God Don't Love Me

A while back I remember telling my husband, "God couldn't possibly love me" (I'm a lil' ashamed to even share this). I was finding out some news and I was hoping for a different ending! What I was hoping for didn't happen at all! Instead what I feared most was unfolding before my eyes. Why would God be allowing this to happen to me? I was colliding into my greatest fears head on! Doesn't He know that this is too much for me?

This was/is a trick of the enemy! Satan tries his best to get us to believe that God doesn't love us. It is at that point of our lack of belief that we hit rock bottom the fastest! And I did, there were days that I couldn't hear myself think or couldn't even gather my thoughts for prayer! I was sliding down a a slope of depression fast and life was the absolute worse for me! I was plummeting!  I can remember one day I was screaming at the top of my lungs pleading with God to take me up out of here like He had did Enoch (a Beam me up Scotty situation). During all of my screaming the most gentlest voice I have ever heard said "Remain faithful"! I was little confused at first but after a while I dried my tears and I knew it was not me but God!

That was almost 2 years ago! I am still here, which means I have survived the storm! Today I repent  of ever opening my mouth to say or for even thinking that God didn't love me! I am so grateful today because I am so much better now than I was before I went into the storm. I am for certain that God loves me! He loves me so much that He won't leave me the same! Today, I believe all things are possible! He has shown me that He can do anything! I would have never got to this point with out my storm!

 

Today I want to encourage you! Many things happen in our lives that make absolutely no sense to us. It's hard to see God's purpose prevailing though all of the clouds, the rain, and the hail that comes with the storms that we go through. However, I have learned that God knows us better than we know ourselves! What we think will ultimately work to our demise, God uses to work out for our good! Storms are much like pruning plants and trees; they are necessary for our growth in our faith in God. Pruning plants is the cutting away of necessary branches so that the plant/tree can get the necessary nutrients it needs to grow tall and strong. God knows how to prune us to get us to get rooted into Him and His Words. He knows  the right amount of circumstance that will get us to depend on Him and increase our faith.

He doesn't do these things because He doesn't love us, but because He does. He loves us too much to leave us carnal! While many days last year I thought I was dying, in some sense I was. I was dying to my flesh! I was learning to trust God's will for  my life and to walk by the Holy Spirit. It is only when we allow God to stretch out in us that the Fruit of the Spirit begins to grow and mature! Joy, and Peace can and will take root in the midst of a storm. So don't give up! I promise you God loves you so very much! I was once told that God saves his hardest battles for His strongest Soldiers! Believe that if you are in it, then you have what it takes to get through it. God will not put more on you than you can bear. I have come to learn that test and trials come to pull up what is laying dormant in us that God want dominant in us! You will be a better person when this is all over.

Be encouraged, God loves you so much that He has chosen to make you better, to improve you, refine you and make you shine like pure gold. While more than likely what you are going through didn't come from God; He doesn't miss an opportunity to use pain for His Glory! This will work out for your good! Don't give up, stay the course!

Hang in there!

Love Ro

Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Walk into your Destiny

Our destinies are promised and set up for us, however its our choice if we will get to them.

Let me paint the picture for you... God had already said that the Land of Canaan was the Israelite's It was for them to trust God to get them to the land. Instead, they complained and doubted because of the many oppositions they had to endure. Then when they got to spy on the land they became scared of the who had already possessed the land. Forgetting that God had promised the land to them.

Abraham was promised to be a father of many nations. He at one point thought it was taking to long. So his wife Sarah offered her handmaiden to produce a child. Yeah well that wasn't God's plan at all. However Abraham choose to believe God would do what He said. And finally Sarah gave birth to Issac who gave birth to Jacob and so forth..... Abraham walked into His destiny

So again our destiny is established already by God. Rather or not we get to walk into it is our choice. Choose to hold on to every word God says concerning your future. It will not be an easy road, and we may wait years before it materialize. We may even fall into temptation but never stop trusting God. He is faithful to do just what He said He would...

