Take 6 minutes of your time, get focused, and watch the video below…

What do you think about this video?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Take a few moments, relax, and read.  Allow the Lord to speak to you through these words…

Beautiful Simplicity and Radiant Love

I am afraid of a new wave of religion that has come. It started in the United States, and it is spreading. It is a sort of esoteric affair of the soul or the mind, and there are strange phenomena that attend it. I am afraid of anything that does not require purity of heart on the part of individuals and righteousness of conduct in life. I also long in the tender mercies of Christ that among us there may be the following:

1. A beautiful simplicity. I am wary of the artificialness and complexities of religion. I would like to see simplicity. Our Lord Jesus was one of the simplest men who ever lived. You could not involve Him in anything formal. He said what He had to say as beautifully and as naturally as a bird sings on the bough in the morning. That is what I would like to see restored to the churches. The opposite of that is artificiality and complexity.

2. A radiant Christian love. I want to see a restoration of a radiant Christian love so it will be impossible to find anyone who will speak unkindly or uncharitably about another or to another. This is carefully thought out and carefully prayed through. The devil would have a spasm. He would be so chagrined that he would sulk in his self-made hell for years. There should be a group of Christians with radiant love in this last worn-out dying period of the Christian dispensation, a people so loving that you could not get them to speak unkindly and you could not get them to speak uncharitably.

After Reading this…what are your thoughts?  I would love to hear them!

This is one of those “must watch” videos…

All I can say is…if this does not move you to tears, either you don’t know Christ personally, or you don’t have a pulse

Afterwards, let me know what you think below in the comment section, and forward this link on to others so they can be blessed also!

Drew

When a Man Loves a Woman

A woman has seven basic needs that a man must learn to meet if he desires to love her as fully as God intended. -By Daniel Akin

God did not intend for marriage to be painfully endured. He intended it to be wonderfully enjoyed. It was not His plan that it would be a burden. He wants it to be a blessing. In order for us to experience maximum marriage satisfaction, it is essential that we grow to know each other.

Men and women are different in many ways. One area in particular is in the area of needs. Women have needs that are significantly different than those of men. How has God put a woman together? What does she need from a man?

In marriage, a man shows love to his wife by learning to meet seven basic needs that are the essence of who his wife is.

1) She needs a spiritual leader. A woman longs to follow a man of courage, conviction, commitment, compassion, and character. She wants a man who can be both steel and velvet. He can be a man’s man, and at the same time he can be gentle, tender, and approachable. Such a man will be a spiritual leader in the home. He will take the initiative in cultivating a spiritual environment for the family. He will be a capable and competent student of the Word of God, and he will live out a life founded on the Word of God. He’ll encourage and enable his wife to become a woman of God, to become more like Jesus, and he will take the lead in training their children in the things of the Lord.

2) She needs personal affirmation and appreciation. A man who loves a woman will praise her for personal attributes and qualities. He will extol her virtues as a wife, mother, and homemaker. He will also openly commend her in the presence of others as a marvelous mate, friend, lover, and companion. She will feel that to him, no one is more important in this world.

I remember telling men in a conference that one of the ways they show their wife appreciation is by picking up the phone and calling her during the day to see how she is doing. He is not to call to ask what came in the mail or what’s for supper! The following night a sweet young lady came up to me to tell me that her husband had obviously listened to what I had said the night before. She informed me that they had been married for a number of years and that her husband had never called her during the workday until that day. On this day he called her five times!

At first I was proud of the impression I had made on the man, but then a frightening thought entered my mind. I asked the lady, “Well, what did he say in each of those conversations?” She informed me that he said not much at all and that each conversation lasted no more than a minute. I began to apologize to her for the fact that things had not worked out so well. She quickly interrupted me, “Oh no, Dr. Akin, it was wonderful. Just the fact that he thought to call means everything. We can work on the words later! However, if he doesn’t call, we have nothing to work on.”

3) She needs personal affection and romance. Romance for a man means sex. He cannot imagine romance without having sex. Romance for a woman can mean lots of things, and sex may or may not be a part of it.

