in grace and the promise that God has this. Proverbs 19:21 says, "The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established" and in Proverbs 16:3 "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." Know that every single rejection is just one step closer to success! So dust yourself off and try again.

Discuss: Talk about a time when you were rejected? How did you feel? What did you learn from the experience? What good came from it?

Prayer: Lord, we trust that you have our lives completely in your hands and we thank you for loving us so very much that you have a hopeful future for us. Give us strength in rejection and courage to strive on in you. In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Settlings of Silver

My sweet baby girl is 25 years old. A quarter of a century has passed since the afternoon when she entered our lives. A head full of black hair and blue eyes, she was one of the most beautiful babies I had ever seen. I didn't recognize me in her when I saw her tiny face. It wasn't until I saw a picture of Brad as an infant that I realized she looked just like him. She was so little, only 6 pounds, 13 ounces. One to always play with dolls as a child, I finally had a living one to cuddle, kiss, dress and care for. God combined her Daddy and I beautifully and this tiny princess was fashioned. We were instantly in love. We named her Ayla Elizabeth, and our journey began with her.

Her first joyful smile came at 3 months. She became a green-eyed blonde by a year. She was spelling words at 18 months. She became a big sister at 2. She was dancing, swimming, reading, singing, playing pretend and creating all throughout her childhood. A woman who saw her once, exclaimed, "She's like sunshine!" We moved from Tennessee, to Wisconsin, to Georgia, to Wisconsin in her school years. She owned a business in grade school, won many awards, graduated high school second in her class. Ayla had her Bachelor's by age 20 in North Carolina, an internship at Disney World and her Master's in Rhode Island by 22, pursuing her love of the culinary arts. And now she's in love with Robert Goggin and planning a wedding in Florida.

She is driven, energetic, adventurous, creative, brilliant, caring and generous. She has excellent managing and organizing skills. She loves to travel, scrapbook, run, read and cook. She loves sparkles and all things Disney. She has a deep loyalty for friends and goes out of her way to make them feel special. And she loves her Lord and Savior. For us: "I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth." (3 John 1:4) And this cannot even begin to encapsulate her life and what she means to us. She is not just our daughter; she one of our best friends.

Today is the silver anniversary of her birth. When we were her age, one of the greatest things to ever happen to us occurred ... she was born. We celebrate these 25 years and excitedly look forward to what the future years hold for her. Happy Birthday, daughter! May this year be the best one yet! We love you.

Discussion: Share an Ayla memory.

Prayer: Father, we thank you for our daughter and the 25 years you have gifted to her. We pray, Father, for your continued blessings in her life and pray her journey to you is filled with many opportunities to love your children. In Christ, Amen.

Doxa Logia (Saying Glory)

The other afternoon I was watching the 1993 movie The Secret Garden. The idea of finding a buried key and locked iron door to a stone-walled garden is magical fun. In the story, an unwell boy, named Colin Craven, has been shunned by his father since he was a sickly born baby, whose mother died in childbirth. Devastated at the loss of his wife, Mr. Craven spends months away from his home and rarely if ever sees his son. Colin becomes well after spending time with his cousin, Mary Lennox and her friend, Dicken, in a secret garden they found locked away. Colin begs the manor's servants to send for his father so he can see how well he's gotten. When they don't, he asks his friends to resort to magic to bring him home. They build a bonfire and chant some gobbledygook words and then "Oh, great magic, please come to me! Send me my father here. Set his spirit free!" It's implied in the movie this magical chant causes Colin's father to dream about returning home, which he does forthwith. Father and son are reconciled and the ending is a happy one.

I have the book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (given to me in 1974 by my paternal grandparents for Christmas). I wanted to reread parts of it to see how closely the movie followed the original work. And I learned something that troubled me. The magic song that Colin wants to sing is not a chant ... it's the Doxology. You know, the song that congregants sing in church after the offering has been collected?

Written by Thomas Ken in 1674, it's the the last stanza of the hymn Awake My Soul and With The Sun. It was written for personal devotion singing, since hymns not taken verbatim from Scripture were forbidden in worship during this time. Now ironically, this stanza is not only sung in worship but in thousands of churches every single Sunday!

The magic in the story is praise of the Father. In the story, Colin is taken by the song and loves that Dicken learned it in church. I find when songs are repetitively sung as part of a Sunday service, people can lose passion in worship. But in January I heard the organist at my mother's church play The Doxology (which means "saying glory") as an introductory piece, adding dynamics and volume each subsequent time she played it. By the end, I had the chills and tears streaming down my cheeks. It was the most powerful version of the song I'd ever heard and I felt praise welling within me.

