Making It Plain

Why would you think as soon as you find the person you are to marry that your services are no longer to submit to your husband when he is looking for you to be. But what about his service? Is he not to love his wife as Christ loves the church ( Ephesians 5:25 AMP )? What does he think that means? Jesus served. He washed the feet of the disciples ( John 13:5-10 AMP ). He humbled himself. When a man reminds his wife about submission, does that sound like what Jesus did with the church? Jesus said that He came not to condemn man but for man to have life and have it more abundantly ( John 3:17 AMP ). Does the man have that same characteristic when he interacts with her? If he doesn't have it while dating, he won't be this way during the marriage. If you served before dating, why do you think it changes? This is more true of men then it is of women. Women know that men need help. We are conditioned to serve. Why don't men have this same training? I recall a young man telli...

What would make a person hire a private investigator or have a criminal background check on the one he/she is dating? Does it make sense, even in these days and times? What would this background check prove? What would the photographs that the private investigator obtained prove? What if nothing was found? Is the person now trustworthy? Will he/she ever cheat? Will the dating process for the purposes of marriage continue? Will you be less insecure ( 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV )? Because of the way people are, our past experiences, and/or the lessons from those who have had worse experiences, we have become jaded with the care free wonderfulness a relationship can bring. Two people in agreement with ethics, values, morals, a Christian lifestyle Monday through Sunday (24/7), how to raise children, where to live, who will be at home and who will be making the income, house work, yard work, the budget, vacations, etc. Why wouldn't it be wonderful? It was destined by God - right? I have t...

Any type of move is a transition of not only body but mind and spirit. It takes planning and organization for this to happen successfully. Moving without all aspects in place leaves room for confusion , chaos, and anxiety . We already know, that's not of God. The Word tells us to write the vision down and make it plain. This sounds like a directive, instruction, and a rule to live by. Only a fool would disregard it ( Proverbs 1:7 KJV ). What is "Oakie-Doke"? "Oakie-Doke" is a place where you were raised as a child. It can be a place that your parents started off with a young family because it is all they could afford at the time. It is a place where one would call a "comfort zone" and won't take a step for fear rather then for growth. Whether it is your mama's basement or an oppressive place of employment - it could very well be your obstacle impeding you from obtaining the blessings of the Lord. For Abraham, it was his family's home. God...

We all change. For whatever the reason, we will all change. Some will change for the better. Some have lost their lives because the changes they decided upon was  for the worse. As we grow, we change. From zygotes to fetus. When the fetus is too big for its surroundings birth happens. The baby grows from the bassinette to a crib, from a crib to a bed. The change happens from diapers to training pants and then to actual underwear. A baby is carried for a little while. When he/she has a desire to walk but can only crawl until changing of his/her body develops to be strong enough to toddle, then walk, and eventually run. The process of change is inevitable. We look at children and assume that certain cognitive behaviors and motor skills are already in place based on age and emotional development. If the child acts outside of what is expected, the parent's concern causes for tests to be taken to find what the issue (if any) could be. Sometimes, its arrested development brought on ...

First, let's finally put to rest that the woman was not the reason for the fall of man. I recall blaming Eve for the cramps I endured every month. I was a child and my information was in error. Let it be known, man was created first. He was given a job to do. God brought things to man, Adam, to be named ( Genesis 2:19-20 AMP ). The woman wasn't named until after the fall ( Genesis 3:20 AMP ). That is one act of disobedience from the man. God told Adam to protect the garden. The woman was having a conversation with the serpent. The serpent had a name; therefore, Adam saw the serpent before. The serpent did not speak to Adam. In speaking to the woman only was rude and a violation. This was not being protected. That's the second act of disobedience before the fall of man. God told Adam not to touch the tree of good and evil ( Genesis 2:16-17 AMP ). I would speculate for one not to touch it, there had to be some distance from it so not even the slightest mistake could occur...

It is a topic that appears to be taboo in the Christian sect. Women don't wish to speak on the matter these days because most have not come to the point of being the major bread winner in the household. It is also taught to women that such a contract would cause for divorce to be eminent. A pre-nuptial agreement was created to protect his assets if the marriage doesn't work out. If she has grown accustomed to a certain life style and would he have been able to provide for such the lifestyle if it weren't for her? A question that is argued over and over again. Most of the time the woman loses. Her identity and what she has done as his wife is then valued. With his well paid lawyers, her worth is evaluated with no consideration to what she went through with her soon to be ex. In the end, she has a pittance of what she is due and he can pick up and start a new while she (usually with children) will have to struggle to come out even ( 1 Timothy 5:8 KJV ). This is why the top...

...don't seek to be married. If you are married, don't seek to be single. This is what is written in the bible. In order for Paul to be inspired to write this means that people in biblical times were having the same issues that we are now ( 1 Corinthians 7:27 MSG ). To be clear, the married people are finding fault when coming into realization of the marital vows. At this time the honeymoon is over and the normal routine of going to a job, paying bills, along with getting adjusted to a new personality that agrees with the routine or opposes it. That adjustment can also cause the person to smile at the quirky habits of the new spouse or find those habits irritating. If the new spouse is not sensitive to how his/her spouse is feeling, temptation to look elsewhere , regret in rushing into the marriage, or shutting down communication entirely is inevitable. Know that any of the three things listed is solely because of the lack of acknowledging God in all that you do to be dir...

There comes a time in a relationship (before marriage) where one has to be true to oneself. God tells us what we should and shouldn't do. Whether we hear Him or even listen to His voice is a matter we will contend with sooner or later. The Word tells us that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth and show us things that are to come ( John 16:13 KJV ). Some call those things, red flags. How many do you have to see before calling the whole thing off? Seriously, I get it. Its been a long time between relationships and that nagging thought that this one could be your last chance, is like carrying a boulder on your back. Nevertheless, would God do that to you? Would He have you worried or anxious over such silly matters as this one being the last chance with over 6 billion people on the planet ( Luke 12:24-26 AMP )? Of course not. And why are you worrying over such things when you have so many other matters to contend with. What about your assignment and that career that you ar...

I was thinking about those wonderful couples that seem absolutely precious. She is hanging on his every word and he looks at her as if there is no other woman on the face of the planet. How did they get that way and how is it that those sorts of couples that can work out their differences and stay together for actually the rest of their lives? Its effortless for them to resist the temptation of others and divorce was never an option. What did they do that the rest didn't get? Can we get it now? Would you like a marriage that can last forever? Can you see yourself with the same person FOREVER ? I suppose if you aren't actually infatuated with someone right now as you are reading this, it just doesn't seem plausible. Even if you did entertain the idea, who could you see yourself with? A better question, who could see themselves with you? While you ponder through that, I had to get real with myself. I thought about the possibility of being married to someone for the rest of...

I was watching this movie where Michael Keaton was the star. I don't know the title of the movie, I didn't watch it all the way through because one of the lines had me thinking about this blog. You see, Michael Keaton's character was married and has one 8 year old son. Keaton has a career as a musician but has other interests as well, one of them being hockey. His son was in a little league hockey team and that night was the big game. Keaton told his son he would be there after the band rehearsed. The band went into over time. The hockey game didn't. When Keaton got home, his wife, played by Kelly Preston, was visibly upset. Though Keaton had no excuse for being late, he went through the gestures while Preston complained. It was apparent that they had a bargain between them that Keaton would never promise their son what he couldn't deliver no matter how hard it was not to make the promise. It was the strange thing she said that made me assume the aforementioned. S...