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| "And so,from the day we heard,we have not ceased to pray for you,asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,fully pleasing to him,bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.May you be strengthened with all power,according to his glorious might,for all endurance and patience with joy,giving thanks to the Father,who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,in whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins.He is the image of the invisible God,the firstborn of all creation.For by him all things were created,in heaven and on earth,visible and invisible,whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.And he is before all things,and in him all things hold together.And he is the head of the body,the church.He is the beginning,the firstborn from the dead,that in everything he might be preeminent.For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,and through him to reconcile to himself all things,whether on earth or in heaven,making peace by the blood of his cross.And you,who once were alienated and hostile in mind,doing evil deeds,he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death,in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,if indeed you continue in the faith,stable and steadfast,not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard,which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven,and of which I,Paul,became a minister." Colossians 1:9-21 | | |
| when life gives you lemons.
realize that they're sour for a reason.
and eat them with moderation.
so you don't get citrus sores.
then ask someone to hug you.
until the bitterness fades.
and the sweeter fruits are in season.
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| so my (very young,i know) mind has been observing and thought into...
What an awesome mission you've embarked on! You are "HEIRS ~TOGETHER~ OF THE GRACE OF LIFE!!" woah! What an adventure,which requires daily partaking in the mercies of your Saviour! Do you realize what a delicate gift God's given you in ea other-so intense and priceless?You've got someone joined to your flesh to demonstrate and apply 1 Corinthians 13 real love to! Do you realize the enormous duty of stewardship He's placed in your hands with this soul mate? Do you realize who's purity and holiness you're supposed to be reflecting in your relationship? Do you realize what a precious,incredible gift you have in your union? Do you realize how incredibly important your union is to your Heavenly Father? Do you realize how many forces of sin and selfishness are trying to destroy this divine covenant you signed and convince you that it's compromisable?Do you realize how much this battle is already won through Christ's victory on the cross? Do you realize how fiercely He fought for his bride even tho it rejected and doubted him?Do you look at your spouse as a mirror through the eyes of Jesus and realize there will be sin and there can be forgiveness?Freshen your perspective.Don't take their sin personally.We are all fallen...we're all at fault...and we can commit the burden of other's sins to the cross for bearing.Do you realize where the gifts much higher over your differences lie? Did you know they're open always to your utilizing?Do you realize how powerful the fruits of the spirit can be in healing and restoring your love and respect for ea other if you'd only throw away all selfish desires,and cultivate and embrace them? Have you forgotten to pray with out ceasing in a closet of mutual praise and humble supplication for your union and your family? Have you praticed gravity and sensible,patient communication?Have you forgotten about the Armor He's provided you with that you're supposed to wear everyday? Have you forgotten to clothe yourselves in humility and patience with every sunrise and every sunset? Have you cast apathy and passiveness to the wind and pursued ea other and the mission God has for your marriage every waking moment?Have you forgotten to make a conscious effort to persevere and put ea other's needs above your own and to communicate that you are trying to do so?Have you forgotten your simplest duties to make sure ea other feels loved and appreciated and cherished and protected? Have you worked hard over the years,months,days,minutes,seconds to maintain a godly,radical vision for your marriage and family? Husbands,have you forgotten your agreement to "deal with your wife in knowledge of the Lord" and submit yourselves to King Jesus who shows you the perfect example of how to love and cherish and fight for that awesome gift you call wife? Wives,have you forgotten to strive to truly be an awesome gift?have you given up your personal pursuits to be a help-meet and to help your husband be a successful servant of God?have you slackened in submitting yourselves meekly to him and in building him up and being a crown on his head? thick and thin.rich or poor.it's not just a will power and tolerance you're promising to show when the hard times come...it's the confession that God is the sustainer through every condition...He has provided the grace and mercy and forgiveness we humans need to live in harmony with ea other...He's opened the doors for repentance and understanding and softened hearts that are needed to carry on even in the hardest,sinful conditions.This matters to Him.Be a witness of the power He has to keep wretched,sinful humans living together in peace and clothed with the character of their Saviour! It's worth the fight,loved ones!The sooner we realize the battle it is and commit every fiber of our being to fighting it for God's glory...(the author and establisher of every marriage we're blessed enough to enter in) the better! Praise his Holy name for the gift of your spouse and make it an endless effort to keep them ever by your side "til death do you part." Fight fiercely and passionately for that beautiful soul.You agreed to be one flesh...think of the damage wrought in letting that get torn apart? You CANNOT afford a moment of apathy or neglect!
"Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence;and likewise the wife unto the husband." 1 Cor 7:3
"Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity,which He hath given thee under the sun,all the days of thy vanity;for that is thy portion in this life,and in thy lazbor which thou hast taken under the sun." Ecc 9:9
"Wives,submit yourselves unto your husbands,as unto the Lord.For the husband is the head of the wife,even as Christ is the head of the church:and he is the saviour of the body." Eph 5:22-23
"Husbands,love your wives,even as Christ also loved the church,AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT." Eph 5:25
"So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.He that loveth his wife loveth himself." (the gifts you give and sacrifices you make come around full circle!) Eph 5:28
"Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself;and the wife see that she reverences her husband!" Eph 5:33
"BUT IF ANY PROVIDE NOT FOR HIS OWN,AND ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSE,HE HATH DENIED THE FAITH AND IS WORSE THAN AN INFIDEL." see how serious God takes this??? 1 Tim 5:8
"Likewise,ye husbands,dwell with them according to knowledge,giving honor unto thy wife,as unto the weaker vessel,and as BEING HEIRS TOGETHER OF THE GRACE OF LIFE!! that your prayers be not hindered."
1 Pet 3:7
''But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed!!!"
Titus 2:1-5
"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecc 4:12
I'm praying fervently for the marriages all around me.They're so vulnerable...so delicate...so worth working on...thoughts?
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| sing it out
sing it out
take what is left of me
and make it a melody
sing it out
sing out-loud
I can't the words to sing
come be my remedy
shoot dang.i haven't blogged in xanga in ages.
i can't say memories aren't flooding in.
it feels good.
and yet...for all i'm not trying to prove anymore,i feel like a poser.
it was: "do i want to use large font to capture attention...or small font to be cool?"
but after all these years...Jon Foreman is still my hero.
i'm immensely proud of switchfoot for their latest album.
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| Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one. | Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art. |
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all. |
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