Dating Someone Else Even Though You’re Married

This Man Is Dating Someone Even Though He’s Married. Sounds Disgusting, But I’m On His Side.

 

Jarrid Wilson is a husband, pastor, author, and blogger. And he has a confession that has everyone talking lately. You’ll see why below.

On Jarrid’s blog post titled, “I’m Dating Someone Even Thought I’m Married,” he writes:

“I have a confession to make. I’m dating someone even though I’m married.

She’s an incredible girl. She’s beautiful, smart, cunning, strong, and has an immensely strong faith in God. I love to take her out to dinner, movies, local shows, and always tell her how beautiful she is. I can’t remember the last time I was mad at her for longer than five minutes, and her smile always seems to brighten up my day no matter the circumstances.

Sometimes she will visit me at work unannounced, make me an incredible lunch, or even surprise me with something she personally baked. I can’t believe how lucky I am to be dating someone even though I am married. I encourage you to try it and see what it can do for your life.

Oh! Did I mention the woman I am dating is my wife? What did you expect?

Just because you’re married, doesn’t mean your dating life should end.

I need to continue to date my wife even after I marry her. Pursuing my wife shouldn’t stop just because we both said, “I do.” Way too many times do I see relationships stop growing because people stop taking the initiative to pursue one another.

Dating is a time where you get to learn about someone in a special and unique way. Why would you want that to ever stop? It shouldn’t. Those butterflies you got on the first date shouldn’t stop just because the years have passed. Wake up each day and pursue your spouse as if you are still on your first few dates. You will see a drastic change for the better in your relationship.

When it comes to any relationship, communication and the action of constant pursuit is key. Nobody wants to be with someone who doesn’t want to pursue them whole-heartedly.

I encourage you to date your spouse, pursue them whole-heartedly, and understand that dating shouldn’t end just because you said, “I do.”

– Jarrid Wilson

~credit to http://www.viralnova.com/married-and-dating/

The Power of Assumptions

~picture isn’t mine.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

Assumption, we all do it all the time and it’s costly.

The assumption battle is one I have fought most of my life. I’ve questioned friends’ motives, assuming they were against me. To avoid being hurt, I’ve detached from relationships with no valid reasons.

Perhaps you’ve fought the same battle?

Your friend didn’t sit with you in Bible study like she usually does; she must be upset with you, so you avoid her at your weekly meetings. Another friend is invited to several parties you aren’t; obviously the two of you are drifting apart, so you don’t reach out any more. Your sister hasn’t responded to your text and phone messages; she must have found another friend in whom to confide, so you stop calling her.

It’s easy to assume others are upset, have “more important” friends, or are too busy for us when their behavior changes. Anger and hurt can well up in our hearts and we may pull away from friendships in order to protect ourselves. There is a danger in assumptions: they can destroy relationships.

Before we know it, even without proof, what we assume becomes our truth. Our misguided feelings lead to misguided thoughts, which cause misguided responses. The result: ruined relationships.

Living under the havoc of assumptions isn’t the way God intended it though. Second Timothy 1:7 tells us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV). Looking at the last part of this verse, we see God gives us the ability to think, reason, and understand.

Through Christ, we have a mind that is well balanced and considers things in context. Our sound mind is stronger than our feelings, but we have to give our thoughts time to catch up with our emotions. A good way to do this is to pause and think clearly about the conclusions we’ve made.

When an assumption rears its ugly head, simply take a moment to ask if this assumption is consistent with your friend’s normal behavior. If it isn’t, this would be a good time to ask a few more questions: Is my friend okay? Have I done anything to hurt her? How can I pray for her? Do I believe the best before assuming the worst?

Repeat the pause until the assumption passes. The result: positive relationships.

Ruined relationships can be prevented and assumptions can be put to rest when we stop and focus on our thoughts. God has blessed us with a sound mind to surrender to the truth and not allow our imaginations to run wild.

