Caterpillars and butterflies
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
KJV
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
KJV
Expectations VS Realities | What do most people expect on their wedding day and for their marriage to look like once they are married? Men - Expectations Women - Expectations Very seldom do our expectations and realities line up | · bedroom activities all the time – real world problems that leave little time for romance and less once kids come along · knight in shining armor – fix the things on the list and take out the trash · Cuddles and deep conversation – snoring, scratching and funky smells · Deep meaningful conversation - yeah, uh-huh and ok · The Fairy Tale – Beauty & The Beast · The Fairty Tale turns into some late night horror story that keeps us awake wondering what in the world we have done |
Realities | We did not in fact marry the perfect person, or become the perfect person after we were married and so therefor do not have perfect marriages. | But we do serve a perfect God – and His Grace IS SUFFICIENT. It is IN HIM that I live and move and have my being, not him or her . . . |
Passion & Ashes | What started as passion has turned to ashes in our hands Isaiah 61:3-4 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes , the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. KJV | The truth is that our marriage are models for those watching us on what marriage is – especially to our kids Mourning, pain, discouragement and loss God can and will use your marriage to encourage others – if you will let Him |
Light The Fire | With – · Respect · Honor · thankfulness |
Help Me! | Know when to get help. Get the right kind of help from the right kind of people Who to talk to and who not to talk to It is wise to seek counsel as long as the counsel you seek is wise! | Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me ; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. KJV Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise . KJV |
Marriage Problems | Marriage can cause more problems that likely it will fix Reasons some get married: The other shoe | We tend to judge others on our experiences, not theirs. . . |
David and Bathsheba got started on the wrong foot but in the end had a successful marriage and raised some great kids. Bathsheba assisted in Solomon becoming king after David’s death . . .
Love Languages | Men and women speak different languages | “I don’t care” usually has a meaning other than “I don’t care”, I just need to figure out what that meaning really is. |
Perspective VS Reality | What are several things that are important to your spouse. Do you think they would write the same things? |
Words Of Affirmation | One of the five love languages |
Build Up Or Tear Down | I can lift her up in private but what a powerful things when it gets back to her things I have said about her to others that build her up | Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. KJV |
Build Up Or Tear Down | My words have the power to build up, encourage, fortify or destroy the one who I am speaking to or about | Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. KJV |
The Hag | What I heard a man call his wife in conversation one time and how that affected me, and still affects my opinion of him rather than her all these years later |
Firemen VS Judges | Where there is a fire I | · Am not at first trying to figure out what caused it and who I can blame but am more concerned about putting it out · My job at this moment is to protect my spouse and my family from getting burned |
After The Fire | After a fire happens I | · Should spend some time with my spouse trying to safeguard it from happening again · Determine ways to protect my family and those around me from getting burned |
Where There Is Smoke | Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, KJV Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. KJV | A smoldering ember can still burn down a house, or a marriage, or a family |
Marriage is defined as
God made marriage because it was not good that man be alone . . .
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. KJV
Help - surround, protect, aid
Mate - other side
What a man and woman want and what they need are two different things, wise couples find out what their spouse needs and supply that and the wants are the cherry on the top!
Cleave -
OT:1692 dabaq (daw-bak'); a primitive root; properly, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere; figuratively, to catch by pursuit:
KJV - abide fast, cleave (fast together), follow close (hard after), be joined (together), keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.
Two separate elements come together to be joined it will depend on what they are made up of as to how easy that will be. Soft clay will form together and the more pressure and heat that is applied will in time cause two distinct colors to meld into one and no one could really tell what they looked life before
Hard and brittle clay will have to be broken piece by piece and stirred together to join another piece of hard brittle clay, you can see they are together, of a sort, but still very much independent of each other
Sometimes one will be hard and brittle and the other soft and pliable, the soft just wraps around the other - there is togetherness but not as God intended
What makes the difference is the moisture in the clay - or the lack thereof. A threefold Cord is not easily broken and God wishes to be at the very heart and center of the marriage
Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.KJV
Love alone won’t save a marriage, or even make one. God loved the world but it was His sacrifice that saved it.
It is for life and can I just say that just because you have hit a rough spot
Expectations VS Reality
