Category: What You Can Expect From Life

Earthly Compensation vrs. Heavenly Compensation

12 “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.” ~ Job 42:12

The Dilemma

From the beginning of the Bible to the end there is one form of compensation which is better than the other. The lessons we are taught in church point to God being all that we need. But the fact that we live in a human – man-made world where nothing is free seems to fly in the face of this biblical teaching that compensation is worthless if it is given to you here on earth. We struggle with this misnomer and many cannot reconcile which to go after. The moral question or better put “dilemma” is made even more profound when we see churches handing their collection plates out for your money calling it tithing, but could this also be seen as pandering? If mortal money wasn’t what we needed then why do churches prize it so? These and many more questions linger in the back of many people’s heads, but the ones who become confused and disenchanted with religion is our children. They hear us grownups say, “You can’t take it with you when you die.”, but yet we work for it everyday, we can’t live without it, and if we tried society would curse us as if we had the plague. Yet after everything there can be found in the Bible itself such verses as these which talk about earthly compensation. God allowed Satan to test Job’s faith in God and the first test Satan gave was that of attacking Job’s money. Money after all is viewed to be very desirable if you don’t have it, but Job had it in abundance.  Job had more than anyone else and because of this his status in his community was very high. But take his money, his friends faded away, take his family he is seen as cursed even unto his wife, give him a couple of diseases and he is left for dead. Did Job complain? Yes as a matter of fact he did. But did he lose faith in God? No. Job did not ever lose faith in God. So, can we pull from this a lesson about wealth and earthly compensation that could answer the dilemma of why people view money as being so important even though we can’t take it with us when we die?

Jesus Said to Give Away Your Wealth

25 “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” ~ Luke 9:25

Going off this principle teaching that we cannot take our money with us when we die, many rich people donate their earthly wealth to non-profit organizations which they hold in high esteem instead of passing it down to their surviving relatives. On T.V. we see law suit after law suit of disgruntled family members who fight over their loved ones wealth often times destroying family ties over something that quit frankly is not as important as that of family. In a way people sell their souls for money in a way Job never did.  In this we cast ourselves away to money and lose family where is the good in that? Finding a better perspective Jesus taught that we should give our wealth away as we cannot serve two masters, it comes down to the brass tax; serve money or serve God. This message is stark in contrast to the dilemma mentioned above until you get to the question, “If I give away everything then how am I going to live? How am I going to buy my food and support my family?” To this Jesus also had a teaching…

Don’t Worry – Be Happy

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ~ Matthew 6:25-34

So, money looses value after reading this, if you believe in what Jesus said in Matthew. Jesus acknowledges that we need food, drink, clothing, and a certain amount of money in our life which is required to live. He acknowledges that we need to work for these things but in doing so our focus should be on the kingdom of God and in doing so we will be rewarded with everything we could ever need both here on earth and in heaven. This promise is both daunting and is rife with fear. Why? Because we are being told that though God knows we need money we should not seek it out as the end all of end alls because God is the Alfa and Omega. He alone knows how many hairs you have on your head, He alone knows your needs and with faith you are compensated for your faith. Wow! Replacing the word rewarded with that of compensated we have a whole new meaning to the passage found in Job 42:12. Job was compensated for his losses, rewarded for his faith in God and given more than what he had before. If Job was the only example of this in the Bible on its own is a very strong argument for the truth on Jesus’s words found in Matthew 6:25-34, but there are thousand of such examples of God rewarding or compensating people for their loses. In fact Jesus was raised from the dead by God as a reward or compensation for His faith and doing the will of God here on earth. I for one have to say God has never let me down when I have needed him the most. I may not have gotten all I wanted but God has always given to me what I needed. When we begin to live our lives in this manner money really loses it luster as it becomes nothing more than just a tool no different from that of a shovel or plow.  However, that doesn’t mean Satan isn’t there tempting us to look away from God even if for a moment. In fact it is because Satan is ever-present flashing money and things in our faces we have such troubles in the first place. Which should we hold most dear, money or God? What really makes me shake my head at this temptation is that so many people fall into it knowing the teachings of God. Knowing what happened to Satan and knowing that his punishment is eternal for ever and ever. Why listen to Satan? That is my question to you my brothers and sisters when all we need is God.

Work and Rewards

4 “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” ~ Proverbs 10:4

The idea of working for your money also can be confusing if all we are to do is to trust and believe in God and He will provide. This notion I have heard from my students over and over though they may not have stated it so bluntly. No where in the Bible does it say to not work, rather the opposite message is given time after time. God wants us not to be ideal because the scripture found in proverbs is so true, if we work then we make something of ourselves and bring in a livelihood for ourselves and family. But when we do nothing then we give ourselves and all those whom we love to poverty. This idea is best represented in the following passage…

27 “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece.  28 An evil man sows strife; gossip separates the best of friends.  29 Wickedness loves company—and leads others into sin.” ~ Proverbs 16:27-29

Therefore, to those who employ you God also see’s and hears their heart. For the Lord commands there to be struck an even balance of both pay and fairness in the work place…

9 “And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.” ~ Ephesians 6:9

4 “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.” ~ Colossians 4:1

28 “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” ~ Galatians 3:28

We are all one in Christ Jesus. Simple and straight forward and to the point. There is no slave or master in the eyes of God because in actuality we are all employed by God in heaven and thus, as a child of God we are commanded to treat each other fairly and justly. We are in a sense commanded to work so that we are not ideal and do not invite evil, but yet we are not to strive for the sake of money because we cannot serve two masters. In the end Evil is wrapped in the things of this earth and everything of the earth will pass away and we cannot take our belongings and prized possessions with us when we die. It seems to me to be rather clear on what God wants and expects and if we follow this edict then we, like Job will be given everything we need.