Before the power of assumptions ruins a relationship in your life, pause. Settle your emotions and consider what you know to be true about your friend. Take a moment to pray for her and plan how to reach out to her. She might just be struggling with her own assumptions that you could help her clear up!

Dear Lord, thank You for empowering me to overpower assumptions. I commit to believe the best before assuming the worst, and to not allow my emotions to jump to conclusions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Would you like to bring the message of this devotion to the women of your church? Click here to find out more about considering Wendy Pope as your next retreat / key note speaker. And be sure to visit Wendy’s blog today as she shares how she overcame the power assumptions had on her life.

Trusting God for a Better Tomorrow Bible Study by Wendy Pope, available in a printable download, Kindle, Nook, and hardcopy.

The I Am His medallion necklace is a great reminder that we belong to Christ and His truths are ours to hold on to! Click here for more information.

Reflect and Respond:
What power have assumptions had on your life?

Reach out and make an attempt to reconcile with someone with whom you made an assumption.

Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (NIV)

Philippians 2:4, “Don’t be concerned only about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others.” (GW)

~Credit to Proverbs 31 Ministries

Love for the enemy

      When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, He Himself gives us the love that He demands from us.

   In Africa I visited the cell of a young man who was sentenced to death. His hands were chained and his dark skin had many red wounds, caused by lashes. Behind me stood three soldiers. The cell was absolutely empty; only a plank on the floor and high up in the wall a very little window. The prisoner looked very healthy and strong. The tragedy that this man had to die overwhelmed me.

I sat down beside him and prayed for a word from the Lord. “Have you ever heard of the cross of Jesus Christ, where He carried the sins of the whole world, also your sins?” He nodded. “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, that He will be your Savior too?”

“Yes, I love Him, but I have not always been faithful. Politics have taken up my time and attention completely, but now I have brought all my sins to Jesus. He has forgiven me. If I may live any longer, then I will serve Him with all my life.”

“Have you forgiven the people that have brought you here, who have your death on their conscience?”

“No, I hate them.”

“I can understand that. I will tell you one of my experiences. During the war in Holland, I helped to save Jewish people, because Hitler wanted to kill them. One day a man came to me who told me that his wife had also helped the Jews and that now she had been arrested. ‘She is in the police station and probably she will be put to death. Now there is a policeman who is willing to let her escape, if we pay him six hundred guilders, but I have no money,’ he told me. ‘I can help you,’ I said. ‘Come back in an hour.’ In the meantime I collected all the money from my friends and all I had myself, and it was exactly six hundred guilders. I gave it to him to save the life of his wife. But he was a betrayer. His wife was not arrested at all. The enemy had told him to find out whether I helped Jewish people. So this man thought that at the same time he could make some money out of this situation. He went home with six hundred guilders in his pocket. But five minutes later the enemy came and my whole family was arrested. Later, when I heard that this man had betrayed us, hatred came into my heart, just at it happened with you. I had given him the last money that I had. But then I read in the Bible that hatred is really murder in God’s eyes (Matthew 5:21-22).

“How glad I was that I knew what I could do against hatred. ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:7,9). I brought my hatred to Jesus. He forgave me and cleansed my heart with His blood. After the war this betrayer was sentenced to death. I wrote to him: ‘What you have done through your betrayal caused the death of my 84 year old father, my brother, his son, and my sister in prison. I myself have terribly suffered through your fault, but I have forgiven you everything. This is just a very little example of the forgiveness and love of Jesus. He lives in my heart; that is why I can forgive you. Jesus will also come into your heart and will make you a child of God. Confess your sins to Him. On the cross of Calvary He has finished all for your sins and mine.’ Later he wrote me: ‘I have prayed: “Jesus, when You can give such a love for the enemy in the heart of someone who follows You, then there is hope for me.” I have indeed confessed my sins to Him. Now I know that I am a child of God, cleansed by the blood of Jesus.’