Do you know how important praise of our Father is? We want to make sure you know. It's so important that it's the first thing Jesus says in The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-10 during the Sermon on the Mount: "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." That whole part is praise. Interestingly, when I was walking Friday morning, two different songs on my Ipod which feature words from that prayer came on in a row: Manifesto by The City Harmonic and a melody by Michael O'Brien. Both are powerful moving renditions, both songs serving in the praise capacity. Praise of our Father should be number one on our list of things to do. Praising Him for not just what He does, but who He is!

• Psalm 145:1-2 says, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being." 
• Psalm 86:12 say, "I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever."
• Exodus 15:2 says, "The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him." 
• Psalm 35:28 tells us how often we should praise: "Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long."
• In the book of Revelation, the angels sing, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

In your marriage, we want praise of God our Father to be your desire. If everything you do as a couple, or as individuals stems from praise to our Father, everything else should fall neatly in to place. Praise produces obedience, obedience produces righteousness, and with righteousness comes an overabundance of love for God, His children and creation. That's the kind of praise we want you to have.
 
In the book The Secret Garden, Colin says after hearing The Doxology, "I like it. Perhaps it means just what I mean when I want to shout out that I am thankful to the Magic ... Perhaps they are both the same thing." Not perhaps, but most certainly. Amen.

Discussion: See if you can write down or say a sentence of praise to God about who He is verses what He does. What are somethings you see that cause you to burst into praise? What are some ways of praising God? How can praise of God be beneficial to your marriage?

Prayer: Father, you are glorious and almighty. Love for you fills our hearts and bursts forth in song! Holy, holy, holy are you! We rejoice in you! We love, praise and adore you and step forward this day to make your name known. In Christ, Amen.

Buttonholes

The bride carries a bouquet, whether composite, cascade, nosegay or other style. The bridesmaids, too, typically carry some kind of bouquet or single flower (although the other day, Daddy and I saw on a show bridesmaids carrying a cluster of feathers). And the guys what do they carry? Well, nothing. They wear buttonholes, or as they are more commonly known in their French term, boutonnieres (pronounced boo-ten-ears). Basically this is a flower that is stuck into the left side buttonhole of suit jacket lapels. Although usually now they are pinned to the suit. Historically, men wore them for the same reason women carried flowers ... to hide their smell, and in some cases in the belief they kept away the evil spirits. Hope they were big flowers, smell wise. Others say the boutonniere was a way for Medieval knights to show who their female supporter was during jousts because they would wear her "colors."

Boutonnieres can be made of real or fake flowers or no flowers at all. We have seen boutonnieres made of seashells, keys, buttons (buttons in a buttonhole ... how original), seeds, weeds, ropes and beads. Boutonnieres are usually worn by the groom, groomsmen and fathers and grandfathers of the couple (moms and grandma's can wear corsages or carry one bloom). They can be one simple flower, a leaf and a sprig of Baby's Breath, or several flowers. You can personalize them with tokens unique to the groom or couple. The key is to keep them simple and classy. Too large and the arrangement may droop or pull at the lapel funny.

In Rob's case, the couple has selected a succulent for the boutonnieres because the color compliments the color of the bride and bridesmaids flowers. When I asked Anton what kind of boutonnieres he would be having, he replied, "What's a boutonniere?" so guessing that is in the planning stages just yet.

Did you know guys used to wear boutonnieres all the time? It was part of the fashion. Now, they are usually worn for special occasions like weddings and proms. But they certainly debonair-up a suit.

And there is an art to putting them on. Pins should be put behind the lapel through the front and stem and back into the lapel. Two pins are necessary, either parallel to each other or crisscrossed. The pointy part of the pin faces the heart.

Classy and debonair, the boys will be snazzy in their boutonnieres for the big day!

Discussion: What is a classy boutonniere to you? What is the oddest boutonniere you have seen?

Prayer: Lord, we look forward to seeing our gentlemen all dressed up in tuxedos and wearing their boutonnieres. We thank you for the beautiful flowers and plants you have made. We love you, Father. In Jesus, Amen.

Skillful In Your Work

I watched two very interesting shows the other day. One was an interview by Piers Morgan with Donny Osmond in 2013 on You Can't Fire Me. I'm Famous. The other was a documentary on Sushi Chef Jiro Ono of Tokyo called Jiro Dreams Of Sushi. They were vastly different in subject matter, but yet had a very similar element.

