Better Marriage

There is a DVD series that has been our most popular marriage study at the retreats.  It is called; "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" by Mark Gungor    Mark gets everyone laughing and then drives a sobering Biblical truth home in a way that hits the nail on the head for both sexes.

For those who would like great material without as many laughs we recommend; "Love & Respect".

Balancing Act

In Andy Stanley's book, "Choosing to Cheat", he begins chapter 2 with these words;  "The collision between work and family is inevitable. And is it any wonder?  In our culture work and family make up the two most significant arenas of an individual's life."

How to keep the balance between these two is dealt with with the biblical perspective.  Great book.

The Potter

Watching a potter is almost hypnotic.  The potter's thumbs plunge into a lump of clay and it opens up into a beautiful bowl.  The clay is supple in his hands and easy to be shaped into delicate forms.  When the clay gets too stiff it can fly apart or get off center and collapse.  When it is too wet it sags into a flat disc.

Great picture of how we are to respond to our God's pressure in forming us into what He wants us to be.

Lord, teach me to pray!

When you need refreshment in your prayer life, where do you go?  There is a book of prayer directions, praying scripture and guides to refresh your prayer life called;
"Prayer Portions" by Sylvia Gunter.

There is a comprehensive book (81/2 x 11 and 1"thick) and a Family Sampler Prayer Portion pamphlet size.  We really recommend the large one.

Prayer Hand

Swedish Proverb

There is an old Swedish proverb that says,

"God provides food for all the birds;
but He doesn't throw it in their nests."

Here-in lies a human problem that takes a lot of prayer.  When do we use our God given talents to accomplish a task and when do we rely totally on God to provide.

This blog does not have the answer - only poses the question.
If you have an idea, please respond.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a difficult task at best.  We all have times we need to forgive others or long to be forgiven from another we have wronged.  Two books that deal with this tough subject are:
"A Tale of Three Kings", by Gene Edwards and
"The Bait of Satan", by John Bevere.

They both deal with the responsibility we have, as Christians, to forgive but from very different stances.  Both leave the reader with the clear message that forgiving another is not an option, but a command from scripture.

Being forgiven is another issue.  We can go to another and ask them to forgive us but may never see that forgiveness materialize.  I can read lots of books on that subject but I find that running to the Psalms brings me the most peace.