Marriage is Work: A review of Love and War Devotional for Couples

 

The Love and War Devotional for Couples by John and Stasi Eldrege is simply amazing. The book starts out with "We probably ought to just start here: marriage is fabulously hard." Any married couple and appreciate and agree with these words whether they are newly married or have been for decades.

Marriage is work; plain and simple.

This devotional is broken down into 18 weeks, 5 days per each week. Each day gives a scripture, application, and prayer. At the end of each week there is an exercises designed to stimulate conversation which will in turn inspire closer intimacy with your spouse, there by improving your marriage.

The nice thing about this devotional is it's doable for any couple. Short daily texts with real life application.

John and Stassi Eldredge are not afraid to touch on the difficult issues. Emphasizing the fact that we can not look to each other for love and fulfillment which we can only attain from Christ. These powerful opinions are broken down into short devotionals that easily fit into any schedule. Pick up this devotional, go through it with your spouse. I promise you it will not disappoint, and you never know, you just might learn something about them you didn't know before.

A perfect compliment to their book Love and War or by itself this devotional is a promising help to any marriage.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

Service

I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States of American and to the republic to which it stands. One Nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

That’s exactly what Memorial Day is all about. Thanking God for the men and women who bravely serve our country with honor so that we can experience the privilege of liberty and justice.

Let us not get wrapped up in all the BBQs, camping, and three day weekend. Let us remember these brave and selfless people who have served us so well.

Thank a soldier, hug a military wife, and pray for their families.

How do you honor our Military men and women?

Happy Memorial Day.

This is why

I love my husband,

and my boys.

This is why,

I love my life!

How did you spend the Lord’s Day yesterday?

See you soon

After giving notice that I would be more consistent about blogging, I am going on a short hiatus. My family will be celebrating my birthday, my sister-in-law’s wedding (hubby is officiating),and Easter this weekend. I will be no where near a computer.  However, I will be behind a pretty awesome camera, probably looking somewhat like this:

Hoping to make many wonderful memories while remembering the sacrifice that was made to purchase my salvation. 

The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. (Mathew 28:1-20)

 

Got God?

 

 

Yesterday morning, I posted (what I thought was) a pretty innocent status on my facebook page. You wouldn’t think saying, “have to go grocery shopping. How do we go through so much milk? I think I should buy a cow!” would cause too much trouble.

Think again.

This simple little statement caused such an uproar on my profile that I couldn’t believe my eyes. 43 comments later and it’s still going. I have a friend named Jeri, she is a wonderful person. She believes that “God helps those who help themselves” thereby making it clear that she will do everything she can to prevent disease in her own body. She believes she is called by God to educate people about health and fitness.  I do not disagree that we should stay healthy and fit. However, she and I don’t see eye to eye on some issues.  One of those issues is Cow’s Milk.  I will not get into what I believe about cow’s milk in this post as it’s not really what I am here to write about.  We can respectfully agree to disagree.  We do agree that God is real!

So what’s this post really going to be about?  Well, Jeri brought up a very old saying “God helps those who help themselves”.  Do I believe this?  Absolutely not. I will tell you why!

Algernon Sidney (some believe it was Ben Franklin who first said it, he too was a deist) a Deist first coined the phrase “God helps those who help themselves.” Just in case you were wondering Deism is a religious and philosophical belief that a supreme being created the universe, and that this (and religious truth in general) can be determined using reason and observation of the natural world alone, without the need for either faith or organized religion. In other words, God created mankind and then abandoned them to their own destruction. 

Doesn’t sound like Algernon Sidney really believed that God was in control does it?

So, then, Mrs. McFadden, what do you believe? 

I’m so glad you asked! 

I believe that God helps those who rely on Him. You can quote me on it!  I can even back it up with scripture.  I don’t think that Algernon Sidney could do that. The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian Church:

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;

who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,

you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.

(2 Corinthians 1:8-11)

If we could have helped ourselves there would have been no need for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We would could rely on ourselves for everlasting life I suppose if God helps those who help themselves. However, John 3:16 says otherwise.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

I believe, not only is it wrong to say that God helps those who help themselves, but it is also prideful.  Saying this makes people sound like they can accomplish something without God.  When we rely on our own power, we fail. When we rely on God’s power we succeed. 

So you decide. Does God help those who help themselves, or does God help those who rely on Him? Or should the question really be “Got God”?