“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” John 15:1, New International Version (NIV) Topiary is the horticultural practice of clipping foliage and twigs of trees and shrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, whether geometric or fanciful. In order to accomplish the most complex designs, a wire form is constructed in the ultimate desired shape for…
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In various places throughout the Bible, but especially in the original New Testament Greek, we find four differing types of love, usually in different contexts. However, within our marriages all can be given and experienced. As an example, with our spouse, we can experience the philia love of friendship, eros erotic sexual love, and agape sacrificial love. In fact, healthy marriages should…
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Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly…
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Do you ever wish you had a better marriage? That something would change somehow? Juggling work, family, and life can take a toll on your marriage – and leave you feeling tired and with little energy to put into growing your relationship. Sometimes things happen that are out of your control and can affect the…
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Some Christians may want to find a way to be super-spiritual because of the belief that striving for “spirituality” will please our Heavenly Father. It won’t! Could it be that some think growing in spirituality will make us more important than the “less spiritual”? Some seeking deep spirituality have even gone so far as…
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Love is the pinnacle of human and divine existence, and it is with a great deal of trepidation that I begin to share my understanding of what love should be in marriage. However, it is also clear that discussing how we can improve our marriages without discussing love is like writing about fishing and not…
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“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it. I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,…
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Considering what is currently transpiring throughout the world, I thought this article taken from my book The Fulfilled Marriage: The Three Doors might be pertinent and serve as an encouragement for you. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28, New International Version (NIV) Adversity…
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For those willing to lay their preconceived ideas about their marriages down and begin to do marriage God’s way, there will be unrivaled fulfillment that comes from knowing our Heavenly Father is pleased with us, His children. God loves us and, although He requires us to put Him first, He also desires our marriage to…
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Esther and I have a few idiosyncrasies in our relationship. Over the years, we have developed some habits that others might look at as being a little strange. For example, nearly every morning we share a single banana and every evening we share a single chocolate protein bar. Not only do we share them, the…
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