Amen,

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THE PILGRIM SHEPARD

A very honored friend and Catholic Priest; Father Thomas Welbers is going on another Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Below is the general announcement that he published on his blog; The Pilgrim Shepard.

To sign up for this journey with Fr. Welbers please click on the link: SIGN ME UP! 

Meet Fr. Tom!

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Special Prayer Request: Scott Spinks

2 ” Oh Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.” –  Psalms 30:2

In this life we experience things that are both painful and unexpected. In all truth these events are controlled by invisible currents that sometimes takes us down a path we ourselves would not go down, but in this we have no choice as we are left with nothing but our faith. But it is also true that we are made stronger from those experiences.

It is in this way are we directly  connection to our creator and He to us. Our collective pain and triumphs are shared and celebrated equally by our creator and it is His divine will that allows this singular life experience to be filled with all the wondrous things there is to see, hear, and do within our short time here on this Earth. So it is right to celebrate everything the good and the bad, because both motivate and change who we are as human beings.

Thus, it is with a heavy heart  I ask all of you to pray with me for a dear friend named Scott Spinks of Texas, that when visiting his family in Thailand suffered a debilitating stroke and is currently paralyzed on the left side of his body. Let us pray with his family who has loved and cared for him in his hour of need. Together in Christ do we pray for our brother Scott Spinks.

Let Us Pray

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Oh my precious Lord, God in heaven, master and ruler of all things living and dead, do I humbly pray to you on behalf of a brother who has suffered and needs your healing hand upon his body and his soul. Let the power of collective prayer and a unity in love bring him closer to you Oh Lord, and may your mercy bring him back to his family whole and healed. I ask you, my God, for this miricale to be granted so that all will believe in you and your son Jesus Christ, who suffered and died, and was resurrected by your hand, and that on this day of Easter the pain and shock of this life experience for our brother Scott will be lifted, set right, in your Holy Name. So that it is holy from your hand it comes, as it is so that in you we live, and in your divine will do we stay forever and ever protected and made whole. So we pray for these things in your son’s name Jesus Christ,

Amen

Dear Brothers & Sisters please pray this prayer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so that our God will send his love to Scott in abundance and allow Scott to stand and walk once more.

The Time of Waiting!

Purpose of the Season

14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” ~ Isaiah 7:14 (KJV)

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The traditional view of our modern – Western Christmas – is one that devolved over time from a pagan tradition to a more religious Christian tradition then finally into the economically driven holiday we have now.  In others words, what we celebrate is less about Jesus and the anticipation of the coming of Christ from Godhood to man, less about that singular miracle,  to something that is at a lesser state of being than what previously came before it!  We have softened the message of this miracle of Christ’s birth over time, we have sidelined God’s wanting to become flesh and blood as well as His love for humanity which is partly His motivation in becoming flesh and blood. We have changed the very definition of God’s purpose to fit our own less intensive version that is more politically correct and less threatening and less controversial.  We have changed the paradigm of God and turned Him into a jolly old man that gives tangible gifts instead of the intangible gift of salvation! Our modern Christmas for the majority of westerners leaves out this moment where we reflect and make ready our hearts in anticipation of Jesus the Son of Man  in His return so that we will finally and forever be with Him in Heaven. To me, this is the ultimate gift. It is a gift which cannot be bought, it never rusts or fades, it will be ours for all time and will never be taken away. It is the ultimate promise, one that is bigger, better, and more fulfilling than anything in Saint Nick’s green and red bag of toys. Because when we celebrate Christmas in it’s entirety we do not need toys to excite us or keep us from boredom because salvation is not boring!

So I say to you my brethren, the Lord Himself foresaw and provided for this time for the world to wait, hope, and pray for His triumphed return. The signs were all around the people of Judea, they are all around us today recognizable only if you believe and allow ourselves to see the true message of this remarkable holiday. For I tell you now that when a person understands the full meaning, knows the path yet to come, and fully comprehends what each word God spoke really meant, then the totality of that one miracle of Christ suddenly opens our eyes, hearts, minds, and His love becomes more accessible to us as we grow in the confidence that God is working towards our ultimate salvation through Jesus Christ. It is this miracle message we need to be celebrating and not the gifts that cost hundreds of dollars, the bling bling of modern day living, or even the decorations we allow to influence our motivations for celebrating Christmas in the first place. Our excitement of this season should be that which makes us ready to receive our savior.

6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” ~ Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)

Christian tradition as observed for most Catholics and some of the other religious denominations of Christianity in general believe in the coming of Christ in two parts. The First coming is typically called Christmas or the Nativity. However, a more appropriate term is “Advent”, which in its more basic meaning is, “Coming”. Breaking advent down more completely you have “Ad” = “To” and “Vent”=”Come”, leaving us with “TO COME”. Before the birth of Christ it was prophesied  that the word would become flesh and dwell among us in scriptures from Isaiah to Zechariah. Thus, within the Jewish teachings just before the birth of Christ the hearts and minds of the people where in this hopeful anticipation of the Savior or Messiah.  For those who understood prophecy also understood the signs to look for and in this case it was the Star of Bethlehem.  Christian tradition and the telling and retelling of the Nativity story has become the basis for the modern reason why we celebrate Christmas as a holiday. At first the meaning of Christmas was all about the miracle of the virgin birth of Christ. The celebration centered on the miracle of Jesus being sent by God, the act of the miracle of God made flesh. There was great excitement because to the Jewish people this would mean the end of Roman oppression! Oddly, it would be the Jewish leaders who would advocate Jesus’s death and the Roman Empire that would later embrace His divinity, thus combining two different holidays into one and called it Christmas complete with our modern Christmas Tree. But even then gifts where never at the center of the season, it was all about the hope and anticipation of Christ’s return or the Second Advent! So I say to you my brethren take time to prepare your hearts for God and reflect and be filled with the hope, love, joy, and anticipation of Christ’s return!

