Gateways to Joy

Y esterday while enjoying a long country drive through long rolling hills ... having good conversation with my husband, and us soaking up the brightly beaming sunshine, my thoughts went to obedience vs. sacrifice.  Ocean of waves rolled through my thoughts on the subject, in between my breaks of talks" Awe, what a nice topic to blog about,"  I thought as I looked far into the horizon... wind hitting my face. Once I was home, immediately upon walking through the door, I saw my 17 year-old son lying on the couch in a peculiar way.   "What's wrong with you? "  I ask him. "I'm weak." "Have you eaten?" " No ma'am,"   he says. Right after those words left his mouth, my 11 year-old daughter called out,  "Mom!  Look at my finger!  I think it's broken." Following her cry, came the lamentation of my two younger daughters Krishtiana 10 and Kennlie seven,   "Mom can we come out of our rooms yet?" Sniffle...

T his week has brought some surprising developments as it pertains to my husband and my blog.  He's been visiting everyday.  This week he's been a DIHH (do it himself husband).   Get this: not only has he visited, but he's been coming back sharing how MY WRITING is helping him SPIRITUALLY!  This is BIG sisters!  What a blessing!  His praise of my blog and writing has meant so much to me.  It's reeled me in some more y'all. Experiencing that got me to thinking about today's topic post: The practice of marriage.  Praise and interest in what our spouse is doing  seems fitting for discussion today. Taking an interest in the things our spouse is involved in or in things that are important to them sends a message way better than just the proclamation that comes from our mouth.  Doing—putting forth an effort to do says,  "I love you."   Doing is our proclamation in action....

M arriage: a covenant between a man and a woman that binds them together for life.  Today we will discuss, "The Practice of Marriage," as it causes us to Walk Closer to Him.  The practice of marriage is a practice of FULLY and COMPLETELY giving of oneself for the other—even when you may not want to.  It's a life long practice . Marriage teaches us to love the "seemingly" unlovable sometimes.  The same qualities that Christ uses with us—His bridegroom we must use with our spouse, and they with us. It's a union that's only released through death. It's the coming together of two to become one. "It's the worse of times.  It's the best of times ." In the practice of marriage, we laugh and we cry.  We love and we hate.  We learn how flawed and sin-ravished "we" are. On the surface it seems like a most "ordinary" experience, but it is the most HOLY of experiences.  For in marriage we practice: Livin...