The Gift of Marriage

I feel like this could be titled: What I wish for every Man... but if I titled it that I would surely need a subtitle, something to the effect of: "In light of the inexhaustible blessing I have received from One..." so that I wouldn't seem presumptuous or forward.

For so long I have struggled with the idea of marriage roles because I feel what so many people are seeking (namely men, sorry) is the thought of a comfortable, submissive, ever-doting playmate. And while those things are not wrong and have settled into some of my personal ideals of "wife," I am always brought back to the purpose of marriage - it's reflection of the relationship between Christ and His Bride.

I discovered an excerpt from C.S. Lewis' "The Four Loves" that so perfectly settled the dispute in my mind that I needed to share it. Lewis describes the very thing that I want for every marriage, though I'm sure (often whether it's participants are willing to submit to it or not, it seems men are quick to find the same weakened condition throughout all women once they are married) He in his pleasure makes it happen. Seeking manipulation more than submission and cut through with sinful addictions, I'm not sure I was in a marriageable state when my husband pursued me. I know he took an incredible chance on me - pure obedience and fear of God was (perhaps?) the strongest ingredient of his proposal of marriage. I hope this doesn't present JD in a negative light - if it does, it all the more validates my need Lewis' quote.

I feel like I have been the benefactor of the most incredible blessing. God has provided me with a husband who relentlessly desires to refine me and tirelessly forgives me. And, being a person who came to the arrangement spiritually bankrupt and emotionally debted, marriage has given me such a higher taste of holiness that it often gets mixed up in my mind with my regeneration. And, I think it should - marriage's greatest gift is it's fierce potency.

Oh, quick disclaimer to say that my marriage is far from an unhappy one, I can't think of a union happier than ours. It's more to say that my happiness, in a large part, comes from knowing this truth (below) and bearing it's fruit - in all it's varied colors and emotions.

"The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church -read on - and give his life for her. This headship, then, is most fully embodied not in the husband we should all wish to be but in him whose marriage is most like a crucifixion; whose wife receives most and gives least, is most unworthy of him, is - in her own mere nature - least lovable. For the Church has no beauty but what the Bride-groom gives her; he does not find, but makes her, lovely. The chrism of this terrible coronation is to be seen not in the joys of any man's marriage but in its sorrows, in the sickness and sufferings of a good wife or the faults of a bad one, in his unwearying (never paraded) care or his inexhaustible forgiveness: forgiveness, not acquiescence. As Christ sees in the flawed, proud, fanatical or lukewarm Church on earth the Bride who will one day be without spot or wrinkle, and labours to produce the latter, so the husband whose headship is Christ-like (and he is allowed not other sort) never despairs. He is a King Cophetua who after twenty years still hopes that the beggar-girl will one day learn to speak the truth and wash behind her ears.
To say this is not to say that there is any virtue or wisdom in making a marriage that involves such misery. There is not wisdom or virtue in seeking unnecessary martyrdom or deliberately courting persecution; yet it is, none the less, the persecuted or martyred Christian in whom the pattern of the Master is most unambiguously realised. So, in these terrible marriages, once they have come about, the "headship" of the husband, if only he can sustain it, is most Christ-like.
The sternest feminist need not grudge my sex the crown offered to it either in the Pagan or in the Christian mystery. For the one is of paper and the other of thorns. The real danger is not that the husband may grasp the latter too eagerly; but that they will allow or compel their wives to usurp it."

One more thought and then I'm done

Still "The Shack".... I feel like things don't die easily with me... but here's to wrestling. :)

I'm so afraid of missing God in my arguments and taking positions that somehow leave out the most important things about Him. I felt like I needed to give this book a chance. (Probably more on that in a later blog... I feel like I'm being asked to give up these things... and I'm spending too much time giving too many things chances... rather than being fed by His hand...)

