[xyzcf]

We also had that reading in our wedding service...he played guitar and I sang Peter, Paul and Mary's Wedding song...

[Heart to Heart]

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."  Jeremiah 29:11-13

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge"  Proverbs 31

When I am so beaten down by this MLC and don't even know what to pray for anymore, to stay or go, I love this verse:  "The spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express".  Romans 8:26

"Father, forgive them, for they no not what they are doing".  Luke 23:34

"I trust in you O Lord; I say "You are my God". My times are in your hands.  Psalm 31:14-15

"Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.  See I am doing a new thing:"  Isaiah 43:18-19  (When we dwell on the past, we are robbed of the treasures of the present.  God asks us to redirect our focus on the good things He can and will do in our marriages.)

One of my all-time favorites:  Philippians 4:8
Whatsoever things are lovely,
Whatsoever things are honest,
Whatsoever things are just,
Whatsoever things are pure,
thing on these things.

The bible is full of wisdom and comfort!   H2H

[Still]

"Father, forgive them, for they no not what they are doing".  Luke 23:34

Shortly after BD, I was awakened from a dream by this verse. It was incredibly powerful!

[xyzcf]

I have just read that the disciple John was called the Beloved.....my H's middle name is John...and I've been calling him my Beloved on this site for many months...sometimes I wonder about the coincidences...too many I think to be sheer coincidences.

[Still]

by Greg Laurie

A Well-Timed Rescue

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.  —Matthew 14:24–25


It has been said that when you get to the end of yourself, you get to the beginning of God. Many times when hardship comes, we have our own plans for how to handle it. We have plan A, B, C, D, and E. And after we have exhausted all of those, we find ourselves in that place where we say, "If God doesn't come through for me, it is over with. This is horrible." But actually, it is not horrible, because it is an opportunity for God to show His glory.

When the disciples found themselves battling a storm on the Sea of Galilee, the Bible tells us that "about three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water" (Matthew 14:25). This means the disciples had been at sea for nine hours when Jesus arrived on the scene. Why did He wait so long? We don't know. But maybe He was waiting for them to completely exhaust their resources.

The lifeguard knows there is danger in saving a drowning person, because a drowning person will panic. More than one lifeguard has died after being pulled under by the very person they were trying to save.

A lot of times, God waits until we come to the end of ourselves. Jesus came to the disciples at the last moment, but when the time was just right. And not only that, He came walking on the water. Perhaps it was to show the disciples that the very things they feared—the wind and the waves—were only a means for Him to reach them.

The disciples may have lost sight of Jesus, but He never lost sight of them. And when you are in the midst of your storm, He never will lose sight of you.

[stayingthecourse]

This helps me when having to deal with the crazyness

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.  Proverbs 19

[Still]

From Rejoice Marriage Ministries.

Tuesday's message is from Bob who was a prodigal who returned home and was remarried to me for an additional 23 years before the Lord took Bob home to Heaven. Bob wrote 19 books from the prodigal's perspective for more than two decades after our divorce and remarriage. Today I have selected a devotional that answers a question that many standers write and ask us.    -  Charlyne



THE "D STRAIN" VIRUS IS SPREADING

   Seldom does a day go by that we do not hear news reports about some kind of destruction or the devastation that a pandemic could do. There is another great threat, the "D Strain,"  and it has already arrived.

   This epidemic has already struck not only our nation, but simultaneously all around the world. Satan, the evil one is spreading this invisible, odorless, tasteless, mess over the people we love and care about, namely men and women who are standing with God for the restoration of their marriages.

   Never before have we encountered so many standers who are on the verge of giving up praying and standing with God for (1) the salvation of a prodigal mate, and then (2) restoration of their marriage. The early effects of Satan's warfare are evident everywhere.

   The evil one is attacking with the “D Strain” of sin which includes:

DOUBT – “Did God really tell me to stand, or was it something I dreamed up?”

DESPAIR – “This is hopeless.”

DIVISION - Standers start majoring on the minor issues, instead of on the Word and Jesus. Soon their focus is on the issue, and not on their stand with God.

DEFEAT - If Satan can't defeat you, he will defeat someone whose defeat will defeat you. (This might be poor English, but good in thought.)

DISTRUST – “Can (or will) God really do what He has promised me?”

DISTRACTION - Looking at your own (or someone else's) circumstances instead of focusing on God.

DISPUTE - Attempting to fight the battles yourself, instead of allowing God to work.

DISENCHANTMENT – “My spouse is not changing so why should I try?” (Hey, what's happening on the other side of your mountain where you can't see?)

DECEIT – “No one knows about my secret sin.” (But God knows and it is killing your stand for a healed marriage.)

DEVOURING – “I will write back and give them a piece of my mind!”

DEMANDS – “If God doesn't do something soon, I am giving up.”

DATING – “This person is only a friend, and I am so lonesome. I can handle going out and still stand.”

DIVORCE – “My divorce is final, so there is no hope for my marriage.” Tony Evans once said, “It does not matter what the records down at city hall say. The records in Heaven say that you are married!”

The good news is that God has provided a vaccine to protect you against each and every element of the “D Strain.” We beg you to please look up these verses, learn them, and memorize them. Post them on your mirror, so that when the enemy attacks your home, you will be protected by God's Word:

DOUBT – “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.”  Mark 11:23

DESPAIR– . . .and provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair. . .  Isaiah 61:3

DIVISION- . . .so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  1 Corinthians 12:25

DEFEAT- I can do everything through him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13

DISTRUST- Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6 

DISTRACTION- But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. . . “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:40, 41-42

DISPUTE- Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.  Proverbs 17:14

DISCOURAGEMENT – “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.”  2 Chronicles 20:15

DECEIT- Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:16-17

DEVOURING- If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.  Galatians 5:15

DEMANDS- Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9

DATING – “. . .‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”  Matthew 19:5-6

DIVORCE - Has not the Lord, made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.  “I hate divorce.” says the Lord God of Israel. . .  Malachi 2:15-16

   If you have decided to give up on standing, who will pray for your prodigal?  Do you not care about their eternal destiny?  What about the generational curse of divorce that is in your family that YOU have an opportunity to stop?  Have you not grown strong enough in the Lord to withstand the attacks from Satan?  They are predictable when you are doing Kingdom work.  You will be protected against the enemy's attacks tomorrow.

Because He lives,



Bob Steinkamp

Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.

[Still]

[b]"But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man. Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man's words? For God does speak—now one way, now another— though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword."  [/b] Job 33:12-18

[Grateful]

Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good--no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.  He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

Philemon 15-16

[Affaircare]

Malachi 2: 13-16

    13 And this you do with double guilt; you cover the altar of the Lord with tears [shed by your unoffending wives, divorced by you that you might take heathen wives], and with [your own] weeping and crying out because the Lord does not regard your offering any more or accept it with favor at your hand.

    14 Yet you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness [to the covenant made at your marriage] between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless. Yet she is your companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your marriage vows].

    15 And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not One make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two] one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth.

    16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment [his wife] with violence. Therefore keep a watch upon your spirit [that it may be controlled by My Spirit], that you deal not treacherously and faithlessly [with your marriage mate].



People often quote that the Lord hates divorce...and He does...but He also hates" him (or her) who covers his garment (her spouse, her family) with violence (like tearing the family apart due to infidelity).  So don't stop at hating divorce.  Read the rest.  He hates abusers and faithlessness and those who tear their families apart too.