True Love

My husband and I have been married for almost 6 months now, and this is a snippet of the thank you speech we gave at our wedding. I just wanted to share with you our thoughts about what true love is.

First and foremost, we'd like to thank the One who brought us together. He's the reason we're here. He's the reason we're pledging our love to one another. He's the reason we love. And that someone is God. He is the One who created us, and saved us, and loved us. It's because He first loved us, that we love.

We're here today because we love each other and are committing our lives to one another. We've made a covenant to each other before God, and before all of you. We've vowed to love and respect each other.

Today, we're here because Mike and I love each other, and we love you, and you love us. Today, in our society and culture, we hear the word love in songs, and we talk about being in love, we use the word love to describe our feelings towards our spouse, and also towards chocolate ice-cream: We say things like, "I love my husband" and "I love chocolate cake". I personally overuse the word love way too much! But what does it mean to truly love??


In marriage, you can no longer think about yourself. Or else, you'll have a very miserable and unhappy marriage (or, at least, your spouse will!). In marriage, you have to truly love the other person. And that means putting the other person's needs above yours. It means sacrifice. It means being kind and patient and gentle. It means not holding on to how your partner has wronged you and becoming bitter and angry. Instead, true love means forgiving the other person. It means loving them and showing them love, even when you don't feel like it ,and even when you don't want to. It means that even when they're driving you crazy, you still respond kindly, rather than spazzing at them. It means letting your spouse have the last piece of cake, even though it's your favourite.

Love is more than a warm fuzzy feeling. It's a decision. It's a decision to intentionally love and show love to the other person. Even when it's hard to. Even when you don't want to. Even when you don't feel like it. Even when they don't deserve it. Love is more than a warm fuzzy feeling. Love is an action. Love is patient and kind. It is not self-seeking. It is not rude. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love put's the other's needs above your own needs. Love endures all things. Love never fails.

Now, Mike and I have tried to love each other like this on our own strength, and we have failed. Miserably. It is only by the grace of God and the Holy Spirit at work in us, changing us and shaping us and helping us, that we can love each other like we're called to. And we know this will be a life-long process of being shaped and challenged and growing into the man and woman God has called us and created us to be.

Now, in relationships, sometimes we tend to look to our spouses to satisfy us in the way that we crave and to love us in the way that we desire. But let me tell you this: if you look to your spouse to satisfy you in the way that you crave, and to love you in the way that you so desire, you are going to be greatly disappointed. Because your spouse will deeply hurt you and greatly disappoint you. Because they are only human. Just like you. You're going to hurt one another, and you're going to mess up. Your spouse will never satisfy you and love you the way that you need, the way that you desire and crave. They won't, and no human ever can. There is only One who can truly satisfy you and love you that way. And that someone is Jesus.

God, who created the whole universe, who is almighty and powerful, who is so holy and good, loves you and me sooo incredibly much, that He sent His son, Jesus, to die for us so that we could be washed clean of all our sin (all our ugliness- like pride, selfishness, dishonesty, etc), so that way we could spend eternity with Him. Jesus left his throne in heaven and came down to this earth and endured the most excruciating pain, all so you and He could be together forever. Now that.is.love. He wants a relationship with you today. He loves you. and He is the reason why we're here today.

It is through His love for us, and our relationship with Him, that we met and love one another today. We look to Him to remind us of how we are supposed to love one another. Selflessly. Patiently. Gently. Humbly. Sacrificially. Whenever I get mad at Mike and I really don't want to respond to him nicely, these verses in  1 Corinthians 13 about love jump out at me and remind me of how I should love Mike (and that's why it's so great to memorize verses in the Bible!).

Sorry for speaking so long about this, but this is the reason why we're here today. It's because God loves us, and we love Him, and we love each other. And today, we have made a covenant before God and all of you, to love one another in the way God has called us to. And so, we just wanted to share with you all what God has put on our hearts and what He's been teaching us these last few months.

Be blessed.

DIY: MISTLETOE

Now, you might think that the mistletoe is a dated tradition, but I think it's cute! It gives you another excuse to kiss the one you love ;)

Making your own mistletoe is SUPER easy! It took me less than 3 minutes, and I am not exaggerating! Which is perfect, because who really has the time with all the busyness of this holiday season??

