Dragonflies are near and dear to my heart. We are lucky to live in the country on a piece of property that breeds dragonflies each year. Our home is nestled between two neighboring ponds and is surrounded on the outskirts by swampy terrain; a perfect environment for these beautiful insects. Each year in late summer there are a few days when thousands of these delicate creations swarm the sky around us. I eagerly anticipate this time of year because it feels like an outpouring of God’s love upon me. These unique insects have profound personal and spiritual meaning to me. In my experience, dragonflies appear around me at times of joy in my life; times when I can feel God affirming His love for me or reminding me of my blessings. Sometimes I will be walking in nature with family or friends and one will fly by; a reminder that I'm surrounded by those I love. Other times I will be sitting on my deck deep in prayer or journaling and a dragonfly will land on my chair; an affirmation that … [Read more...]
Freedom For Life
“Sometimes love asks us to limit our freedom on behalf of someone else.” Margaret Feinberg Who is a better example of this message than Jesus? Christ didn’t limit His freedom; He gave up His freedom completely on behalf of the entire human race. Why? Because He loves us. Because God the Father called Him to do it. Jesus obeyed and adhered to living out the covenant promise by God to offer His only Son as a sacrifice for our eternal reward. Christ sacrificed His freedom so we could be set free from sin. And we're called to pay this forward as Christians as we sacrifice our freedom at times for the benefit of another. This act of selflessness is of paramount importance in marriage. We spoke vows to one another on our wedding day and entered into a covenant relationship with our spouse. We took an oath, before God, to love, honor, cherish and commit to our spouse at all times. We swore in God’s presence to live up to these promises in sickness and in health. More times than not, … [Read more...]
Why Should I Be The One To Change?
How many times have we, as wives, said these words when struggling with dissension in our marriage? I know I have. There was a time in my marriage, okay, well probably more like a decade, when I saw nothing but the faults of my spouse in every conflict. It’s amazing; really, that I could see anything considering the obstacles that had impaired my vision. One day God whispered to me the words of Matthew 7:3, “(Shelby), why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the Sequoia in your own eye?” Now it says “plank” in most translations of the Bible, but God apparently felt a mere piece of wood obstructing my vision was not analogous enough to explain the shortcoming He saw in me. He’s generous that way. God’s Word did greet me that day, but you know the old saying, “in one ear and out the other.” Having to be the one to change all the time to make peace in a relationship can get really old. It seems like I am always recognizing a personal … [Read more...]
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