Anyway, thanks to Steve Cliff for sending me this stuff. This video is long but left me on the floor.

http://www.graceevan.org/344350.ihtml (it's a video - 45min. but please watch. Make some tea or something... I'm sure it's doable)

(Finally, I'm not sure how to make the pretty youtube looking box so this looks more like a video - but it is. :)

Christmas Fun Already

Hey - this is a blog I subscribe to. I thought this sounded like a fun idea though, so I signed up. Check it out. :)

Economy

[from JD - I'm tagging these from now on so you know whether it's Chrissy or me]

In my humble view, I see a much greater chance than not of a serious recession coming soon. The possibility for another great depression is also very real. If you remember the history from the "Roaring 20's" - times seemed to be never better than in the affluent late 1920's, until one day the floor fell out from under all of that. It must have been hard for anyone to imagine a depression then also - yet that seems to be how it comes - subtle tides of corruption and debt begin the slippery slope, and as long as more credit remains available the dire situation is not even felt - until one day it's "time to pay the piper" and everything hits the fan at once. That seems to be happening again today and it's hard to tell how deeply it will cut, or how long it will take to recover from it.

I seriously recommend that you consider placing a large portion of your assets in investments that are usually very safe and valuable during extreme financial difficulties, such as gold and silver - physical bullion or ETFs - small increments of bullion (coins) are best during the worst times when possibly even ETFs could be corrupted. An ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) is a fund that is backed by 100% bullion according to its prospectus. GLD and SLV are the most well-known ones.

Gold and silver have historically been safer even than cash or any type of paper asset such as government treasury bonds, since paper currency can quickly devalue due to extreme inflation in a depression.

Of course the absolute best investment is in eternal things - sending money on to support missions work to spread the good news of life in Jesus, and help the poor and needy who are everywhere, especially in third world countries. There's no comparison to the infinite returns on that investment! So you might consider investing there soon while you know the dollar is still valuable...

All that said, I know that Christians are not to have a "spirit of fear" because we already know that we will always have all we need in Christ and He will sustain us as long as we need to be on this earth serving Him. Then our glorious eternal home awaits us who have believed on the name of Jesus for our salvation, trusting in the sufficiency of Jesus' sacrifice at the cross on our behalf. What better a time to pray, get to know God in a deeper way, and share this incredible news with our friends and family who don't know Him and don't have His peace and joy in their hearts yet!

The worse the economy gets, the more generous I plan to be, since many folks will need help I'm sure. Our provision is from God and I have seen Him provide just what was needed for us in hard times, too many times to count. He is good, and He's our Rock and Salvation!

Update on Orissa

The threat of impending violence is still quite great - we are hearing that the authorities haven't thus far provided sufficient defense against the threat of mobs of hundreds or potentially thousands descending on an area all at once. Please pray for more government support and for the protection of all of the Christians and their churches and homes there. We know who the Victor is in the end! Amen.

Orissa Violence Spreading

Today we received word that there is "imminent danger" of a large, coordinated attack on at least two separate GFA Bible colleges in India - one of them is an all-girls school, and the girls aren't even able to sleep through the night because they are so scared of being harmed.

In case you aren't up to date on the situation, here are a few links to catch you up on the unprecedented wave of persecution in Orissa that has killed at least 42 Christians, often by torturous means such as burning, stabbing and hacking to death. Over 800 churches and other facilities like orphanages were torched or bombed.

The violence has been spreading to other states in India such as Karnataka in the past week or two.

Here's what Indians are reading in the media:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Maoists_claim_they_killed_fascist_VHP_leader_in_Orissa/articleshow/3423908.cms

Here's the stories of what's happening, not in the media but from independent Christian bloggers:

http://orissaburning.blogspot.com/2008/08/20-year-old-rajni-burnt-to-death.html

http://andi-sheba.blogspot.com/2008/09/new-word-for-shame.html

Video: Religious violence in Orissa explained...

We all know that God has called us to love our enemies and pray for them. Please ask God that they would repent and acknowledge that Jesus is the risen Lord and the only One able to give us hope for eternal life through forgiveness of our sins.

I write blog posts too!

Yes, this is my first post, but hey I think joining the blogosphere will be good for keeping up with all of you.

We really are blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family. So thank you for being a part of our lives!

I should be back again soon, so in the mean time, have a great weekend.
-JD

P.S. It's a good day to thank God for His protection over America since 9/11. We haven't seen further attacks in 7 years now. While the vigilance of Homeland Security is very commendable, it is God who keeps watch over every event and He is the One to thank for keeping our enemies at bay.