The interview with Donny shared his life story: his teen sensation days, his TV series, failure and success on Broadway, struggles with consumers' changing perception of him as an artist and his current show business achievements. As a whole, the entire show was about hard work, something he has done since he was 3. Yes, age 3.

The documentary on Jiro also spoke to hard work, something Jiro said started when he was in first grade. He was told he had no home to come back to, spurring him on to work hard to survive. He is nearly 90 years old and still head chef at his restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro, where 20-course meals start at $300.

I was impressed by the relentless hard work of both of these men. They strive for perfection and give everything they have to the profession they've chosen. They aim to provide their customers with the very best of who they are and what they do. It is admirable.

We are happy our children are driven. They want to do the very best at what they do, and we see that in Rob and Kayla, too. To not settle for mediocrity, to endeavor to reach a top that is ever extended higher, is an estimable accomplishment. God has gifted us all with talents and expects us to use them to their greatest capacity. He wants us to continue to learn and improve. The Bible tells us to work hard. Proverbs 22:29 says. "Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men." Ephesians 4:28 says, "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands..." and here comes the why, "so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." Isn't that interesting? The Lord wants us to work hard not for accolades or financial success to our wealthy benefit, but rather that we might help His children in need. In Acts 20:35 it says, "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” John 5:17 says, "But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working.'”

Work hard. Do your best. Learn everything you can to become even better. Do great things. But remember why you do it ... to His glory and the blessing of His Kingdom (Colossians 3:23). With that focus in mind and working as if serving the Lord Himself, success is inevitable.

Discussion: What are your talents? How do you use those gifts? Do you tend to work hard or hardly work? What is success to you? How do you use what God has gifted you with to serve Him?

Prayer: Lord you are the One who created us and gave us the unique talents we have. We pray we work hard to improve our skills and use them to be a blessings to others. In Christ, Amen.

There I Am

I was looking up most popular love songs recently for a game Ayla wants to play at the rehearsal dinner. After going through hundreds of songs and completing the project for Ayla, I stumbled across one more. Why it never came to me in the first place was a surprise since it was sung at our wedding. But even more surprising is that it took me so long to find it on Top 25 or Top 50 love song lists. It was on a Top 100 list. Guess the other two weren't long enough. But that surprises me, because it is one of the most beautiful love songs there is.

It's called There Is Love or The Wedding Song. It was written by Paul Stookey of the group Peter, Paul and Mary for Peter Yarrow's wedding back in 1969. The lyrics say this:

He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts
Rest assured this troubadour is acting on his part
The union of your spirits here has caused him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in his name
There is love
There is love
Well a man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home
They shall travel on to where the two shall be as one
As it was in the beginning, is now until the end
Woman draws her life from man and gives it back again
And there is love
There is love
Well then what's to be reason for becoming man and wife
Is it love that brings you here, or love that brings you life
For if loving is the answer, then who's the giving for?
Do you believe in something that you've never seen before?
Oh, there's love
Oh there's love
Oh the marriage of your spirits here has caused him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in his name
There is love
Ah there's love

What a lot of folks don't know is the first stanza's original lyrics said this:

I am now to be among you at the calling of your hearts
Rest assured this troubadour is acting on My part
The union of your spirits here has caused Me to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in My name
There am I
There is love

Peter, Paul & Mary

The story goes that Paul had recently became a Christian and was asked by Peter to bless his wedding with a song. Paul asked God how His Divine Presence could be present this wedding. He says the melody and lyrics came simultaneously to him as an answer to that prayer. This song is one of my favorites.

I almost wish the second word of that stanza was capitalized. And I wish the next to the last line read, "There I Am." I think it would have more theological and poetic punch. Sweet ones, when you marry, know that the Divine will be absolutely present. Where you will be, there will also be the Great I Am. He created marriage, physically and spiritually. It's a perfect union in its design. Designed to be the harbinger of the marriage of Christ and the church. Designed to be the nest of new human life. Designed for mutual love and edification. God is awesome, and His creation of marriage is likewise. We want you be in in awe of that. We want you to feel Him present at your vows. We want you to feel not just the love you have for each other that day, but Love itself (1 John 4:8). God will be present. May His presence bring your marriage complete fullness and overwhelming worship of the One who brought you together.

Discussion: What do you think of God being present at your marriage? Do you see your marriage ceremony as a worship service?

Prayer: Great I Am, Yahweh, Creator of the world, Almighty, Love, we honor and worship you. We offer you praise. We glorify your name and ask for your guidance and direction as we make sure the world hears your Name! Father, we ask for you to be present at these marriages and bless these unions in Christ's name, Amen.