“So you you see that Jesus used me to save the soul of this same man I had hated so much. Do you know that if you do not forgive, you yourself do not receive forgiveness? Jesus said: ‘For if you forgive other people their failures, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you will not forgive other people, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you your failures’ (Matthew 6:14-16). You cannot do that, neither can I, but Jesus can!” That same day, the prisoner sent a message to his wife: “Forgive my murderers. You are not able to do it, I am not able, but Jesus is able. If we are not willing, then we ourselves do not receive forgiveness.”

When Jesus comes and we have bitterness, yes, even hatred in our hearts, then we are not ready to meet Him with a clean heart: “Everyone who has at heart a hope like that keeps himself pure, for he knows how pure Christ is.” (1 John 3:3).

In the time of the final battle, many will be filled with hatred, then we do not stand on victory ground. It is very easy to belong to the masses of people. It is one of the laws of the kingdom of God that men receive peace only if they are always ready to forgive unreservedly. We never touch the love of God so much as when we love our enemies. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5). He does the job. Hallelujah!

~Corrie ten Boom

Well-Meaning Soul

I seek a well-meaning soul that desires to be radical

But there are distractions, and it won’t allow me to be different

It’s easy to sell myself to empty pleasures of this place

It’s easy to be conned by the façade of what seems to be pretty

If only happiness is not so hard to find, If only I knew every answer

Then I would say my ultimate existence in life is complete, yes?

All the while someone is calling my soul to break away from these thoughts of emptiness

To enter the secret place of security and satisfaction

Therefore, I have to make a choice

I’m desperate and I know It, I’m feeling pressed to make a decision fast

Why is it so hard for me to decide?

I can almost feel the walls forming an alliance against me

So, I’m holding my tongue and I’m holding on to my thoughts

I’m going to break through and decide right now

Life. Life. That’s what I want. I want to live.

Whatever it takes, I’m choosing forever with this someone.

I’m choosing consistency. I’m choosing faith.

 

~Picture is not mine and my poem is inspired by Proverbs 31 Ministries.

God’s Discrepancy?

I  found this article to be very enlightening. There are some issues in life that we contemplate about but never really took the time to read or pray about it. This is one of them. I pray that this article will help shed a bright light on you as you walk in the path of righteousness towards Christ. Be encouraged friends, God didn’t leave you or me here to fend for ourselves alone but here to bring us the truth and live an abundant life. May you continually always seek God’s truth until the day you’re taken up to Heaven. 🙂 Btw, picture is not mine.

 

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 6:27-31

One area of confusion about war is the apparent discrepancy between Jesus’ words and God’s approval of battle in the Old Testament. Can such dissimilar teachings be reconciled? How can the God who told Israel to destroy the Canaanites be the same one who said, “Love your enemies,do good to those who hate you” (v. 27)?

To clarify this issue, we must distinguish between commands issued to nations and instructions given to individuals. The Lord has bestowed certain responsibilities upon governments. He calls them ministers of
God for good and entrusts them with avenging evil (Rom. 13:4). But to individuals, He says, “Never take your own revenge” (12:19).

People are killed in war, but this isn’t the same as murder. A soldier on the battlefield carries out his duties under the authority of his government (Rom. 13:1-2). Murder, on the other hand, is an individual’s vengeful response to anger or jealousy and is motivated by a desire to destroy another person.

When governments avenge wrong, innocent people are protected, but when individuals seek their own revenge, they destroy themselves and others. In Luke, Jesus was speaking about personal conflicts, not national wars. He knows that loving our enemies is the only way to protect ourselves from bitterness.

Would we prefer to turn the responsibilities around—are we quick to fight personal battles, but slow to affirm the avenging of evil nationally? Sometimes the only way for a country to have peace is to go to war, but we’ll never experience inner peace if we battle with individuals who wrong us.

