Party Hats

Posted on by Betsy

A year ago my husband and I scheduled a trip that fell on my dog’s birthday. Not that she knew, mind you, as she can’t read a calendar, but I felt a little sad when I realized that we wouldn’t be home to wish her a happy 15th birthday. Fifteen is a big number for a large purebred dog who tips the scales at 100 pounds, so it is certainly a milestone to celebrate. When she was a puppy, the vet told us that her life expectancy was eight to twelve years, so we know we are living on blessed time.

Her dog sitter Teresa is her best friend. She brings Georgia’s second best friend when she comes to take care of her. He is a little mixed breed named Teddy, and he weighs about five pounds. I am always worried that Georgia will inadvertently sit on him, but so far they have managed a wonderful Mutt and Jeff friendship. Teresa has known Georgia all her life and was happy to learn that she would be staying in the house over Georgia’s birthday.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I began to receive birthday party pictures on the night of her birthday. But it was not just any celebration: It was a full-blown party with all my neighborhood crowded around my dining room table wearing festive party hats and holding up birthday banners. The table itself was laden with birthday cake, snacks, colorful plates, matching napkins, cards, and presents. Georgia and Teddy were given special cupcake-shaped dog biscuits and a grand time was had by all. Teddy didn’t want his, so Georgia got two. I laughed myself silly as each picture revealed more and more of the celebration. I truly have the best neighbors, don’t I? And God has blessed me with the best friend and dog sitter that a girl could ask for. And no, you can’t have her phone number.

Today’s psalm is a celebration of joy. David was in Judah and reflected on the goodness and provision of God. You may be surprised to see that I am using The Message translation this morning, which I do not usually do for the Psalms. But my browser was open to The Message, and somehow the phrases “prime rib and gravy” and “free to run and play” made me think that if Georgia could write a psalm, this is what it would sound like.

Psalm 63 (The Message)

God—you’re my God!
    I can’t get enough of you!
I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God,
    traveling across dry and weary deserts.

2-4 So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
    drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
    My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
    My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

5-8 I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy;
    I smack my lips. It’s time to shout praises!
If I’m sleepless at midnight,
    I spend the hours in grateful reflection.
Because you’ve always stood up for me,
    I’m free to run and play.
I hold on to you for dear life,
    and you hold me steady as a post.

We’re mid-way through Lent and today is a good day to pause and count our blessings. I definitely count my dog sitter and neighbors as huge blessings in my life. What can you praise God for this morning? Can you bless him today? What praises would you offer, even in the midst of what you are going through?

Hold on to God for dear life and remember he holds you steady as a post. So take some time today to run and play!

Fit for a Queen by Teresa Holloway

God’s Mother-heart

Posted on by Betsy

I have always appreciated the (few) references in the Bible that depict the female qualities of God. I was made in God’s image, so when I see a passage that reflects my gender, I feel deeply connected with my Creator. Surely male images of God abound, so when an image of God’s mother-heart pop up, it delights me.

In today’s passage we see Jesus’ desire to be like a mother hen to her vulnerable children. Oh, how he longed to gather up his chicks and keep them safe under his wings! I love the feel of that. Surely we all would like to be part of his brood, huddling in the warmth and safety of his protection.

The brood at the time of this writing was in deep trouble. Luke records the events that happened toward the end of Jesus’ ministry when Herod was seeking to kill him. Jesus steadfastly kept to his father’s agenda of healing and demon-casting. He knew his time would come in Jerusalem, and not before then.

Luke 13 (The Message)

31 Just then some Pharisees came up and said, “Run for your life! Herod’s got your number. He’s out to kill you!”

32-35 Jesus said, “Tell that fox that I’ve no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I’m busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I’m wrapping things up. Besides, it’s not proper for a prophet to come to a bad end outside Jerusalem.

Then Jesus’ thoughts turned to his beloved city, the city of David built on a hill for all to see. He knew his ministry would end here, as it had for many of the prophets who preceded him in that great city. His crucifixion would result in great turmoil for the city and especially for his followers, and he desired to gather them up. But they refused to be gathered.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets,
    abuser of the messengers of God!
How often I’ve longed to gather your children,
    gather your children like a hen,
Her brood safe under her wings—
    but you refused and turned away!
And now it’s too late: You won’t see me again
    until the day you say,
        ‘Blessed is he
        who comes in
        the name of God.’”

Just as Jesus longed to gather up the Jews, he longs to gather us up as well. He offers the protection and shelter of his wings and promises the mother-love that we need to thrive. Will you turn away, or come?

Safe by Michelle Robertson

Sanctuary

Posted on by Betsy

Where do you go when you don’t feel safe? For some, that place is home. I chatted with a friend the other day and she talked about people coming to her door unannounced. This is something that truly bothers her: Her home is her safe place, a fortress of comfort and security, and intrusions like someone knocking on the door are problematic for her. I feel exactly the same way.