Enemies to Faith

Pessimism and close-mindedness are major development issues for faith! If you are always trying to rely on what your mind can come up with for God; you will miss Him every time.  Not to mention its quite prideful to think there is no other way for God to work other than what you can come up with.

Reminder 1 Cor 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

God can do and use anything or anyone He wants for His purpose to be fulfilled. And Gratefully it is never up for debate! He will use ppl with learning disabilities, Ppl with horrid pasts, to do things we all would consider impossible and or unethical. He is God, and while we see only the physical; God sees potential and the heart of every man.

Open your mind to His infinite wisdom and knowledge instead of trying to fit God into yours. He will wow you every time.

Word of Encouragement:

Never let anyone tell you what you can't do or what can't happen! Never allow your circumstances or your past to define who you are or what God is capable of doing for you! God says you are More Than A Conquer and that All things are Possible with Him.
Tell them folks to kick rocks with Flip Flops and Watch God Get the Glory out of your Life.If you happen to be the Pessimistic and close-minded one hindering yourself. Do yourself a favor and just Shut up and cooperate with God.

Enjoy your day and grow in Grace!

Confidence in God

I think we will all agree that in our own power we mess up, fall short, miss the mark (sin). It's also Satan's underestimated devices, to keep us in the position to alway want to work in our own power, and trusting in ourselves. So now we have a society that is obsessed with Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem, Self-Empowerment... Ironically none of these thing are really possible to have without a breech without an identity in Christ. Even Self Control is a Fruit of the Spirit of God. He is the one who enables us to control ourselves.

Be Confident in the God in you, He will esteem you and empower you to keep you from displeasing Him and complete every assignment for your life. Take no confidence in your own ability, but Give God all of the credit and all of the Glory for the work He has done in You.

Proverbs 28:26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.

2 Tim 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

The Grace to Live Holy

While the Law enforces to live Holy for the Lord our God is Holy, Grace reinforces the ability to actually do it.

The Law shows us how wretched we are in our own ability and Grace shows us how powerful Christ is too keep us from falling

There is absolutely nothing God will require of us that He will not provide for us a way to get it done. That would be setting us up for failure.

Today stop trying in your own power to live Holy (it can't be done by you alone). Instead if you are going to do anything in your own power READ the Word... Get knowledge so that you can believe it is by grace that we are already the righteousness of God through our Faith. We just have to receive what Jesus has done for us and rely on Him.

And remember proof of faith is obedience! When we really believe that we are the righteousness of God it will show up in the choices we make. Choose to Study the Word, Choose, to believe the Word, Choose the Live the Word. And allow Grace to empower you to live holy!

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Allow People to Change

Be sure to forget what you previously knew about someone, when you have confirmed they have changed! They are moving forward, don't try to hold them to their past! PPL do Change, you just have to open your eyes to see it! For us to believe that ppl don't change is to say that the Holy Spirit is incapable of doing His work in this dispensation! That would my friend, equate to being a non-believer!

Sometimes its hard to recognize change in others because we are still the same. We who are saved remain the same because we haven't yielded to the work of the Holy Spirit. Everyday w/ Him we should be looking more and more like the SON and less carnal!

Good Morning & Grow in Grace
Rofasho

Open Your Mouth

Matthew 24:14 will preach all by itself... What is it preaching?
Glad you asked? The end ain't coming until all believers open their mouths about the Kingdom of God.

Each of us has influence in a area or over ppl that someone else doesn't. If your mouth is closed that area has been left untouched. Please stop thinking its the job of Pastors to evangelize. Its the entire Body of Christ job. Hence the need to be on one accord! If everyone is talking about the Kingdom of, the Body of Christ will walk around the Globe in no time. (picture all believers standing together in the shape of a body, now picture the body walking harmoniously over the globe)-------OPEN YOUR MOUTH!

Do as you are told

In this season its imperative that we learn to obey God! Many times what He requires of us will not make sense to us or we may even receive back lash from our peers! However, do not be found in disobedience to save face from those who around you!

