Silence…is golden (for your marriage!)

Everyone needs some good-old silence from time to time.  In fact, it is rejuvenating for those weary in heart and weary emotionally.

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…

 

 

 

The Gift….(of forgiveness!)

Oh, how I LOVE redemptive stories!  I love it when the Lord steps in and full, complete redemption takes place…and forgiveness is expressed and  lived!  I just read this article and was touched by it…and had to share it.  If you are a minister of the Gospel, this will propel you to speak of this great gift in greater ways in the upcoming days.  Praying that this story touches you, like it has touched me!

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.

The following article is located at: http://www.kyria.com/topics/marriagefamily/marriage/helphealing/8w1026.html

 

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

 

 

How to improve a sexless marriage…

I have the privilege of ministering to many people in the congregation where I work and also in the community with marital and pre-marital counseling.  An expert at it, I am not.  A perfect marriage, I do not have, and being a perfect husband, I am not.   But that does not negate that I have a desire, passion, longing to make my marriage the best that it can be…and be the husband that my wife and family needs.  I am continually scanning blogs, articles, and  emails (and  books) on ideas, tips, thoughts on improving marital relationships.  There is much out there to read on both the secular and the Christian sides.  Personally I do not count out either side…(though I gravitate to the Christian side), but there is much to learn from the secular research that is going on right now.

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…

Recently I read this commentary section by Warren Wiersbe.  Heaven in your home!  WOW, what a great idea!  But there is a secret to make this happen in your home.  Are you wondering how?  Read below…

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…

 

Time Management…by value!

I am not sure where I read this, but I saved it.  It got me thinking…do I just do Time Management, OR, do I do Time Management that is part of my values.  If you are not sure what I mean by this…keep reading…

 

Sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed by constant ‘principles’ and ‘keys’ to successful living!

Sometimes one size (or principle) does NOT fit all (which either means I am the wrong or principle MIGHT be wrong – either are possible!)…

Often ‘principles’ they just increase my guilt!

The reality of being in leadership does mean that we need help and when we are starting in a new position we are expecially vunerable. Sometimes, principles and keys are really important. Other times we just need to identify what values we hold most supreme.

There have been a number of times when I have been victim to to one of the following ‘ailments’ while settling into a new position…

• I’m in a meeting, it’s running late and I promised my daughter I’d  watch her play basketball. I missed the last two games. If I am not careful, I won’t make this one either.
• It’s been a while since I dated my wife but I really NEED to get this project finished!
• I duck out of putting my four year old to bed because I am am working on a sermon.
• I am  spending lots of time visiting people while my wife sits at home watching “Wife Swap” on TV
• It’s been a while since I have been able to find the time to successfully ‘date’ my daughter

Maybe you resonate with some of these scenarios – or you have your own unique battles?

Perhaps one of these scenarios doesn’t fit you specifically but you KNOW that you are not managing your time effectively. Perhaps, you are sacrificing your marriage, kids and perhaps work on an altar that fits squarely within a ‘closed hand.‘

SO you get the latest book to help you strategically manage your time…….. Nah… doesn’t help (or perhaps it does help for a short time -  until you don’t have time to finish it… irony). You’ll be back to your old ways before you can say “Useless Time Management Principles for the Modern Leader”

Therefore…

I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU A SERIES OF ‘KEYS’ OR ‘PRINCIPLES’ TO HELP YOU SOLVE YOUR CRISIS.

Well, maybe ONE…!

I have been married for 17 years and have four kids. Here is what I realize about myself. My time management issues, my priority issues are actually VALUE issues in disguise - not practical/principle based issues.

My time management is dictated by my values. Pure and Simple.

Now, look at those scenarios listed at the beginning again. What values are being revealed? For example, my first scenario tells me that the value being ‘chased’ in my life is that of work, perhaps making money, perhaps it’s promotion, perhaps it kudos, perhaps its fear (of being fired). See what I mean? Sounds tough but it’s sometimes true – right?

If the highest value was that of relationship, family and leaving a legacy - I would be at that game cheering my kids on! This will have the added advantage of making me a better leader too!

Thankfully, a long time ago, I had good people who pointed out I was a ‘village idiot’ for not identifying my core values and making them a priority FIRST. Change came slowly and thanks to my wonderful wife (Sarah) it came consistently. That doesn’t mean that my priorities don’t get messed up sometimes but I do tend to correct them somewhat quicker than I used.