Romance is basically a game. It is a specific game. It is a game of “hide-and-go-seek.” She hides it and you seek it. If you find it, you will indeed agree that it’s good! On the other hand, if you don’t find it, you have one of two options. First, you can get nasty, mean, and bent out of shape and just be a miserable old grouch for the rest of your life. I have met a number of men just like that. Or second, you can remind yourself, it’s a game. Sometimes I win, and sometimes I lose. But that’s the fun of playing the game.

But there’s a second part to this game, and this is not fair. However, we dealt long ago with the fact that some things aren’t fair; it’s just the way they are. Guys, you must understand. What is romantic to your wife, say, on Monday, may not necessarily be romantic on Tuesday. Indeed, women are adept at moving the romance on a regular basis, sometimes even hiding it in places where they can’t even find it. When you go searching for romance in the place where it used to be, but now you discover that it is no longer there, don’t be surprised if looking over your shoulder is the woman that God gave you, and with her eyes she says something like this, “Yes, my darling. I moved the romance. It’s somewhere else now. And I’m going to wait to see if you love me enough to look for it all over again.”

Now again, guys, you can get angry, mean, and bent out of shape, or you can remember, it’s a game. And games can be fun. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. But it’s all a great game. Men, if you will approach romance in this way, not only will you find it fun, but you will also get better at it along the way.

4) She needs intimate conversation. A woman needs a husband who will talk with her at the feeling level (heart to heart). She needs a man who will listen to her thoughts about the events of her day with sensitivity, interest, and concern. Daily conversation with her conveys her husband’s desire to understand her. Wise men learn soon after marriage that women are masters of code language. They say what they mean and expect you to know what they mean, and the particular words really don’t matter. Unfortunately some men are simply ill prepared and a little dense at this point, and it often gets them into serious trouble.

5) She needs honesty and openness. A woman needs a man who will look into her eyes and, in love, tell her what he is really thinking. He will explain his plans and actions clearly and completely to her because he regards himself as responsible for her. He wants her to trust him and feel secure. He wants her to know how precious she is to him. Growing openness and honesty will always mark a marriage when a man loves a woman.

6) She needs stability and security. A man who loves a woman will firmly shoulder the responsibilities to house, feed, and clothe the family. He will provide and he will protect. He will never forget that he is the security hub of the family for both his wife and his children. She will be aware of his dependability, and as our text indicates, so will others. There will be no doubt as to where his devotion and commitments lie. They are with his wife and his children.

7) She needs family commitment. A woman longs to know that her man puts the family first. Such a man will commit his time and energy to the spiritual, moral, and intellectual development of the entire family, especially the children. For example, he will play with them, he will read the Bible to them, he will engage in sports with them, and he will take them on exciting and fun-filled outings. Such a man will not play the fool’s game of working long hours, trying to get ahead, while his spouse and children languish in neglect. No, a woman needs a man who is committed to the family. She needs a man who puts his wife and children right behind his commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

When a man loves a woman, he makes it a life goal to meet seven basic needs of his wife. When a husband is committed in this way, and when a wife has the same commitment, it is not surprising that both husband and wife have a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts. This is the way God intended it from the beginning. As persons committed to God’s plan for marriage, we should settle for and expect nothing less.

Adapted from God on Sex ©2003 by Daniel Akin. Published by Broadman & Holman.

Ok men…now that you have read this, what are you going to do about it?  Time to stand up and commit to doing those things that are good, right and Biblical…for she is worth it!

Let me know how this article got you thinking in the comment box below…

Probability of evidence for Jesus

http://dribex.tumblr.com/post/3298605187/probability-of-evidence-for-jesus

I would love to hear your thoughts on this…let me know below in the “reply” section…

Like this?

Give me your thoughts on this below…

Here is a great article about the gift of silence…(so get away, in a quiet place, and read on

The Best Gift to Give Your Spouse

How a silent retreat can renew your marriage

Lara Krupicka | posted 2/07/2011

My husband’s eyes darted back and forth, apparently keeping time to his frantic flow of thoughts. I’d just asked for his input on a decision we needed to make, and I could tell he was flustered and stressed. He frowned, glancing down at his watch.

