Family Friday: I Still Do

I Still Do

            Romance when you are dating is easy to define:  the guy brings the girl flowers, the girl bakes his favorite dessert, they stroll along the beach in the moonlight.  These things are obvious acts of romance, and they are all a fun part of showing affection.  Many times the person planning the romantic moment will put a lot of time and planning into it and looks forward to pleasing their “other half”.   Fast-forward ten or fifteen years into the marriage; what in the relationship would be defined as romance?

            Romance is actually found more in the thoughts of the couple towards each other.  A husband washing dishes for his exhausted wife is actually somewhat romantic, because he is putting her care and comfort before his own.  A wife fixing her husband’s favorite meal is romantic because she is considering his likes and enjoyment over her own (especially if she doesn’t like the meal J).  The seemingly little things our spouse enjoys that we notice without being told, then do them, express romance.

            Daily romance does not require money, but it does require time and thought.   Occasional “big” shows of romance are a nice reminder of how much your spouse means to you: things like flowers, an anniversary trip, little gifts “just because”.  Those things are special, but the daily romance is what will make you want to say “I still do” many years down the road.

            There are many aspects of marriage that make a good marriage into a great one, and the first on the list is putting God first above your spouse.  With that solid foundation,  work on putting your spouse above yourself.  Daily look for ways to make the other’s job or load just a little lighter.  This daily romance goes far towards keeping your relationship strong.

Thoughtful Thursday: Thankful for Sundays

Written by Brooke Williams, Missionary wife serving in Ghana

Sundays come and go. Some Sundays I'm not so thrilled to get up, get bags packed and make the journey to church. Some Sundays I want ever so much to have an excuse to stay home, for I don't want to brave the heat with a tired 18 month old, a rambunctious 3 year old, an energetic 5 year old.

Some Sundays I'm just plain tired and spending three or more hours immersing myself in another culture and language, walking up and down the mountain.  Dealing with tired, hungry children is quite daunting and I simply lack the desire to do it all again, but .... I go.  Oh what joy thrills my soul and makes me ever so happy that I did and that I get to go to church here! Happy faces greet us when we arrive at the schoolroom that is the holding place for our services.  We all take turns making our rounds and shaking hands in the friendly Ghanaian way. The room has been well cleaned and set up prior to our arrival. We choose our seats and the service begins, as Nicholas leads us in song. The sound of people lifting their voices in praise to God stirs my being.  We sing, loudly and wholeheartedly; we pray, quietly and reverently. A different language than my mother tongue is spoken here, but the Lord understands and it is precious to His ears I'm very sure. We applaud those that are receiving their baptism certificates and the enthusiasm strengthens my weary mind. 

We sing some more and take up the offering. I watch dark hands placing their hard-earned coins in the basket. This is their church and they are proud to honor God with what little they have. Announcements are made and more songs are sung.  The last one is slow and prayerful. This is my cue.  My husband will begin his message soon. I go with the young children outside to our place under the extended roof. We sit at our benches and color Bible story pictures, all sharing the few crayons I have brought. No scribbling will be seen here. Even the youngest ones take great care and time to make their picture look beautiful. They are careful with the crayons, they don't want to break them. One by one they bring their finished pictures to me.  Their eyes look up to mine and search my face to see if I am pleased. I look at them and my heart melts... 

"Suffer the little children to come unto me...", Jesus said, and I believe I understand why. I tell them their picture is lovely and that they have done well. My Twi is broken, but they understand and huge smiles light their faces. We cut hearts out of construction paper and one by one we write their names on them...Florence, Blessing, Matilda, Samuel, Prince, Adua, Jonathan, David.  Jesus loves each and every one. We talk about giving our hearts to Jesus. Soon, it seems, church is over and we are saying goodbye to one another. My family is given a bunch of plantains and a bag of palm nuts as gifts. After most everyone has left, I find a place to sit down. I'm hot, tired and hungry but I must wait for my husband to finish a meeting. I curl my legs up under me and look around. The village is quiet and peaceful. My children are playing happily with some of the children.  They race from tree to tree; they play tag; they toss rocks across a line drawn in the dirt.  My youngest chases a baby chick while two older ladies watch him and laugh. The young teenage girls from our church come and sit by me and we talk about life. A lady brings us oranges to refresh ourselves and I'm so thankful for I am very thirsty. We eat; we joke; we laugh as juice runs down our chins. Little Mary brings flowers and puts them in my hair and I feel like a princess.

Days like this make all the tough times so worth it....am I ever so glad I didn't miss this day! 

Yes, I'm very thankful for this Sunday...very, very thankful!

We Pray Wednesday - People of Prayer in the Bible: Daniel

People of Prayer in the Bible: Daniel

We read in the Bible about men who had great prayer relationships and wish that we could have the type of relationship that men in the Bible had with God.  Daniel is one of those men.  As you read the life of Daniel, there are several things to notice about his walk with God.  As we read we can follow some steps that can allow us to have a better prayer relationship with God.

1.  He prayed in a foreign place.

Daniel was taken captive as a young man from everything that was familiar to him.  He went to a strange place with strange people and strange customs, yet while he was here he still followed what he had been taught to do in Jerusalem.  This was to stand for his beliefs and pray to Jehovah.  Many times, we as Christians can feel as if we are living in a world with foreign practices and ideas.  Do we still follow what God’s Word tells us to do and pray?   The idea may seem foreign in today’s society, but Daniel stood for God and prayed even though it was foreign.  Oh, that we would have more Daniels in today’s world.

