Two People plus One Heart Equal a Saved Marriage

Marriage on the Mend is a book that will not only help couples but could also lend help for reconciliation for whole families in crisis. It has been a long time since a nonfiction book has inspired me as much as this one has.

 

Clint and Penny A. Bragg have paid their dues in hard work, study, application and more to bring us an example of God healing a marriage. I love the honesty of this couple. Transparency such as theirs is very seldom seen in the church and in the world.

 

For Clint and Penny to let the world know about the true intimate situations of their marriage and what led to their first breakup and then their remarriage is an awesome gift to us.

 

How interesting to me also were the QR codes that you can scan with a smart phone which were embedded within the chapters. They link you to free video pod casts which really enhance your reading experience. I love especially the pod cast themes starting with an introduction, prayer, roadblocks, discussions, margins, and also getting on the same page, which seems to be a common problem.

 

There is much wisdom given about blanketing your marriage in prayer. Sometimes that seems hard to carry out as we find ourselves in the daily "tyranny of the urgent" that life brings but this book includes excellent prayer prompts and sample prayers.

 

The marriage timeline suggested was the first thing that showed me that I was reading a well thought out book, similar to being in a counselor's office. Courageous conversations are an idea that I really need in my own marriage and elsewhere as how to handle conflict is something I struggle with personally. Some other things that I really needed was the Gradients of Agreement diagram, the sample of marriage standards and the book within a book with the Bible study on Nehemiah.

 

I wasn't sure what a marriage missionary was until I read this book and I must say that Clint and Penny Bragg represent the very best example in that category. I also found the answer to the question I've had about why they call their ministry Inverse Ministry, but you'll have to read the book to find it yourself.

 

I loved the word of hope towards the end that was, "This is our God. A God of healing and redemption. This is our God! A God who plucks sinners from the misery they've made of their lives, press their wounded souls tightly against His bosom, and makes them whole,"(Quote from Marriage on the Mend) Yes, yes, yes!

 

Although my husband and I have never separated or divorced, life itself presents enough crises to interrupt the "happily ever after" that we all so long for. I feel that this book will surely be a companion for us for the rest of our lives.

 

Donna Collins Tinsley Port Orange, FL

Jericho Project and praying for single moms and their kids

Sometimes life just gets too hectic to blog. So today I will just blog some of my facebook posts and try to put a video about a great, new project in South Daytona that Bob Langford and some volunteers and churches are sponsoring. The cute redhead in the video is our Isaiah:)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QwZneXkfdA

Today my prayer burden is for single parents. I was one for a few years and it brings many challenges to the table. I only had one daughter at the time and even though it was hard, there were some good memories of that time alone with her. Many in our groups have three and four children, mothers raising them alone and my heart goes out to you. The Lord steps in to be a father to there fatherless; lean on Him for wisdom.
I pray that all who are discouraged today will find their peace in the Lord and we ask that a blood covering be over all our loved ones in Jesus name.

Do you have a fractured family? Is your family tree messed up? You are in good company then and Jesus is our hope. Sometimes it may not seem that way but we have to get our eyes off our circumstances, look up to the Lord, find a Word from Him and claim it. Then pray, pray, pray! Prayer is a true working tool to peace and acceptance. A lot of our turmoil in life is not accepting the things we can't change; We sometimes have to accept that things are the way they are for a reason. I'm sure Joseph, during his days in prison and slavery felt forgotten by God as well as his family but he went ahead being the best he could be in those circumstances. The Lord caused him to rise above them and to rise in favor. Don't look at things the way they are but look at them through eyes of hope.

Jesus is the answer to all our problems and our strong help and that will always be the case. His ear is open to our prayers for help and hope. He is such a creative God that He brings forth beauty and grace and gifts within us that we never thought were there. He can bring the dormant seed to life. We praise His name and ask that He cover our families today. We thank You, Lord Jesus ahead of time for Your great blessing and favor towards our loved ones.

A song and a prayer about the Family Tree:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-opi1Qre8Cc

Family Tree
You didn't ask for this
Nobody ever would
Caught in the middle of this dysfunction
It's your sad reality
It's your messed up family tree
And now you're left with all these questions
Are you gonna be like your father was and his father was
Do you have to carry what they handed down?

No, this is not your legacy
This is not your destiny
Yesterday does not define you
No, this is not your legacy
This is not your meant to be
I can break the chains that bind you

I have a dream for you
It's better than where've you've been
It's bigger than your imagination
You're gonna find real love
And you're gonna hold your kids
You'll change the course of generations

Oh, this is not your legacy
This is not your destiny
Yesterday does not define you
No, this is not your legacy
This is not your meant to be
I can break the chains that bind you

'Cause you're my child
You're my chosen
You are loved
You are loved
And I will restore
All that was broken
You are loved
You are loved

And just like the seasons change
Winter into spring
You're bringing new life to your family tree now
Yes you are, you are

Oh, this will be your legacy
This is will be your destiny
Yesterday did not define you
Oh, this will be your legacy
This will be your meant to be
I can break the chains that bind you

And just like the seasons change
Winter into spring
You're bringing new life to your family tree now
(Matthew West)

May you have a peaceful day filled with love:)

Plunging to the True Father

I must admit, Father’s Day is not my favorite holiday. When you have experienced abuse, abandonment and more at the hands of a “dad” it is often a long road home to trust.

Yet every so often as this day approaches it comes again—that longing, that wanting, that thinking maybe I will search again, maybe he is alive somewhere. And along with that is “Why?’ Why didn’t he search for me, why didn’t he try to save me from harm, why didn’t his parents, my grandparents ever show up? It was quite known that abuse of me was the reason my first stepfather went to prison. Did I not matter to him? Was I replaced so easily? Was my birth and the reminder of the little girl who thought he was a stranger who came every now and then with a doll or colored Easter chicks unacceptable to his family? Yes, I am from a flawed family and have reproduced dysfunction at times. But maybe because of the lack in my life I plunged to the Lord at a young age. He is my Father, my love and my strength. He is worthy and so very loving and kind. There is none like Him and I am in awe sometimes of His goodness and what He alone teaches me.

To my True Father, Jesus I give my love, allegiance and worship on Father’s Day!

I beg each person reading this to watch this movie; maybe it will help a Father learn, maybe it will spare a child some heartache and heartbreak. Man-up, Dads in Jesus name.

I believe the lack of true Fatherhood has brought about the pain of addiction in so many lives.

This movie will rock your world. Family Worship Center in Port Orange is having a whole weekend centered on it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9VT_NBIVfs

The Best Celebration of Christmas this Year

My favorite part of the Holiday Season was helping to feed the needy at Hollyland Park with Jane and DOC. Makes me think of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN7Xl6uh9Ww
"Mercy in Me" by Todd Agnew; awesome! What great lyrics!