“Let’s talk later,” he said. He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. Then, keys jingling in his hand, he called to our daughter and the two of them hurried out the door.

I was left alone, with issues still unresolved in the wake of our hectic schedule. Normally I would have gotten frustrated. His work schedule and our full family calendar prevented him from giving our concerns a fair focus. But this time a thought popped into my head: he was feeling the stress of a hectic lifestyle because he hadn’t spent any alone time lately with God.

A Silent Retreat

As college students, my husband and I had practiced retreats of silence. We’d withdraw from daily life for a few hours to spend time focused on being with God through reading Scripture, praying, and meditating—all in silence. We appreciated the unique time of reflection and recharging that came through this abbreviated retreat. Early on we decided to make that a part of our married life.

For us, silent retreats come in three-to-four hour chunks once every year or two. Sometimes we feel stretched, but we’ve made the commitment to carve out those few hours to become still and listen to God without being so long as to throw off our schedules or leave us scrambling to catch up. And periodic silent retreats come with benefits for us and for our marriage that outweigh any inconvenience.

Here are some of the messages I send when I present him with the gift of a silent retreat.

The Gift of Sacrifice

Offering the gift of a retreat of silence demonstrates sacrifice. Scrabbling together a three-to-four hour chunk of time takes work. Every minute devoted to that retreat of silence means time not given to something else. And often the greater sacrifice comes from the giver, the one who stands in the gap and takes care of “life” in the other’s absence. You are giving up your spouse for that time. You’re also giving him back to God. Try this as a spiritual exercise of relinquishing. Relinquish your spouse and relinquish control over the time that he’s gone. Instead capture any free moments to pray for him during his time away.

A Communication of Love

The unique way in which it communicates love makes a silent retreat a powerful gift in marriage. Offering your husband—or wife—time away—from you, the children if you have any, his share of household duties, or from whatever expectations or demands he may be facing, speaks volumes of love. You’re telling him his relationship with God matters more than any of those. You acknowledge that any time he takes to focus on that relationship will benefit the others as well. It’s more than encouraging him in his daily walk with God. It’s saying: give this extra attention. You and the Lord are worth it.

When I reflect on the times my husband has offered me a few hours away with the Lord, a feeling of protection comes over me. It’s as if I’m sandwiched between the amazing love of God and the giving love of my mate. It renews my appreciation for how precious it is to be married to someone who loves God as much as I do.

An Aid during Transition or Trial

In his classic book, Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster suggests a periodic retreat of silence, similar in duration to what we practice, as a time for goal setting. We’ve also found it to be a pivotal practice during times of trial or transition. We often take our concerns and our plans to God, but rarely do we stay there with them for long, waiting for an answer and guidance. The next time you find yourself in the midst of changes or trials as a couple or family, offer your spouse time to work through them with God. Let God be his advisor.

When my husband returned that afternoon, I told him that I would cover the household stuff, if he would take a retreat. We worked our schedules around and he finally seized a time to get away, sneaking in a retreat of silence after a half day at work.

When he returned home that evening, his lips curled up in a grin and his eyes gazed steadily at me.

“I took that retreat of silence,” he said. Then he wrapped his arms around me in a long embrace.

That retreat of silence was one of the best gifts for our marriage. It offered my husband more clarity, and we were finally able to make the decisions with solid conviction.

Could your marriage use a gift like that?

Lara Krupicka is author of Pampering Gifts.

What are your thoughts on this article…let me know below in the “reply” section…

I Was Unfaithful

I thought my marriage was strong enough to withstand any threat—but I wasn’t immune.

Kathleen Malloy* as told to Holly G. Miller | posted 1/01/1998

Two years ago, when I admitted to my husband, Bob, that I’d been unfaithful to him, I was prepared for every response except forgiveness.

For weeks I agonized about telling him the truth. The affair—a terrible, terrible mistake—was over; why did he need to know? Keeping it secret was best, I decided, but I wondered if my motivation was to spare Bob the pain or me the shame.

In the end, I had no choice: My emotions were a jumble of contradictions and wouldn’t stay under wraps. Bob no longer believed me when I blamed my mood swings on PMS or my inability to return his hugs on my preoccupation with work. I had run out of lies.

