A Weekend Just For Us

On our way out to the NCFIC Marriage Retreat. More to follow...

The Greatest of these is Love

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind;
love does not envy;
love does not parade itself,
is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely,
does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.

I Corinthians 13

A True Wife

A true wife makes a man's life nobler, stronger, grander, by the omnipotence of her love, turning all the forces of manhood upward and heavenward. While she clings to him in holy confidence and loving dependence, she brings out in him whatever is noblest and richest in his being. She inspires him with courage and earnestness. She beautifies his life. She softens whatever is crude and harsh in his habits or his spirit. She clothes him with the gentler graces of refined and cultured manhood. While she yields to him and never disregards his lightest wish, she is really his queen, ruling his whole life and leading him onward and upward in every proper path. -J.R. Miller

What a beautiful and inspiring words. What a lovely picture of a "true wife," and one that I want to emulate. To think that the Lord has created me as a help meet with the ability to inspirit my husband's manhood upward and heavenward with my life is truly amazing. This is most certainly a "high calling!"

Love

This month love is exalted and commercialized with the approach of Valentines Day. I will be posting a daily quote or two about love. The greatest Love being God Himself and in reference to the holy institution of marriage that He ordained.

Recently one of our Elders once stated that marriage and children are the two things that the Lord uses to sanctify us. Marriage allows us the opportunity to put aside our own selfishness in order to be a blessing to our spouse. Marriage is a picture of Christ and His Bride. Christ laid down his life for the Church and Christ is the head of the Church to whom she submits. My husband and I are newly discovering how this beautiful representation of marriage applies to our own marriage.

Marriage is often times not easy and when you do things your own way, it can be downright hellish, but when we follow God's ways it can be heavenly. We see the result of following our own ways by the thousands of broken marriages all around us. How sad this is, when by simply following God's pattern our marriages can be filled with joy and be an example to our children and a blessing to those around us.

Quotes by R.C. Sproul:

To submit to anyone less than Christ is difficult in a marriage. Yet it is Christ who commands women to be submissive to their sinful, fallible husbands. In this sense Christ is the silent partner of the marriage. It is hard for a wife to submit when she disagrees with her husband. But when she knows her submission is an act of obedience to Christ and honors Christ, it is much less difficult.

When the New Testament speaks of the church's glory, it is speaking of its dignity. By analogy, the husband is called to give himself to the purpose of establishing his wife in the fullness of dignity. When he uses his authority to destroy his wife's dignity, he becomes the direct antithesis of Christ. He mirrors not Christ but the Antichrist.

Where We'll Be This Weekend

Much to my delight, the Lord blessed my husband and I with the opportunity to attend this Marriage Retreat this weekend. I am so excited to be encouraged in my marriage and learn all that that I can in regards to the future marriages of my sons and daughter. Update to follow...

Jesus Christ is Everything!

Jesus Christ is Everything - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

My family and I were introduced to Paul Washer & HeartCry Ministry two years ago at the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference put on by NCFIC,whose Director is our elder, Scott Brown. Paul Washer's ministry and his messages have impacted our lives. The last week of the year 2010 and the first week of this year 2011 my husband had us all watch his videos posted on Heart Cry's Ministry website. We especially loved his teachings on the gospel and watched them several times so we could confirm in the minds of our children (and our own also,) what the Gospel is and what it isn't. The video entitled "Shocking Youth message," is also one everyone should watch. May Jesus Christ be our EVERYTHING and may we bear scars for the Gospel!