The Dismounting of Discovery

It’s the end of an era in American history, and I’m sad.

The space shuttle program has come to a halt and Discovery, the oldest shuttle in the fleet, has landed for the last time in Washington D.C. where she will stand proudly on display at the Smithsonian Institute. One Fox News commentator said she was wearing her wrinkles well, and I agree. She was the third shuttle built and said to be the most reliable of them all.

I’ve been watching her final flight remembering the many times I stood with my homeschooled children in the middle of our street waiting to see the shuttle clear the trees. I never tired of it even after my children were no longer home to watch it with me.  It amazed me how on a clear day we could see the twin rocket boosters disengage from the shuttle and fall burning to the earth below. Many times we drove to the coast to see the launch live in order to feel the rumble as we watched the shuttle lift off. I often prayed for the men and women aboard, especially after witnessing the Challenger explode in the sky in 1986, or seeing Columbia break into pieces as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere in 2003.

As a native Floridian, the space program has always been a part of my life; we felt the joys and mourned the losses. One thing is certain, there would have been no space program without the ingenuity of the men and women who made it happen. They worked hard to help make America’s Space Program the best in the world. So a big thanks goes to them today.

I don’t know what the future will look like without a space program for America. Will we lose our standing in the world as a leader in space? Most likely, we will. It feels as if we’ve lost a good friend. In fact, watching the news this morning reminded of the many presidents I’ve seen laid to rest. It was like a funeral procession took place in the sky. This is a time of transition for our country. A time to say goodbye to one way of life and embrace a new way. But the new way isn’t yet known, so it is hard.

What does this have to do with marriage? Nothing really, except maybe to inspire us to keep working hard at making our marriage the best it can be. Like those who worked faithfully year after year to make NASA great, we have no idea of the places we can go, the things we can learn, or what we can become unless we try. Let’s resolve until we take our last breath to be intentional about our relationship so when it’s all said and done, those who know us best will remember our marriage and marvel at what God did in and through us.

May we wear our wrinkles well.

http://theromanticvineyard.com/2012/04/17/the-dismounting-of-discovery/

Pornography: Removing the Veil & Shining the Light on the Beast

You know someone who is looking at it on a regular basis. Honestly, there’s a very good chance that you know someone who is obsessed with it. You also probably know of a marriage that is being ripped apart by it. But, it’s very likely you have no clue that they are dealing with it in secrecy and fear, hoping that you, and everyone else around you, will never find out they LOVE looking at pornography.

It could be the man sitting in the pew behind you on Sunday. It might be the preacher or the guy in the cubicle next to you. There’s a good chance it could be the neighbor woman starved for some attention from her unattentive and unresponsive husband. It could be the guy on Facebook posting all of his profound thoughts about the Bible. It could be the husband sitting next to you on the couch.

“We have countless churches filled with countless men encumbered by sexual sin, weakened by low-grade fevers — men happy enough to go to Promise Keepers but too sickly to be promise keepers.”

-Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker, Every Man’s Battle

Pornography is a filthy beast. It looks so alluring to the eyes, but its after-effects are sickening. God made the human body to be alluring and beautiful, but it was designed to be beautiful and fulfilling only in the context of the covenant relationship of a marriage, where a husband and wife can enjoy the fruit of physical, emotional, and spiritual intimacy. Sex is so beautiful when kept in proper perspective. There, sex can be indulged in and enjoyed. It is, however, important to acknowledge that sexual intimacy should never be idolized inside or outside of the marriage.

This idolizing of sex has been happening since the beginning of time. Recorded in the scriptures are hosts of men and women who misunderstood its design and purpose and who made wrecks of their own lives and the lives of those around them. That’s exactly what’s happening today with pornography. It is a cancer and it is killing and destroying more and more people who have easier access than ever before.

“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”

-I Corinthians 6:13

Unfortunately, the effects of pornography’s long-armed reach are still being discovered as it continues to wreck homes all over the world. The way it affects the mind, the sexual intimacy of the marriage, and the heart of those who are consuming it is treacherous. It is an ugly beast.

