18 Years Celibate: An Anniversary I Didn’t Plan On…

Being celibate has made me more aware of the “little” sins – the small offenses that can pollute a relationship. I am generally very quick to accept correction (or correct myself) and offer my apologies and reparations. I've grown to love honesty: the art of naked conversation. When you’re not trying to impress people with your sexual prowess, you feel incredibly free to speak your mind about who you are and where you are in life. Patience has become a great virtue of mine – I used to pray for patience; it is now firmly scratched off my “I Need” list. Seriously, when you’ve waited over a decade for anything, it takes a while to get riled up about much of anything.Compromising my principles is not an option.

Wife… do you respect me?

It is through the provision of Jesus Christ that mankind can return to God – again and again. God provided Jesus to us as redemption for every aspect of our lives. Jesus is not only the conqueror of death, He is our chief life warrior as well. Equally as important as dying to our nature, is living in His Spirit. In marriage, this means that through the Christ that has already been provided as a sacrifice and deposit for the hearts of Believers, a man and wife can turn to each other to offer redemption and to be redeemed from each and every fall – each and every stumble, every instance of poor judgment and all their wrongful acts caused by their insecurities. Mercy, grace and forgiveness are all rolled into redemption. Redemption is the active process of reclaiming something of value to the owner – the person the redeemed belongs to.

Husband… do you love me?

I didn’t understand love because I had no understanding of God. As I have grown to know God, my understanding of love has increased. My increased understanding of love has led me to a better expectation of my husband’s character and behavior towards me. God has also developed my discernment, which greatly improves my ability to see the difference between what is truly Christ-like and what is only a mask of Christ-likeness.

Thank You, Father God

THANK YOU, FATHER GOD
If You’ve followed my blog or read any of my books, you have no doubt encountered some musings that may appear “too personal” to share. Surprisingly, I have no reservations about sharing the processes God puts me through in life. I consider it my duty, actually, to be truthful and honest about the work He is doing in me and through me. That being said, there are some things that I consider extremely personal. My journal is one such thing. My journal is basically an ongoing conversation with God. He is the person I am writing to in every entry. And He is the person who answers me through my writing as well. (Click to read my continual thanksgiving.)

BOOK REVIEW: Close Enough to Hear God Breathe by Greg Paul

As a Bible-believing and practicing Christian, I thought I had a firm grasp on the level of intimacy God expects to have with His creation – with me – but Greg Paul shared his growth, experiences and insights in such a way that the reader becomes aware that whatever their current level of intimacy with their Maker, they can always go deeper – much deeper. Paul parallels his relationship with God with his relationship with people. His stages of intimacy in his physical life – as a son, brother, friend, husband, father, worker, etc – had a direct impact on his spiritual intimacy with Father God.

Sermon: WHEN JESUS WALKS AWAY

Sometimes Jesus will reveal His plan to us without revealing Himself. We can have some answers and some comfort and then Jesus might walk away. It is not enough for Jesus to walk and talk with us He wants us to need Him. He desires us to simply ask Him to come closer and reveal Himself to us. Should it ever be enough to come into the Kingdom of God without seeing the King's face? If you invite Jesus in He will come in and reveal Himself to us.

Song & Verse: Give Us Clean Hands

Psalm 24 (NLT) A psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?Continue reading "Song & Verse: Give Us Clean Hands"

25 Things to Think Twice About Before You Marry

CITATION CORRECTION: 25 Things to Think Twice About Before You Marry from My God and Me: Listening, Learning and Growing on My Journey Author's Note: I've recently discovered that I incorrectly attributed credit for a list in my book, My God and Me: Listening, Learning and Growing on My Journey, to a pastor who used it inContinue reading "25 Things to Think Twice About Before You Marry"

A Faithless Man vs. A Faithful Man

What good is a faithless man? faithless: unworthy of faith or trust; unreliable. A faithless man is a destroyer. He has no worth. No value. He offers no true contribution to life. His leadership is false – a distraction. He escorts those who follow him into darkness – sadness – madness. A faithless man hasContinue reading "A Faithless Man vs. A Faithful Man"