Remember no man opens doors or give promotion. It is God who touches man to do that. So it behooves us to please the Source of whom all blessing flow from.

Can God trust you to carry out this next assignment?

"Lo, I'm with you always"

We were promised that God will be with us always! The way we live shows rather or not we believe that. Some of us behave one way in church because we associate the building as being holy ground! And leave church and behave altogether differently.

Today, change your mind! Yes the church is suppose to be treated with respect! However it is a building made by man. We however are fashioned by God! Do not be "holy" only in a building but live holy because you are God's true temple. He didn't send His Son to die to live in bricks and vinyl siding! But to live in us!

He told the disciples I am sending you a Helper! The Holy Spirit is equal to God the Son and the Father but submissive in nature. If you also submit to the power of the Holy Spirit you will truly see POWER working in you! If you only believe.

Good Morning & Grow in Grace!

A Man with Just a Job or A Man with Purpose

Ladies we are often told when dating that we shouldn't consider to date a man without a job. Today, I want to open your minds to Kingdom relationships.

Yes a man with a job is a good thing, however a man with just a job is altogether different. Ladies, there is something far more important that we are over looking. We are forgetting the element of purpose.  First this must be addressed: Dating without purpose is no where visible in the bible. 

Wasting time with guys who will not be our husbands, is dangerous. Why am I saying dangerous? Because we get connected emotionally, and physically and then we see ourselves in compromising situations that are contrary to the Word of God. To eliminate putting ourselves in situations like this, its best to have a purpose for dating. There is nothing wrong with remaining friends with other guys but keep standards, and boundaries so that the those relationships never cross the line. Make sure whoever you are dating is marriage material and potential so that you don't waste time and that you safeguard your heart. 

Marriages struggle because of pasts! If we do things God's way we would actually enter marriage being virgins without even knowing what it is that we like sexually and don't like. We would grow with our mate sexually vs. coming together one burnt out sexually and the other blew out sexually. Get my drift! Marriage wouldn't be so hard if we didn't come into it with all the relational baggage that we bring from spending time in relationships with people who were never meant for us any way.

I digress! Back to the topic at hand. So okay we have a man and he is looking good for marriage material. He has a job, a car and a house. He can provide for you and all of that, but what will happen to this man is if all he has is a job. I will tell you--------> CRISIS! If all you have is a man with a good job, you are in trouble. Jobs are great but what is better is to have a man who knows his purpose. 

Its two different things to have a man with a job and a man with a job and a purpose. Take the job away from the man without a purpose, usually he will do WHATEVER it takes to keep things a float. He may even become enraged because he is unable to provide. He may feel feelings of failure and hopelessness. However, take the job away from a man who knows his purpose and there is a different outcome. This man will be relaxed, because the job wasn't going to be the end result for him anyway. He has direction because he has plans for his life that may or may not involve that job that was taken from him. If the job has nothing to do with his purpose more than likely he really didn't want to be there anyway. One things for sure when a man has purpose he knows what and what he doesn't have time for. More importantly purpose comes from God so he trusts God!

Ladies, having a man who knows his purpose is far more greater than having a man with just a job. As wives we are called to be a helpmeet.  Helpmeet to what? To the mans journey of becoming who God has called him to be. You can't be helpmeet to a man with just a job. If he loses his job then what? But a man with purpose, also has a plan and this what we are helping with. We are helping him get to the end result that God showed him of who he is to become. 

Work is defined as activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. Work is also a verb. Job is defined as in the verb form, do casual or occasional work. In the noun form, a paid position or regular employment. 

So ladies don't just be glad over a man with "a" job, because all he has is a paid position. Get excited over a man that is working to achieve an end result. Get excited over the man with the plan, who knows where he is going in life not just from 8-5pm daily. 

This is a true story... Im living witness that a man that knows his purpose is so much more easier to be a helpmeet too than man with just a job oblivious to what God has called him too!

