Marriage Video

We asked everyone to bring in their wedding photos, for a concluding video for our three-week series on marriage and relationships. What a joy it has been to see these photos! If you didn't get yours in this year, get ready for next year!

Cars

In all honesty, if you haven't been to a movie night, you're missing out on some wonderful times! Last night Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater hit the big screen in "Cars," and as always, we had a great time. Just the sense of being together as a family on a Friday is rewarding enough, but each month we're able to shake hands with new friends which just makes it even that much better. And I have to say, there's a "movie crew" from the church, who is simply running like a well-oiled machine on our family nights. From preparation, to popcorn, to kid-control, to cleaning up..... We work WELL together, don't we? :)

So, next month....I want to see your sweet faces all there! With Toy Story 3 coming out this summer, we're going to play Toy Story 1 in March and Toy Story 2 in April. March 12th, 7p.m., don't miss it!

Little Blessings Brings Big Blessings

Rain or sunshine, wind or hail, no snow or twelve inches....Little Blessings opens its doors. Jessie, Kris, and the whole team do such an amazing job! Speaking personally, I know there are no two kids more excited to get over there every single chance they can get, than my two (Lydia and Levi). As a matter of fact, every single time it snows, Lydia and Levi assume that's their cue to go join all of their Little Blessings friends. And when I come to pick them up, they run to hide under the tables :)

Really and truly, Little Blessings is a huge blessing to our family. So, today I simply wanted to shine the spotlight their way and put them center stage for a moment! They're the quiet workers, lovingly taking care of so many children and expecting to attention in return. What a calling! What a ministry! We are blessed to have this ministry in our church. Please keep them in your prayers daily as they care for, love, and teach our communty's children!

Services for Wednesday, February the 10th

All services are cancelled for tonight.

Coming Events

We're asking everyone to bring in their favorite wedding photo! You can either email one to jenessaden@yahoo.com, or you can bring it in to Kris for her to scan. It'll be returned safely. We'll need them by next Sunday and then come on Sunday the 21st to see them all in a video! We've had a couple submitted already and they're fabulous!!

Also, all couples are welcome to join for an evening called "Fireproofing Your Marriage." We'll have drinks, sweets, a devotion, a small gift for each couple, and we'll watch the movie, Fireproof together. If you haven't seen it, it's powerful and you will absolutely be moved. Don't be afraid to invite friends to this evening; it'll be welcoming to all. It is $10.00/couple, and you can bring that in to the church office anytime or on Sunday morning.

Love and Marriage

A woman awoke during the night to find that her husband was not beside her in bed. She put on her robe and went downstairs. He was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of him. He appeared to be in deep thought, just staring at the wall. She saw him wipe a tear from his eye and take a sip of his coffee. "What's the matter dear? Why are you down here at this time of night?" she asked.

"Do you remember twenty years ago when we were dating and you were only 16?" he asked. "Yes, I do," she replied. "Do you remember when your father caught us in my car kissing?" "Yes, I remember." "Do you remember when he shoved that shotgun in my face and said, 'Either you marry my daughter or spend twenty years in jail?'" "Yes, I do," she said. He wiped another tear from his cheek and said, "You know...I would have gotten out today."

Sadly, for many people, marriage feels just like that- a prison. They feel trapped in a relationship they believe is stifling their freedom and happiness. Many couples start out so in love but gradually grow more and more distant from one another. The causes of this growing apart are numerous, but the result is always brokenness and isolation.

But that's not God's plan. In Genesis chapter two, we learn that God intended marriage to be a relationship of oneness, not isolation. In verse 18, God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Verse 24 reads, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

So, how do we preserve this oneness as God intended it? The Apostle Paul gives us a roadmap. “Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33) If we want our marriages to reflect the oneness God intended, the key is mutual submission. Ladies, that means watching what HE wants to watch now and then. And guys, that means spending a day doing what SHE wants to do once in a while. We must learn to put our spouse's needs and wants ahead of our own. When we do that, the result is that we grow closer to one another and we prevent the danger of gradually drifting apart.

Whether you're married, used to be married, or want to be married some day, we can all promote God's plan for healthy marriages. We can pray for our friends, our family, and our neighbors, that husbands and wives will know the joy of oneness and Godly companionship. If you are married, pray that God will help you to love your spouse sacrificially. Pray that He will show you how to put your spouse first.

God bless you!

Pastor Andy