Planks & Specks

It's easier to see the speck in your neighbor's eye, than the plank in your own. Jesus tells us to first remove the plank from your eye then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your neighbor's eye.

Wanting desperately to grow our relationship, sincerely wanting the best for both, ignorantly trying to orchestrate those needed changes my self, I set out on a quest to fix our marriage for both our benefit. It's easy to see what my wife needs to do for me to respond as I should. And, when I'm leading this crusade, it even easier to run on self-centered motives. I'm glad I'm not in charge anymore (not that I ever was), it's less painful.

It is amazing to watch the Lord move in both our lives. He has convinced me that I couldn't fix my own life, so I not capable to fix anyone else. I said this because I've longed to explore our marriage relationship, know my wife deeper and be known by her deeper. I see great benefit in working thru some of the couple oriented book on the market today. I have attempted, once, to lead us into one of those books, that attempt failed miserable. Then something strange happened at our couples group. My wife suggested we, as a group, work thru a book called "Love and Respect". I'm excited. I know there is this giant plank in my eye called "failure to love your wife as you should plank", and I don't have a clue how to love her like Christ loves the church. She deserves that love, and needs that love, and I want to help provide my part, the part Jesus calls me to. This should be fun, painful, but fun.

All I can say is: "What a ride". Thanks, Lord.

Richard.

Signifigance of a day

What is it about a birthday? Why is it important that people remember? These are the some of the questions that have haunted me this day, my birthday.

It's late afternoon, my wife as yet to acknowledge my birthday. I have six kids, only one of them has called, and she wasn't sure it was my birthday. The two littlest one are excused, they won't know because nobody told them.

So to say I'm hurt isn't a far stretch. Many thoughts of rejection run thru my heart. Even though I've never been more sure of my relationship with Christ, it's still painful, especially when your wife forgets or chooses not to remember.

The Days of Noah

As we, our local church, reaches out to South Africa. My heart is stirred to it's depths for the people, especially the children, who's innocent bears the brunt of the many outcomes of their condition. Not only do they face poverty, hunger, disease, but they endure the ravages of sexual abuse. It's reported that a 500,000 children each year are brutalize sexual in South Africa, many requiring surgery, multiple surgeries to repair the physical damage, not to mention the emotional damage that will haunt them the rest of their lives, if their attackers don't kill them in the act or to cover their crimes up. Click on the following link and read the article, read the despair in the young mother's life as she can see no hope, she knows what's happening to her two year old child, but there's nothing she can do. To her death only waits if she leaves. Read of the brutality inflected on this baby, the pain endured and the pain still to be endured. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=304811&area=/insight/insight__national/

If you've read my blog, you understand why this is so impactful to me. To say I feel connected to these kids would be an understatement. This ever growing undercurrent in my soul is erupting. At this point I can do no more than use my story to bring awareness to theirs and in all things Glorify God.

Wedding

The wedding is just three days away. Wow, what an awesome privilege to be the father of the bride and perform the wedding, too. What an even Greater privilege to have a personal relationship with Christ. A relationship that He began and that He is in control of.

I am overwhelmed with joy and awestruck at the community God has placed us in. They have surrounded us with heart and soul and are pouring out love in immeasurable quantities. I am humbled by their actions and blown away at their eagerness to serve, when we aren't even sure of what we need or have.

I am so thankful. So blessed. So grateful.

Richard.

Been a awhile

It's been a long time, since I written. With that said, lets catch up. The New Year came in rather quietly. January seemed quiet on the outside, but internally and spiritually things didn't seem quite right. A period of waiting or dryness seemed to leave me with more questions than answers. February rolled in and thoughts moved to my mom, my wife, and the news. First, my mom's birthday rolled on by with the continual questions of why I don't feel pain or feel very little about her passing. More of my focus was on my wife, Valentine's day, our tenth anniversary, and how God is working wonders in our relationship, but I still don't know whether I just don't feel the lost because of the nature of our relationship, or if I'm just refusing to feel the pain.

My wife and I are experiencing God's blessings in our relationship. Because of His Great love, we are moving into an intimacy that I or we have never known before. Our anniversary was a sealing of a new covenant between us and God and in the days since as well as the month before we have experience wonderful moment after wonderful moment. We still have a long way to go, but we have the Greatest of Leaders and our combined thoughts are centering on Him. I am filled with excitement even in the mist of all the crap life in this fallen world continues to throw at us.

Which brings us to the news. One of our daughters is and has been engaged to be married. The wedding is one and a half weeks away. Near the end of February, she confesses to being pregnant. They had promised to wait, she had only a few months left of 18 years of virginity. Needless to say, we were quite saddened for them. They already had a rough road ahead, and this can only make matters tougher. We know God is in control and everything is for His Glory. It's still sad that they have to endure the pain of facing God with their mistake. I am hopeful and am assured that God is in control. This would bring us just about to the present.

With the wedding less than to week away, I find myself awe struck as God leads us into His future.

Richard.