How We Fight

Maybe, just maybe, we haven’t shown the world what marriage truly is.

Maybe we haven’t lived our marriages in such a way that it is more than a legal transaction that grants certain rights and privileges. Maybe that’s all it is to the world because we haven’t shown them that it is holy and sacred…that it mirrors a holy God and His bride.

Maybe the world doesn’t view marriage differently because, statistically speaking (or so it seems), there isn’t much difference in pre-marital sex, abortion, adultery, and divorce inside the church as outside the church.

Consider that young man, the next time you behave less than honorably toward a young woman.

Consider that young lady, the next time you put on that push-up bra and low cut shirt and buy the short shorts that are just tight enough across your bum.

Consider what picture you are giving of marriage when you lay down beside one who is not your spouse.

Consider that husband when you choose yourself and what you want or what’s easiest for you instead of laying down your life for the one who you’re supposed to lay your life down for.

Consider what your actions are really saying despite any words you may utter wife, when you disrespect your husband and belittle him.

Obviously how we got here is much more complicated than that. But it seems like a good place to begin fighting back, doesn’t it? A better way than any pithy Facebook status or quippy little meme that just stirs up strife and contention.

We are told in Scripture to not answer a fool according to his folly so we don’t fight the way the world does. We don’t rely on just persuasive speech and political change.

We live relationships that reflect the glory of God. We love each other in a manner that brings honor to the One who has called us to be His Bride. Let our children and the world around us see the Gospel lived out flourishing in grace and restoration.

And when we do have opportunity to speak about why we believe what we believe about marriage and mankind and sin and grace and restoration may we do so with something more than bumper sticker slogans. May our words be winsome and wholesome, beautiful in that they point to Christ.

What happens after that is not ours to know or finagle an outcome. We are called to be faithful no matter the outcome.

May it be so.

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Oklahoma

Years ago back when I was still high school our youth choir took a trip to Hammond, Oklahoma ~ a dry dusty flat reservation. In my mind that is what Oklahoma looked like. All of Oklahoma.

A few years ago my little sister’s family moved to Skiatook, OK and I just assumed it would look like what I thought all of Oklahoma looked like.

Boy was I wrong!

Last week my Mother and two older sisters drove from Florida all the way to the upper right corner of Oklahoma and let me tell you, the scenery was gorgeous! Not at all flat, dry or dusty.

Did I mention not dry? Because we took a tropical depression with us and spent our time dodging rain. But we girls haven’t all been together in over two years so we still had a wonderful fun time.

There is a beautiful lake for camping and other summer activities that we drove around just to see the scenery. I braved the rain drops long enough to take a few pictures.

Everything was so lush and green.

What I really fell in love with was the wild flowers. Fields and fields of them…all along the road…just all over. Lots of what looked to be brown eyed Susans and then something called yarrow. White yarrow to be exact although I did learn it can be grown in other colors.

Lovely, aren’t they? You know what else is lovely in Oklahoma? Their night skies. My little sister can watch the sun set every night from her kitchen table and it is a sight to behold. This is straight out of the camera too.

The trip was so much fun and seeing my sister and her family was good for us. While we were there I got to have my first internet meet up with Toni Marie’s neighbor. Cindy is also a photographer and we’ve become facebook friends so we got to meet face to face on this trip. She is even more delightful in person and has a sweet garden complete with some pink yarrow in her back yard. She did our pictures while we were there and I was surprised by how comfortable she made me feel on the other side of the camera. Here is one of our favorites she got just as it started to rain again.

Photo Credit Cindy Kay Photography  All in all it was a wonderful trip. The best part was sneaking our baby sister home to surprise Dad for Father’s Day.

Remembering

I had forgotten how loud having the kids home can be. Me and the cats are apparently rather quiet together. We also agree on which Pandora station to listen to. And it usually doesn’t involve words like Taylor Swift, Disney anything, or High School Musical.

I had forgotten what it’s like to have them all asking what’s for breakfast-lunch-dinner-and-can-I-have -a-snack,-please? Tom and Milo just sit by their bowls and stare at me until I get their food. I might talk out loud to myself as I make my luncheon decisions, “A salad would be a much better choice, Marty, than pizza bites. You don’t really even like pizza bites, silly” but it’s still just one voice and I never ask myself for a snack as I am leaving the table or whine when fruit is suggested instead of marshmallows.

I had also forgotten what a seemingly pointless endeavor cleaning is when the children are home all day. It is a perpetual circling from room to room for the entire day picking up, telling someone to pick something up and then vowing to just throw it all away if it gets left out on the piano, the bar, the floor, or the kitchen table again.

I had forgotten just how creative they can be when strewing wet bathing suits and damp towels all over the patio, living room furniture, and bedroom floors.

And just exactly how many times they can open and close the back door in 15.7 seconds.

I am not complaining, mind you.

Just rememberin’ as the second week of summer break draws to a close.

I’m adjusting.

The First Week of June

Day one

Day two

Day three

Day four

Day five

Day six

Day seven

Still Here

The last week of school was crazy busy and the first week of summer is too. But we’re here splashing around in the pool, celebrating weddings, and visiting with old friends that we don’t get to see often enough, and enjoying the scents of summertime.