Advent | Sound Shore Media

ADVENT VIDEO ~ Concordia Publishing House, (2014)

Amen,

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True Meaning of Thanksgiving

Listening Faithfully Blog 2014 Post

18 “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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In past posts I have talked about Thanksgiving in the historical sense, explored the religious meaning, and I have delved into both sides of the human drama, (that being of the Native Americans and the English Pilgrims),  from a moral view.  But this year I wanted to write about what it means in a more detailed manner from the general view of family.

The very word, “Family”,  is the root that brought about the fight for freedom both here on Earth and in Heaven. In a broad sense God uses “family” as the template of every social group known to man. In every way we learn and grow from the bounty of our families. But this interaction is not exclusive to humanity rather almost every other bioligal life form that we know of on this planet thrives through lessons learned which both develop and mold such things as character, morality, compassion, survival, and even the idea of justice at some basic level. In the animal kingdom there is social order and hierarchical structures that are put in place to teach and which promotes the survival of the group or family. So in this broad sense family is the root of survival. But what does this hypothesis have to do with Thanksgiving, a man made tradition turned Federal Holiday? Well for this I share a deep secret found throughout the Christian Bible.

God is called the father! What is a father? In olden days a father was the head of the house, the disciplinarian, provider, protector, leader, mentor, teacher, and general supporter of all family activities. The same is true for Priests who are also called father for the same reasons but within a religious context.  Thus, it is from the father our families find a foundation and in this we see God as the head of every family both secular and religious. This structure within our families is from the divine and is pre-programmed into us from the start. In our celebration of family we are celebrating our very nature which we share with the animal kingdom under God. Because we are all related we are told by God to give thanks for the many blessings we receive from the father that which is in heaven from which everything is given. So Thanksgiving is the celebration of both blessings we receive throughout the year and is a celebration of  our families; the survival they provide on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis independent of our religious beliefs.

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In examining Thanksgiving from this perspective I asked my fourth grade students to write seven sentences about what they are thankful for and it is not surprising to me that they overwhelmingly wrote about their families. Few of them wrote about God though I teach in a Private Catholic School. Still fewer mentioned their teachers and the support we give them. Rather the majority was focused on their families love, kindness, sacrifice, and the many things they receive daily from their families. Many of those things are the necessities of life in general. Their paragraphs became evident to me of how we are all programmed by God to need the same things from birth till death. At the core of this need is the family unit!

So this Thanksgiving I celebrate the family in all of its forms be it biological, religious, social, political, economic, traditional and non traditional, friendships, and in a global community of beings sharing the same Earth, the same resources, and sharing the same needs. For it is within God the father’s plan that we celebrate our shared blessings, our shared needs, as well as our differences. Thus, I say to you in Jesus’s name are we to love one another and to jointly celebrate the role our many different types of families provide as it is granted first from God the father who art in heaven.

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Have a joyous Thanksgiving and remember to celebrate all things which are good that God has made.

I also ask that you keep the family and friends of our beloved sister Theresa Marie Mehan, born June 18, 1922 and who went to meet the Our Lord this past November 18, 2014 in your prayers this holiday season. 

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Amen

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Taking the Rose Colored Glasses Off

18  “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’  19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.” ~ Genesis 2:18-22

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I love falling in love. I love how it makes me feel and the rush that it gives me. I love the intensity of love and the way it alters my perception on everything I am facing in life. I love the way love opens us up and allows us to see life from many different angles all at once. I love how this emotion takes us over making us consider accepting things we otherwise would not accept. I call this stage, “Wearing the Rose Covered Glasses”.  Many times because we become so tuned into and taken over by this unrealistic love we refuse to take those rose colored glasses off and thus we stumble around in love and blind to the realities and to the dangers that are in front of us. We fail to recognize a rose from the snake which is wrapped around and covering the thrones on its stem. We ignore the fact that love and the act of falling in love is biblical! Therefore, I say to you before falling in love with another person go back and read the bible from Genesis because love as awesome an emotion it is again originates from God because He is love! We need to act responicable in our love with both God and the other person we have fallen for. Thus, I warn you all now that rushing in to grab the fruits of such a personal relationship that love can establish can quickly be turned into a sin! I write this mainly for the young who are exploring love for the first time, for those who have never acted upon their impulses, who are still pure in the body and flesh for to you the goal is clear. Your goal is to fall in love once so that you never have to repeat the process of dating, marriage, and having children, so that you never face divorce or rejection in your relationship and so that you never lose that Godly love you were blessed with in the first place. Many young people have unrealistic expectations when they fall in love or become infatuated with another human being. Many young people cannot discern real love from infatuation because they ignored the first step in establish a lifelong love relationship with their potential partner. Young people often rush in for the main prize that God reserved solely for those who have dedicated their lives to each other in holy matrimony. Only to then be disappointed when their relationship falls apart.

God’s First Gift Within Your Love Relationship

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As Genesis indicates God made a partner for you; equal and ready to help you face life and all of its challenges.  God created Eve from Adam not so that Adam could dominate her, subdue her, and imprison her, but rather so they could live within that perfect union called marriage as a team for, “There is no ‘I’ in Team!”~ Author unknown.  Thus, if you first understand this simple concept then you can face life as a whole person, as a productive member of your society, loving member of your family, and a leader, teacher, and mentor to your children and all who you meet. God created mankind in His image and thus the image of God is love. We only have to take off the rose covered glasses to see ourselves in the light of God; in the light of purification and joy. Thus, marriage is sacred, it was created by God and anything outside of His will for our happiness and personal relationships is a sin.