Encouragement to those labeled "Super Saved"

Today Encouragement goes out to the people who have been labeled "Super Saved":
Listen, people are always going to have something to say about you rather good or bad. Know who you are and know whose you are! Live balanced, but by all means living balanced doesn't involve living carnal in any way! Living balanced means understanding that nothing comes into the natural without first being manifested in the spiritual realm. Living balance is recognizing that you're Spirit Man is superior than your physical man and the physical man must be under subjection to the Spirit Man. Not the other way around. Living balanced is understanding Matthew 4:4 says  we don't live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Living balanced recognizes that we have to be so connected to God that we don't miss one word coming out of His mouth. It also means that we are able to comprehend what He is saying and we are able to apply what God is speaking. We are also led by God because He speaks to us the plan for our life. Living Balanced means that we are the Salt and the Light of the Earth. We are effective and efficient for the Kingdom of God! We have to be up to date with what is happening in the World so that we maybe able to bring new believers into the Kingdom of God. We understand that what worked in 1970 will not work in 2012.We do not partake in the world's way of doing things. We don't have to, because we are  attached to the Creator. We have endless means of creativity and innovation.

Do not let people entice you to go the other way just because they are not on your level. The bible says when we search for God with our whole heart that's when we will find Him. This means things have to be given up; nothing matters more to us than seeking God. He comes first.  The disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables to the people. Jesus said that He spoke that way so that those who really wanted to know would unravel the truth for themselves. A parable is simply a way of telling a story about the truth but its hidden in the story. Its up to the listener to find the treasure in the story.  So why were the disciples privilege to the truth? They had given up careers, left families to become students of Jesus Christ. Walking with Jesus isn't free, it cost something. We are all supposed to become students of Jesus Christ just like the disciples were. Upon there training they moved from "student"(disciple) to  "sent ones" (Apostles), going out to make more disciples (students). We can't study the Savior and remain the same. We are to grow and develop. Some people will never understand this. Some people are spiritually blinded to this process. Further down in the text Jesus tells the disciple: "Through seeing, they do not see; Through hearing, they do not hear or understand" (Matthew 13:13). We will only understand God to the level of our thirst for him. So don't get discouraged when you hear people labeling you.


 Satan's strategies to keep us from being victorious is to keep us flesh focused. We can't get to the things of the Spirit when we are bound to our flesh. We want power, but power comes from fasting and praying and spending countless hours with God. It's amazing that it took seconds for Jesus to heal people, and cast our demons; however he spent hours praying to the Father. So keep pressing toward Christ, live out every Word. Pray for those who misuse you and talk about you! The spiritual man knows that at all time there are two kingdoms at war and they never stop waring just because we are sleep, partying, praying, or whatever. This is why the Word of God reminds us to be self controlled and alert, because the enemy is on the prowl looking to devour who he can... The only way he can is when we are not walking in the Spirit.

At some point in time those that made fun of you will see you operating from another dimension while they are still struggling with the flesh. Jesus said that He was leaving and that those that believed would do greater things than He did. I assure you those things will only get done by continuously seeking Him as He did the Father. Live your life, never mind the nay-sayers! Listen for the voice of God and let Him lead you to your destiny!

Roman 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

1Cor 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Reputation vs. Character

Daily Wisdom: Your repuatation may get you in the door, but character is what you are going to need to keep you from being put out of it. ~Rofasho~

Thoughts for today: We can always lie our way in/out of things just as long as people don't mind a surface relationships with us. However, there will come a time when someone will genuinely want to know us below the surface. What exactly will they find? Will what they have heard, assumed of us and/or believed what we have said about ourselves line up with who we really are? Or will they be sadly disappointed to find out our reputation is a front and the "real" us is the total opposite?

