fight for your marriage

Many of you know our story. It was stressful to live, stressful to tell. But with great pain, there is an opportunity for great healing. And with healing there is testimony.

Through the process of nearly losing my marriage, I learned to fight for it.

With my 18 year marriage dangling by a thread, both of us broken, angry, afraid, not communicating, and many other adjectives that would require more processing, I remember declaring that I would not give up easily. I threw out all my preconceived ideas about marriage counseling, not having enough money in savings to afford “help” and I went to battle, not against my husband, but praying for him and for God to "change ME Lord".

The very fall of man, put husbands and wives at odds with each other. Marriage is not easy. At it’s best, it’s difficult. No bed of roses and the warm and fuzzy lasts a short period of time. But don’t be fooled: Satan wants your marriage to fail. He is a vicious opponent without mercy. If you won’t fight for your marriage, he will. I believe every marriage is worth fighting for and while some have Biblical reasons for divorce, I still believe God can rescue every marriage-
IF- there are two willing people and sadly, that’s often not the case.

But if you are married-whatever condition your marriage may be in today-you need to fight for it.

How to really fight: [there are so many ways you can do this, here's what has helped me]:

Ask hard questions-Is there intimacy in our marriage? Are there secrets? Are your expectations to high? Are you following God's design for marriage-and fulfilling your part of the design? Are you demanding? Does God come first and then your spouse or are your children given rank over your spouse?

Prepare yourself for unexpected answers-don’t rule out counseling. It’s not just for broken marriages, it can truly make your marriage better, especially Christian Counselors.

Trust -Believe in your spouse. Choose to trust. It is earned but Satan will temp you to read between the lines of truth.

Pray-simply said, hardly done. Pray for your marriage and your mate. If you need some direction - Stormie O'Martian's Power of a Praying Wife / Power of a Praying Husband it absolute Great!

Eliminate distractions-turn off cable if it’s unhealthy, throw out edgy movies, only accept purity in your marriage.

Don’t condemn-this only causes strife.

Submit your marriage and your life to God. We have found the closer we are to God, the closer we are to each other.

Forgive-some things seem unforgivable. But in the end, we must forgive. (This doesn’t mean we have to continue to live in abusive, dangerous or unfaithful marriages), but grudges have to go.

Let your husband lead your home, submit to him on the big stuff. If you doubt him, pray that God will speak to him.

If you have an unbelieving husband, practice I Cor. 7.

Our marriage is not perfect and it never will be, but it’s real and it’s good and it will last.

secret or not?

Desiring God Blog Post .... talked about a question that Rick and I have discussed many times over the past few years..... To tell or NOT to tell.... To share or NOT to Share......

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 ESV)

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:3-4 ESV)

A friend recently posed these two verses to me and asked, “So when do you tell others about your good deeds and when do you not?”

It’s a good question.

I believe the contexts of these verses give us the clues. Jesus is addressing the two-sided coin of human pride.

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus is addressing our fear of man. The context is that we are blessed when reviled and persecuted (v.11). The good works Jesus has in mind here are the kind that the prophets did (v.12). They testified to God’s word openly. In other words, don't be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16) or any acts of love that testify to it, even when the threat of persecution is present.

In Matthew 6:3, Jesus is addressing our selfish ambition. The context is people (in this case, the rich) who were marketing their acts of charity to enhance their personal brand. In other words, they were seeking human admiration. That's not love of God or the poor. It's self-worship.

So a rule of thumb in shining and hiding: good works we are tempted to hide for fear of man’s disapproval are likely ones we should let shine. Good works we are tempted to do publicly for man’s approval are likely ones to keep secret. Both kinds of good works encourage humility and kill pride.

be blessed, be a blessing

When I say that 'I am a Christian', I am not shouting that 'I am clean living. I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.


When I say 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

Be Blessed, Be a Blessing.

st patrick's day

March - What you don’t know about St. Patrick

Leprechauns, four leaf clovers, and donning something green… that’s the traditional St. Patrick's Day celebration style and thoughts. Learning the true story behind St. Patrick’s Day was not quite what I expected. St. Patrick was not a fictional leprechaun, nor did he wear a little green hat or chase pots of gold at the end of rainbows. That may not come as a huge surprise, but did you know St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish? The historical story of Patrick may not be widely known, but it is extraordinary, and he poured his life out for God’s purposes changing the course of Ireland’s history.

In the 5th century, Patrick was born into a Christian family on the island of modern day Britain. However, his personal faith in Christ didn’t mature until his teens and only through extremely difficult circumstances. At age 15, Irish raiders kidnapped him and forced him into slavery in Ireland. The Celtic people of Ireland were well known as savage, animistic people. Yet it was in this spiritual atmosphere that Jesus Christ became the Lord of Patrick’s life. For six years, Patrick tended sheep for his master and spent hours on the Irish hillsides with God. One day, Patrick sensed a voice telling him that a ship was waiting to take him home. Remarkably, he escaped toward the coast and boarded a ship that sailed to his homeland.
Back home and a free man, Patrick joined the clergy and spent years in a monastery. In what some compare to the Apostle Paul’s “Macedonian call”, Patrick recorded having the following vision:

I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: "The Voice of the Irish". As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea—and they cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us." 1

God called Patrick to return to Ireland and bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Celts. Patrick was convinced of his calling, but spent many years studying in preparation. He was in his forties when he stepped back onto the soil where he lived in captivity as a young man.