At age forty-one, I was an unlikely candidate for an extramarital affair. Bob and I had been married for nineteen years and were active in our church. I’d just taken a job as a secretary in a large public relations firm in the hope of boosting our kids’ college fund. Most of my friends already had found their way back to careers they’d put on hold when they married. For a long time I had envied their shop talk, expanding responsibilities, updated wardrobes, and the occasional splurges their salaries allowed. Now it’s my turn, I thought.

Three days into my new job, I had my doubts. My skills were rusty, my confidence level nonexistent. After a couple of minutes in front of a computer screen, I wanted to wave a white flag and retreat home.

My supervisor quickly assigned Steve, the resident technology whiz, to bail me out. His duties included training new employees on the office information system, and he later joked that I was his greatest challenge. He recognized my insecurity and said all the right words of encouragement. He teased me just enough to help me relax, then proposed a crash course in data retrieval—whatever that was.

“Translation: Long hours and hard work,” he cautioned. “But if you’re willing, I’m willing.”

He also was willing to schedule a couple Saturday morning sessions and reward my progress with follow-up lunches. He sent me funny messages via e-mail and insisted I respond so I could learn the right codes and commands. I eagerly participated in this silent dialogue and didn’t stop several weeks later when his notes took on a decidedly personal tone.

He seemed to notice everything about me—my revamped hairstyle, a different cologne—and wasted no time in complimenting me. Although his attention set off internal warning signals, I ignored them. I was an adult, after all. I could halt our friendship any time it became uncomfortable.

On the surface, my marriage seemed strong enough to withstand any threat. For years Bob and I had enjoyed a warm, comfortable relationship short on spontaneity but long on commitment. I loved Bob and he loved me, and daily assurances came not in words but in our willingness to pitch in and share duties.

If romance had slipped away, I never thought about its absence until it suddenly reappeared—courtesy of Steve—in the form of silly cards propped against my coffee mug, flowers tucked under my windshield wipers, and Post-It notes tacked to my computer screen. I was being pursued—and it felt good.

I found myself comparing Bob to Steve and always giving Steve the edge. Bob was dependable, Steve was exciting; Bob made me feel secure, Steve made me feel young; Bob wanted to build a future, Steve wanted to enjoy the present.

I couldn’t talk to anyone about my confusion, because then I’d have to justify my growing attachment to a man who wasn’t my husband. I gradually withdrew from my family, our church, and our friends. They only reminded me that what I was doing was wrong.

My new job with its long hours provided the perfect excuse for my spotty attendance at Wednesday night Bible study and for my decision to drop out of our church’s couples club. Bob and our daughters never questioned my need to spend evening in the den with stacks of papers from the office.

My involvement with Steve progressed from professional to emotional to sexual. I hated my double life and the lies I told to support it. Three months later, when my guilt became unbearable, I requested a transfer to a suburban office, a move that put Steve physically, if not emotionally, out of my life. I missed him, but I didn’t miss the deception that was the foundation of the relationship. He accepted my decision with little argument, causing me to believe our affair had meant much more to me than to him.

Distance brough clarity—and with it, more guilt. I tried to pretend the affair never happened, but it had—and my conscience wouldn’t let me forget. I tried to get back in touch with my family and church, but those contacts made my secret more unbearable.

Why can’t I put this behind me? I wondered. I hadn’t been caught and I was even being held up as a role model—the working wife and mom who successfully juggled career and family. But every time a friend said, “I wish I were more like you,” I wanted to scream. I didn’t deserve admiration.

My need to confess eventually caused me to tell Bob the truth. He had suspected something was wrong because I’d been struggling with bouts of the blues for weeks. I felt emotionally numb and had difficulty responding to his need for intimacy.

His love and trust were daily reminders of my unworthiness. I had to pay for my actions, and, since he was the victim, I wanted him to deal me a harsh punishment. Still, I dreaded the confrontation and imagined the range of his reactions: disbelief, then hurt, then finally, anger.

What I never considered was the response that came after the tears, after the angry questions, after the talk of separation and divorce, and after our decision to try to restore our badly fractured marriage.

