A few weeks ago, I visited my parents in North Carolina. Mom and I took a drive through the country and visited a few of my great uncles. My Uncle Willie, age 89, answered the door with a straight back and a spry welcome! Regardless of his age, he has as great a sense of humor as he ever did (this is the uncle who said, “Be careful who you marry, because the only thing worse than being lonely is wishing you were!”) and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him talk about the old days. After we'd been there a while, he made mention of a tent revival that came through my home town back in the … [Read more...]
Does it pass the Philippians 4 Test?
Lately, my husband has introduced a new phrase to our household. When a movie, TV show, or song comes out that he believes we probably should not put into our minds, he asks "Does it pass the Philippians 4 test?" This means – does the movie, show, or song contain content that we, as believers, should be taking into our minds? Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (ESV) I … [Read more...]
Faithfully Assemble Yourselves – or – Why Finding a Good Church is Important
Do you and your boyfriend/girlfriend belong to a local church? If so, how involved are you in your church? How important is it to you that you and your future spouse attend church? How important is it to you that your future children are raised in church? Why all these questions? All too often, young people dream of going to church with their families some day, but they don't think it is important to become involved in their local churches while they are single and carefree. Perhaps school, work, or late nights out with their boyfriend/girlfriend dissuades a lot of people from getting up on … [Read more...]
How You Treat Your Spouse Will Affect Your Spiritual Life
This post is more for married couples; however, dating and engaged couples can still take a lot from it – so, pay attention. “Why should it matter if my marriage is going well? My walk with God is all that really matters anyway, and my relationship with Him is awesome!” Phrases like this present a huge red flag. To think or say there is no link between your relationship with your spouse and your relationship with God is to say there is no link between the three portions of a braided rope. If you think your relationship with God is awesome but you are not pouring time and energy into your … [Read more...]
How Important is having the Same Religious Beliefs?
Jenny, from East Lansing, Michigan asks, “How important is having the same religious beliefs? I feel like God has been working on his life; however, I have recently found out that he doesn’t attest to Christ as Savior in the same way that I know Him. What are your thoughts on this matter?” In an American culture of pluralism where it is espoused that all roads are equally valid, the stark reality is that they are not – despite what the culture is crying out for it to be. More so than a person’s stated religion, what your potential spouse actually believes will have a large impact on your … [Read more...]