Here are a few startling pornography statistics from 2006 I found on the Family Safe Media site :

• Every second – 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography
• Every second – 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines
• Daily pornographic search engine requests: 68 million (25% of total search engine requests)
• Percentage of internet users who view porn: 42.7%
• 1 of 3 of visitors to adult websites are women
• Average age of first internet exposure to pornography is 11 yrs old
• 8-16 year olds having viewed porn online 90%
• Largest consumers of Internet pornography are 35-49 yr olds
• 47% of Christians said pornography is a major problem in their home

As you can see, the problem is not small. Unfortunately, too many people are naïve and others are just plain foolish for not acknowledging the problem for what it actually is. It’s a monster.

We want to draw some attention to the beast of pornography over the next couple of weeks. Weeks ago, Lisa and I were contacted by a preacher and his wife about how pornography had wrecked their home. They asked us if we would be willing and interested in sharing their story anonymously with our readers and we jumped at the chance to have some help for so many marriages who we know are struggling with the effects of porn.

We’ve gone through their story and divided it into several posts. For some of you, their story will feel completely foreign. But for others, it will seem all too familiar. In either case, there are some important truths to be realized from their fall and from their reconciliation. I think you’ll find it horrifying, but uplifting, in so many ways.

You may know someone who needs this series of posts and a kick in the pants in a very bad way, and I encourage you to help us raise awareness without making people feel stupid. The statistics say this is a problem that touches the majority of American homes and for that reason people who struggle with it should not feel like they are alone. We want to awaken, educate, challenge, and encourage those who are struggling. No amount of nagging and annoying people will solve this problem. Surrendering to Jesus Christ and to the freedom He’s offered is the answer. We must let Him bring us from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light.

Please join us for the next couple of weeks as we try to shed some light on pornography and its devastating effects. We’ll be adding links to our Desperate for Help page and in the posts to help those who are in serious need of help and working hard to educate the masses. Feel free to follow our blog via email on the right side of page by entering your email or by adding it to your RSS feed if that makes it easier than trying to remember to come back on your own. You may also want to join our Rise of the Home group on Facebook and post the stories and articles on your own Facebook and Twitter feeds as we strive to shed some light on the subject for people around you.

Mark April 18th, 2012 on your calendar and check back as we unveil the beast of pornography. In the meantime, consider sharing your story with us as well. We’d love to be able to help husbands, wives, sons, and daughters everywhere who could be saved, educated, and even protected from the sting of pornography. If you’re interested in sharing, contact us.

http://riseofthehome.com/2012/04/16/pornography-removing-the-veil-shining-the-light-on-the-beast/

Covenant Marriage

“Marriage was designed from the beginning to display the new covenant between Christ and the church. We have seen this in Ephesians 5:31–32. The very essence of this new covenant is that Christ passes over the sins of his bride. His bride is free from shame not because she is perfect, but because she has no fear that her lover will condemn her or shame her because of her sin.  This is why the doctrine of justification by grace through faith is at the very heart of what makes marriage work the way God designed it. Justification creates peace with God vertically, in spite of our sin. And when experienced horizontally, it creates shame-free peace between an imperfect man and an imperfect woman.”  John Piper in This Momentary Marriage

I’ve been reading John Piper’s book on marriage and it is just full of truth and grace about what being married really means.  During my run this morning my best friend (non-christian) asked how my marriage was going, and I told her.  But I have trouble talking about it without mentioning Christ, so she said it’s okay if I talk about Christ around her, she’s used to religious people.  I told her how my hope isn’t in myself or in my husband, it is in Christ.  Only Christ can change us into who we need to become to stay married and only Christ can give us the love that we need to be able to give to each other. (BTW, things are going really well in our marriage, definitely at a mountaintop period)

She’s been married 18 years, and I’ve only been married about 10 years.  I think her early years were a struggle for them (she had a rough childhood), but she says she is stronger now and if her husband ever decided to give her crap, we only live once and it just isn’t worth it to put up with a broken marriage.  She deserves to be happy because life is short.

