Blessings In The Battles

None of us are exempt from the battles of life. Nothing has made that more clear than this fight for our lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.  On top of that, I know many people are facing other very real battles on top of this one.  Battles of lost jobs, lost loved ones, wayward children, health and relationship issues; battles that you don’t fully understand.  I don't know why these battles occur, but with this series of blogs I want to share the good news; that you don't have to wait until the battle is over to have a better day.  The divinely given gifts and benefits of an ever present Father don't cease to exist during the most difficult times in life.  No matter the battles we face, there are always blessings hidden somewhere in the battle.  We just need a new vantage point to see them. Exodus 17:8-15-The Amalekites came and attacked  the Israelites at Rephidim.  Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amale...

As I write this blog, I think about our oldest daughter who recently started middle school and finished her "Human Growth Unit" last year. Although they have covered the physical mechanics of sexual reproduction in school her mom and I, as her parents, want to provide the moral context for the practice of the physical act of sex.  I know many people are passionate about removing "sex ed" from schools  BUT... the answer is not removing educational classes from school or simply saying to your kids "wait until you are married to have sex."  Although great advice, it isn't really going to satify the always questioning ever curious mind of a middle school student charged up on hormones.  Show your kids why sexual relationships should be kept in the context of a giving, sacrificial and binding marriage relationship like we see on the wedding day of Solomon and his bride in the 4th chapter of the book of Song of Solomon in the Bible. The message we get ...

“And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.” -- Frances Hodgson Burnett , The Secret Garden This description of "the secret garden" from Burnett's book could also describe the detailed account of the sexual relationship between Solomon and his wife that began to bloom on their honeymoon.    Solomon shared this account in detail in Song of Solomon Chapter 4 of the Bible.   In fact Solomon tells his bride in vs. 12, " You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride, a secluded spring, a hidden fountain.   And in vs. 15 she invites her new husband to, "Come into (his) garden, (and) taste its finest fruits." Before we move on, I want to point out the difference in the adjective used by Solomon to describe this "marriage garden" and the one used by Burnett to describe the actual physical garden:   "private" verse "secret."   A good sexual relationship between a husband and w...

Recently I have become a "FedEx Father!"  Being a "FedEx Father" doesn't have anything to do with using FedEx exclusively to ship packages, in fact most of the time I ship things USPS because I'm "thrifty" aka "cheap."  Being a "FedEx Father" is all about the FedEx logo.  The FedEx logo has won over 40 design awards and was ranked as one of the eight best logos in the last 35 years in the 35th Anniversary American Icon issue of  Rolling Stone  magazine.  My kids point out the logo on a FedEx truck every time they see one. They have done this without fail ever since I showed them a little secret about the logo you may, or may not know about. What’s the secret you ask? Take a look for yourself, don't cheat and scroll down to see the answer until you have looked! Did you see the "secret" arrow between the  E  and the  x pointing to the RIGHT!   After you see the arrow, it will be the fi...

We live in a society where we are so conditioned to do whatever we want, no matter what other people think, that sometimes we fail to seek the advice of those closest to us.  There are many times in life when we need the insight and approval of those around us before making a rash decision.  In regards to treating women right, one of the biggest times we need the approval of some very important people in our lives is before we decide to get married.  We should not rashly meet a prospective mate, set a date, write up a guest list for the big day and go get married without getting approval first. The most important person to approve of your marriage is you!  I know this sounds ridiculous, who would get marred if they didn't approve of the marriage themselves? It happens more than you think.  I did not approve of my first marriage, but I got married anyway. Her family, my family and all of our friends approved of the marriage so I though...

Most little girls dream of their wedding day from a young age.   They begin to think about and plan that special day.   They think about marrying their Prince Charming in an elegant wedding venue full of guests in a beautiful white gown, walking on rose petals down the aisle to bliss way before they find the "man of their dreams." According to researchers the average age a girl starts planning and dreaming of their wedding is 13 but some start as early as age 6.   And, 6 out of 10 single women have already planned their entire wedding day. (1) In Chapter 3 of Song of Solomon, Solomon's bride to be is laying in her bed dreaming of her wedding day and night.   ("One night as I lay in bed, I yearned deeply for my lover." Song of Solomon 3:1 NLT) She roamed "the city searching for (her dream man) in all the streets and squares." (Song of Solomon 3:2 NLT)   Does this remind you of the modern dating scene?   Women, and men are spending eve...

In the late 1990's there were a series of books titled:   “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”   They had, “Don’t sweat the small stuff at work”   “Don’t sweat the small stuff with your family” “Don’t sweat the small stuff for women” and several others.   With over 25 million copies in print, the Don’t Sweat philosophy has touched multiple generations of parents & grandparents, teenagers & kids.   Many of you may have a copy of one of these books on your bookshelf or nightstand right now. The problem with that philosophy is that the little things that we leave unresolved will continue to fester and can eventually ruin our relationships.   Solomon writes in Song of Solomon 2:15  "Quick!   Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love..."-NLT If it is the little things that can easily ruin our relationships, why don't we catch them?  Why do we let them continue to run around in our relationships and ruin our ...