The Devaluation of Marriage

In todays society there are men who want to be treated as a husband yet without the work. They give the girlfriend the minimum while she basically is trying to win the prize of being a bride. It is sad to see these women in the long run wasting years with someone who won't marry them. A guy usually knows early on if she is the one. Being married is a wonderful thing and as a Christian doing it in a way that honors God. I married a man who became my best friend. He listens to me and knows me, we sing together worship songs, we joke with each other, have adventures together. I make him lunch, encourage him, he makes me into a better woman knowing him. I wish sometimes I would have met him when he first came to Minnesota, he tells me the same. As I look back on knowing him and how our love has grown since marriage. I am grateful to God. 

To Love Others

Its a hard thing to love others especially when its clear they do not like you. The only thing you can do is love them like Christ loves you. This means not harboring resentment but just love. I love by offering help. It is too much of a drain to think of how others think about you. Instead its better to working God. To remember.how much God has forgiven me and let any actions flow from that.

Already August

Time flies. I have gotten used to it. Today I woke up at 2 am. Horrible. Yet I made myself productive and thank the Lord because I had an urge to make brown butter bacon bits chocolate chip cookies....... I really want to buy flakey salt.... Anyway I tried to make myself productive. I am industrious. I like to make homemade items. I like being profitable on the side. Its weird the differences that have come into my life. I am just glad to share me adventures with my beloved hubby. 

The Lord Cares

It is easy to give the slogan to Let go and let God. God says in the scriptures to cast all your cares on Him cause He cares for you. 

In the NASB it says this.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NASB

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

I give the Lord my fears and desires and all the worry that troubles me. I ask that God will help me to submit to my husband. I seek to be the kind of wife God calls me to be in Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5:22,33 NASB

22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Anyway its so late I better get to sleep.

When a video brings it all up

I saw a video from Mike Winger. I watch his youtube channel from time to time even though I do not agree on his views on election. He had Teisi Cannon as a guest who spoke about her experience being bullied from the pulpit and it brought everything back. The sermon on how the pastor felt attacked. The sermon talking about how a couple should be excommunicated. The sermon that pointed to my husband as a friend who wanted to help as a witness to a meeting. I guess my major question is. Was it worth it?

But then there are other questions...

Do you think your sin is gone if not admitted publicly?

Do you even realize that the pulpit should not be used to bully the sheep?

Sigh. God you know. You know everything that happens behind closed doors. I leave it at your feet.

I know that I am not one to confront. I was sent an email to meet with the elders if I felt that they did something wrong. I did not want to be like the other couple sitting under what seemed like a tribunal. I definitely was not going to go that route. Like if people would listen anyway. 

I think that times pastors are put on this pedestal as if they can do no wrong when the reality is that they need people who will tell them that they did wrong for the sake of their souls. 

I am of a belief that if sin is hidden,  unaddressed, unrepented in the life of an elder or a pastor they should be disqualified from ministry. Does that mean forever? No. I do think that the sin that disqualifies permanently is sexual immorality. I am of a belief that if they truly repent not only before God, the congregation and also the person that they sinned against that God can restore them.

The problem is that bullying doesn't stop at just one person unless the Lord works in a person.

Life Lived Out

 I have noticed a very strange thing about life right now. A lot of people live out their lives for an online audience. Have a story share it on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube... I guess I am thinking in a lot of ways do I want to share about where I go and things I do, stuff I buy, even meals I make? Definitely not. My main concerns are known by God, my husband and I. Where we live by a small group of people. If people want to talk to me they can call me. Advice I am there for it. Otherwise I just want to live my life out not for an audience. I want my life to reflect Christ. 

Writing

When I was young I loved writing, poetry and fiction. I remember those contests where if you paid money your poem would be published in books. I wanted so much to write a book but about what I was not certain, would it be prose, steam of conscience sort of thing or fiction losely based on some experience. I love romance but after I got married I saw more and more the sinful nature of this world. The world in there romance has sexual intimacy become love where the reality is that is not the case. I am thankful for my husband he has been good to me and continues to be considerate of me. I love him very much. Anyway I want to write romance be it would be very different more of a modern day Hosea type circumstance.