The Celts were stubbornly resistant to the gospel, and Patrick was not well received at first. Being familiar with the culture, Patrick became as “Celtic” as possible without contradicting his devotion to Christ. As Paul was all things to all men, Patrick became Celtic to win the Celts, yet still faced death threats and kidnapping. Patrick himself said, “If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples; even though some of them still look down on me.” As Patrick labored for God, the truth of the gospel slowly penetrated hardened hearts, and the seeds of the church took root across Ireland.

This St. Patrick’s Day let us take time to remember the sacrifice and suffering of Patrick, the power God displayed through one surrendered life, and billions who still have yet to hear the good news. Patrick was a simple man used for extraordinary work. What can God do with your surrendered life?



miller’s donkey

Encourage others when fault is found at every turn, especially those from 3rd world countries. Throughout the ages there have always been folks who "strain out a gnat and swallow a camel". The gnat being the smallest "unclean" creature and the camel the largest. I'm very familiar with the failing of not viewing matters through the lense of grace. All that can be done when folks stumble and criticize over some point is forgive them, release them and move on.


Remember the miller’s donkey.
The miller, son and donkey went to the market. The miller rode the donkey all the way and people exclaimed, “Cruel man, riding himself and making his son walk.” So he got down and his son rode; the people said, “What a lazy son for riding while poor old father walks.” Then both father and son rode, and people said, “Cruelty to animals, poor donkey.” So they got down and carried the donkey on a pole, but folks said, “Here are two donkey slang’s carrying another donkey slang” Then all three walked and people said, “What fools to have a donkey and not ride it.”

So lets go ahead with our work for God and not care what folks think or say.

C. T. Studd, early missionary to Africa



40 days of purpose

BECOMING A WORLD-CLASS CHRISTIAN

The Great Commission is your commission!  

“Jesus said to his followers, ‘Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.’” Mark 16:15 (NCV)

You have a choice to make. You will be either a world-class Christian or a worldly Christian.Worldly

Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They are saved, but self-centered. They love to attend concerts and enrichment seminars, but you would never find them at a missions conference because they aren’t interested. Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and happiness. They want to use God for their purposes instead of being used for his purposes.

In contrast, world-class Christians know they were saved to serve and made for a mission. They are eager to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used by God. World-class Christians are the only fully alive people on the planet. Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they’re making a difference. They wake up each morning expecting God to work through them in fresh ways. Which type of Christian do you want to be? If you want to be like Jesus, you must have a heart for the whole world. You can’t be satisfied with just your family and friends coming to Christ. There are over 6 billion people on earth, and Jesus wants all his lost children found.

The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance.

40 days of purpose - The Church at Brook Hills

sharing life message

SHARING YOUR LIFE MESSAGE

Colossians 4:5 (NIV) Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.


“Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word … The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore – you’re the message!” 1 Thessalonians 1:8 (Msg)

A testimony of grace by Angela Ventry, Child of God
A facilitator in Purpose Driven Parents RBF

I have spent many years of my Christian life in a cold, dark box. The perception of Christ as an instrument of grace was a completely foreign concept to me. My life consisted of “faith rituals”-sitting in a pew, singing hymns, having a daily quiet time, and maintaining an image of perfection to mask the pervasive feelings of shame that were ingrained in my spirit since childhood. On the outside of my box there was a pretty bow and a neat package. On the inside, there was gnawing emptiness and a thirst for something that was more tangible than my weekend rituals.


When I could no longer bear to live in the filth and darkness of shame, I decided to reach my hand out of my box. If the God whom I claimed to believe in was real, I had to trust Him and allow Him to see all of me-my pain, my self-rejecting behavior, my legalism, my shame. That was the moment a nail-scarred hand embraced my own. He lifted me out of my shame and allowed me to see His face. This was not a countenance filled with judgment and rejection. It was a face that reflected love, forgiveness, and complete acceptance. The woman who once considered herself a slave fell into the embrace of Christ. I will never be the same. I am a picture of grace, a reflection of the love of my Father and my Friend. I never have to run or hide. I stand blameless in the shadow of the cross.


It was never about who I was. It is about who He is. It was never about what I had to offer. It is His offering to me. The message of my life is grace.


Father,
You are everything that is beautiful and whole in my life. Every breath that I take is the gift of your grace. Thank you for loving me enough to allow me to see you for all that you really are. You are my life and purpose.In His grace, Amen.


40 days of purpose - The Church at Brook Hills……dplatt

made for mission

Made for a Mission

You were made for a mission!

“In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.” John 17:18 (Msg)


God is at work in the world, and he wants you to join him. This assignment is called your mission. God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission in the world. Your life mission is both shared and specific.


Jesus clearly understood his life mission on earth. At age twelve he said, “I must be about my Father’s business,” and twenty-one years later, dying on the cross, he said, “It is finished.” Like bookends, these two statements frame a well-lived, purpose-driven life.
If you will commit to fulfilling your mission in life no matter what it costs, you will experience the blessing of God in ways that few people ever experience. There is almost nothing God won’t do for the man or woman who is committed to serving the kingdom of God.


If you want to be used by God, you must care about what God cares about; what he cares about most is the redemption of the people he made. He wants his lost children found! Nothing matters more to God; the Cross proves that.
Always be on the lookout to reach “one more for Jesus” so that when you stand before God one day, you can say, “Mission accomplished!”


40 days of purpose - The Church at Brook Hills……dplatt

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