Lessons learned........

I have someone close to me today that is going through some tough times. Marriage is no easy thing when all we want is our own way, the last word, and when we put our needs ahead of others. I have learned many things over the years but the bible teaches us many things about how we should be, how we should treat others and to no matter what - not to give up. Nothing easy is worth anything - everything important is worth fighting for especially if in the family - there are children. I know there are some things that a marriage cannot get over, one party doesn't take any interest and many times - the one that is left behind is often the one that is hurt the most. Surround yourselves with good friends, attend a good church with Christian brothers and sisters who will pray for you and help you in life's hard and troubled times and NEVER take your eyes of Jesus. He loves you regardless and has the answers, comfort and peace everyone is seeking for any struggle that troubles you today and tomorrow. That is from my heart.

I think that Carol and I have been blessed together with a great marriage and an awesome son. I am not saying in the least that it has been easy - we have struggled and we have had to do without many times - especially with no family in the area to help us with much. We crossed a bridge when Jesus came into our hearts - we give now more than we take, we ask what we can do for someone before we do for ourselves, we give at Christmas instead of receiving, we serve the needs of others before ourselves - especially in our family and in our spouses. We work as a team and we come to agreements when obstacles come, we take our worries and fears to Jesus and let Him show us what we need to do. We are in constant communication. We thank Jesus everyday for having each other, for keeping us healthy and providing for us. See loved ones, when you humble yourself you raise the bar in blessings in your life, you begin to ask how can I be more "Like" Jesus and ask Him to change US before we can change anyone else - even our spouses and family members. We look inward before we look outward. You will find the silliness in life that things in our marriages seem so important and we can't do without fall to the side and become unimportant.
Loved ones, God has to be the center of our lives, of our marriages and in focus for us to have the lives and marriages and friendships we want! Even a church is not measured by how great it is - it is measured by how the people love each other and how they love others who come through Gods doors. Only then will our churches grow, our friendships grow and our marriages grow. Less of us and more of Jesus.
That's from the heart.....
I love you all dearly - stay focused and encouraged loved ones because we all matter - we all have significance - hold each other accountable to the truth and the plan that Jesus has for you.
With love,
Randy~

1 Peter 3
Cultivate Inner Beauty
1-4Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated by your life of holy beauty. What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition.
4-6Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands. Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as "my dear husband." You'll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, unanxious and unintimidated.
7The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God's grace, you're equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don't run aground.

8-12Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things.