Plan of Action: Work hard everyday to get to know our strengths and our weakness. Be honest with ourselves and others. There is only one carbon copy of us all. God fashioned us to be different for a reason! So enjoy your uniqueness, by allowing others to enjoy and beneifit from knowing who we really are. It doesn't make much sense to make people believe we are something that we really are not. More importantly, we have to stop lying to ourselves. If what we see in the mirror isn't to our liking; then its as simple as changing what we do not like. Put your best foot forward to being the best YOU that you can be. You will be glad you did, those around you will also. Live up to being YOU!

Grow in Grace & Blessing in your Sweet Experience of Growth and Change!

Rofasho

2011 Reflection- Accepting the Call

At the end of every year, most people spend time reflecting on their triumphs and defeats, their accomplishments, and unsuccessfull attempts. As 2011 is swiftly coming to an end, I am following suit with the old traditions of yearly reflection.


I usually learn at least one new trade or pick up one new hobbie every year. I'm kind of one of those people who likes to be a jack of all trades. However this year as I reflect I didn't do any of that. In fact, I stepped a way from the things that I had previously picked up. In 2010, I started learning how to properly apply make-up and doing youtube tutorial videos. This year was nothing like any other year.

I didn't pick up any new hobbies, no new trades, didn't take on new adventures, or a new vacation spots.  However, I  did embark upon facilitating a University Expereience for my church home. This was a vision given to me to assist my Pastor in materializing his vision for his church to come to pass. So far it has been a success. It doesn't have full participation yet, but those who do participate are very dedicated. I am anxiously awaiting what was shown to me by God to completely materialize.

I did also take some steps to walk in to the my calling. For many of you who know me, I have said a million times, that many have always said that I would end up a "preacher's wife" and also an Evangelist. For years, I didn't really believe it or shall I say recieve it; however it didn't matter what I believed or recieved. My husband, has been actively working in his calling for ministry since April of this year. It was like one day he wasn't a preacher and the next day he was on the grind, teaching all the time. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the prophecy would  come to pass.

In the summer of 2010, I had ask God to clarify if He was calling me into ministry. I did it with the hopes of hearing nothing. I asked for God to reveal it through my husband. My husband had told me already that he knew I was being called to teach God's word. I ask for my husband to be the one to confirm it because he isn't a man that repeats the obvious. And the joke was on me. I ask God on a Saturday. That following Monday out of the blue my husband calls me while he is at work, crying. He called to tell me that God has so much in store for me and that I was great woman of God and that the ministry in me had to go forth. Of course he says "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I had to call you"! I just cried the whole day and humbly accepted the confirmation of the call.

This year my church family embarked upon a Daniel's Fast and this is where the clarity came into play. I really began to seek God on what He was calling me to do specifically. In a previous blog, I explained that God gave me the word "Discipleship". But that still wasn't enough. In the second  quarter of the year, Prophet after Prophet began to prophesy the exact same things. Even people without titles kept pulling me to the side telling me the same thing the Prophets where telling. Over and over I heard "Ministry must go forth this year"! And its finally clear, after much running, praying and more running, that I am to teach the Word of God. Other things were prophesied about the ministry God has called me to,  that I have not yet been able to wrap my mind around nor do I see the capacity for. However if its the Word of the Lord, I will just put it on shelf and wait for God to manifest His will for me. In the third quarter of the 2011, I gave my pastor my first sermon to critique and go over. I stop running, because clearly there is no where to run to when you are running from God. I'm learning to just get into obedience and just wait for God to do what only He can. This one I  am not really all that anxious about. When the times comes, the door will open and I will walk into it. In the meantime Im just preparing myself. Furthermore I'm am a firm believer, that the greatest message I could ever preach to someone is the example that I live. Being called to the pulpit is great, but its also nullified if the life I live outside of the pulpit is contrary to being in it.

As you can see my mind has been fixed on God, ministry and the will He has for my life. Other than those three, I have just been preoccupied with making sure my family is built on solid foundation and that God is leading us. As much as I would like to say that this year I was unproductive because I didn't do what I normally did. I was indeed more productive than I have ever been. Finding out my purpose in life and what I am called to do is productivity at its best. I now know what I do and don't have time for in life. More importantly, I no longer have to blindly find my way to God's will for me. Trying everything to see what feels right.

