NEVER Put Your Fine China in the Microwave (A Message On Marriage)

When we were young and early on in marriage, I loved using our fine china whenever I had a chance. But that was not often. One day I remember I wanted to reheat my coffee. I had my fine china tea cup all ready to go, popped it into the microwave and waited. It did not take long, after only just a few seconds I heard an awful popping noise and looked over to see sparks flying off of the silver lining on my mug!

As quickly as I could, I sprang over and opened the microwave door.

NEVER put your Fine China in the microwave!

Lesson learned!

So, on Sunday we had about 33 people over after Seana was baptized. I brought out my fine china tea cups and placed them by the coffee machine for anyone who wanted some coffee. This morning, as I prepared a cup of reheated coffee for myself I saw the fine china drying on the counter top and it hit me... NEVER put your fine china in the microwave. God spoke to me immediately. He said: Abi, this is a metaphor for your marriage. You cannot rush something that is beautiful and you can't treat idly something that is of great value and made with incredible detail and intricate and delicate design. You must treat it as the valuable treasure it is! You must treat it with gentle, patient, care.

When I consider how I treat my fine china, I remembered too that I cannot put it into my dishwasher either. I always wash each piece by hand. Carefully, gently, slowly.

This is how God wants us to treat our marriages.

Be patient. Beauty and value deserves patience and time. Do not rush through the work and effort and time marriage takes. Don't microwave.

Be careful. Treat marriage with dignity and value.

Protect it, be gentle with it. Handle it with care.

This is what Jesus desires of marriage, that we treasure it and value it and protect it. Jesus says marriage is designed by God. He said it was meant to be a representation of our union with Him! That is why Rick Warren says it is demeaned, discouraged, ridiculed, redefined and dismissed by our culture today.

I have been so humbled and honored all at once to be asked to speak again this coming year at Friendship Circle in February. I've been asked to speak on marriage. Last time I spoke there I spoke about our body and Gods desire for us to be His Temple! I so appreciated the prayer support I had leading up to sharing that message. So, I want to humbly ask that if you're reading this today that you would pray.

Pray for protection on my marriage as I prepare to speak.
Pray for the marriages that will be impacted by what God has to speak through me.
Pray God lays His Words on my heart and that I adequately speak His truth.

Thank you and may God bless your marriage in a special way today! May we treat them as they fine china they truly are!

Why we proudly wear red!

Today my children woke up with smiles on their faces as they checked the news feed on my phone. Not because Trump won. Not because Trump is amazing or even great or even good for that matter. They know the whole and I mean WHOLE truth about who he and Hillary both are; the choices they've made, the choices they stand for making, the things they've said, and the people they've surrounded themselves with. So anyway, back to those smiles, those precious smiles... 

Our Children know that in the end, moral policies, such as the right to life for the unborn--the most vulnerable and defenseless among us--is of utmost importance. They understand that not just because of Trump, but because of those he has surrounded himself with and those in the House and Senate majority now, the unborn may finally have a voice and a chance to the most basic human right LIFE, not a death sentence. It is time for abortion to go back to hell where it came from! It is time for us to stop abusing women and standing for a "right" that only robs--robs health physically and mentally from a woman, robs life from a child, and robs family from a society. Our children know that the policies and moral decisions that Trump and his co-leaders and our Republican House and Senate will make will help our Nation function in a God-honoring and Bible believing way again and for that we praised God together today for answered prayers! Trump is by no means a perfect man, I'll say it again. But he has chosen to surround himself with wise, God-fearing men and women who will help to hopefully guide his heart into a blessed walk nearer to God than we have been in for years in this Nation. One Nation UNDER GOD, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for

A L L!! 

We continue to pray for Trump, for the Clintons, the Obamas and for our great Nation! May God bless America! May the hate speech from both "camps" be deaded in Jesus name! Today, we proudly wear red. Not because the Republican Party is where our hope lies or where we place our allegiance. But rather, because we know that the policies and values we hold close as Christ-followers are more strongly upheld by those in the Republican Party. And we hope to see he evil practice of murdering the unborn be a part of Americas past that we can grieve and move forward into integrity and decency again!