What Is Acceptable

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The fine line between the loving relationship God accepts and the one he does not is the absolute starting place. I say to you all now that everything in your life must be God centered. There will be some people who take this with a grain of salt and ignore this teaching and just run with their emotions. “But what do you have in that?” Nothing! Absolutely nothing! You cannot save yourself without God in your life, for He alone made you! God alone granted you the privilege of life! He alone granted you this time on this Earth to be happy and without Him you have nothing! Yes, you could become the wealthiest person on Earth, have the most handsome or beautiful spouse, the best kids, the best possible life and not believe in God, but what do you have after this life? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! For everything in this world is temporary and will not last, but your eternal soul will carry on, thus the love and respect, courage and faith, even the time you give to God is in full measure what you will receive when you are judged by Him. It is a stupid notion to think you can escape God and His prefect judgment. To love God is to not just be happy now but to also be happy later, to choose to be with God now is in reality choosing to be with Him later. To rejoice in God is not just to be fruitful now but to be fruitful forever and ever. The loving relationship you have now with God will spill over into your loving relationship you will share with your spouse, with your family, and with all whom you meet. Thus, with God your life is truly blessed and without Him in your life you will be eternally lost. As I see it and hope that you all see it too is that in reality there is no real choice between them. I choose to live with God, to be blessed all the days of my life, to live with Him now and forever so that all my relationships are also blessed by God forever. I say this to you because my friends I would hope that all of you would choose the same in and for your life.

The Blessing in Taking Your Time

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I truly believe that taking your time – thus spending time – to understand, to learn, and grow in a friendship first relationship is the best avenue to building that skyscraper relationship that provides the loving, caring, and personal lifelong marriage relationship that we all crave. I say this because if you are not in a rush then you can learn to communicate, become comfortable within that communication and thus give the foundations the core attribute that is needed; or better known as “trust”. It is no secret I prize trust over everything else in my life after God. I would end any relationship if I feel I could not trust the other person. I would rather walk away than to live with a person whom I questioned at every turn. Trust is the core of all your relationships at every level of life, for it was intended by God that Adam and Eve implicitly trust one another to survive. What do you really have without trust? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! I have seen many people breakup because their trust was broken, marriages fall apart after decades because the trust was destroyed. I look at this word “trust” as like the “trusses” built into every building or bridge, you break them they fall and collapse in upon itself! Therefore, it takes time to build anything and this includes marriage relationships! I teach all my kids at school to be weary of, “so called friends” on the internet; people whom they have never met in person because this activity can lead to a very dangerous place. The question I pose to them is, “How can you really trust someone you don’t really know?” In this “How can you trust someone you have never met?” This extends into their life the older they get as they begin to examine and question all their relationships through a moral campus. It takes face to face connections, real life experiences where both parties see, hear, and understand each other in a real way. This teaching in some regard is contradictory to my own actions in my personal life where I have met people on the internet, became friends in the real sense of the word, and I have flown to various countries trusting the other person would be there when I landed and would fulfill their promise of taking care of me while I visited. I have created good relationships from this activity, but I have the experience of being in the Navy, traveling the world, understanding different cultures, and I can discern friend from foe. I present this without wearing the rose covered glasses, without expectations, without the fantasy younger people inter into their relationship with while trusting in a person they don’t real know nor trust. In the other sense of the word “trust” I have also befriended people who I seen, meet in person, and have been duped by them. Thus, “trust” should be something that takes time to build, takes time to affirm, and takes time to explore; in that time to earn.

 The Promise of a Healthy Sexual Life

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God made Adam, then he made Eve. This is a simple enough concept as it is implied that God made Eve to help Adam, to be with Adam, to love Adam. But this love Eve was given for Adam was also given to Adam when Eve was presented to him, flesh of his flesh bone of his bone, for they were one and the same within their love they held for each other. To have sex with your mate is to become one and to share in an action of passion that is either blessed by God or not blessed by God. Again I ask, “What do you really have apart from God?” Nothing! Absolutely nothing! This includes having sex with your partner, because if you engage in this activity outside of God’s blessing then it is not blessed. Sex for sex sack is not of God, for the promise of the fruits of marriage would thus be taken and spoiled. Too many people indulge their carnal cravings and live a never ending emotional rollercoaster that ends at the station forcing the rider to again wait in line to get back on the ride. “What do they have in their addiction to the highs and lows of the ride itself?” Momentary pleasure perhaps? “But what is that in contrast to a lifelong loving relationship with your equal?” Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Because God is eternal and we are made in his image we are also filled with a spirit that is also eternal, and thus to be with God is to follow God’s instruction for a pure heart, mind, and soul. To wait, to seek, to find, and to grow into a lifelong committed relationship is the only way to be filled with God’s love, and again this spills over to your spouse. “What then do you have if you are loved by another person with the same intensity as that of Eve’s love for Adam?” You will gain the very promise of God and will become filled with a burning love that no man could ever put asunder! For there is no rose covered glasses need within this relationship because it is real!

Amen,

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Brian Keith

Silence As A Weapon

3 “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.” ~ Psalm 141:3-4

I am not going to make this long nor am I going to mince words. God did not intend for us to use silence as a weapon against members of our families whom we disagree with, or friends who have made us mad, or children whom are being hard to handle as children often are. God did not intend for us to use silence as a weapon and exile people from their homes or to make them feel uncomfortable in their own skin. His desire was not to give people the most mighty of weapons to make others guess where they stand or force them to jump through hoops to earn affection! God did not give us tongues so as to not use them, rather he wanted us to voice our opinions respectfully! Likewise, love is not silent! If you have ever said to someone that you love them, then turn around and use silence the first time or second time or any time they have disappointed you, or made you mad, or upset you for any reason, well then you obviously did not love them as much as you thought!

