Todays advice from the old farmer:* Well, hey there! I know it’s Sunday and we usually chat about our faith, thanksgiving, and worship every Sunday, but this week, I thought it might just be a great time to pray a prayer of thanks for my wife. Because today is mine and Sherrys 51st wedding anniversary... * Weve been amazed at how many people have asked us how we did it. They say they cant imagine being married to the same person for that long. God has blessed us by giving us to each other for so many years, and I pray the years ahead will be even happier than the ones weve already experienced. * I certainly hope marriage isnt on the way out in our society (although sometimes I wonder), because God gave marriage to us, and He meant for it to be a source of joy and stability and strength. And it will be, when a husband and wife put God first in their lives and make Him the foundation of their marriage. God has given us His pattern for marriage in His Word: “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife. … So they are no longer two, but one” (Mark 10:7-8). A good marriage isnt a question of physical attraction or compatible personalities. These have their place, but most of all a good marriage is based on commitment — commitment to each other, and commitment to God. Emotions come and go; physical attraction fades; differences can flare into anger and conflict. But when we know Christ, we know that true love involves a commitment to do what is best for the other person. It’s an act of the will, and a gift from God. Thank God every day for His grace in your lives, and for hope that extends beyond the grave. Here are some things we want to share to make your marriage stronger... * End the day With a clean slate...The Bible says in Ephesians 4:26 to not let the sun go down while you are still angry. Make it a goal to clear the air with your spouse on a daily basis. Fortunately, most days there will not be a need to clean the slate. For those days where tensions are high make an agreement with one another that you will work out your differences before going to bed... * It is not 50-50...The Bible says that it is a man’s responsibility to love (Ephesians 5:25) and it is a woman’s responsibility to submit (Ephesians 5:22). If the husband will commit to love then it makes it much easier for the wife to submit. If the wife will submit, the husband will have less trouble loving her. The beautiful thing about this is that God does not say, “a man should love his wife if she will submit.” Or, “a woman should submit to her husband if he loves her.” Each spouse’s responsibility is independent of what the other one does. When a couple looks at marriage as a 50-50 agreement then they will always play off of how the other treats them. However, when they see the marriage as their sole responsibility, then they will have a much stronger and happier marriage... * Keep personal problems personal...Don’t share your marriage problems with your co-workers. If you are seeing a marriage counselor then it is important to be open and honest. But when chatting with your friends at the water cooler or the hair salon, you need to guard your negative words about your spouse. Long after the problem is resolved your friends will remember. They werent part of the healing process and therefore they won’t know how to forget... Try to live within your means...One of the major causes of divorce is money problems. Live with the money you have. Even though you think that expensive gift (that you can’t afford) will help endear your spouse to you, it more often than not will drive a wedge of insecurity in your relationship... *** Divorce is not an option...Never enter a marriage with the thought that you can get divorced if things don’t work out. Regardless of your interpretation of the biblical passages dealing with divorce, you should make it a personal commitment to your spouse and to God that you will not consider divorce as an option. Enter the marriage with the understanding that you are making a solemn vow before God to your spouse that you will stay together until death separates you... * Guard your heart...Protect your eyes, ears and mind. Men, you need to learn to look away when your eyes are drawn to other women in an inappropriate way. Ladies, you may hear sweeter words from your co-worker than you do from your own husband. Remember to whom you made a promise to love—even when times are difficult... * Forget the past...Isnt it amazing how, all of a sudden, you can remember things from the past that you thought were forgotten when an argument arises between you and your spouse? Forget the wrong that he or she has done to you in the past and focus on the present and future... * Compliment in word and action...The word “compliment” can mean a couple of different things. First it can mean to say nice things to one another. It can also mean to do something that helps the other to be stronger or look better in the eyes of others. Both senses of the word compliment are important in a marriage... * Love One Another...Make a decision to love one another even if your spouse does not deserve your love... *Put God first...Most people who want to protect their marriage will say that their spouse is more important than their job. Unfortunately, it seems that people who are in ministry (pastors, missionaries, etc.) will say that in a list of priorities their wife is sometimes at the top of the list and sometimes their ministry is. If you put God at the top of your priority list, He will show you where your emphasis should be at any given time. If God is truly first, then the other priorities will fall into place... * Dear Father God...I love you so much and while You created human beings with the need for relationship, I never realized how wonderfully you would fulfill my need. Thank you for my wife. Thank you for her tenderness and her strength. Thank you for her incredible talents. I pray that I would always be thankful for her, and to her. May our marriage continue to press on in the worst of the worst and in the best of the best. Lord, I give thanks for my love to You, and to my wife. Continue to use us to serve you. It is in Jesus sweet and Holy name I praise you and ask these things, Amen... * A chocolate thought for today; This guy found a bottle on the ocean, and he opened it and out popped a genie, and he gave him three wishes. The guy wished for a million dollars, and poof! there was a million dollars. Then he wished for a convertible, and poof! there was a convertible. And then, he wished he could be irresistible to all women... poof! he turned into a box of chocolates... Check out the comments for a great Sunday smile to wear to church and share with others and also find some laughs to share with your family a little later. See you in church and love you a bunch dear friend...
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 02:59:11 +0000