My husband and I were listening to a message on marriage online and the speaker suggested that every couple should read at least one book on marriage every year. So for this year we chose "Please fix my marriage" by Celesta Thiessen. At the end of each chapter she has a section called "Practical tasks". At the end of chapter one the task is:
Write down five things that made you fall in love with your spouse. Write a note of fond memories, and give it to your husband/wife.
It was a challenge but reminiscing over things that helped you fall in love is wonderful! I enjoyed it very much how it made my husband feel.
My darling Raymond
My love I couldn't just think of 5 things that I love about you ❤ but when we met one of the number one things that made me fall in love ❤ with you is the time you spent with me. I know you sacrificed many hours on the road to spend time with me.
I remember when you would sing 🎤 to me. Oh how my heart ❤ would sing 🎤 too. I loved listening to you singing 🎶.
I remember one time when you went out of your way to buy deodorant and wore it too. Your reason for doing this is what touched my heart ❤. You said you were wearing it because "it pleases me". Those words melted my heart ❤ honey 😃.
Another thing that I absolutely loved about you was when you would actually want to and ask me out on a date. Oh how light my heart ❤ would feel that you would take me out into public on a real date. Thank you my love ❤.
I was tickled pink and yet feelings of shyness but absolutely loved is when you would not just pay for our dates but also give generous tips. Your generosity has always amazed me and I loved it about you and made me feel very proud to be with you. It also made me want you to want to marry 💑 me and be yours for life.
From the day we met I noticed that you have never rejected my princess 👸 Aurora. You have shown love ❤ towards her from day one and I love ❤ you for it. Thank you.
One of the things I enjoyed doing most was when we would go hiking. I loved going through natural woods with you.
When we met I was on Social Assistance and I remember how fearful and inferior that made me feel. I feared that you would reject me. But that fear was not completely realistic because I know you would always be ready and willing to help me out if I needed it. Thank you.
On the top of my list I think I would have to say is your listening ear 👂. I remember one time that I called you and we talked into the wee hours of the morning 🕐. I needed a listening ear 👂 and thank you for being one for me.
When we greatly sinned against our most Holy God, you never made it my fault. You took responsibility for your own actions. This was a foreign feeling for me and I was not sure on what to do with that. Thank you for not making me responsible for your choices.
On the physical side ... I loved that you had your own car!!! I had also prayed for specific things that I wanted in a spouse and the Lord gave me those things in you. I prayed for a man 👨 who was tall and at a perfect 👌 weight and the Lord knows you had both quantities!
You have a very gentle personality that I found very attractive. I feel like I am anxious and stressful for ten people and your gentleness calms me. This is something I need that you can provide me and draws me to you. Thank you for being gentle with me.
The most important thing that I loved about you was that you had a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I praised the Lord for this because the number one thing I asked of the Lord was that the man 👨 He would bring me would believe the Bible and not change his mind on what the Word of God says. Thank you for loving me through the love ❤ of Christ.
I love ❤ you with all my heart ❤ and give God the glory and praise for the day He created you in your mother's womb and for the day He brought you into my life. I have and will forever work on being a dedicated, loving and honorably wife to you. You honestly deserve my best my love ❤.
Love ❤ your wife
Regina
Friday, January 16, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Bible Message
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray 🙏 and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Acts 8:26-40
Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotes'. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Acts 2:14-21
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’
Acts 2:38-47
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul,
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray 🙏 and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Acts 8:26-40
Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotes'. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Acts 2:14-21
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’
Acts 2:38-47
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul,
Friday, September 19, 2014
Dare to be Vulnerable
Matthew 5:38-48 …
38 You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.
39 But I say to you, Do not resist the evil man [who injures you]; but if anyone strikes you on the right jaw or cheek, turn to him the other one too.
40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your undershirt (tunic), let him have your coat also.
41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two [miles].
42 Give to him who keeps on begging from you, and do not turn away from him who would borrow [at interest] from you.
43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy;
44 But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
47 And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?
48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect. (AMP)
It is amazing how I can find God anywhere, that is, when I am looking for him. I find him everywhere and in everything. When I meditate on God, I have even found him at my place of employment. For example when I was working in wrapping at Kitchen Craft Cabinetry, I was overwhelmed with joy and basking in feeling the nearness of God. As the day progressed, I was becoming quite upset with the cabinets that have false fronts. It was then that I heard God impress upon my heart, “My daughter, you are just like one of these cabinets with the false fronts”.