It made me think about how sometimes it takes endurance through the hard times to truly become happy in your marriage and grow love.  You need to get God and His priorities right with your marriage first, and then happiness, blessings and love will follow.  Life is short and we do only live once, are we living for ourselves and our personal joy or are we living to please our maker and Lord?  Because, sometimes God knows how to bring us to joy better than we do.  Sometimes he has to burn the forest to get rid of the dead branches and leaves so that new plants can grow abundantly.  Can we trust him during the fires?

Related articles

• Marriage or Die (passionatechristianmarriage.wordpress.com)
• This Momentary Marriage by John Piper (free ebook) (compasschurchamman.wordpress.com)
• State Lawmakers Study Covenant Marriage Bill (whnt.com)
• Sex and the Mystery of Marriage (challies.com)

http://passionatechristianmarriage.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/covenant-marriage/

Restored Marriage after Both Spouses have Affair

http://thebiblicalmarriage.com/2012/04/16/restored-marriage-after-both-spouses-have-affair/

Strengthening Marriages

I found the following question and answer in my files recently and thought it would be profitable to

http://steveamiller.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/strengthening-marriages/

My Top Take-Home Tips From The "Marriage America" Conference

What if you could pick the brains of the top thinkers, writers, and speakers on Christian marriage, and share their best ideas on your blog?

For the next several posts, that’s exactly what I will do!

I just returned from the first annual Marriage America Conference.  It was sponsored by the American Association of Christian Counselors (50,000 Christian therapists and counselors). The top speakers, authors, and thinkers on Christian marriage were there.

For me, it was a feast.

We heard from Dr. Gary Chapman, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, and Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, to name a few. I met with Dr. Les Parrott, Sarah Eggerichs, and many other amazing leaders in the field.  The AACC leadership and staff is incredible.  Each person was warm and welcoming, despite having probably spoken for one thousand hours straight.

Here’s what was reaffirmed strikingly for me during this meeting:

1. Relationships are why we are here on this earth.  And for those of us who are married, our marriages, after God, are relationship Number One.
2. There is a deep need for information on the “What”, “Why”, and “How” of marriage.
3. Many of us are ill-prepared for marriage when we start out.(understatement!)  Getting equipped is absolutely achievable, but we’ve got to go after it intentionally.

Question: What will do you do to start “going after” your marriage intentionally? 

With that in mind, over the next several posts, I will share my top take-aways from this awesome meeting.

Stay tuned!

Warmly,

*                    *                    *

I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.  You can share in the comment box! (just below or upper left)

 

Dr. Ann is a Christian M.D., wife to a fantastic husband, and mom to a lively gang of three.  At The Marriage Checklist Ann blogs about marriage, motherhood, and more!  She helps women build better life balance and grow great marriages.  Ann blogs on Crosswalk.com, and has been featured on BlogHer.com, MichaelHyatt.com, Fox news, and Good Morning America.  She loves that we can choose to take our best steps forward – for God, for the people in our lives, and for ourselves. 

You can read more from Dr. Ann at TheMarriageChecklist.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

For the easiest way to get her latest posts, sign-up here and get them sent directly to your mailbox.

Are you ready then?  Let’s go!

Copyright Dr. Ann 2012

(photo credit: winnond)

http://themarriagechecklist.com/2012/04/16/my-top-take-home-tips-from-the-marriage-america-conference/

Marriage Monday: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – Part 2

Last week, we began looking at what John Gottman labels “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. “ Thes

http://joshfults.com/2012/04/16/marriage-monday-the-four-horsemen-of-the-apocalypse-part-2/

After Affair and Pregnancy, Marriage is Renewed and Restored

http://thebiblicalmarriage.com/2012/04/15/after-affair-and-pregnancy-marriage-is-renewed-and-restored/

Why Should I Obey (Part 2)

Deut 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD your God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command you this day, that the LORD your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth:

 

This promise holds such intrigue for me. Does it work on a personal level? Can our nation yet be saved from the destructive path it is currently on. I was watching a Paul Washer video that really made since to me. He said that when we get leadership such as we have now with the president, it is not that He is punishing us but rather giving us what we want as whole. I didn’t want what we have but most of the rest of the nation either did or didn’t care enough to do something about it. They still don’t. This verse holds no meaning for most people who claim to follow Yeshua. Well here is my goal. I will stand as one person who will follow this verse. I will do my part and watch and wait for Adonai to do His. While waiting I will continue to write this blog in hopes that maybe a few might understand where I am going and join me.

