My Prayer this Weekend: Confessions of a Fearful Man!

My Prayer This Weekend!

I have been reading through my previous years journals.  How are you connecting with God? I am kind of amazed that my life struggles have been chronic and consistent. My prayer this weekend is this.


(As I am praying I get a sense of a dad soothing his children and whispering peace to them)


Oh Lord, I praise you that you bring me peace and quiet.  You calm me in the midst of my own anxiety and stress. Father I pray to you My Peacemaker. I pray to you My God, My Redeemer. You are Holy. You are Strength. You are Sensitive and Precious. Lord Your Heart is Full of Mercy and Grace.


Lord Cleanse my heart and forgive me of all of the garbage that I store in my heart and head. Lord forgive me that I am prone to fear and worry. Lord, I give you these things as an offering. Lord flow through me today. Wash away my tendencies to do as I desire and crave.Lord help me to see you with clarity and to move in your faith.


Father help me to see through your eyes. Lord help me to hear through your ears.Holy Spirit speak to me your direction. Lord I give you my plans. Lord use me that I might serve you today.


Lord help me to walk in your strength and wisdom.  Keep my feet from straying from Your Path!  Bless me this day that I may know you more abundantly and clearly!


Love ya
Mark

Fridays Quote of the Week

"Hope is Faith with an attitude." 

Marriage Monday: The myth of “I don’t love you anymore!"

It’s happened again.  Yesterday morning, we learned of another family has been broken up because one person in the marriage says, “I don’t love you anymore.”  There’s a common misconception that married couples will always “feel” love for one another.  Today’s Marriage Monday looks at this myth and what to do about it if it happens to you.

Mark says…If you’ve been hanging around here very long, you know that Jill and I have had our ups and downs over the years.  We’ve hit the lowest of lows when we both felt no love for one another.

Jill says…This was a very scary place to be for both of us.  And we both feared that “falling out of love” meant that our relationship was over.

Mark says…When we sought out help through professional counseling, we learned that our experience was actually quite common.  Feelings of love can come and go in a marriage.  That’s sometimes real life.

Jill says…There are certainly relationships that never experience the “falling out of love” feeling.  If that describes you, you need to thank God for that right now.

Mark says…However, if you or your spouse has ever felt like the love has left your relationship, you need to know that is normal.  It happens to real people and real marriages.  You also need to know that you can put the love back in an empty relationship. Your marriage can survive the ebb and flow of feelings.

Jill says…You also need to know that another relationship is not the answer.  Because the same thing will likely happen down the road in another relationship.  All relationships have ups and downs.  Don’t run to a new relationship because you feel “love” or “passion” there and you don’t feel it at home.  Those feelings will wane someday, as well.

Mark says…So what do you do when you no longer have that “loving feeling?”  Here are seven steps to take to redeem the love:

1. Seek help. Don’t try to navigate this challenge alone.  This can come from a professional counselor, a minister, or even a trusted couple that is a little further down the marriage road than you are.  Sometimes, help can also come from a friend who will help hold you accountable to think and do what is right.

2. Evaluate your thought life. What are the thoughts that you think about your spouse?  If they are primarily negative thoughts, begin to “take your thoughts captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5).  Apologize to God for believing lies about your spouse.  Replace those lies with truth about the strengths of him or her.

3. Choose to love. Love is a choice…not a feeling.  Begin to act lovingly to your spouse.  If you need help making this happen from a practical perspective, pick up a copy of the book The Love Dare.

4. Invest in your marriage. Work to deepen your communication.  Turn off the television, step away from the computer, and spend time with your spouse.  Step into your spouse’s world and help them with a project or even with household tasks like dinner, dishes, or the laundry.

5. Re-engage in your relationship. If you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling, you’ve likely let your eyes and your heart wander away from your marriage.  Re-engage in the relationship you’ve got.  You may not feel like it in the beginning, but you can still choose to do the right thing.

6. Grow up. Remember that God uses marriage to mature you.  Maturity often happens when we resist the flesh (what we want to do) and pursue the Spirit (what God wants us to do).  When we do things God’s way, there’s always a blessing to follow.

7. Recognize the true enemy.  Your spouse is not the enemy.  There is a spiritual battle raging against your marriage.  The Bible says that Satan divides and destroys.  Recognize the reality of the battle and fight it with God’s truth and prayer.

What about you?  Have you ever lost that “lovin feeling?” What did you do to re-ignite the love in your marriage?

