Today, I am thinking of a couple of my girlfriends who are either considering, or have begun the divorce process. My heart is saddened and distressed for them. I do believe that the Lord would not have a woman stay in a marriage where there is abuse, but I don't believe that is the case in either one of these marriages.

I've been married for more than 26 years, and have been through more than my fair share of marital unrest. Without going into great detail, I'll just say that early in our marriage we separated for a short time, and by the grace of God we were able to reconcile. It took many years for both of us to heal from the events of that brief separation. There have been a few times since then that leaving seemed easier than staying and hashing it out. So many people are too quick to leave, rather than stay and work it out. Our marriage is not perfect, but it is a happy one, and a strong one. Working through each trial is what made our marriage strong.

Happiness and strength in a marriage comes at a price. You see, when you marry, you vow to love, honor and cherish, through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, till death do you part. That means you put your spouses feelings and needs before your own. And when you do that, you will be surprised how your relationship changes. It's not easy to be self sacrificing. It's hard work, but it benefits not only your spouse, it benefits you as well, and brings harmony to your home.

So many people give up on their marriage when things get tough, when those better times turn to worse times. I often hear, "I love him/her, but I'm not in love, anymore". That just doesn't make sense to me. Love is not just an emotion. Love is something that you must put into action. You make a deliberate decision each day to love your spouse, whether you feel he/she deserves it or not. What would life be like if God only loved us when we deserved it? We would live a miserable existence, wouldn't we. We should show our spouse the same grace that our heavenly Father has shown us.

During times of marital unrest, I look to God's Word to see what it says about marriage. In a letter Peter wrote to the churches in the northern part of Asia Minor, he speaks to the wives saying, "In like manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [...adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives." I Peter 3:1. This verse is saying that we, as Christian wives, should adapt ourselves to our husbands, so that if they are not Christians, they may be saved through our example. And let me make clear that being submissive, adapting yourself to him absolutely does not mean being a door mat, or never having an opinion, or an idea. In Proverbs 31, the mother of Lemuel king of Massa, tells him in verse 10, "A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman-who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls." Verse 17, "She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm." Verse 25 "Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure..." Verse 26, "She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]." I especially like this one... Verse 27, "She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat." Read Proverbs 31. The wife that this mother wants for her son is strong, intelligent, hard working, and self-sacrificing, and she is called blessed.

Discontentment in a marriage most assuredly turns to self-pity. I know, I've been there. By nature, I am a very selfish person, and putting my husband's feelings and needs before mine have been a real challenge, but God placed in my heart a desire to not only love my husband, but to put into action that love I profess for him. Though I often fail, God has also placed in my husband's heart the ability to forgive my shortcomings. If it weren't for God's grace, and my desire to be pleasing to Him, I can honestly say that I probably would not be married today. And today, I am so very thankful and grateful for all the work that the Lord has done in my heart, and changing my mind in how I perceive my husband, and my marriage.

My dear friends, if you are considering divorce, PLEASE read God's Word, seek His perfect will, and trust Him. You must be proactive in your marriage relationship, and not reactive. Don't trust your emotions. They will most certainly lead you to make decisions that you may regret down the road. For now, the grass may look greener on the other side, but in reality it is truly less appealing than the grass you are standing on right now.

Peace and love!

I am often perplexed and saddened when I hear someone say that they believe only parts of the Bible, that much of it is embellished, or made up. But how do they know what parts to believe? How does one pick and choose? Is it that they only choose to believe the 'nice' parts, or the 'feel good' parts? Do they choose not to believe the parts where there is war and famine? Or maybe the parts that convict them of their sin?

I think most of these people have never actually read the Bible, except maybe a verse here or there. I think they believe the Bible is full of don'ts, full of restrictions. I must admit, I haven't read the Bible in its entirety, but I have read nearly all of the New Testament and some of the Old. I believe Paul when he writes to Timothy, "Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action). So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. II Timothy 3:16-17 (Amplified).

The other day, I was having lunch with a couple of dear friends. Our conversation was all over the place, so I don't even remember the subject at this point, but one of my friends turned to me and said, "But with you it's all or none." Indeed, when I gave my life to Jesus, I gave my ALL. He doesn't want just a portion. He doesn't want a half-way believer. He wants our ALL. When we enter into a relationship, we don't want the other person to give only part of himself. We want him to give his all. When you give only a portion of yourself, you miss out. But when you give your ALL, your life will be full and rich with blessings!

If you're one of those people that pick and choose scripture to believe, please take another look. Take some quiet time to sit down, open up the scriptures, and ask the Lord to speak to you through His word. Ask Him to show you His truth. His word is full of real history, with real people. It is full of poetry, and prophecy. There are letters from the apostle Paul, to various churches throughout the region. The first four books in the New Testament are the disciples personal accounts with Jesus. These accounts are told from their individual perspective. Before you start a chapter, read the introduction to give you better understanding of what you are about to read.

Remember this...half way won't get you all the way. Peace and love!

Leslie Nease was a contestant on Survivor China. On the show, as a Christian she faced ridicule and persecution for her faith. In her blog she talks about the worlds perception of Christians.

Real Life! with Leslie Nease: Living in the Shadow of a Stereotype

If you are one of those poor people that believe the FDA, please read the following article on the latest findings for the safety, or lack thereof, of the artificial sweetener, Splenda.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/10/New-Study-of-Splenda-Reveals-Shocking-Information-About-Potential-Harmful-Effects.aspx

The fact is, ALL artificial sweeteners are unsafe, at least for the long term.  It's best to opt out all together.  The FDA says the additives, preservatives, artificial this and artificial are perfectly safe in such small doses...well, add all those small doses up and over time you become a walking time bomb.  Your body becomes so toxic that you begin to have digestive problems, develop allergies, are diagnosed with various types of cancers, or develop migraine headaches, etc.  The list goes on.

Is real sugar any better?  Not much.  It has been processed so much that it no longer has any nutritional value, and is laced with chlorine residues.  So what do you do?  If you must have sugar, eat raw organic sugar.  There are many other options to take sugars place, as well.  Agave nectar, evaporated cane juice, stevia, raw honey (not heated), pure maple syrup, and a few others.  You will pay more, but what price are you willing to pay for better health?

Call it a woman's right to choose if you want to...you can call it whatever you like, but it doesn't change the fact that it is still murder. We all have the God given freedom to make our own choices, but with every choice we make, there is a consequence.

Abortionist say abortion should be legal for victims of incest and rape. The reality is that only 1% of abortions are performed for those reasons. Only 4% of abortions are performed for medical reasons. The other 95% is for birth control. 70-85% of rape and incest victims choose NOT to abort! Chew on that.

I received the following short story in an email and thought I would share...

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said: 'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 yr. old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.' So the doctor said: 'Ok, and what do you want me to do?' She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.' The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.' She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request. Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms. The lady was horrified and said: 'No, doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!' 'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be ok with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.' The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb. The crime is the same!

(Sounds somewhat like the wisdom of Solomon; remember the suggestion of cutting the baby in half?)