James Dobson

James Dobson is a well known defender of the family as well as the values that make the family a strong and viable unit in the midst of all the challenges that the "family unit" is facing today. His expertise and his desire to share his expertise and knowledge with families has been a source of encouragement to many of us through the years as we have read his books and newsletters. I read some great, simple advice for marriages in a recent article that came from his desk. I would like to share a portion of that with you today. I encourage each of you are presently living in the state of holy matrimony or planning on taking that step in the near future to take a moment and seriously review these thoughts and be willing to make application of them to your life. The modern day church needs our marriages strengthened so that we can bless our families as well as serve as a witness to those people who are in our circle of influence.

 

Take some time to reflect on these thoughts from Dr. Dobson:

 

1. Reserve time for one another at all costs. 

2. Spend only what you have -- financial stress kills romance. 

3. Leave no room for selfishness -- be relationship givers and not takers. 

4. Make sure the “leave and cleave” principle takes place (Genesis 2:24). 

5. Bring your expectations in line with reality -- the perfect spouse does not exist. 

How Do You See God?, Part 3

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
² My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
⁸ The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.  (NKJV)

 

This Psalm speaks to my heart in several different manners. 1) These words remind me that God will assist those who seek Him. 2) These words reveal that the writer made a definite decision to look toward God for the help, assistance and provision that he needed. I (we) must remember that we have to make that conscious decision on a daily basis as we face our unique set of trials, battles, decisions, afflictions, struggles, etc. We must know in our heart where we are going to look prior to the time that these daily events and moments take place. The decision to seek after God must take place at the front of the situation and not just during the situation. 3) The writer asks the question, "Where does my help come from?" Each of us will ask that question at various times on our journey through life and we must be prepared to make the correct response to that personal inquiry. No one else can answer that question for you. You and I must be determined in our own mind that God is the source of all that I need to be successful in my journey through life. This is true regardless of our age. This is true regardless of our socio-economic background. This is true regardless of our ethnic background. This is true regardless of our religious background. God is where we will look for direction, guidance, protection, and provision.

 

I am thankful that I have sought after God and that I have found Him to be true to His Word!

How Do You See God?, Part 2

I have never traveled to a large number of exotic and majestic tourist attractions in my lifetime. I do remember flying over the Grand Canyon several years ago as Ann and I traveled to California for a speaking engagement. I was completely amazed at the beauty of this "wonder" of God's creation. I was literally caught off guard through what I was able to identify from the window of an airplane. I can only imagine what it would have been like to have seen the view of the same canyon from an up close and personal viewpoint. Each of you could make that same statement about things and places that you have seen in your lifetime. I remember the first time I saw the Smokey Mountain range. Do you remember the first time that you viewed the ocean? I remember being amazed as we drove up and around Big Bear Mountain on the trip to California.

 

I could continue to share about some other "famous" places that we have visited but I have also seen the greatness of God in day to day observations of things in my locale. The beauty of a sunrise; the drama of a sunset; the ice on the limbs of trees that shimmer like diamonds and fancy glitter; the laugh of a baby; the warm embrace of your family; etc. Is anyone getting my point at this juncture of the post? ISN'T GOD SIMPLY AMAZING AS HE REVEALS HIMSELF TO US? The amazing greatness of God can be identified in far away places but also in the activities of your daily life.

 

But this question remains with us and it can be pictured as the proverbial "elephant in the room." Why have we lost our awe and wonder at the presence of God? Why are we so easily overwhelmed by the things that God has created or inspired and yet we find ourselves so "underwhelmed" by the presence of God? We are impressed with the temporal and yet the Eternal Lord God Almighty is so easily overlooked by a generation that seeks, desires and lives for immediate gratification. Each of us fight daily to keep from becoming captured by this attitude that is so prevalent in our society and I am saddened to report that it has made its way into the church. Is it possible that we love and revere the creation more than the Creator? Is it possible that we worship what God has created more than we worship God? I don't write this to criticize but I do write this to provoke some serious introspection from each of us. Let us commit to worship God for who He is and not just for what He has provided for us. 

How Do You See God?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30 HCSB).

 

This passage of scripture has been resonating in my heart for several weeks. These words of Jesus capture a desire that I possess in my heart regarding my relationship with God. How can I truly love Him as I should if I don't recognize Him in the correct manner? Am I still captured by the awe and wonder that is connected to God and His revelation of love that was shared with each of us through Jesus Christ, the Son of God? During my years of Ministerial service I have heard people share these words with me as they were referencing their relationship with their companion:  "I just don't love him/her anymore. I am not attracted to him/her anymore. I have fallen out of love with him/her. He/she does not meet my needs anymore." I could continue sharing these comments but I am sure that you can get the picture of what I am trying to say. The readers of this blog have probably heard those words and in some cases may have even spoken those words either in your heart or publicly in a conversation with someone. Those comments refer to a deteriorating relationship with someone that you once shared a common bond with which was based on love, care, concern, respect, appreciation, etc. Is it possible to say that these individuals had lost their awe and wonder for their companion which created an atmosphere in which they were drifting apart rather than drawing closer? I am not a therapist but I do believe that these factors have contributed to the break down of the marriages of many people who at one time possessed a strong commitment of love for each other. Many experts who write and discuss the building of strong marriages encourage the couple to "court" one another after they are married just as they did when they were single.

