One Month!

One Month Anniversary!!

This has been a very busy, and fun first month of marriage! Here are just a few highlights of the month!

First we went to Hawaii for our Honeymoon!

Then when we came home we were given the ministry of working to build the youth department in our church. Specifically in the area of door to door visitation! It is so much fun to visit young people with Samantha!

The following week we went to a Christian School Tournament for a few days.

Basketball for the boys and Volleyball for the girls 

I Got to drive the girls van with my wife!!

This Sunday I taught my SS class, while Samantha played the piano for Adult Sunday School. Then for the night service (4 PM) we went to Taos to preach for Pastor Estevan Montoya. This was a great blessing. This was the first time to preach to a church since the wedding. Their church was so gracious to us.

http://www.mvbctaos.org/

Then we made it back just in time for our night service (6 PM) and had a fairwell party for Missionary David Fox and his family as they go back to the mission field. They have been with us for 2 years. 

It will be sad to see them go. But at the same time we are excited to see what God is going to do through them.

Then we will be having our Lord Supper Service. This to me is one of the most important services of the year. It is a time to really search my heart and renew my dedication to the Lord. As we remember the brokenness of the Lord by the broken bread. And we remember the blood shed for our sins, by the grape juice. May we never forget the price that Christ paid for us.

Yes it sure has been a fast month, but a very blessed one. I am so grateful for Samantha.

I love you Samantha!

Mandy and the Mix Up

Mandy Dixon is already twenty-six and still not spoken for. Her only option in sight is her life-long friend, Clyde Anderson, but Clyde advises her to wait for God’s perfect choice. Mandy wants to trust her friend’s counsel, but who ever heard of Divine betrothal? And did God really have someone special picked out for her from the time she was born? Mandy’s about to find out that a mix-up in her past may hold the key to her future.

You've been there, especially if you are from a small town or church. You think "Well I'm getting to that age, the age of marriage." And you start to look around and think "Hum... Maybe they are the one, because I really don't see anyone else my age, here."

If we are not careful this will lead us to focus on one person, instead of the ONE. Or we will secretly start to become discontent at home, thinking that we have to get out into the world to find the right one. The mind might think, How am I going to find the one here, there is no one here. (Samantha and I both are from the same church.)


I didn't always think this way.....

 I can remember thinking, "God hasn't called me away, and Bible college isn't a realistic option at this time in my life. So what should I do?" 

Now at this time in my life no one had ever taught about Divine Betrothal, or even courtship, and so my heart was filled with what I would call a dating spirit. A spirit that caused my heart/mind/thoughts to jump from girl to girl. To give pieces of my heart away emotionally.

I can remember thinking maybe "she" is the one. Then I would go talk to my pastor and he would advise me to wait, fast and pray about it. And I would go away kind of discouraged knowing  it was not God's will and knowing my pastor didn't believe it was God's will either.

 Then wouldn't you know it, God would shut the door in that area (to protect me, and help me keep my heart for Samantha, though I didn't know it at the time). So then in my foolish mind I would think "Ok not 'her' so then maybe 'her.'" ---- What a silly cycle, I was in. I am so grateful the Lord protected me, from going down the wrong road.

 Each time you think of another "her" that might be "the one". You will make the big mistake of seeking to get to know her and try to be what you think "she" likes. It leads to being deceptive all in the name of "love". Trying to pretending to be what you think a particular person wants, and trying to make them like you, is not fair to them and not fair to you. It causes a person to mold their personality to be what they think the other person wants, and sadly not on what God wants them to be. 

Little did I know that I didn't need to make a girl like me, God would do that for me. All I had to do was wait and prepare. Over time and much bible study God led me to some personal convictions about dating and courting. I would seek to try and find the right way to court a girl. Boy did I have a hard time finding that out. It seemed that every one has different ideas, but I didn't want another idea, I wanted the Biblical way! Sadly only after a broken hearted experience of my own, did I begin to really take it seriously. To earnestly seek God's way of finding a mate, and establishing a future home based on a biblical foundation.

I knew that a broken heart was way to painful, and I just couldn't imagine thousands of young Christians going through that feeling several times in their life, before they found the one.

Over time and much study and observation of several bible colleges and personal friends, I began to see that courting was much like dating. I would hear of people who would date, or court, with the intention of seeing if they were compatible, only to later hear how the relationship ended in tears and heartbreak. 

I knew that God had to have a better way. I was led to this series of books, This is where I first heard of the term Divine Betrothal. 

http://lcbplansing.org/Books/Ladies.htm

Since that time I have had many discussions with people, young and old. Some agree and some disagree with the idea. All I know is that I believe it, and I know its true because that is exactly what God did for me. He didn't work it out as perfectly as He could of, because of some mistakes I made. But he did work a miracle!

