The Stranger (Author unknown)

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mum taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger... he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.

"I don't..."

I held myself from laughing out-loud when I read a news clip basically telling people to:
Consider saying "I don't" to living together before marriage.* Based on a psychologist's study, living together before marriage led to more unhappy and/or broken marriages.

I wonder why it should take a psychologist's study for people to realize and believe that living/co-habiting with someone you're not married to is not just wrong - it is sin. Even if you're planning to get married to each other, there is absolutely no justification for it.

Although they are not comparable, some people compare co-habiting to taking a car out for a test drive. Let's toe that line for a bit. If you ask anyone who has test-driven a car and then bought it, they will tell you that they found out more about the car when it was theirs vs. during the test drive not to mention we're more inclined to treat it well so it "treats" them well too. On the flip side, "test-driving" another person's emotions is simply unfair & unkind. You wouldn't want anyone to do that to you...would you?

The best definition I've heard of "Love" outside of the excellent description in 1 Corinthians 13, is:

"Love is acting in the other person's best interest." 

If you love someone that much, you will treat the person honorably and be committed to them. If you're not confident & courageous to make that committment then wait till you're ready - do not complicate your life anymore by co-habiting. 

I also found this article and the comments interesting:

http://www.marriagemissions.com/living-together-before-marriage/   

Source:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/maybe-its-time-to-say-i-dont-to-living-together-before-marriage/article2403319/



P.S. Today marks 12 years since my husband & I first said "I do" in front of witnesses...

Life lessons-Guide dog

Each time I see a person with a guide-dog, it reminds me of the power and essence of trust. Think about it, the person literally believes in that dog and trusts that it will only lead him/her in the right path to ensure a safe arrival at their destination.

I agree with Ernest Hemingway that: The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. And that is all God expects of us. How would you know if you can trust God (& have faith in Him) if you don't try to trust Him?

Psalm 37: 3-5 encourages us to:

"Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass." (Amplified)

Trusting God is the only way we can be assured that we will achieve a glorious destiny in life and arrive at the glorious eternal destination - Heaven. Each time you see someone with their guide-dog ask yourself if you trust God more than that person trusts their guide-dog.

Ignoring is not Discouraging

Something happened this morning and I just have to vent...

One of my children was not displaying appropriate dining etiquette and I had to reprimand him for that. Then I asked his sibling whether he noticed the "wrong act." The answer was affirmative then I asked: "Why didn't you correct him since you knew it was wrong?" 

With the lack of response it struck me that ignoring a person's wrong doing is not the same as discouraging them. In fact, that is a classic example of where and how "silence is consent."

About Attitude...

I saw this on one of my Facebook friends' page:

A bad attitude is like a flat tire...

...you cannot go anywhere until you change it!!!

When I read, I couldn't agree more and then added that "for those who have tried to drive with a flat tire, they have found out that something more than the tire was destroyed - in most cases the rim was also a write-off. I know that from personal experience - I mean the tire & rim example :)