A Beautiful Woman is…

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

 

….And she also enjoys eating watermelon in my opinion. lol 🙂

 

 

A beautiful woman is when she prays,

A beautiful woman is when she kneels before her Lord,

A beautiful woman is when she doesn’t gossip to gain favor, but is looking out for other woman,

A beautiful woman is not about her physical appearance but a heart that is submissive to the Lord’s teaching and  commandments,

A beautiful woman is her ability to accept correction and does her best to conform to the likeness of Christ,

A beautiful woman is when she encourages and sings praises to her husband and children,

A beautiful woman is when she is faithful to her family, her job, her friendship and commitment to tithing,

A beautiful woman is when she keep herself pure and knows that God always wants the best for her and not for her to settle for second best,

And lastly, a beautiful woman is when she is always chasing after God’s heart like King David did in the Old Testament.

These are my lists of what is a beautiful woman, what are yours?. 🙂

Live Life Abundantly

Begin with a case of Joy
Add a heaping spoonful of Gratitude
Fold in a large dollop of Kindness
Stir in a handful of Forgiveness
Sprinkle liberally with Love and cover with Peace
Always serve with a large side of Faith
(Author unknown)

~ As the days go by, I’m not getting any younger and I’m asking myself each day to remember to live my life abundantly. I want to smile. I want to laugh. I want to enjoy everything that the Lord has given me. I want the freedom that He gave me, which is to love unashamedly and to live my life boldly for Him. I have nothing to lose. I can’t waste it doing nothing for others. My life is His and His purpose is all I seek. So, today, I encourage you all to do the same. Live for Him and engrave the word FOREVER IN CHRIST in your heart. Live life purposely. Live life boldly. I pray that for all my followers. 🙂

Love,

Sue

Black and White

You flaunt all you have but in the end you’ve always been empty

You search for true love, but really, you’ve never loved anyone but yourself

You search high and low, only to find, that you were always the problem

All is lost and you continue to live in defeat, believing that this is all you know

You’ve lost. You gave up. You gave up on love.

And so, the cycle continues and you’re still searching for true love

But it will never come because you lost yourself long ago…

~photo is not mine.

Questions?

What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about living in the truth. I’m passionate about surviving and living a life that Christ is proud of. I am passionate about loving God’s people and sharing with them the Good news of salvation which is through Jesus Christ.

What is your motivation to continue living? My motivation is Jesus Christ. When I’m tired and weary, I seek His wisdom, which allows me to continue to live on despite the cruelty of this injustice world. God keeps me moving. He is my ROCK and I will not be moved!

Why are you on WordPress? WordPress allows me to address my feelings and convictions. It is an avenue that has allowed me to encourage myself and others through my poems. In addition, it has has inspired me to write more about my love for the Lord through my poems.

What makes you happy and why? Be alive makes me happy. Making new friends and sharing my thoughts and their company makes me happy. To me happiness is the feeling that keeps my heart warm and fuzzy and bubbly. It makes me breathe. It makes me glow in a way that i can’t explain. And when my happiness stems from my love for Christ; I’m like a jumping glow stick that just can’t stop glowing. 🙂

Are you sad or lonely? No, I am not. I might at times feel those feelings, but I choose to be reminded of God’s promises for me.

What is the Great Commission? My mission is life is to love God with all my heart and to love others. My purpose in life is to do the work of God, meaning, sharing the gospel at all cost – even it it means my life. I expect persecution. I am ready.

I’ve already given you my answers. What are your answers? 🙂

I Love You

Lord, you breath life into my soul

You didn’t force me to love You, You gave me a choice

Overwhelmed I am at times, because of Your great love for me

Fortunate I am, that you loved me first

You gave me hope when I felt fainted

You gave me desires when I felt empty

You filled my cup when it ran dry

You picked me up when I was tired

You loved me first, when all I did was hated everything

You are magical in my eyes, and in every way

You are beautiful in me eyes alone

Deeper you looked within me, and saw my soul

Your wisdom is above every creature alive, it blows me away

Lord, no one is like You, and I love You