My God My Everything

There are many names that we could call our spouses like sweetheart, honey, babe etc. But what about calling them your thirteenth chapter? That may sound strange but when I read about a man named Count Helmuth James von Moltke who called his wife his thirteenth chapter it touched my heart. He was referring to 1 Corinthians 13 which is often called the love chapter. He believed that God had commissioned him for specific purposes in life and one of them was to be a husband. In all of his life’s pursuits he was passionately devoted to faithful service. His devotion to each of his outside interests provided character building…

I’ve been reading a book called Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas and it has caused me to think deeply about several things. In the book the author mentions that our marriages and other relationships are valuable tools that God uses to build character within us. We are called by God to become the best versions of ourselves and to do that He has blessed us with many different relationships and circumstances that will refine us and shape us. Our relationships are a gift from God and provide many opportunities to learn communication skills, compromise, patience, forgiveness, grace and love. The author challenges the reader to look at those moments in…

The last few weeks have certainly given me many things to consider. When you submit to God’s refinement you need to be prepared for anything and I’m learning that God never wastes a teaching moment. I knew that I had some issues that needed to be addressed and changed, but I’m beginning to feel that God also wants to tackle the issues that I don’t want to face and even some that I didn’t know I had. Just so you know, I believe that God is in this refinement every step of the way and I know that He’s calling me to this place at this time for His purpose.…

I came across a statement in the book, Sacred Marriage that made me really stop and think. It was, “I feel sorry for Christians who try to live obedient lives without keeping heaven firmly in their sights. Meditating on the afterlife is one of the best spiritual exercises I know of. It strengthens me like few other spiritual disciplines do.” Once in a while I think about heaven and it’s usually when I think of Brock and seeing him again or when there are tragedies in the world and I think how wonderful it will be when we live in eternity, free from tears and heartache. Rarely do I think…

Today I was touched and humbled at the way God chose to continue working in my heart and mind to change my character. I enjoy reading Christian fiction books and had a few hours on Sunday to relax and dive into a story called Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar. In the story the apostle Paul asked a group of people to close their eyes and think of a person they loved with all their heart. Then he said, “let us put your love to God’s test, for this is how God loves.” “Say to the one you are thinking of: My love for you is patient. I have never…

I found a book at Hobby Lobby several months ago, bought it, started reading it and then left it on my bookshelf. A week ago it was brought to my attention and I began to read it again. For quite some time I have been praying about my marriage and the frustrations that I have been facing. It didn’t seem that things were getting better and I found myself growing more distant and resentful. On many occasions as I cried out to God, He would gently show me that I was being the selfish one and always offered encouragement to change my behavior. Each time my attitude would change for…

At a bible study group last week the instructor asked a question at the beginning of class as a icebreaker. The question was, “If you could have any super power what would it be?” My first thought was of a series of books that I recently gave my granddaughters called Bible Belles. The series teaches young girls that they have incredible worth within and in discovering that worth they find they have super powers just like different women of the bible had and shows them how to use them. Powers like prayer, patience, loyalty, bravery and leadership. I knew that I already have those powers if I choose to use…

Have you every found yourself in a place where you had to start over from scratch or go back to the beginning and try again? It can be a very trying experience and yet it serves an amazing purpose. Twenty years ago I found myself in that place. What I had been taught since I was a child no longer made sense and I knew that it was not the truth. I had turned away from the teachings with a rebellious attitude when I was younger, but had returned as an adult to find the truth for myself. What I discovered was that I did not believe the doctrines and…

As the holiday season approaches we find ourselves in the giving mood. Giving of ourselves includes giving of our time, efforts and finances in the hope of helping others and improving our community and surroundings. It’s often referred to as the Season of Giving and is surrounded with celebrations. The holidays tend to make our giving seasonal as we attempt to find that holiday spirit. But as believers we know the One who’s giving was and is constant, our Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Galatians begins with, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from…