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God gave us free will to use as a guiding force to learn, to grow, to become more like Him. I have never known God to be silent in my life. I have wondered from time to time where He might have gone, why He may not be as vocal, but I have always heard His loving voice in my heart. I cannot say the same for some people in my life which will remain unnamed, as it is not my intent to single them out, but rather use their silence to show how irresponsible it is and how much of a waste of time it is to chose silence over forgiveness, over true love, over the opportunity to grow closer through your arguments. It is certain to me that God made all of us different, with our own thoughts, feelings, likes, and dislikes and each of us have a tongue to express these differences. It is a choice not to voice your feelings or to share them through communication! The notion you had no choice, well that is stupid! Recently I have been told by a friend they where silent because they felt they had no choice. My friends… you always have a choice! You always have the power to share or not to share, to give or not to give.

I do not pray to God to watch over my mouth to keep me silent, rather I pray that He watches over my mouth so I speak with respect, honor, dignity when addressing those who I disagree with. I do not pray to God to seal my lips, for this will happen at my death and I say to you all now that I am not dead and will not be dead for quite some time! I have a lot to say and a lot to share. There will be no one who I will allow to take my voice from me, no one will I allow to keep me so bottled up I react with silence!

Let’s explore this from another angle…. If I say that I love you then you can expect me to voice when I am happy with you, when I am disappointed with you, when I am upset at you and in that I may ask for some time alone but in no manner am I withdrawing from you and will use silence to punish you. You can expect the truth at all times no matter how painful that may be. I was given the opportunity and honor to love you and therefore I will guard that love with my voice, with my words, with my actions, with the truth! That my friends is what God does every day for every one of us here on this rock we call Earth! God is not going to sit on His throne in Heaven and look at you on judgement day and say nothing! Jesus is not going to defend you against Satan on judgement day with His proverbial silence! So why should I recoil from those I love and punish them with silence. To do anything that God would not do is not perfect, and therefore a sin. Silence as a weapon is a sin! Silence used to punish those you do not like is a sin!

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15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17

Conflict is not settled through silence, rather it is settled by everyone knowing what everyone else is thinking and feeling. How could I ever settle an argument if I have no clue why your angry? Out of ever tool God gave mankind – mind reading – was not among them!  Jesus could have never settles disputes had the two parties not come to Him first with their grievance. So I call it stupid for people to think the other person should know why, should understand, if no words had been exchanged which highlighted the grievance in the first or second or any place! At that point the angered party is just being willful which is also a sin! Why? Because God is love, and God is not silent, he does not lie, He does not alienate, He does not remain quite. Therefore, love is all about inclusion, forgiveness, mercy, and communication. Love is patient, it is kind, it is not quite, it is loud and sometimes obnoxious and painful, but more than anything else it is real and it is there with you every day for the rest of your life if you let it in. But silence is the mark of a hardened heart, and to be such a person is liken to condemning yourself to sin.

So I say to you all… be not silent, be not cowardly, be not weak, be not sinful, through away your ignorance, cast out your stubbornness and give in to the noise of love. Give your soul to the sharing of love, to the giving of your thoughts and feelings, for to do anything else is against your nature and against our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen

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Invitation to Pray – Prayer for our Nation!

Prayer for our Nation!

2 “What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit God!  2 For a summit conference of the nations has been called to plot against the Lord and his Messiah, Christ the King.  3 ‘Come, let us break his chains,’ they say, ‘and free ourselves from all this slavery to God.’  4 But God in heaven merely laughs! He is amused by all their puny plans. 5 And then in fierce fury he rebukes them and fills them with fear. 6 For the Lord declares, ‘This is the King of my choice, and I have enthroned him in Jerusalem, my holy city.’   7 His chosen one replies, ‘I will reveal the everlasting purposes of God, for the Lord has said to me, ‘You are my Son. This is your Coronation Day.  Today I am giving you your glory.’”  8 ‘Only ask and I will give you all the nations of the world. 9 Rule them with an iron rod; smash them like clay pots!’  10 O kings and rulers of the earth, listen while there is time. 11 Serve the Lord with reverent fear; rejoice with trembling. 12 Fall down before his Son and kiss his feet before his anger is roused and you perish. I am warning you—his wrath will soon begin. But oh, the joys of those who put their trust in him!'” ~ Psalms 2:1-12

~ Pray Silently ~

Oh’ Lord God in heaven; you who are the mighty one, I pray for your mercy, your wisdom, your forgiveness.  Give your mighty hand rest against this Earth, against our leaders who have fallen into idleness and confusion. Touch their heart with love infusing them for all time with compassion for your children who are sick, hungry, tired, and weak.  Show them their path is not righteous and holds no promise without your blessing, please Oh Lord, bring not your wrath to their plans but show them the blueprint of your mighty justice.  Lord my God, lift up those leaders who hold your name in reverence, bless all they do in your name, help them lead as your will provides it, and show them ever lasting love and glory.  Lord I ask for forgiveness against all my sins as I am a sinner who prays for other sinners.

Lord, I know your words are mighty, I know your ways are not mine, but I ask for your grace against my bones who you created, mold, and hold up against all adversity.