Friday's Quote of the Week

"Focus not on the commotion around you, but on the opportunity ahead of you" - Arnold Palmer

Mark says: Last week Jill came home telling me about a man she was behind in the checkout aisle at the grocery store.  As we were making dinner that evening, she shared with me her experience and her thoughts about his simple purchase.  We talked about it for a while and eventually she decided to write an article in our local newspaper about it. We decided that this article is most appropriate for today’s Valentine’s Day Marriage Monday.

What Real Romance Looks Like
By Jill Savage

I stood behind a man in the supermarket checkout lane who was set for romance. He was only purchasing two items: a dozen roses and a box of chocolates. I had to smile. Some lucky lady was going to be pleasantly surprised with his thoughtful gift.

However, flowers and candy only go so far in a relationship. This is because love that lasts a lifetime is not a feeling, but a choice. I wonder if that man in the checkout lane knows…

…that real romance is about learning to listen, even when you’re too tired to want to.

…that real romance requires us to occasionally love someone who is unlovable in the moment.

…that real romance has to be nurtured each and every day for it to last a lifetime.

…that real romance is not a 50-50 agreement…it’s giving 100% even when you don’t receive 100% sometimes.

…that real romance is appreciating the differences in the one you love rather than trying to change them.

…that real romance is about forgiving, sometimes dozens of times a day.

…that real romance is choosing to love even when you feel otherwise for whatever reason.

…that real romance is about praying, “God, change me,” instead of “God, change him or her.”

…that real romance is about being emotionally intimate before you’re ever physically intimate.

…that real romance requires thoughtfulness, kindness, and large doses of patience.

…that real romance is bathing the kids, helping with dishes, and running the vacuum.

…that real romance is giving a back rub when you’d rather receive one.

…that real romance is learning to communicate in better ways than you have in the past.

…that real romance is saving money out of each paycheck for you to do an overnight away once or twice a year.

…that real romance is learning to trust another person with your deepest fears and failures.

…that real romance is doing something with your loved one that they love, even if you don’t.

…that real romance is leaving the past behind and believing the hope of the future.

…that real romance puts a hedge of protection around your relationship, keeping temptation at bay with intentionality.

…that real romance looks nothing like the movies…it’s messy, it’s hard, and it’s it takes a lot of effort.

With today being Valentine’s Day, why don’t you commit to some real romance in your relationship? These romantic gestures will say “I love you,” better than chocolate or roses any day!

Marriage Monday...Happy Valentine's Day!

Mark says: Last week Jill came home telling me about a man she was behind in the checkout aisle at the grocery store.  As we were making dinner that evening, she shared with me her experience and her thoughts about his simple purchase.  We talked about it for a while and eventually she decided to write an article in our local newspaper about it. We decided that this article is most appropriate for today’s Valentine’s Day Marriage Monday.

What Real Romance Looks Like
By Jill Savage

I stood behind a man in the supermarket checkout lane who was set for romance. He was only purchasing two items: a dozen roses and a box of chocolates. I had to smile. Some lucky lady was going to be pleasantly surprised with his thoughtful gift.

However, flowers and candy only go so far in a relationship. This is because love that lasts a lifetime is not a feeling, but a choice. I wonder if that man in the checkout lane knows…

…that real romance is about learning to listen, even when you’re too tired to want to.

…that real romance requires us to occasionally love someone who is unlovable in the moment.

…that real romance has to be nurtured each and every day for it to last a lifetime.

…that real romance is not a 50-50 agreement…it’s giving 100% even when you don’t receive 100% sometimes.

…that real romance is appreciating the differences in the one you love rather than trying to change them.

…that real romance is about forgiving, sometimes dozens of times a day.

…that real romance is choosing to love even when you feel otherwise for whatever reason.

…that real romance is about praying, “God, change me,” instead of “God, change him or her.”

…that real romance is about being emotionally intimate before you’re ever physically intimate.

…that real romance requires thoughtfulness, kindness, and large doses of patience.

…that real romance is bathing the kids, helping with dishes, and running the vacuum.

…that real romance is giving a back rub when you’d rather receive one.

…that real romance is learning to communicate in better ways than you have in the past.

…that real romance is saving money out of each paycheck for you to do an overnight away once or twice a year.

…that real romance is learning to trust another person with your deepest fears and failures.

…that real romance is doing something with your loved one that they love, even if you don’t.

…that real romance is leaving the past behind and believing the hope of the future.

…that real romance puts a hedge of protection around your relationship, keeping temptation at bay with intentionality.

…that real romance looks nothing like the movies…it’s messy, it’s hard, and it’s it takes a lot of effort.

With today being Valentine’s Day, why don’t you commit to some real romance in your relationship? These romantic gestures will say “I love you,” better than chocolate or roses any day!