I value my marriage, kids and God too much to strive for anything else.

What do YOU do to keep your priorities in the right order?

Let me know in the “reply” section below…

 

 

 

Kindness…

Here is a brief article by Rick Warren about…Kindness.  I have not heard much on this topic recently, but without a doubt, we need more of it…in the church, and specifically within marriages!

Take a moment and allow the Lord to speak to you in the words below…

 

First, kind people are sensitive to others. They are aware of the needs of people around them. So become aware of the needs of those around you. Tune in to them. Kindness always starts with sensitivity. Philippians 2:4 says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Circle the word look. Kindness always starts with noticing the needs and hurts of others.

Often in marriage we are totally unaware of what our partner’s needs are. We have become calloused. We have stopped listening. We are oblivious to the pressure our mate is under. Simply stated, the root of many marriage problems is insensitivity.

Everyone you meet this week needs kindness because everyone is hurting somewhere. Even the people who sit around you at church have major hurts. It’s just that you are not aware of them most of the time. So kindness starts with sensitivity. We find an example of sensitivity and kindness in the life of King David as recorded in 2 Samuel 9. David was crowned king of Israel and had led the Israelites in a series of military victories. The former King Saul, who had opposed him and chased him for years, was dead. David’s friend, Jonathan — Saul’s son — had been killed. Now, safely enthroned for several years, David made an unusual request. He asked whether there was anyone left in Saul’s family to whom he could be kind. He found Saul’s grandson — Jonathan’s son — Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet.

When David sent for him, Mephibosheth probably thought, I am going to be killed because I am part of the enemy family, the old dynasty. But notice David’s kind words: “Don’t be afraid, … for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table” (2 Sam. 9:7). Mephibosheth’s response is interesting: “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (v. 8). He apparently had a poor self-image. But the point is that David actively looked for people to whom he could be kind. He was sensitive. How about you? To whom do you need to be kind this week? To whom do you need to be sensitive? — God’s Power to Change Your Life (Rick Warren)

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

 

 

Some verses… regarding YOUR marriage!

Life it tough!  Marriage seems to be tougher (at least sometimes).  Your marriage does not have to be mediocre, stale or boring!  Without pointing at your spouse as the issue, take a moment with a cup of coffee or a coke, sit down and read through these passages of Scripture.  Allow the Word of God to speak to you…and allow the Word of God to be your measuring stick to see where you are in your marriage in relation to what God says.

So, get that cup of coffee or a coke right now…and before you read below…take a moment and say to the Lord “speak to me Lord!”

#1 – Philippians 1:27 – The first word is the one that gets me the most – “whatever!”  AND…please keep in mind that the Apostle Paul was in prison when he penned that verse.  If Paul can instruct us to keep a good attitude when he was in prison they surely we must strive to do the same…even if we are in a difficult marriage.

#2 – Philippians 2:14 – OUCH…notice the word “everything” in this verse!  If we would simply submit to this instruction how much better would our marriages be?

#3 – Philippians 3:12-14 – Paul refused to allow the fact that he had fallen short of who he felt God was calling him to be…he was willing to continue the fight!  (Everyone is tempted to give up on their marriage at some point…but if we are followers of Jesus we should be willing to fight FOR it and not just in it!)

#4 – Philippians 3:16 – AHHH!  Most of the time we already know what we need to do and how we need to do it….we know it but struggle to apply it!

#5 – Philippians 4:5-7 – We should be gentle to all (including our spouse) and not be anxious…but rather present our requests to God, knowing that He wants for us to have a great marriage even more than we would actually like to have one.

#6 – Philippians 4:8 – How we think about our marriage (or future marriage) will definitely impact it…this verse is essential in reminding us to think the right thoughts.  (Also see II Corinthians 10:5)  We must fight the temptation to constantly think negative thoughts about our spouse and our marriage.

#7 – Philippians 4:13 – “Everything” means “Everything!”  Trust me…your messed up marriage situation CAN BE HEALED by Jesus.  He specializes in bringing dead things back to life!  In Christ our marriage CAN (and SHOULD) work out in order that Ephesians 3:20 should be true about them.

What got you thinking here?  Any verse or verses stand out to you?  I would love to hear from you, so leave me a comment in the “reply” section below…