Monday Marriage Builder Moment September 24, 2012

Where the Green Grass Grows

We love new things. Sometimes what's new isn't what belongs to us. Look at marriage in comparison to grass, we love the way the long blades of Kentucky Bluegrass and St. Augustine grass feel under our bare feet. We could walk, play and lay in it all day. However we never go out and play in the lawn where the weeds have crept in and taken over. Surely we don't even like to look at the dried up burnt grass let alone be on it.

We want to be where the green grass grows. 

Well our marriages are just like our lawns. They have to be watered, seeded, weeded, cut and edged, and sprayed to be protected from infestation to stay healthy, beautiful and strong all year long. Marriages will go through many seasons but taking care of it through all of them ensures we have a beautiful and full marriage for a lifetime. No need to desire another's, forsake all others. Just as God has clothed the grass to withstand all the seasons, He's done the same for your marriage. The more you work it the better it gets.

Take care of your marriage all year long, 

after all this is where your Green Grass Grows.

Monday Marriage Builder Moment September 17, 2012

Change the Course

When we do the same actions and expect a different reaction we are not making a choice for change. However changing our actions to get different results is effective and the possibilities for a more desirable reaction. Sometimes we desire for our mates to change their reactions to us. However, we need to think about what we are doing to get that reaction. Try asking your mate why he or she reacts the way that they do. Then listen and respond by putting a plan of action together to change the course. Change your actions and watch the more favorable reactions you get instead. After all doing the same thing expecting different results is what they call insanity. Head off in a new direction next time.

Change your actions and start a new reaction.

Change the Course

Monday Marriage Builder Moment September 10, 2012

VOW REVIEW

Go right ahead, go in the vault of videos and pull out that special video tape! The one that has your wedding recorded on it. Sit down with your honey and look back on that special day. Listen to the vows you spoke to one another, look at how you looked at each other. Now when the video is over think about the time between then and now. What has happened? Life! However your vows are your vows. Now that you have heard them again, let it become fuel for you to fulfill them.

Love, cherish, give, and forgive.

Numbers 30:2-4 (NKJV)

If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

 “Or if a woman makes a vow to the Lord, and binds herself by some agreement while in her father’s house in her youth, and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself, and her father holds his peace, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement with which she has bound herself shall stand.

Monday Marriage Builder Moment September 3, 2012

What do I do now?

Have you ever gotten to a place where you didn't know what to do about something? Didn't know how to help your spouse? Didn't know how to love your spouse? Maybe, you didn't know how to fix a problem. Well try this solution. Acknowledge God in your marriage. He will show you the way. Show you how and show you when. A sure way to be successful in your quest to know, "what do I do now?"

Have you acknowledged God in your marriage?

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct^[a] your paths.

Monday Marriage Builder Moment for August 27, 2012

Love is what Love does

When we took our vows on the blessed wedding day, we vowed to LOVE our spouses.

Think back to how you so desired to do "all" those things to show and prove your love to you spouse.

SELF CHECK

What are you doing to show your love to your spouse?
Find something to do today for your spouse that they love to do, or receive. It will show your love!
Go ahead put those words you spoke into action!

Love is what love does!

God loved and He gave

What do you do to show your love?

Monday Marriage Builder Moment August 20, 2012

A Well Needed Help

Marriage is a covenant between 2 imperfect people with imperfect ways,

in an imperfect world so you can bet you will have challenges.

It's always great to know that there are married elders in the faith who are there when you need them, just reach out and ask for help. It is an awesome privilege to be in a position to be able to help a couple endure marriage growing pains. Just remember to be sensitive to Holy Spirit and give advise based on Godly principles and follow His instructions. This will keep you out of trouble and allows God to meet the needs of the couple seeking help. For the challenged couple it is very humbling and requires them to become vulnerable inviting someone into their world to ask for the help they need. 

 

You may be the challenged couple or the supporting couple,

which ever one you are DON'T forget to pray for the other couple as well as your marriage.

There is no need to struggle alone when God has placed Godly seasoned couples in your life to help you. We all need help at some point in our marriages, just be sure it's Godly wisdom you seek.

Galatians 6:1 AMP

"BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also."

Monday Marriage Builder Moment August 13, 2012

Road Traveling

Marriage can sometimes feel like you are traveling on a rocky road, on the rough side of the mountain to a scary town called Unfamiliar in the State of Unhappy Marriage, USA. You look back and can't even see the town of Inexperienced, Expected Bliss you once lived in and somehow left behind unbeknownst to you.

Being patient with your mate while you learn each other, and continuing to grow as a couple is essential to a successful marriage and is very rewarding. Don't quit, keep going and uphold your commitment. Being married doesn't mean that you will only or always stay in a state of Bliss. It does mean that you will have rough times with another imperfect person and you should stay the course together. You will find that in your rough patches God challenges you to grow in so many areas, as individuals and as a couple. You have to take the bad with the good. Although we can't always see the growth on the journey; It develops great character and a testimony.

Stay together long enough for the good times to come back around.

Matthew 13:24-29 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵ But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. ²⁶ When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. ²⁷ “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ ²⁸ “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. ²⁹ “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Monday Marriage Builder Moment August 6, 2012

The View

"Your view of love determines your success of receiving and giving love."

Pastor Kerry Coleman

How you view love is determined from your meeting place. The place from which you were raised to observe and experience love being given and received. This is what you begin to act out in all of your relationships. This may not have always been a healthy experience or observation. The best way to know what love should look and feel like is from the Word of God. Get the best view.

Monday Marriage Builder Moment July 30, 2012

Be Proper

Knowing that we ARE representing God to all that know us is not just an individual responsibility. It is also that of a married couple. We are representing Christ and the Church to all that see and hear us. We don't always see who sees us. As followers of Christ be mindful how we talk and treat our spouses at all times. This world's methods and ideas of marriage are not proper for a believer of Christ. We have a proper model on how we should treat our spouses and it comes from the written word of God. That is our proper standard on how to do everything in life. It's ok BE PROPER.

1 Peter 2:11-12 (NLT)

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. ¹² Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

Monday Marriage Builder Moment for July 23, 2012

Time with Me

Being married with all of the demands of our jobs, parenting requires that you steal away some time for just you and your mate. This is crucial to keeping your marriage together. Be sure not to devote all of your time to others and neglect spending time with him or her. You just might find that this solves some conflicts in your marriage. So find some time for you and your mate outside of your morning and nightly routine as you pass each other. Set aside some special time for just the two of you to remember just how important the two of you are to each other. Escape and get away with your spouse to reconnect.

Song of Solomon 2:10 (NLT) My lover said to me,“Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!