In these ways do I ask for you, Oh Lord, to hold together all your children, hold together all the weary, and hold in your hands all of us, giving your divine grace to everyone who asks especially our leaders… as we are all your children.  In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen ~ Brian Stark (2014, Jan. 14)

Listen to Prayer Here

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2013 in review

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Special Post: Father's Day

Fathers As Teachers

7 “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” ~ Hebrews 12:7

All my life I have watched my father raise his children up knowing the Lord. I have had the pleasure to see him at his best and at his complete worst; I have seen him in his victories and in his defeats; I have loved him always in all that he has faced; because I know he did all those things and made all those sacrifices not for himself, but for that of his family. I have watched how gentle he has become with his grandchildren, and now his great grand child. I have seen him be filled with love, heard him speak out against injustice, and I have seen him defend his family to the bitter end. My father taught me many different things about life, about myself, and lessons about himself, and that of his father whom was not so much around when he was a child. My father vowed to make a difference, to be a teacher even though he had no clue that he was in fact teaching us how to be honorable, respectful, honest, and loving. My dad is funny in that he has gone deaf and his responses are not quite what they would have been if he had heard what was being said to him. My father has also gone bald and I used to make fun of his lack of hair and even played with the little bit which adorned the northern most portion of his head. My father despite these two short comings endured, and was able to poke fun at himself and laugh when I made my childish jokes. As a child I loved spending time with him especially on those Saturday mornings when he would wake me up at 6am to have coffee and watch the sun come up over the trees in our backyard, it is to those memories I will always cherish. I loved going fishing with him, loved reading him my stories, loved watching “All Star Wrestling”, and I dearly loved hearing his stories of his childhood, his dreams, his mistakes, and listening faithfully to his hopes and heart breaks. My father is not the easiest man to get to know, he is not the gentlest man, nor is he the most patient man, but I love him and I am honored to be his son. My father is my favorite teacher, my favorite role-model, my favorite supporter because  he taught me how to be a real person and a real man. I know my father has endured hardship, he has made many sacrifices, for he has instilled those lessons deep within me. It is because of this teaching I have endured, I have prospered in adversity, and like him I have been strong in the face of my many hardships and heartbreaks. I know my father would not call himself a teacher, rather he looks at himself as an ordinary man who did the best he could for his family, but he is much more than that to me. It was my father who introduced me to God, who answered many of my questions about the role of God, and it was my father who taught me not to fear such things as death because God is even there with us. My father introduced me to the meaning of family for he gave me a set of grand-parents who I adored immensely. My father introduced me to life, how the  real world works, he did his best to guide me and show me how to be responsible when all I wanted to do was shrink and hide. My father pulled me up by the britches and made me stand-up and taught me that honor is everything a man is and is the only thing a man has. I would not know the things I do about car engines had it not been for my father calling me down to the garage and showing me different car parts. To this point I must say I was not at the time interested at all about engines not like my father was and I missed out on those moments because of my stubbornness and lack of tolerance for those specific lessons he tried in vain to teach. Likewise, my father never stop trying and in those moments when I was an adult I found myself so grateful for having him reteach what I should have learned when I was younger. One of the fondest memories I have is our many trips to the cabin located within the Hills of the Lake of the Ozarks, a cabin his parents build and turned into our favorite getaway. I loved hearing his points of view, and arguing about most of them. But the one moment I am to this day in awe of is how my father without warning showed me his feeling, his hurts, and he felt comfortable enough to open up to me in a way I have never seen before or since. In that experience I learned more about my father which was and had been a complete mystery for most of my life. He alone taught me that I will never stop learning, growing, evolving, and feeling. As a disciplinarian my father was the worst, for in his moments of anger at use kids I feared him, but I never stopped loving him. I always knew how far he would go and I found myself always test those boundaries and again most of the time learning things about him that I could not have ever guest otherwise. I find myself now taking up his mantle of teaching, though I have become a professional and hold two Masters in Education and have surpassed my father in this area, I still feel he is smarter and wiser than I will ever be even with my degrees. I see traits in my character that is oddly simular to his and I find myself saying things to all my children in my classroom that he had said to me when I was a child. In raising my daughter I tried my hardest because my father had tried his hardest first. I told my daughter many stories that I know she loved to hear just as my father had told  first told me. Like my father I introduced God to my daughter and tried to teach her all the many lessons my father had taught me. I hold my father up as the example of what a father should be and though I am now painfully estranged from my only child, (not by my own fault), I will never stopped trying to teach her the lessons she was not willing to take out the time with me to learn, just as my father has never stopped trying to teach me and still teaches me to this very day. In many ways I too look at myself as just a common ordinary person, (father), who is doing the best that he can, just like my dad.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY DAD! I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!

My Dad / My Daughter / My Family

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History of Fathers Day

6 “He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” ~ Malachi 4:6

Fathers day was started by a daughter who loved her father so much she changed how America looked and treated fathers. It was the religious organizations who helped her make this a nation wide celebration, and thus it is very much rooted in the American fabric and in our religious history. With persistence fathers are now celebrated and remembered for their contribution within the American family unit. It is not to be under scored the role fathers play in the raising of their children and when all the facts are summed up, Fathers are every bit as important as Mothers.  Just as the bible proclaims it takes two to raise a child, it takes both a Mother and a Father.

I want to take this moment to wish every father around the world a wonderful Fathers Day, and I hope this day is remembered and celebrated by all families until the end of all time. For we are also celebrating our eternal father in heaven when we we celebrate our own fathers and their contribution.

FATHERS DAY CHALLENGE: I want to hear about your fathers, describe him in a couple of sentences and I will post what you have written below this challenge under the heading Your Fathers. I can’t wait to hear from all of you!

YOUR FATHERS

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Greg Brede “I would like to add many Fathers that I know that have been Parent Child Relationship Challenged by the Family Court and affiliated Officer’s of the Courts: Nicholas Haas, David Johnson, David Vandenberg, Mike Prieto, Bill Lynch, Marty Flynn, Joseph Kenick III, DrJoe Rabinovitz, Gus Breton, Tom McCarthy, Ed Bryans, Andy Scutura and many other great Dads”

Keith Marsolek “4 men have always inspired me in my life.God, Jesus, my Dad and Allan Gantt. Thank you all for who I am today.”