Here are the things you will need:

• some pine leaves
• ribbon
• scissors
• tape

Steps:

1. Gather up your pine leaves in a bunch.

2. Cut a small piece of ribbon and tie it around the pine leaves.

3. Make a small bow with the ribbon.

4. And you're done! :) Just hang up the mistletoe wherever you'd like! Use a bit of tape on the back, and place it on the wall. It's as simple and easy as that! 

It's a fast and easy way to add some Christmas cheer to your home (and not to mention, cheap!!).

God bless and Merry Christmas!!

- Anna 

Guest Post: Wounded Soldier

Hi Everyone! Here's is a Guest Post from my beloved fiance, Mike! :)


 “Wounded Soldier”

God I am weak.  

I feel alone.  

I am like a soldier wounded in battle by the sword.  

A soldier whose battalion has fled. 

I am left to die.  

Alone, weak, I cannot go on.  

I have accepted death.  

I cry out but no one can hear me. 

No one is nearby to help me, or lend a hand.  

I cannot go on with my own strength.  

If only I had the strength of another to guide me to safety.  

If only I had a doctor to heal my wounds.  

I feel like a failure, as the walls of my city behind me crumble to the ground, and all my people are taken captive.  

I trusted in my walls, when I should have trusted in the Lord.  

I ignored Gods instruction, and instead listened to myself.

Have you ever felt like this?  Have you ever felt alone? Weak? Hopeless?   You’re not the only one; in fact even the prophets, the kings, and the apostles felt this way.  Whether you are a follower of Christ or not, you have felt this way before.  God knows that we all feel this way at times, and so we can have hope in Him because of His love.  

Psalms 107 paints a great picture of the love the Lord has for us.  The problem is that our pride can sometimes get in the way.  

Let’s take a look at Psalms 107:4-22 

Vs 4-9 “Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  He led them by straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!  For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.”

Vs 10-17 “Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.  So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help.  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!  For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.
  
Vs 17-22 Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.  Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!  And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of deeds in songs of joy”

Vs 23-32 “Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.  For He commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.  They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end.  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.  Then they were glad that the waters were quit, and he brought them to their desired haven.  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!  Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.”


In all four instances we see that these people came to the point of hopelessness, and they perhaps felt alone and weak.  
We must ask ourselves, who do we relate to?  
Do we relate to the one wandering the desert looking for a “city”, going through life with no purpose, wandering, being tossed by the wind?  
Or are we like the ones who sit in darkness and in deep gloom in prison, afflicted because of our rebellion against the word of God?  
Are we like the fool who knowingly continues in sinful ways, accepting whatever makes him feel good, eating whatever he can find because he is not truly  satisfied by his sin?
Or are you doing business on the great waters, scheming evil plans, filled with greed?

The truth is, we can relate to any one of these people, perhaps even all of them.  But praise God this is not the end of the story.  In each case we see that the people became so hopeless that they began crying to the Lord, they called to Him.  When trouble arises, it is natural for a human to feel fear, lonliness, hopelessness, and even weakness. The verses say, “They cried to the Lord in their trouble”, and every time God answered them, “He delivered them from their distress”.  And each time He showed them with His wondrous works.  
God does not stay silent, God answers with mighty works, with works that will bring you to worship and praise.  After each deliverance we see the writer saying, “Thank the LORD for his steadfast love, and for his wondrous works to the children of man."  The difficult part is waiting for God's timing. 
If you are in this place of darkness and hopelessness, I encourage you to cry out to the Lord.  Do not stop, because God will answer your genuine cry for help.  He will see your distress and have mercy on your soul.  God’s promises are everlasting, and He has made so many wonderful promises to us.  He promises that if we believe in Him and confess our sins that we will be saved, and that He will bless us.  This chapter, written so long ago, is proof that no matter how much sin you have committed, no matter how far you have gone, even to the “gates of death”, God will redeem you and it will make you thankful for His steadfast love.  
My hope for everyone is that they would have the patience to wait for the Lord's answer.  Nobody knows the mind of God and therefore it is hard to trust in Him.  But God allows us to be in these dark places so that we have no other option but to cry to Him, to call on His name for help.  He is sitting there waiting; perhaps He awaits your continuous prayer so that you come to the point of a genuine change of heart, because although a change of heart can happen overnight, the continuous prayer and cry for help will transform your mind and your heart for the long term. 
Romans 12: 2 says “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, and acceptable, and perfect”.  
Continuous prayer and steady Scripture readings will renew our minds to be conformed to Gods ways.  Therefore as we cry out to God day and night to relieve our stress, we become closer to Him, just like any relationship here on earth.  If we don’t speak to our friends and family we will have no relation with them and we will drift apart.  So it is with God, He needs to see our hearts yearn for Him and His ways.  Once this happens it is a beautiful thing, and the Lord longs to show us His beauty.  Remember that God is jealous for us and He wants us to be in relation with Him.  