 Doing things this way has produced a closeness that I really cant describe, but I now understand better the level of closeness the Lord wants each one of us to have with Him. A tender, "save your all, give your all", closeness.

My only regret is that I wish I would of trusted the Lord more, and leand not unto my own understanding. Every time I got scared and tried to take control I hindered the Lord's perfect plan. But when I was finally able to truly trust the Lord, and let Him take over every part of it. HE DID A MIRACLE!

Don't let your loneliness or fear make you think it cant happen for you, it can!

Different Gifts

An interesting part of the "after the wedding" adjustments has been to go through all the gifts. It has been fun to see how different people have gotten us different things. Each gift we open, whether it be a card, or a present, it has a different purpose or intention then each other. (We are so humbled and grateful for all those who gave of their time, energy finances and prayers.)

A comforter for the bed, towels for the bathroom, a rug for the living room, each one serves a different purpose and function. But each one helps complete the house. Each one fills a function. So it is in life, in the church and especially in marriage.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us...

Romans 12:6a

In your life you will find that you as a saved person have spiritual gifts. You might have a mixture of some gifts, but you at least have one primary spiritual gift. You will be stronger in one area then you are in another. 

For some faith will be your gift, the ability to just trust God and take Him at his word. Others will have the gift of service, like helping, cooking and cleaning will just come natural to you. Then there are some who are gifted teachers. Those who just have a way of explaining things so you can understand. Some are givers, they just seem to give, with a happy heart. Then there are some who just seem to show mercy, not matter how much they have been mistreated, etc.

Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:7-8

I have found that my gifts and strengths strengthen Samantha, and her gifts strengthen me. Together they help us to become more like Christ. They help us to become complete. My personality is a steady, quite personality, while Samantha on the other hand is very social. If I had it my way I would always be in the back, away from the attention. But Samantha by her very nature is helping me to be more involved. More social. And I have the privileged of helping Samantha be more stable, by slowing her down and helping her not make impulsive decisions. She helps me to action by her personality, and I slow her down, so she can think things through. Its a great balance. One only God could of put together.

I have heard people say, "I would of never put you two together, but now that I see you together I cant imagine you apart."

It was 100% worth the wait!

The truth is as a young person you don't know what you need in a spouse, in fact even as a 28 year old, I really didn't know what I NEEDED. I thought I knew what I wanted in a spouse, but God showed me some things that I was desperately needing. Some things that if I had my way, I would of missed out on.

Don't get me wrong, I had ideas of what I wanted in a wife, she should be saved and serving the Lord in her local church. She should be faithful, at church and at home. She should know how to be a keeper of the home. She should be good with children. She should strive to be the proverbs 31 woman. 

But looking back on my single time. I never really thought of marriage as being a completing time. I never took the time to see what I was lacking, and how God would use my wife to complete those areas.

In fact many a marriage fail, because instead of accepting the differences in their spouse, they spend their whole marriage trying to "fix" their spouse. And in turn miss out on the completing process that God intended.

At the same time, as the man, the head of the home there must still be instruction. A man must still be the spiritual leader of the home and seek to teach his wife, instruct her and help her to become the woman God intended her to be. And as the man, He must be tender to the wisdom God has placed in the mind and heart of his wife. Her insight, when spoken in love and admiration can help that man, become the man that God intended him to be.

I am grateful for the differences. When a husband and wife, are right with the Lord, and in their proper role in the home, those differences, produce a wonderful balance. 

We can do all things through Christ!
And so can you!

If we do not let God lead us to the one, there is a good chance your feelings, or your own incomplete understanding, could lead you to the wrong person.
Learn from others mistakes, and learn from others successes.

If your married, Let God help complete you, through your spouse

If you are single, God knows what you need, not what you think you need.


Seek God and your spiritual authorities, for wisdom!

Moving Out, Moving In

I am enjoying married life. I have recently moved all my stuff in and we are enjoying sorting through all the gifts we received from the wedding. It can be a fun challenge to take two people, who have collected things they enjoy and cherish and make it all fit into a little house. (And not just fit, but fit where you think it should go LOL) It's also been fun to see the difference in personality and style we both have. Without a doubt, God paired us up, because we balance each other so much. We both have different strengths and different weaknesses.

 A perfect example of our personalties is below!

Can you tell which luggage is mine???

Today we had the great privileged to go on church visitation together as a married couple! We were able to visit lots of boys and girls and just have a great time together. Going out door to door is one of the things I love  to do the most and now to be able to share it with my best friend has been absolutely wonderful. Young person just imagine! Going visiting with your spouse! It is a dream come true to serve the Lord with my wife. I am very excited for all the ministries we have been able to be apart of single and now I am very excited for the ministries the Lord will be able to use us both in now as a young married couple.

Young person don't give up on God, wait and He will direct you to the one!