Needless to say, I was quite taken aback by this comment. But as I thought about what he had said to me, I realized how true his statement was. Those cabinets look as though they have drawers, but the drawers do not open, as this is where the sink would be put. As I reflected upon his words, I realized how often I put up a false front in front of others so that, in this, I could protect myself from being hurt again, from being vulnerable. God showed me that if I do not allow myself to become vulnerable then I am not really living. Most importantly, I do not trust him to take care of me as he had promised to do when I gave my life to him. To be honest I do have a huge struggle with trust, but God is in the business of sanctifying his children. Just before the New Year of that year, I came upon this Bible verse:
Psalm 28:7 …
7) The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him. (AMP)
This verse was, in a literal sense, true for me since I could not stop singing praises to God. Everyone around me had no choice but to listen to my off-key singing. Besides, Christ commanded us to trust him in everything in his word:
John 14:1 …
1) Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. (AMP)
How do you suppose do we trust him if we will not allow ourselves to be vulnerable with others? How often have we refused to help someone who is in trouble because we know that this person is a difficult person to deal with, and there is a high chance we will get stung by them? Perhaps we should all search our own hearts and see if we struggle with allowing God to use us because we may get hurt. I wonder, how many of us find it harder to be vulnerable with ourselves than we do with others? The people who know me intimately know that I find it very difficult to be vulnerable with myself. It is called lying to yourself. I can be very honest with those around me but to myself I will say, “that did not hurt”. This is not true. But I cannot handle dealing with the truth about how things make me feel so I tell myself that things don’t really hurt when in reality they hurt tremendously. God, in his great grace is helping me work on this issue in my life. I have decided to take as my motto:
Psalm 13:5 …
5) But I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and loving-kindness; my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in Your salvation. (AMP)
A few days after God had given me this insight, he impressed upon my heart a message again. This time he let me know how special and unique I was … and still am … to him. I had been standing there admiring this cabinet. It was a naturally stained alder cabinet; it is my favourite kind of cabinet. In fact, the more knots and cracks it has the more beautiful it is to me. God showed me how flawed this wood, like me, is. Yet at Kitchen Craft Cabinetry we do not remove any of the flaws or imperfections, rather, we perfect them. In the same manner, God does not remove our imperfections, but instead, he perfects them in us. He takes our imperfections and makes something beautiful out of them. The following verses are very meaningful to me and capture this thought quite well:
Hebrews 10:14 …
14) For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (NKJV)
John 17:23 …
23) I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. (AMP)
I try to let all people I come in contact with know that Christ loves them and wants to change them from the inside out. But when Christ changes them, he will not take away their flaws but rather perfect them. Christ made us the way we were for a reason. Sometimes the things we hate most about ourselves and find the most frustrating to deal with, are the very things that God will use in amazing ways to bring about healing in not just our lives but in the lives of many people we come into contact with. We should not criticize ourselves, nor others, for their flaws, but rather ask God to show you what it is he wants to accomplish through those flaws; ask him to let us see others and ourselves through his eyes. If he took away our imperfections then we many become somewhat self-righteous and egotistical. Even the apostle Paul said:
2 Corinthians 12:6-10 …
6) Should I desire to boast, I shall not be a witless braggart, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I abstain [from it] so that no one may form a higher estimate of me than [is justified by] what he sees in me or hears from me.
7 And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (pre-eminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted.
8 Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him] about this and begged that it might depart from me;
9 But He said to me, My grace (My favour and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!
10 So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength). (AMP)
Sometimes I truly hate my flaws, but without them, I know that I would become an egotistical person. My flaws, in a weird way, make me feel special. They let me know that there is at least one person out there who accepts me exactly as I am. When I think on this I get filled with tremendous hope for the future. This message of hope is what God wants us to share with our fellow man and woman. Like one of my favourite hymns, “Just as I am”, we are to go to God just as we are. He wants us to come to him with all our shortcomings, all our hang-ups, all our imperfections and all our needs. When we do, he will not laugh at us nor will he reject us in the least. Rather, God will receive us with open arms and welcome us into his family forever; to be joint heirs with his son Jesus.
