I had spent the last two summers living at the beach in Delaware and found a girlfriend from New Jersey. Somewhere in our second summer together I discovered that she was not just another girl, but in my mind, THE girl. There was this one big, glaring issue however: she kept trying to “witness” to me and according to her I needed to “be saved.” I had no idea how to answer her questions about the second coming of Christ or exactly what salvation even meant. “Being saved” was something most of us teenage guys just weren’t looking for. My tactic became asking her her thoughts of those impossible questions and then simply agreeing. It worked in part.
Late in the fall of my high school senior year the girl from New Jersey sent me her “last and final letter.” Included in those “Dear John” pages was a gospel tract outlining salvation through Christ. I hated her and I hated God for breaking us up. I didn’t date anyone for a year after that. But…those nagging words on that bi-fold piece of paper kept following me everywhere I went. Repeatedly throwing it around my room, it just kept showing up. Frequently re-reading, ”For God so loved the world…” I held out, stayed angry and stubbornly refused to give in.
The answer to my dilemma became hanging out with my friends on weekends and engaging in self-destructive behavior. All the while He was drawing me. His “still small voice” kept speaking. He just wouldn’t leave me. So, in desperation I said out loud, “Would You just leave me alone; life is no longer any fun!” I swear I actually felt His Presence move away. I shouted, “No, no don’t go!” Ugh, it was so confusing, so hard and the biggest decision of my life weighed on my shoulders.
Jesus was the Perfect Christmas gift that December of 1971. I did bow my knee. I prayed that prayer at the end of the little tract and Christmas with Christ took on a whole new meaning. Has Christmas come into your heart?
Those of us who fly tens of thousands of miles a year barely endure the whole experience. We’ve lost our youthful vigor when it comes to flying. It has become something we tolerate rather than embrace with excitement.
can see everything…it’s getting smaller down there…I love flying!”
Breakthrough . . . after twenty-five years of praying.
We started writing about, training counselors and actually mentoring couples in pre- and postmarital counseling in 1989. Our primary goal as stated in our book, Called Together, Asks the Difficult Questions that all Couples Must Answer Before and After They say “I Do,” was to better prepare couples before marriage and follow-up with them after marriage using this book as a resource in the hands of trained counselors. The ultimate goal of accomplishing this was to have an effect upon the divorce rate of our day. We longed for, worked toward and prayed to see it lowered.
A CEO was once asked what made him so successful. He replied, “Good decisions.” “How, then, do you make good decisions?” was the follow-up question. His reply was given in one word, “Experience.” “And how do you get experience?” was the final question. The CEO provided a two-word response, “Bad decisions.”
I read once that bad decisions are often the result of insufficient knowledge. How about you, what are you learning from your bad decisions?
Our marriage either promotes security or insecurity. Most marriage partners are looking for security from their spouse because it’s a need we all pursue. When security is present in a marriage relationship, you will also find honor, trust, love and respect. Where there is insecurity, most likely honor and trust are missing or at the least, threatened.
When we honor and respect someone we view him or her as better than ourselves in order to serve them without expectation. Immaturity expects a return, i.e., “I do this; therefore, you do that.” But when we choose to honor and respect someone because we are married to him or her and we love him or her, security will grow within our relationship. As security grows, intimacy grows and as intimacy grows so will a healthy sex life.
Let’s use what has happened in our nation to mature, to pursue loving others and to ask God for His change to take place in every one of our lives. Jesus is the reconciler, it’s what He does and He uses us to help bring reconciliation. Remember who paid the highest price, and proclaim His love to this nation. Reach out to the hurting all around you and share about the One who longs to heal their hurts, disappointments and fears.
Pain has a way of receiving our attention. It is an indicator that something is wrong somewhere. Have you ever considered pain to be a gift in your life?
Mary’s appendix was ruptured and poison filled her abdominal area. She needed emergency surgery that night and IV antibiotics for 24 hours. How about you, do you need emergency surgery to bring healing to an emotional hurt? There is a Surgeon with the most skillful and heavenly hands just waiting for your go ahead. Ask Him, He is our healer. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalms 147:3)
This will most likely be my one and only blog on the upcoming election. It is not written to change anyone’s mind, but rather to calm our minds and spirits.
As I consider that second Tuesday of November, I find myself required to look beyond these two candidates and instead looking to the party that best represents my beliefs and my values. Daniel did it in his day and Joseph did it in his. Jesus certainly did it best as He represented His Father’s kingdom here on earth. I suppose it is these words of Christ that help me the most when it comes to this election and its candidates, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. 
Steve Prokopchak 