This was by far the worst year I have every lived and the hardest. There were days that I really would have just rather been dead. Yet even with all of the oppostion, I can still say that this year wasn't a total lost. In even though it was the worst year I had ever seen, it was the most important year of my life. This was my year of transitioning me towards my tranformation.

Rofasho.

2011 Marriage Retreat Secondary Post Review

A day or two after Wings of Love's 2011 Marriage Retreat I posted my thoughts about what was expereienced at the Marriage Retreat. Today, I want to share with you how the marriage retreat prepared me to make the right decisions for my marriage for 2011. Cedric and I attended the How to Love Your Spouse while Working it Out & Managing Finances in Unison course at the Marriage Retreat this year. We had no idea that what we had learned in those courses we would soon be tested on.

The first class was How to Love Your Spouse While Working it Out and without exposing the instructors business and my business also; there story was more like mines then I knew at the time I was in the course. I can remember my husband having an issue with an employee at work  during the session and he was talking my earb off. Until the instructors began to become seriously transparent about an event that had occured in their marriage that almost seperated them; then my husband abrubptly became queit and started listening. The class was very personal and the instructors shared stuff that they had did that most wouldn't even dare to share with their own spouses. Their story was soon to be our story.  Less than two weeks the Lord had placed it in my heart to come clean about some hurtful things I had done, which gave my husband the avenue to be honest with me about somethings he had done as well. The second class we took was Managing Finances in Unison. Shortly after the Marrige Retreat my husband was let go from his job. He was the only one bringing in the bacon. I am a stay at home mom and full time student, with a couple hustles on the side. So instantly everything that we had learned from both course was put to the test. Not to mention, my husband was preaching his first sermon less than two weeks after all of this had come to the surface.  If my walls could talk, I'm sure you would get a good cry and a laugh or two.

This year was most definitely pivotal for our marriage, family and our faith in God. This year our vows were tested like it was nobody's business. It wasn't easy to make the decisions I had to make nor for himself either. However, we couldn't help but think of how awesome God truly is to have set us up for success. Im not sure how this year would have turned out if I hadn't attended the Marriage Retreat. Maybe we would still be walking around with secrets. Nevertheless, we are were we are. I have to believe this is God-ordained. We survived the storms and all though we are still in the aftermath a bit, we can definitley see the breaking of day. I'm looking forward to next year's retreat and all the couples that will join us in embarking upon having succesful marriages the way God intended.

As always I'd like to encourage you to put God first and remain obedient in everything you do. Even when you don't understand the things you go through, trust that God holds your world in His hands. He promised that He would never put more on us than we can bear. Hang in there and what ever you do don't give up!




If you are interested in taking part in the 2012 Wings of Love Ministries Marriage Retreat, you may email info@wingsoflovemi.org or visit Wings of Love Ministries on Facebook. 
The retreat will be held at The Great Wolf Lodge in the beautiful Traverse City on April 20-22, 2012. Registration is $440/couple. Registrations includes, lodging, entrance into the water park, food, classes and class materials. Yes, all of that for only 220/person.  You do not need to be a member of Wings of Love Ministries to attend and if you are engaged you are welcomed to take part.



God Bless,

Rofasho

An Unforgettable Weekend of Love

March 4th thru the 6th, was my church's Marriage Retreat.  We traveled to the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, Mi. We stayed Friday thru Sunday Morning. For the low price of $400 per couple, we received: 2 nights lodging, 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts (buffets), Water Park Pass for the duration of our stay, 3 workshops and course materials. Yea, all of that for $400! Yet the amount that we paid, would never come close to what we learned and experienced with our spouses.

I will be honest, I had my reserves about the retreat. I was excited about going and optimistic about what we would learn in our workshops. However the itinerary  just seemed so tight. We really was doing something every moment that we were there. So immediately, my husband and I had already planned not to take advantage to every workshop. Yep, that didn't happen. Who was I kidding, I rarely ever go against the grain of obedience when it comes to someone asking me to be apart of something. I'm glad i didn't change the course of what I have done all my life.