By God grace, we can change things without changing who God made us to be. By this, I mean that God gives us, through his grace, the ability to accept the things that we cannot change, which changes our hearts and thinking. That is where the changes need to start. First the heart … then the thinking will follow. God may not have changed or removed any imperfections, thorns in our sides, but has taught us to see that his Grace will help us through all things and that his grace is enough for us.
Another one of my favourite hymns is “Amazing Grace”. My heart is overflowing with gratitude that I do not have to get all things perfect or right because his grace truly is amazing, and it is enough for the purposes of God in my life. I wish all people could feel the way that God makes me feel. Perhaps I can show even just one person this by allowing God to use me to love others just as they are. I saw this post on Facebook, it said:
Instead of judging others by their past, stand by them and help repair their future. -Solitary Reaper-
How many of us are willing to stand by and help repair others futures? Some people have been so traumatized by the pain and abuse in their lives that they can barely make it from one day to the next. Often they come across as very hostile. You may feel like you have bumped into barbed wires when you get near them. But maybe that is why God brought them into your life. I was such a person. Just before I met one of the best friends I have ever had, God gave her a vision in which he told her that he was going to bring someone into her life that he wanted her to love. Nothing more … nothing less … just love. There were many times that she wished she hadn’t taken on the commission from the Lord. But today she sees how God has changed my life and this change from pure barbed wire to someone who loves the Lord and is on the journey to healing would not have happened if she had not been willing to do what God commissioned her to do … if she had not been willing to be vulnerable. Through her Christ has taught me so much about who God is and what he truly is like. I once heard somewhere that God has a commission, a job, for each one of us to do. If we refuse to do that job then there is no one else who can take our place. Let us let God use us in any way he needs to so that God can change and bless others through us.
Do you dare to be Vulnerable? I do not know about you, but I plan on going out there and winning at least one soul for Jesus. If I can have a small part in winning just one soul from hell, even if I never find out, then I believe that this is worth the pain of being vulnerable.
-Regina ten Brinke-
The Story She Didn't Want
"As I write about our past, I can’t help but find joy in a time that was so painful. The day we wept for our lost plans was the day our lives became more complete. The loss we felt in the pit of our stomach was actually breathtaking beauty in disguise. I am grateful for the heartache we went through because it has changed perspective on life. I want to love the unloved. I want to find joy when it seems so difficult to find. I want to speak of hope when everything feels hopeless. I want to give a piece of my story to the mom who grieves loss and feels alone. I want to be a reminder of God’s beautiful and perfect plan. My story is not what I planned for it to be, it is far better!"
Blessings,
-Natalie Falls-
To read the whole story go to: http://www.thebettermom.com/2014/06/02/story-didnt-want/
True Love God's Way
"True love, the way God intended it to be, is more than a feeling and much more than two words. It’s holding hands as you walk through the fire. It’s being patient and kind when everything inside you tells you that this man deserves the wra...th of your anger. It’s offering grace and forgiveness in the face of despair. It is easier to say and easier to write than it is to live, but as Mom always said, “The best things in life don’t come easy.”
The best things in life get messy before they get good. God has never promised us days without pain because He knows that trials are the very things that strengthen us and that His grace is made perfect when we are weak. A wise woman knows that joy and peace come from the Lord, while a foolish one seeks happiness anywhere she can find it."
The best things in life get messy before they get good. God has never promised us days without pain because He knows that trials are the very things that strengthen us and that His grace is made perfect when we are weak. A wise woman knows that joy and peace come from the Lord, while a foolish one seeks happiness anywhere she can find it."
To read the whole thing ... which I strongly recommend ... go to: http://forthefamily.org/love-doesnt-get-angry-others-wrong/
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Scars
"Scars remind us where we've been ... they don't have to dictate where we're going but sometimes things happen to tear those scars wide open again. It's in times like these that we must remind ourselves in whom our hope and healing is brought into fruition".
- RtB -
Prayer is all I need.
Thank you.
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