 

Deut 30:2 and shall turn back to יהוה your Elohim and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your being, you and your children, Deut 30:3 then יהוה your Elohim shall turn back your captivity, and shall have compassion on you, and He shall turn back and gather you from all the peoples where יהוה your Elohim has scattered you.

When I look around today to find authentic Christians I don’t find them. Christians who allow the Holy Spirit into their lives are profoundly different than those who claim to be Christians but continue to live their life without The Holy Spirit. The bible is clear that when the Holy Spirit is present the persons life will reflect a difference. This is not to say that people won’t fail. Last night I had a near failure. But the Holy Spirit was present and as He laid it on my heart to stop what I was doing I began to pray that Adonai would take control over some part of the situation that would allow the situation to come to an end. A health problem suddenly erupted and as pain washed through my back I was thankful that Adonai loved me enough to spare me from my failure. Most days I look around to find people who desperate want to serve Him in Obedience for the right reasons and I just cant find them. Authentic sin mortifying Christians have been scattered all over this nation. They are not fighting as one making a difference as they did many years ago. In the late 1700′ s Christians pulled together for what was right. They pulled together to drive tyranny out of our nation. Today we are so scattered and no longer united that tyranny is back with a vengeance. I was watching a Paul Washer sermon and he had something to say that really bothers me. Our currant government is NOT a punishment but rather it is giving us as what we wanted as a whole nation. Truth is most people either wanted our currant government operator or didn’t care enough to stand. The trouble is stand against what? The answer is simply stand against the lustful desires of the heart. The bible says if we humble ourselves and turn from wicked ways and pray He will heal our land. I personally believe that I am one of the few who believe that not only can Adonai heal our land but also would want to heal it. I am by no means claiming to be a sin free man. But I am saying that I am fighting the lusts of the flesh for the right reasons now more than I ever have. My life is changing in so many directions. I guess in some ways I am hoping that this blog will bring together a few people who would like to find His promises so badly that they would be happy to be faithful obedient children of Adonai.

 

1Kgs 3:14 “And if you walk in My ways, to guard My laws and My commands, as your father Dawiḏ walked, then I shall prolong your days.”

I believe we are approaching the end times. The great tribulation will begin soon. The bible predicts that billions of people will be killed. However if a person manages to live through the tribulation things will be different. Yeshua will rule the earth for a millennium.The bible says that if someone dies during this time at 90 years old it will be like a baby dying today. I want to share with you one of my desires. I don’t know that it will happen but it is still a desire and I will do my part of these verses and wait and see if Adonai will fulfill some of the promises that the bible gives to those who opt to obey His word. As you probably have saw in a past blog my greatest desire is to be a godly husband married to a godly wife creating a godly marriage and raising some children in a godly fashion. Looking at the verse above I wonder if I might survive tribulation. And that leads me to my desire. I don’t like sharing this with many people because it is easy for people to think I am crazy. But I am going to go ahead and share this with you. One of my greatest desires is to share a 800th wedding anniversary with my wife.

                    I wonder since the 75th anniversary is a diamond what will the 750th be

I am not saying Adonai will do this for me. I am saying it is a desire of my heart. And that I am going to do all that I can to follow through with those things that I should do in order for Him to desire to give me my hearts desire. 

 

Home

http://durantinyeshua.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/why-should-i-obey-part-2/

Rebuilding a Marriage: A Wife’s Journey

It’s been almost a year now since my husband had an affair with another woman, since our marriage and my faith was torn apart, since hopelessness and sin invaded our lives.  Our tenth anniversary is in June and our marriage has grown more in this single year than in the past nine years combined.  I want to say that I was hopeless, I didn’t know how to fix our marriage, I didn’t know how to stop my husband from cheating on me and I didn’t know if I could ever love or trust him again.  I was mad at God, I doubted that He was good, and I doubted that I could trust God.  (to read more, go to my guest post at Traditional Christianity Rebuilding a Marriage: A Wife’s Journey)

http://passionatechristianmarriage.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/rebuilding-a-marriage-a-wifes-journey/

Next Page »