Our biggest regrets in life are the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have and the decisions we waited too long to make. I don’t like risk. I love a good challenge and pushing the edge but I avoid emotional risk and uncertainty…… I think most of us do. We are afraid to be hurt so we create a wall that we think holds back the risk of pain. The real problem is that all it holds back is the true joy that comes from emotional connection.
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.”― D.L. Moody
Shame is a powerful force. Like Satan himself, it tells us all kinds of lies. But isn’t it interesting: Satan has a way of making us feel less ashamed of our sin (the thing that separates us from God), and more ashamed of ourselves (the thing that links us to Him).
My favorite words are possibilities, opportunities and curiosity. I think if you are curious, you create opportunities, and then if you open the doors, you create possibilities. – Mario Testino
My grandfather would say often “we are curious.” I didn’t know what he meant. I think I am beginning to now. It is interesting that many of the things he said I am just now beginning to understand.
I am drawn to people that want to grow. My guess is you are to. I think the best people are naturally curious learners. They want to know more and grow more. This attitude produces a humbleness and compassion for others. People that are curious are humble, they don’t know everything and they are secure with that.
Loathe, despise and fight evil. Strive to never hate anything God has created. Especially yourself. It is sad that we learn to hate ourselves or others. Don’t hate the very thing God delights and created with great joy. Learn to love and delight in yourself
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. – Ephesians 1
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
We are meant to live in community. One of the unavoidable aspects of living in community is that we will sin against one another. The journey of living in Christian community is one that is tested by other people’s sin and weakness.
Everyone reacts differently when they are sinned against by another Christian. Some react by sulking and feeling sorry for themselves. Some just blow up with anger or passive aggressive withdrawal. The problem is that there are as many ways to react badly to sin as there are ways to sin against one another. The Bible gives us two loving ways that we can react to being sinned against. We can overlook the sin or we can address the sin.
The eighteenth chapter of Matthew provides a detailed roadmap for addressing sin, but before a person follows that route, he first needs to determine whether or not this is the kind of sin he can simply overlook. Overlooking a sin is held high in Scripture.
Proverbs 19:11 – “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”
Proverbs 12:16 – “the prudent ignores an insult”
1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
Love covers a multitude of sins, but there are situations in which the most loving action is to address a sin, to make known to the other person that you have been offended by his words or deeds, and to give him the opportunity to repent and seek forgiveness.
Here is how you can go about determining whether this is an offense you should overlook, or an offense you should address.
Marriage happiness is simple. You have to stay connected. Here are a couple of tips to help you Stay Connected.
1) Make every effort to know each other:
…emotionally intelligent couples are intimately familiar with each other’s world… these couples have what Gottman calls a “love map” that gives them connection to each other. They remember and celebrate the important facts from the present and the past of their shared history.
“they are no longer two but one flesh” – Matthew 19:6
2) “When couples communicate they make every effort to avoid using the word you and try to use the word I.” This will make it easier to express feelings and much harder to accuse or attack the other person.
3) How you begin and end the day is important. “Reunite at the end of the day and talk about how it went.” The goal is to connect each day helping each other to reduce the stress of the day that can affect the relationship.
“Greet one another with the kiss of love” 1 Peter 5:14
Here is some helpful information:
The information and quotes in this post is from The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Other posts about this book are What Destroys a Marriage, Our Biggest Responsibility in Marriage
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.” Proverbs 31:28-29
She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future. Proverbs 31:25
My Mother and Grandmother have always been a vital and dear part of my life. I thank God every time I remember them. Everything I am and everything I enjoy most in my life has come from the women that I hold most dear. I am blessed to have a wonderful, Grandmother, Mother, Wife and Daughter
Thanks – I love You
Rules for Self Discovery:
1. What we want most;
2. What we think about most;
3. How we use our money;
4. What we do with our leisure time;
5. The company we enjoy;
6. Who and what we admire;
7. What we laugh at.
It is not the differences that hurt marriages it is how a couple deal with them. Most couples argue about the same 6 arugments that every couple has Dr Gottmans research says that 69% of a couple’s problems are perpetual. These 6 problems don’t go away yet many couples keep arguing about them year after year.