DESIGNATED FRIEND

I have come to terms with my twitter app on my SIDEKICK, it lacks to much.  No retweets, and I hardly get tweets from other I follow.  It's sad, but the main reason I even got twitter was because I understand the STRENGTH of it.  I love sending text messages to my friends, and it has been brought to my attention that I seem to send them at times that people need a pick-me-up.  Not my words mind you, but I am relaying messages from God.  I can only send to 25 people at a time have too many people on my contacts  list to spend my work day sending texts to everyone.  Some day I will get to remedying the situation or you can just help me out be following me ( @connectFOURlife ).  So I being all that up to bring across a blog story I thought was awesome from a sister named Kalinago Woryi.  The situation she speaks on is about a believer having a drink.

The situation is very similar to one I came across on Facebook where a good friend of mine requested publicly for a designated driver.  I can tell you that this did not sit well with me at all, and hoping it was a joke I checked out the comments below the request.  Did I mention that I was not feeling this request?  However I absolutely understand where it was coming from, and although my mind was on some "WTHeck" I was quickly reminded by a good friend on that same post that there is a way that our action CAN and SHOULD show those we care about that WE CARE.  He didn't check a emotional response from me because I just didn't feel like I was gonna come "Christian correct" with it, but I feel HE DID.  The response? "I will be your designated driver." CLASSIC, VINTAGE answer!

Marinate on that for a while and see why its the best response to a hurting child of god. 

Hint: WHY IS THIS ON THE RELATIONSHIP PORTION OF MY BLOG?

SOMETIMES THE FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND THAT CARRIES THE WEARY SOUL ARE IN YOUR SIZE.


Some say make love not war, I say DO BOTH!

LETS MAKE WAR WITH LOVE!
I am done.....be blessed

Parenting (Prov. 22:6) by: Francis Jackson

          My wife and I are outgoing people.  We like to be spontaneous in our dating whether we decide to travel to see a play, catch a museum, or just leave town.  Fortunately, we have had the privledge to do these things and more.  But once you become a new parent (of an awesome 8 month old son), things begin to change.  The priorities are different.  The life you once enjoyed is put aside and replaced with the new life of your child.  So in leading our children, we have to take a back seat in our own lives to focus on them.  Webster defines train as to make skillfull or proficient; teach; undergo a course of instruction.  I like this word because by definition it requires my hands-on involvement with our child's growth.  It's more than just giving information out and holding him accountable to it.  My instruction has to match my lifestyle in order to be made clear.  In the New Testament, the Pharisees suppressed this principle by not practicing what they preached (Matt. 23:1-3; Lk. 10:25-29).  Paul calls this breed of people "hypocrites." (Rom. 2:21-24)  His view, on the other hand, was more of "leading by example" in instructing the saints in Corinth to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).  So Paul is diving in with hands-on training in addition to his verbal teaching and accountability.  This proverb also says, "in the way he should go" which would involve some direction.  God is a general term that can mean anyone or anything.  Our country is not like a lot of foreign countries whose government is married to the dominant religion.  Many foreign countries are strictly monothestic and will kill to protect their faith.  The U.S. is open-game polytheism.  Anyone who is a citizen can practice the religion of their choice which is a protected right in our Constitution.  It is important that children know the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and become trained in the direction of His ways.  Take a stand in the presence of your children of who God truly is and that He is the only god worshipped in your household (Josh. 24:15).  Create provisions for them to develop.  Provide incentives as encouragement and give them every opportunity possible to be successful for God and for themselves (2 Cor. 12:14).  In doing this, at least they may see for themselves a blueprint of how to perform as a (for my son) a young man of God.

1) Are you specific with your children of the God you serve?

2) Is your teaching "hands-on" or just verbal?

3) Are you giving your children every opportunity you can for them to be successful?

Lord, thank you for blessing my wife and I with a healthy, wonderful son.  Help me as he starts to get older and understand things to have the energy and wisdom to train him in Your ways by using my own life example. Amen

Battle of the Sexes (Gen. 3:16b) by: Francis Jackson

 "Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." NASB

          Ever since the fall of mankind, there has been war or some sort of competitive nitch between the man and the woman.  Some eras of time might not be as aggressive in its appearance of this battle, but that does not mean it ceased and re-surfaced.  The "battle of the sexes is at a continuously rising peak as women exercise more and more their rights granted them around the early 1900s.  So much now that the term "independent woman" has become more popular than the traditional "respectful wife."  The mindset that has developed in the household now is the head of the house is whoever makes the most money.  It is even labeled this way when couples file taxes.  The fallacy in this structure is that there is no consistency in the roles.  Headship can easily change on the whim of various circumstances.  Where does the root of these actions begin?  The "battle of the sexes" is a result of the fall stated in the women's punishment. Understand when reading v. 16 that the desire here is not a sexual or pleasurable desire.  We have to stay in the context that this is a punishment being issued.  This desire is more of a sinful longing possibly for the man's position as leader.  This statement has the same connotations as Gen.4:7 when God was talking to Cain about his envy toward his brother.  God tells Cain,
          "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at your door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
          Sin had a desire to overtake Cain in the opportunity presented through envy.  Cain, in turn, had the same opportunity to master sin but failed resulting in the murdering of his brother.  Sin's desire for Cain and the battle between the two is the same desire foretold as part of Eve's punishment.  Fortunately, this curse is reversed in Christ's relationship with the church.  In Eph. 5:22-29, instead of that sinful desire for husbands, wives are commanded to respect them, submitting as the church does to Christ.  Instead of husbands bringing the hammer down on their wives, they are told to love them, replicating Christ's love for the church.  With this structure being consistent, the "battle of the sexes" can be exchanged for a God-centered relationship.    

