Pondering a Blessing

How often have you gone to a wedding? I have only attended one in the recent years because most of my friends have been married for some time now. The last wedding I attended was for the daughter of a friend. That must be a true sign that I am beginning to get old. As my oldest children grow into young adulthood and more of my friends’ children are marrying I find myself thinking on weddings more and more. Since hubby and I eloped, I never had that dream wedding. I often ponder what I think the perfect wedding would be like. Of course, I will try my best not to place that upon my children but maybe, just maybe, they will adopt some of my ideas as their own. Most likely my husband will be officiating the service.

As I think of the homilies given at so many weddings along with the admonishments and blessings, I often see one vital element missing. There is often mention of what real love is, the blessing of the Lord to bring the two together, the committment involved, how to manage through the tough times, faithfulness, a long and happy life together, honoring the Lord in the relationship, and living for the other person. There is rarely however any mention of children. There is rarely the mention of a heritage.

I wonder why this element of the marraige covenant is so often neglected. Is it partly because of our culture that we think children are for a later time? Have we forgotten that children are the natural outcome from the marital relationship? Scripture tells us however that a Godly offspring is what the Lord desires.

Malachi 2:15
Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

Did you know that there is an example in Scripture of a wedding blessing?  Did you know that it deals with that Godly offspring.  Make sure that as you read this blessing that you realize it was actually considered a blessing! 

Genesis 24:60
And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become [the mother of] thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!”

I cannot think of a better blessing to give at a wedding. Can you?

A Rare Jewel

“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her price is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10

Oh to be a virtuous wife! I know what she looks like, how she speaks, how she loves her husband, and yet, reaching through the ages, I can still feel the kindred curse of Eve’s desire to control…to know better than God, and lead her husband.

A Daughter’s View of Courtship

Today I am posting over at Weekend Kindness. We were to share something from the mouths of our children. I posted one of my daughter’s papers on finding a spouse. I think you will be blessed by reading it.

Take a moment to read it and comment. I would love it if you came back here are let me know what you think too!

What Does It Mean to Be Abstinent?

Study shows CA teens perceive sexual intercourse and oral sex as “abstinence”.

For more details concerning this sad statement visit MintheGap.

What’s Your Story? How I Got Engaged.

I was tagged this week from my friend Rebecca. This is a fairly new meme asking “What’s Your Story”– How you got engaged.

I met my dear husband one summer while he was working with a summer missions program as the youth minister at my church. He recalls being told by his mother before he left for the summer, that he was going to find his wife. Apparently, she was correct.

He was the youth guy and I was the “not involved youth member with attitude”.
Hubby says he knew he was going to marry me, but at the time, I hated him! Who was he to come and tell us how to live our lives? He gets to go home after the summer and live however he wants!

However, as the summer progressed, I softened. I noticed that he saw past where I was at the time to the potential in me and I am ever so thankful. We had a lot of heart to heart talks, but never officially dated.

The summer ended, he went home and our long months of letter writing began. In a way it was more of a courtship (only without parental involvement). He did end up moving closer when his parents returned to the states, making him only 3 hours away. There were many week-ends when he would drive out just to go to a movie or a walk in the park and then head home.

At dinner before my senior prom(photo) he asked me to marry him. Apparently, I sat there dumbfounded and didn’t respond. I am not very good at those great dramatic and romantic responses, sorry honey! We had a terrific evening at prom and then went back to being apart, divided by the miles. Less than 6 months later we eloped.

Here we are today, 17 years and 8 children later; he is still the love of my life.

So…What is your story?

Here are the three bloggers I’d like to nominate:

1. Kim at Life in a Shoe
2. Valerie at Just4homeschoolfamilies
3. Michele at Life Under the Sun

If you want to share your story and I didn’t tag you, please put your stories in the comments here. I would love to read them! In fact, if I get enough people who leave their stories in the comments section, I will write another post linking to all of your sites.

For those who were tagged, here is how it works:
* Copy the link to this image (hot – linking is fine by me!)
* Write your story of how you got engaged.
* Select 3 bloggers that are married or have gotten engaged and let them know that you want to know their story.
* Make sure you link back to this How Did You Get Engaged post.

Complete & Full Modesty

This subject has been on my mind lately. Modesty seems to be a newer theme these days. A good theme at that to be teaching our children. I am in whole hearted agreement on that fact. It seems to me that maybe even as adults, we need a lesson on what true modesty is as well. In having discussions with my children on this issue there is one recurring thing that comes to mind. There are many people who are teaching their children outward modesty only. Their children may not have short shorts, mini skirts that leave nothing to the imagination, or bra straps showing, in fact they may even be pretty well covered, but is this what makes one modest? It is definitely a step in the right direction and is most definitely a part of modesty but this in and of itself does not make one modest.

Webster 1828:
MOD’EST, a. [L. modestus, from modus, a limit.]
1. Properly, restrained by a sense of propriety; hence, not forward or bold; not presumptuous or arrogant; not boastful; as a modest youth; a modest man.

1 Peter 3: 3-4
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Not only is our outer appearance important but there is also an inner aspect to modesty. If we look at the definition and the scriptures, we see this. A sense of propriety, not forward or bold, not presumptuous or arrogant, having a gently and quiet spirit, and more. How often have you seen the good modestly dressed church girl giving the flirtatious sideways glance? When have you seen her sitting far too close to the boys, or being “touchy”, a hug, a lean, a mess of the boys hair, sneaking off to the corner to talk with a boy? She may have the outward appearance of modesty but inwardly she is most definitely not displaying true modesty.

When teaching modesty, or anything else for that matter, we should not stop at teaching outer obedience or behavior but teach about the inner disciplines also. In fact, the inner should be seen as the priority. In my opinion we should teach the inner first and then the outer. The inner will then overflow to the outer. Where do our actions and behaviors come from? They come from the heart. Teach to the heart of any matter and if grasped it will be evident to all. Teaching only to the outer gives no foundation and children will eventually stray without that foundation. A good foundation however is something they will build upon all throughout their life.

(NOTE: this pertains to boys also, I am just using girls as an example in this post)