Diane Firestone “I thank God who has given me a father who speaks quietly, teaches me integrity, loves me unconditionally, teaches how to barter, and has rock solid, old fashioned, values. Thank You dad!”

Angie Ochoa: “Happy Fathers Day Mr. Stark”

Joseph Di Lella “My Papa was my BEST friend, my mentor, teacher and guide through the toughest times of my life. He passed only 8 years ago last Thursday, but it seems like yesterday. He is always remembered and loved . . .”

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Amen,

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Brian Keith

P.S. NEVER GIVE UP!

Reflection 12: What You Can Expect From Life: According to MARRIAGE

18 “May your fountain be blessed,  and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.” ~ Proverbs 5:8-19

What Marriage is Not

18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” ~ Romans 1:18-32

In our modern society today a raging debate of what lawful marriage is verse what spiritual marriage is and in this debate there is lost to man the perspective and vision of God and what he intended it to be. I say this because I feel it is important to not ignore the oldest book in human history which discribes in detail our creators intent and to simply ignore God’s intension is simply the act of fools. With that said, I do not support nor condone same sex marriage, but I will concede that man’s law not only has condoned it in most places, but also openly accepts it as an alternative to traditional, (natural), marriage. Though I  stand apposed to man’s law, I am not and will not single any person out or be superficial with their beliefs or make fun of those who chose this alternative life style. Thus, the first point I want to make on this topic of Marriage can be summed up by calling it first and foremost a relationship, one that should last for a lifetime. I can love a person but never be married to them, I can share the important parts of my friends life’s again without being married to them, I can be loyal and trustworthy without being married, and I can inherit possessions from those who have past on without being married to them. For marriage is a biblical practice between one man and one women, for that is what God so intended for mankind. All the laws of man that support same sex marriage is an abomination in the eyes of God, you only have to look it up in Genesis 2:24, Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:20-27, 1 Corinthians 6:3-10, 1 Corinthians 7:2–16, and Ephesians 5:23–33, to mention just a few, and to ignore these holy teachings is not forward thinking, or out of the box, or advancements on God’s intent, rather contrary to popular belief it is very much mocking, disrespectful, is openly rebellious, and flat out heresy  to God!  The acts of the foolish will be punished accordingly by God, and it is not for me or anyone else to judge but rather state the facts as they have been presented and known since the dawn of mankind on planet Earth. 

What Marriage Is

3 “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.” ~ 1 Corinthians 7:3

Therefore, “MARRIAGE”, as God intended it to be is observed between one man and one women and they together make one flesh. But, how do we make this relationship last? It starts by knowing exactly what “Holy Matrimony” is verse what it is not. As stated above it is not a union between couples of the same sex. Real marriage that is blessed by God begins with respect for the laws of God because we are first married to God, we are to submit to God, live our life for God. Therefore, if you honor and obey the teachings of the Holy Bible then you will begin to lay a foundation that will last a life time in not just your future marriage, but for all other relationships that which you shall have in your life and all those relationships will if laid appropriately bring you peace and love all the days of your life. Marriage is a sacred covenant between you and God, it is a promise to always be open, always be respectful, always be loving and kind, always be forgiving and gentle, and always be faithfully and loyal to God first. Most marriages do not last because most people are fake in their practice of prayer, they are lazy in their devotion to God, and are selfish within their own heart and in their desires. I say this to shame you and to make you mad, I say this to shake you out of your complacency and to bring you to God so you may find love, peace, and be able to build from the rubble and lay a foundation that will last a lifetime. Thus, to have a marriage with another human-being then you must first exhibit a life filled with God and be faithful to His word alone. 

The Earthy Distractions

15 “Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.” ~ Proverbs 5:15

Same sex marriage is nothing more than a destructive distraction to the populous, so is sex before marriage, adultery, rape, pornography, prostitution, sex with animal, and pedophilia, again to just name a few. All these immoral acts have been called in the bible an abomination to God. Those who practice these immoral acts have in their minds an intolerance to the will of God, in fact they are in rebellion against God. However, I do refrain from advocating that they are evil because we are all mortal and we all are sinners, I point this out in remembrance of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for mankind and the possibility to be redeemed. For never before in the history of mankind has there been more people living on earth. Never before in the history of mankind has there ever been more sexual distractions. God has so perfected the shape and build of the human body and this has in and of itself presented mortals with a paradox. For all these facts bring forward the idea of multiple choices, and has increased to possibility of having more than just one  sexual partner. Because of this distraction there is more divorces than ever before, there is more families being torn asunder  and there is more division in our thinking and beliefs which are being reflected in our laws. I do believe that this strife is the root  cause to a world-wide panic to appease the most powerful groups even if their ideas and dogma are contrary to our own, and in some arenas this has proven to be something that forces Presidents and Governments to turn the other cheek just to retain their own power base and popularity. These earthly distractions warp our children’s minds in such a way as to allow them to believe that same sex marriage, adultery,  sex before marriage, pornography, and prostitution is the natural normal conditions of life and should be accepted when in fact they are not. Think of this indoctrination as just one tool Satan has at his disposal to destroy mankind, just one avenue he has to trick us into believing something which is against God just as he had done to Eve in the Garden of Eden. All of these facts point to one simple truth about our modern society, and that truth is simply revealed in the number of seats that go empty every Sunday in church. We are slowly becoming numb to perversion and thus simply accept it, and what was once considered controversial is now viewed as the new normal. How far have we sunk into the quagmire of Satan’s sin and perversions and allow our children to continue even further down into this pit of sin. The few who escape I tell you are those who first believed and honored God and all His teachings and who first build a solid foundation which guards against these evils which attack us spiritually and which convict us heart, mind, and soul. 