2.  He blessed God for answers to prayer.

Daniel had a difficult situation come up when he was in Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar.  The king had a dream and wanted his wise men to interpret the dream for him.  The problem was that he could no longer remember the dream.  When the wise men could not interpret the dream, or tell him what it the dream was, he rashly ordered them all to be killed.  When Daniel found out that he was on the list to die, he begged the king for time to get the answer from God.  Daniel, and his three friends, prayed and begged God for His mercy in this matter.  When God answered, he immediately spent time thanking God for the answer.  The unusual thing is that God does not record his prayer in the Bible, but recorded his thanksgivings to God for the answer.  How often do we pray for something and when God answers, we fail to thank him for the answer to the prayer?

3.  He had a habit of praying daily.

Daniel has now lived in Babylon for almost 70 years, when a decree comes from Darius the king that no one could ask a petition of any god or man except the king for 30 days.  When Daniel hears this, he goes into his house, into his room, and opens his windows and prays like he has done many times before the decree.  Was Daniel disobeying the command of the king?  No, he was following God’s law over man’s law.  Not when it was convenient or when it suited what he wanted to do, but like he had done so many times before this.  Do we have a habit of praying daily?  If a law was passed that we could no longer pray, and we continued to pray as we had done before it was passed, how long would they have to wait to catch us?  Hours? Days? Weeks?  We should daily go to God and bring our praise, confession, and request to Him.  One of the reasons that the law was passed, was because they knew that there was no other way to find fault with Daniel.

4.  He continued to pray until God gave the answer.

At the end of the book of Daniel, he realizes that the prophecy concerning the children of Israel is about to take place.  The children of Israel are about to return to Jerusalem after being in captivity for 70 years.  He prays and confesses the sin of himself and his people and makes supplication to God to let the children of Israel return.  While he is praying, God sends his answer IMMEDIATELY to Daniel.  Two chapters later, he prays to God and God does not send an answer for 3 weeks!  We seem to think that God is a genie and when we pray to Him, He should answer immediately.  Sometimes He does.  Sometimes He doesn’t answer until He is ready.  Will we continue to pray until the answer comes or do we pray for a little and if God does not answer our way and our time, we just handle it by our self?  When God handles things in His timing, He is never late. 

Monday's Message: A Mighty Fortress is our God

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

(Source)

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the Cathedral of Wittenberg, Germany. That date was sometimes called the “4th of July of Protestantism.” It symbolized the start of the Protestant Reformation.

And the single most powerful hymn of the Protestant Reformation Movement was Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” based on Psalm 46. This hymn became the battle cry of the people, a great source of strength and inspiration even for those who were martyred for their convictions. Its majestic and thunderous proclamation of our faith is a singing symbol of the reformation.

Inspired by Psalm 46, Luther caught up in the hymn the very essence of faith, and the fervor and flavor of patriotism which he found in the Psalm.

This hymn has been translated into practically every known language and is regarded as one of the noblest and most classic examples of Christian hymnody.

The first line of this national hymn of Protestant Germany is fittingly inscribed on the tomb of the great reformer at Wittenberg,

Luther had strong convictions about the use and power of sacred music.  Once he wrote, “I would allow no man to preach or teach God’s people without a proper knowledge of the use and power of sacred song.”

 

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

(1) A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing;

Our helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe-

His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not His equal.

(2) Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing,

Were not the right man on our side, The man of God's own choosing.

Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He-

Lord Sabaoth His name, From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

(3) And though this world with devils filled, Should threaten to unto us.

We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim, We tremble not for him-

His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure:

One little word shall fell him.

(4) That word above all earthly powers, No thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours Through Him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also-

They body they may kill; God's truth abideth still:

His kingdom is forever.

Monday's Message: Room at the Cross

Room at the Cross

(Source)              

       Ira Stanphill was preaching in a revival meeting in Kansas City, Missouri.

       As was his custom, he asked the people to submit suggested song titles while the congregation sang. As the choir presented their favorite selections, he would proceed to write a gospel song, using as the title one of those submitted by the audience.

       On this particular Sunday morning, the people submitted about fifty ideas. Stanphill quickly thumbed through the titles and saw the words, Room at the Cross for You. They struck a responsive chord and before the service was complete, he had given to the world a memorable song to fit that title.

There’s room at the cross for you,

There’s room at the cross for you;

Though millions have come,

There’s still room or one,

Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.

       Some time later, a despairing young man, bent on taking his own life, found himself walking one day near a church where service was being conducted by evangelist Willard Cantelon.

       That night, Al Garr was directing the music for the service. The troubled young man had a gun in his pocket and was making his way toward a high bridge, not too far from the church. His intention was to shoot himself near the edge of the bridge, letting his body fall into the water.

       As he passed the church, he heard Al Garr singing There’s Room at the Cross for You. He was so gripped by its message that he made his way into the church, postponing his mission of horror.

       There he found Christ as his Savior and was rescued from personal and spiritual disaster. He later studied for the ministry and became an evangelist. A motion picture has been made of his life since that notable day when ‘Room at the Cross’ pointed him to Christ.

 

++++++++++

Room At The Cross

 

(1) The cross upon which Jesus died

Is a shelter on which we can hide;

And it’s grace so free is sufficient for me,

And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea.

 

CHORUS:

There’s room at the cross for you,

There’s room at the cross for you;

Tho millions have come,

There’s still room for one,

Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.

 

(2) Tho millions have found Him a friend,

And have turned from the sins they have sinned,

The Saviour still waits to open the gates,

And welcome a sinner before it’s too late.

 

(3) The hand of my Saviour is strong,

And the love of my Savior is long;

Through sunshine or rain Through loss or in gain,

The blood flows from Calv’ry to cleanse every stain.