We got to the location about 9pm, just in time to eat dinner. However, we had missed the icebreakers and events for the night. So we ate and mingled with everyone for little bit and my husband and I went back to our room. Beds are wonderful at Great Wolf Lodge may I add. The next morning was a struggle because we needed to be up and downstairs at 7:30am  to start the morning events. I'm not a morning person at all, so I was a little late. Breakfast was slamming: Fruit, french toast, potatoes, eggs, bacon, sausage and I am sure I'm missing something else.  We then all went to the general session, which my Pastor taught on Communication and Rekindling Intimacy. I have already written about my Pastor in this blog site, so you already know he slammed.  After his class we had a choice to attend making Blended Families work or How to Love Your Spouse while Working it Out. My husband and I choose the second class, as we really don't have an issue with blended families.

I wasn't prepared for the wealth of knowledge I was going to gain from this workshop. It was taught by a couple that didn't attend our church, they were average people like my husband and I. They were not Pastors or Bishops, Bible Scholars, just people who had been married for years. Never judge a book by their cover. Though no titles were before their name, the Holy Spirit used them in such a way to convey what there "Its" were in the Working it Out part of their marriage. They were transparent and real. They shared things that most wouldn't dare tell a friend. It wasn't to air their dirty laundry but to show that their is life after death in a marriage. It really blessed me an my husband. Their story wasn't to fair off from ours and it was just what we needed. Though we had moved on and forgiven and forgotten, it was added confirmation that we were on the right track. This couple shared what their ideas of the roles of a wife and husband are and what Love is. I was impacted tremendously by the class. It showed me my flaws as a wife. It showed how difficult and judgmental I really am.

After that Course we had a choice between Managing Finances in Unison and How to  Persevere in Marriage. We choose to take the Finance Workshop. Again, this work showed my husband some of the things that I was concerned with as the last workshop showed me what he was concerned with.  After leaving this course we retreated to our room because we had a 5 hour break. We cried and apologize. I confessed to him some things that I wouldn't confess to myself. He did the same. We recommitted ourselves to each other. He also mandated that we dedicate Mondays to be our day of Sacrifice. (I love it when he leads me). After our break was over we came back together for dinner and to renew our vows.
My husband and I had the awesome task of leading worship. It was an awesome experience. We renewed our vows and had our second "first" dance. The following morning, we had breakfast, and we broke off to women with women and men with men, to encourage. I don't know what the men did but the women did just that. We joined back together and had communion before we departed.

It was a much needed retreat for my husband and I. It was our first time actually being away with no kids and no family. (Well Pastor was with us, but not with us).  I think we said "I Love You" enough to cover the rest of this year. I'm sitting here smiling just thinking how impossible life would be separate from him. We have come through so much, and fought so hard to get to where we are now; nothing can penetrate us. Don't mistaken that for boasting, this is faith I am speaking on. God has shown us mercy and grace. He has shown us that if we let Him lead he will cover a multitude of our wrongdoing. If we let Him be in the midst of our marriage, we can truly stick and stay.  This weekend only affirmed what we already knew and sometime forget or take for granted. The truth is our destinies are interlocked with each other. We can't get to what God has for us separated. Its imperative that we never lose sight of that.

So today, I just wanted to take the time to encourage those who may be experiencing adversity in your marriage. This is going to sound crazy, but, embrace the adversity. There is something for you to learn about yourself and your mate. More importantly, God is trying to pull something out of you that is laying dormant that He needs active. This not the time to play victim, but the time to stay in the word and trust in God's promises for your marriage. Marriage was never designed for divorce. With that being said, make up your mind now if your are going to stay or leave. If you are going to stay- fight, if you are going to leave- leave. There is no in between. Be encourage God is own your side even if it doesn't look like it.