I pray that these words will sink deep into your heart, not my words, but the words of God.  I hope that my experience with Gods grace can encourage you to keep going.  The poem at the beginning of this post titled “Wounded Soldier” is something I wrote in my journal a while ago about the way I was feeling inside.  I stumbled across Psalms 107 and the Lord used it to encourage me because I could relate to every situation that the writer wrote about.  Most importantly, I was reminded about the steadfast love of the Lord and the desire to praise Him and thank Him.  I urge you to stay strong in the Lord and never cease to call on His name, for He will answer you.  
In Psalms 107:1-3 it states this, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered from the lands, from east and the west, from north and the south”.  

God Bless,

Mike 

Hunger Games: Parallels to Real Life?

Hi Everyone! If you've read the title, you might be wondering what in the world I am talking about, or maybe you might think I'm a little off the deep-end to think that there are parallels between a fictional text and real life as we know it in North America. But, I really do think there are many connections we can make...and I think they're very important!

In the Hunger Games (the movie and the books), the people in the capitol are hyperbolized and are bordering on the ridiculous when it comes to their fashions and interests, for example. The people of the capitol eat their fill, and eat so much that they barf in order to fit even more food into their bodies. However, people in the other districts are bordering on poverty, as they are rationed food, and are basically starving. Furthermore, the people of the Capitol are wrapped up in their own lives- they're being entertained, enjoying their food and games, and enjoying their materialism. They are kept busy with the latest fashion trends and T.V. shows. Meanwhile, rather than take a critical look into their government and the purpose of the Hunger Games (to perpetuate fear and manipulate the people in the districts into being controlled), the people of the Capitol see it all as a game and for entertainment. They don't see the children who are being killed in the games and mourn for their families or for the children. Instead, they laugh and joke and have fun.

You may ask, what are the parallels to our lives? Sad to say, there are many that I see.

I really feel like we in North America are living in our own bubble, our own "Capitol" if you will, where we are kept so busy with what's the latest fashion trend, or which young celebrity made a fool of themselves on T.V., or we are so busy working so hard for money that never seems to be enough so we can buy a house that we can't afford, and so we can buy clothes and cars and more and more and more and more stuff that we really don't need. All this busyness keeps us focused on our selves. All this busyness keeps us distracted from what is going on around the world. It keeps us distracted from the plights that other human beings are enduring around the world. Because, just like those in the Capitol, we're in this bubble where we're focused on ourselves, focused on getting the newest gadget, focused on getting more and more, that we are missing the bigger picture. We are missing the fact that there are civil wars going on. We are missing the fact that humans are being trafficked, as they are being bought and sold as sex slaves. We are missing the fact that there is abuse going on in households. We are missing the fact that orphans are being sold off to traffickers. We are missing the fact that there are people who are broken, who are hopeless, who are hurting.
Instead, we're focused on our T.V. shows and smart phone apps, and working to pay for a house that we'll never be able to pay off. Instead of taking a critical eye as to why things are the way they are, we are distracted by what's around us, and we don't question. We don't get abhorred. We don't get mad or upset with the injustices of this world. Because we are too self-absorbed and busy and entertained to even notice- to even care.

Really, when I watched the movie(s) and read the book (still reading the series), the parallels between our society and the Capitol really struck me. And it's not a good thing :/

I really think that God told us to be still for a reason.
We need to make an effort to focus on what's important. To really reflect on things.

Please don't just get caught up with things, but be intentional. Think critically. Make a difference.

-Anna