The Marriage Foundation

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. ~ Ephesians 5:27-33

The need to pour the foundation thick I hope I have imparted to you. The need to have an active spiritual life with God I hope I have illustrated and made perfectly clear, for there is no room for mistakes and there is no room for perversions in the marriage between you and God. Likewise, there is no room for  selfish desires in a marriage between you and your husband or wife. Simply put what you can expect form life in accordance to marriage if done right is a life filled with God, a life filled with joy and happiness which brings peace of mind, heart, and soul, and allows your time here on earth to be truly blest by God. Marriage can be the most rewarding, most satisfying, most intoxicating experience you will ever have with your partner, (of the opposite sex),  whom God has allowed to come into your life. Thus, from God where then does it go naturally and how do we make it last? To answer this question I will continue with the analogy of the foundation and the construction of a blest house. From the foundation which is God, the preparation for marriage between two people, male and female, then must be that of building the framework which outlines the house and is what makes it stronger and will make it last. This framework is in simple terms the ability for both people to show and believe in mutual respect for each other. Respect in all areas of life from the most exciting to most boring, everyday and every night. Respect is a process which dictates both people get to know each other, which often times places an expectation of exclusivity. It is in this process where most of our children make the first of many mistakes in that of wanting sex before marriage. This simple desire can burn not just the framework but also the foundation, it can destroy rather than build, and it can lead to more strife than what it is worth. Respect begins at respecting the law of God first and waiting until marriage to have sex. In this the message that will be sent is a moral one, it is a life changing one, it is speaking to the heart and soul of the other person which should allow them if they are also following God to respect you even more and visa-versa. Respect, which equals the, (framework of the marriage), then begins to build an intoxicating love which equals the, (sheetrock and plywood for both the interior and exterior),  of the house which is blest by God. There is nothing stronger than this intoxicating love, for it allows to be present in both people that firm reassurance of a relationship where anything can be shared and accepted and or forgiven. It allows their two hearts to beat as one and lites a fire which burns hot and will keep them warm in the coldest of  times they shall face. Intoxicating love is what every single man and women has described when asked what made their marriages last fifty, sixty, seventy years and beyond and it is what transcends these mortal bonds into that of the spiritual world of God. To love in this manner is second only to the love that which God freely gives to every human-being ever born form the beginning to the end of all time.  From mutual respect to intoxicating love a bond is build that is not easily broken, and if left intact will undoubtedly build what can only be described as the fruits of your marriage. This fruit is equal to the, (paint on the walls, the carpet and hardwood on the floors, and lighting and electricity in every room, and even the appliances that are found in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry rooms), for this is the heart and soul of your marriage, this is the symbol of your devotion to one another. For to truly be in-love in this manner there is promised a house blest by God, and in this analogy there is a complete oneness that is unmistakable, beautiful, attractive, and it is this which God intended for every human-being who avoids the distractions.

Attributes of a Strong Marriage

23 “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” ~ Genesis 2:23

The first attribute of a strong marriage is friendship, though you may have other friends your husband or wife should be your best friend for life and there should never be any cause to keep secrets from one to another. People who are in love and who have lasted for decades have done so because first they were friends. The glue which bonded them most assuredly sprang from friendship, which allowed common respect to flourish. The foundation as stated before is that of God, but it is possible for people from completely different religious backgrounds to become friends and to eventually marry, but I say to you everyone begins with friendship  and that friendship at some point turns into respect for each other. Another attribute of a strong marriage is  found in a mutual want to please the other and in this couples must also learn to sacrifice and compromise. This attribute is linked closely with tolerance of one another’s weakness and or strengths, it is exhibited by the ability for the other person to overlook and in some instances over come imperfections that in any other instance would have destroyed the relationship. Just because you love someone does not make them want the same things or desire the exact goals. Therefore, marriages that last are filled with sacrifices and compromises in every area of your life. One persons strengths should illuminate the other, and one persons weakness should allow the other person to shine for the both of them. All of these attributes lead to an intoxicating love, one that can never be extinguished, for the flame burns in all conditions whether it be clear or overcast and rainy, boiling or freezing, in all conditions and climates of life there is this unending love. 

Disclaimer: Though there many be successful marriages that at the surface do not appear to have these attributes nor is there any indication of a real bond, marriage is based on these attributes and cannot survive without them. In most marriages there is anger, arguing, misunderstandings, words spoken that later are regretted from ever having been said, but if the foundation is of God, and both people are dedicated to God and the success of the marriage first then there will be nothing that cannot be overcome. I say this only in observation for my marriage was unsuccessful, but what drives me to believe so much in the institution of marriage is simple, for last Sunday I went to a San Diego Baseball Game and in the seats below me sat two people who had been married for seventy years, I was later told by those people who have known them by virtue of seeing them over the past two years at the San Diego Ball Park that in fact the wife makes their meals and packs their lunch and dinner, the man drives and helps hers up and down the stairs and during the game the hold hands as if they where teenagers. It brought me back to a time when this was the norm instead of the exception and to them I tip my hat, I solute them with all my heart and soul as they have shown me the true meaning of beautiful, awesome, captivating marriage that spans the ages.

Marriage Challenge: Knowing that this idea marriage is possible I challenge every married couple to sit down and hear their feelings, work on all their problems and dare to be like that couple I saw at the San Diego Padres Ball Park. You start by becoming friends… finding God together… by not being afraid or judgmental and by asking your partner for absolute trust and to honor your feelings… and by returning these gifts of the heart back to your spouse in abundance. I challenge you to fulfill this one commandment: 

34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” ~ John 13:34-35

Amen

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Brian Keith

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Brian Keith

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