1) Wives, does the company you entertain influence you that the many financial opportunities presented to women means the lack of importance of the existence for men?

2) Wives, is submission to authority based on whoever has more financial leverage in the home?

3) Husbands, does the company you entertain influence you that "enslaving your wives" is what makes you king of your home?

4) (All) How are you filtering out the world's view and working in God's view?

Lord, forgive me for letting my pride take the place of You wanting us to humble.  Help me to be more loving as a husband or more respectful as a wife and to surround myself with people who encourage that.

Purpose for the Wife (Eph. 5:22-24) by: Francis Jackson

           The purpose God has for women is more significant than a lot of people realize.  There is so much more to your value than just simply cooking and nurturing children.  God does command that women serve their husbands but you are also purposed to help them in other areas as well (Gen. 2:18).  This means that men are not going to be able to accomplish everything alone.  But aside from duties performed, there is an attitude standard being commanded to the Christians in Ephesus.  This was probably a peculiar standard seeing that the chief deity in the city was a woman goddess named Diana (Acts 19:26-28).  Regardless, Christians were charged with God's standards instead of the culture's.  Nonetheless, there was something greater being communicated here than the obvious command of submission.  Paul is painting a picture using marriage to illustrate the relationship between Christ and the church.  This is the mystery stated in verse 32.  Just as the man replicates Christ's love for the church, wives have to replicate the church's submission to Christ. A lot of women place conditions on this role. No matter how your husbands acts, your role is not conditioned upon his disobedience, but rather sheds more light on the valor you possess (1 Pet. 3:1-2).  Sarah will be recognized forever in her respect towards Abraham and has been labeled the mother of all those who share in having that all-out respect for their husbands (1 Pet. 3:6)  Her fearless submission proved favorable to God in that she was protected from sexual impurity by a pharaoh was deceived of her marital status.  Due to her love for God and total submission to her husband, she was handed to the pharaoh in order to spare Abraham who acted in fear (Gen. 12:11-20).  Wives, respect your husbands and keep them high.  Encourage them to lead, comfort them in fear, and be humble enough to follow.

1) Does your submission to your husband replicate how the church is to submit to Christ?

2) Do you comply with your role based on your feelings or based on God's command?

3) Do the company you keep around influence you more towards respecting your husband or rebelling against him?

Lord, thank you for blessing me with a beautiful marriage.  It is beautiful because you created it.  Forgive me for any disrespect that I have shown towards my husband, and help me to respect him and be to him as the church is to you.  Amen

Purpose of the Husband (Gen. 3:9-11,17) by: Francis Jackson

           Men are given the most challenging, most accountable role in the household.  Regardless of how the world promotes women as absolute equals or even having superior responsibilities, the bible speaks otherwise.  This is in no way a claim to degrade a women's value nor to enthrone men to a seat to boast from.  Man's leadership over the household is not one in which men are promoted to as a merit or something earned.  It is strictly part of God's plan for family and not a position of choice (Gen. 2:18; 1 Cor. 11:8-9).  In fact, if the position were of choice, a lot of men would cowardly reject it and turn to the women just as Barak when he acted cowardly in leading Israel against Sisera and the Canaanite army (Judg. 4:2-3,7-8).  A lot of evidence to this point is made clear by the many single-parent homes lead by mothers today.  However, what the bible commands is completely different.  The man is commanded to uphold the highest level of integrity in the home.  In this passage during the fall of mankind, this integrity is compromised by both parties.  Though Eve sinned first, God didn't address them until Adam disobeyed.  As the man, he was responsible for upholding the foundation God laid for the family.  In the New Testament, husbands are told to live with their wives in an understanding way, as the weaker vessel,... so their prayers won't be hindered (1 Pet. 3:7).  This passage is in reference to love towards the wife and not to undercut the man's authoritative power as many women use it.  In Gen. 3:17, part of Adam's disobedience was charged from him "listening to his wife."  The difference between these two passages is that even though man is commanded to understand his wife, that understanding is never permitted to supercede God's Word and that he is ultimately responsible for the overall decision.  The purpose for men is also to love and teach your wives(Eph.5:25-29), provide for your family (1 Tim. 5:8, 2 Cor. 12:14), train and discipline your children (Eph. 6:4, Prov. 22:6) and protect your family (Jn. 15:13).  Men, if you want your house to be Christ-saturated,SET THE STANDARD! (Josh. 24:15)  In doing so, your home can be fruitful (Ps. 128). So follow God, take the lead, and BE THE MAN.
God Bless

1) Have you accepted the reality of your role to lead or are you running from the responsibility?

2) Do you realize the importance of your standard and the affect it has on the household?

3) What examples are you setting to communicate this standard to your family?

Lord I thank you for my family.  Forgive me if I have compromised my standard as a leader.  Help me to use the courage you give us as believers to establish our home in the faith and build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Amen