“First, we have to forgive,” said Bob. We weren’t sure we could do it; we only knew that with God’s help, we wanted to try. And as hard as that would be for him, it would be even harder for me to forgive myself.

Healing came slowly. More than a year passed before I’d sufficiently forgiven myself so I could accept God’s grace. Up to that point, my faith seemed to increase my guilt instead of ease it. Familiar verses about fidelity and commitment jumped off the pages of my Bible, haunting instead of helping me. They reminded me that as a Christian, I’d known the difference between right and wrong, yet I’d sinned anyway. Ignorance was no excuse for my actions. The burden of being a believer never seemed heavier.

Our marriage was fragile, so Bob and I looked for ways to strengthen it. We tried too hard to make up for our mistakes. I overcompensated by acting the part of the perfect wife and mother, fussing with meals, keeping a spotless house, doting on our daughters. Bob struggled to be more demonstrative by bringing me flowers and calling me from work just to say hello. Privately, I wondered if he was checking to see if I was at home when I said I would be. Could he ever trust me again?

We read a “how-to” book about revitalizing relationships and laughed at our clumsiness in carrying out its advice. The laughter did more good than the advice, and we decided there was a lesson in that, too. We needed to laugh and talk more.

We attended a marriage enrichment seminar and picked through the platitudes for something that might ease our hurt. We visited a Christian counselor who helped us understand that “comfortable” marriages aren’t always healthy ones. Prayer together became an essential part of our daily life and recovery.

Two years after my affair, our life is coming together. Although I still don’t fully understand what caused me to do what I did, I know now that Christians, like everyone else, are vulnerable to temptation. And I understand that a marriage, even a good one, requires constant nurturing to sustain it.

Our relationship will never be the same, because we will never be the same. Trust and respect have eroded, but perhaps in time they will be replenished. The fact that my unfaithfulness didn’t become common knowledge now seems like a gift from God. He gave me a second chance, and this time, I pray I’ll know what to do with it.

Holly G. Miller is a Kyria contributing editor and author of numerous books.

* The names in this story, including that of author Kathleen Malloy, have been changed.

Thoughts…comments…responses?  Let me know below in the “reply” section!

Below is an article that I gleaned from  Josh Hunt’s blog “What divorce taught us about marriage“.  This is a new blog, and is very insightful…for those contemplating divorce, those that are divorced, and for those of us that are married and want to create a better marriage.

Take a few moments and read the thoughts below…

Sex won’t solve all of your marital problems, but it will certainly help. The simple act of having sex—even when you’re not in the mood—harnesses your body’s brain chemistry, unleashing the chemicals vasopressin and oxytocin. These are powerful bonding chemicals. In studies of monogamous mice, just injecting a male mouse with vasopressin made him more attentive to a female mouse, even though he hadn’t actually mated with her.

Experts tell low-desire couples to have sex even if they don’t want to. After about five minutes of going through the motions, sexual activity will release the bonding chemicals and you are likely to even start enjoying yourself.

This is difficult advice to follow for many couples once they’ve allowed their sex lives to wane. A woman wrote to me once and told me her marriage became sexless after she had children. She was the one who had lost interest, and the couple had begun discussing divorce. A marriage counselor told her sternly that if she wanted to save her marriage, she needed to start having sex twice a week whether she wanted to or not.

“I hated this advice,” she says. “What about my needs? But I followed it anyway. I forced myself, and you know what? I loved it, he loved it, and our marriage loved it.”

For couples who are struggling to reignite their sex life, experts have several suggestions. It may just be that you need time away from kids and work stress—scheduling a regular date night might be the answer. Or you may need to start slower, holding hands and cuddling and working to restore intimacy.

A marriage counselor might help you identify the issues that are interfering with your sex life. Some studies show that problems at work can lead to a loss of interest in sex. Unfairness about the division of chores in the home can impact a couple’s sex life. A medical checkup might also be in order—a number of health issues ranging from heart disease, depression, diabetes, menopause, and medication side effects, among others, can take a toll on your sex life. Couples retreats are another way for couples to work on their sex lives.