 

I believe that some of these principles can be seen in our relationship with Christ. Our relationship with Christ ran at a pace of fervor, awe, thankfulness, gratitude, and recognition that we were saved through the awesome and mighty love of God! We lived in a deeper state than simply the state of attraction; we had fallen in love with our Savior who had paid the ransom price for our salvation. We stood amazed at His Grace and the appropriation of His Grace toward us. Yes, many of us were and continue to be emotional when we remember the deliverance that Christ brought into our lives. But our relationship was much more than simple emotion; we had fallen in love with the One who first loved us. The release of His wonderful love in our lives afforded us the opportunity to not only love Him but also to correctly love those people that God had placed in our lives. I do not want to lose that love for my Savior and I encourage you to pursue the same goal in your life. The enemy seeks to dilute our love for Christ in such a manner that we grow cold in our relationship with our Savior. But I believe that the Spirit will provide the strength that we need to continue walking in the blessing of loving God in the correct manner. Let us seek to love Him with everything that is in us!

Weekend Reflections

Today's blog post will focus on some personal musings or thoughts that have permeated my heart over the past few days.

1) How often do I truly "meditate" on what the Word of God is saying to me (take a moment and focus on the word "me")?

2) Do I understand the "times" in which we are living or am I simply emotional in my response to the conditions of the world because I don't like what I see happening? 

3) Is Christ truly my Lord as well as my Shepherd?

4) Do I look to God for direction/guidance as much as I do for blessings/provision?

5) Am I truly interested in the eternal destiny of others or is that just the "spiritual language" that I have learned and adopted through the years of my Christian journey?

6) Do I categorize prayer as a "have to" of my Christian walk or is it a "want to" of my Christian walk?

7) Is prayer my opportunity to have a conversation with God or is it an opportunity to present my Christian wish list to God for His approval?

These and many other thoughts visit my mind from time to time. Some of these do not need to become a passing thought but they do need to become a lasting thought that leads to change in my relationship with Christ.

Have a great day and think on the things that will make a difference in your life as well as the lives of those people that you are called to influence.

Response to Wednesday's Blog

It is always a blessing to see people respond to an opportunity to encourage one another. After all that is one of the purposes of the body of Christ. We are to edify (build up) one another through our words, actions and responses to those particular individuals. It is also a blessing to know that people will take the time to actually reflect on what is being shared with them through the written word. We live in a time in which we are inundated with so much information and the social media has become one of the sources from which we receive some of that information. In my opinion not all of the information that social media reveals is "noteworthy" but I am thankful that we live in a nation that freedom of expression is still one of our basic human rights. But we (I) must always realize that responsibility also accompanies those freedoms that we enjoy as Americans.

 

I applaud those individuals who took the time to reflect on those friends that God has placed in their lives. I received several personal notes as well as read and heard of others who took the time to share their feelings of appreciation with someone who has been a blessing to them. I attended a funeral on yesterday in which some wonderful statements were shared regarding the deceased. Do you know what thought crossed my mind? I hoped that people had taken the time to share their feelings with the person before they passed on to their eternal reward. I am not writing this to criticize anyone but I am writing this to "stir up your pure minds by way of reminder" (NKJV). Each of us need to see the importance of encouraging one another and we also must see the need to express our sincere feelings of appreciation for that individual who has made a difference and in some cases is still making a difference in our lives. An attitude of indifference toward those important people in our lives can create a vacuum of unconcern that can lead to far more serious issues in our personal relationships. Let us be on guard and not allow the enemy to place a stumbling block between us and those that we love and appreciate.

 

Take time to call, text, email, write a note or even in some instances visit someone who God has used to make a lasting impression in your life. You will be blessed in doing so and that individual person will be uplifted through your kindness and thoughtfulness. 

Personal Reflection

A few days ago I was presented with a bittersweet opportunity. I had the awesome privilege to share my condolences with the family of a retired Minister who had spent many years sharing the message of the Gospel with various communities and congregations in the state of Kentucky. I also considered this man and his family friends who have played a very important role in my life and the lives of my family. Friendship within the family of God is often overlooked as a very important aspect and asset of the family of God. We often develop these friendships and do not fully identify the depth of them until something happens that changes the dynamics of that particular relationship. I want to publicly thank all of those "special" people who have befriended me through the many years of my Christian journey. I am truly blessed and thankful that God placed these individuals in my life at the right time during my journey through life. Their individual investment in my life has made a lasting impact and I will carry their memories with me until the very end of my earthly life.

 

There is also another personal reflection that I want to make concerning this brother in Christ who entered his eternal reward a few days ago. I learned a valuable lesson as I reflected on his life and the impact that he made on me. He was a man of consistent character and integrity. He was a man that demonstrated a consistent and dedicated relationship with Christ and He treated people (and I was one of them) with respect and sincere appreciation. I shared those feelings with some of the family members as we shared memories with one another at the funeral home. I wanted his wife, his children and his grandchildren to be able to recognize that their family member had made an impact on my life. I did not purposefully set out to examine or critique this man's life; but his life of consistency did garner my attention. And over a period of time this consistency made a lasting impact on me and I have chosen to learn from his life. I want to practice a lifestyle of consistent Christianity in which people can not only hear me speak about my relationship with God but they can also see that relationship put into practice. God uses various means to teach us important truths and God uses various means to remind us of those important truths. I want to thank Arnold Harper for reminding me of the importance of a consistent relationship with Jesus Christ.