In a study of sixty-five couples who had been married an average of twenty-four years, sex therapist Linda Banner discovered a simple but effective solution. For two out of three couples, the use of educational sex videos was enough to recharge their sex lives.

Over time, regular sex can improve your mood, make you more patient, damp down anger, and lead to a better, more contented relationship.

THE LESSON: Forget the lesson. Put down this book and go have sex with your husband or wife.

For Better by Tara Parker-Pope

And, when you are back from your “connection” with your spouse, write to me below in the “reply” section your thoughts on this info above…

HEAVEN IN YOUR HOME

Ephesians 5:18–33

When home is ruled according to God’s Word,” said Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “angels might be asked to stay with us, and they would not find themselves out of their element.”

The trouble is that many homes are not governed by God’s Word—even homes where the members are professing Christians—and the consequences are tragic. Instead of angels being guests in some homes, it seems that demons are the masters. Too many marriages end in the divorce court, and nobody knows how many husbands and wives are emotionally divorced even though they share the same address. The poet William Cowper called the home “the only bliss of Paradise that hast surviv’d the Fall,” but too many homes are an outpost of hell instead of a parcel of paradise.

The answer is the Holy Spirit of God! It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can walk in harmony as husbands and wives (Eph. 5:22–33), parents and children (Eph. 6:1–4), and employers and employees (Eph. 6:5–9). The unity of the people of God that Paul described (Eph. 4:1–16) must be translated into daily living if we are to enjoy the harmony that is a foretaste of heaven on earth.

“Be filled with the Spirit” is God’s command, and He expects us to obey. The command is plural, so it applies to all Christians and not just to a select few. The verb is in the present tense—“keep on being filled”—so it is an experience we should enjoy constantly and not just on special occasions. And the verb is passive. We do not fill ourselves but permit the Spirit to fill us. The verb “fill” has nothing to do with contents or quantity, as though we are empty vessels that need a required amount of spiritual fuel to keep going. In the Bible, filled means “controlled by.” “They … were filled with wrath” (Luke 4:28) means “they were controlled by wrath” and for that reason tried to kill Jesus. “The Jews were filled with envy” (Acts 13:45) means that the Jews were controlled by envy and opposed the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. To be “filled with the Spirit” means to be constantly controlled by the Spirit in our mind, emotions, and will.

When a person trusts Christ as his Saviour, he is immediately baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). Nowhere in the New Testament are we commanded to be baptized by the Spirit, because this is a once-for-all experience that takes place at conversion. When the Spirit came at Pentecost, the believers were baptized by the Spirit and thus the body of Christ was formed (Acts 1:4–5). But they were also “filled with the Spirit” (Acts 2:4), and it was this filling that gave them the power they needed to witness for Christ (Acts 1:8). In Acts 2, the Jewish believers were baptized by the Spirit, and in Acts 10 the Gentile believers had the same experience (Acts 10:44–48; 11:15–17). Thus the body of Christ was made up of Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:11–22). That historic baptism, in two stages, has never been repeated any more than Calvary has been repeated. But that baptism is made personal when the sinner trusts Christ and the Spirit enters in to make him a member of the body of Christ. The baptism of the Spirit means that I belong to Christ’s body. The filling of the Spirit means that my body belongs to Christ.

We usually think of the power of the Spirit as necessary for preaching and witnessing, and this is true. (See Acts 4:8, 31; 6:3, 5; 7:55; 13:9. The Apostles experienced repeated fillings after that initial experience at Pentecost.) But Paul wrote that the Spirit’s fullness is also needed in the home. If our homes are to be a heaven on earth, then we must be controlled by the Holy Spirit. But how can a person tell whether or not he is filled with the Spirit? Paul stated that there are three evidences of the fullness of the Spirit in the life of the believer: he is joyful (Eph. 5:19), thankful (Eph. 5:20), and submissive (Eph. 5:21–33). Paul said nothing about miracles or tongues, or other special manifestations. He stated that the home can be a heaven on earth if each family member is controlled by the Spirit, and is joyful, thankful, and submissive.^[1]

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996). Eph 5:15.

How has this got you thinking!  Let me know below in the “reply” section…