For others, the sanctity of family, a deep friendship, or a happy marriage provide refuge in times of trouble. When you find yourself picking up your phone in stressful times to call or text, that person on the other end of the phone truly can be a bright light of salvation for you.

Every church has a special place called the “sanctuary” where worship is held, and God is encountered. Many of us know to flee to church when we feel we are under assault. From the root word sanctify, or holy place, sanctuaries over time became places of refuge and protection for persecuted people. Pardon my word nerdiness, but take a look at this excerpt from Etymology Online:

Since the time of Constantine and by medieval Church law, fugitives or debtors enjoyed immunity from arrest and ordinary operations of the law in certain churches, hence its use by mid-14. of churches or other holy places with a view to their inviolability. The transferred sense of “immunity from punishment by virtue of having taken refuge in a church or similar building” is by early 15c., also of the right to such. (Exceptions were made in England in cases of treason and sacrilege.)

The general (non-ecclesiastical) sense of “place of refuge or protection” is attested from 1560s; as “land set aside for wild plants or animals to breed and live” it is recorded by 1879 in reference to the American bison.

Even the bison have a place of sanctuary! So, too, have we.

Psalm 27 (Common English Bible)
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
        Should I fear anyone?
    The Lord is a fortress protecting my life.
        Should I be frightened of anything?
2 When evildoers come at me trying to eat me up—
    it’s they, my foes and my enemies,
    who stumble and fall!

All of us have some type of foe or enemy. David had entire nations of enemies rising up against Israel in war. Ours our probably more local: the neighbor who disrespects boundaries, the Facebook poster who disrespects your opinion, the ex-spouse who disrespects you in front of the kids, etc. But David reminds us to not be afraid because we can trust in the Lord and look forward to that time when we abide with him in his house where we will all get along. Heaven is our ultimate sanctuary. And do you know what won’t be part of heaven? Facebook.

3 If an army camps against me,
        my heart won’t be afraid.
    If war comes up against me,
        I will continue to trust in this:
4     I have asked one thing from the Lord—
    it’s all I seek:
        to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,
        seeing the Lord’s beauty
        and constantly adoring his temple.
5 Because he will shelter me in his own dwelling
    during troubling times;
    he will hide me in a secret place in his own tent;
        he will set me up high, safe on a rock.

Are you fleeing from trouble? Do you feel unsafe? Is there a danger knocking on your door making you feel uneasy? You know where to go.

11 Lord, teach me your way;
    because of my opponents, lead me on a good path.
12 Don’t give me over to the desires of my enemies,
    because false witnesses and violent accusers
    have taken their stand against me.
13 But I have sure faith
    that I will experience the Lord’s goodness
    in the land of the living!

Lord, teach us your ways and lead us to a safe haven. Bring us to that place of your goodness in the land of the living! We shall not fear if you abide with us.

14 Hope in the Lord!
    Be strong! Let your heart take courage!
        Hope in the Lord!

Be strong.

Safe Place by Becca Ziegler

Observe Those

Posted on by Betsy

We continue our Lenten journey this week and we still have a long way to go. Easter falls on April 20th this year, so our time in this season is much more before us than behind us. But if we accept that Lent is a refuge from the world, we shouldn’t be eager for it to end too quickly.

I spoke at a prayer gathering last week and talked about a church matriarch named Betty Brown who influenced my discipleship walk immensely. She was a loving, giving, and warm example of a woman who was completely sold out to Christ. Her influence in the church ran deep, and her influence on me led me to become a pastor.

Our scripture today invites us to observe those who live according to the example of Paul’s discipleship team and people like Betty. Paul draws a large black line between true disciples and those who live as enemies of the cross:

Philippians 3 (New Revised Standard Version)

17 Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 

Are you surrounded by people who inspire your walk with God, or with people whose minds are set on earthly things? It can be a very, very difficult decision to create distance with those who are capable of leading you astray. Take a hard look at your circle of influence and see if there are some potentially dangerous relationships.

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humiliation  that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. 4 1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

Paul advises to stand firm. He reminds us that we really don’t belong here anyway, as we are citizens of heaven where Jesus is the one and only king. Does that give you hope?

We are invited to become the people of influence who not only walk the righteous path but woo others to walk it with us. You, too, can be a Betty Brown in someone’s life. And Lord knows, we need more Bettys in this world.

Walk This Way by Kathy Schumacher

Full of It

Posted on by Betsy

To tell someone that they are “full of it” is not a kind thing. You are in essence saying that they are full of nonsense, consumed with poor thinking, outright lying, or in colloquial words, full of “bull stuff.” (You got scared there for a minute, didn’t you?) But there are times when being full of it can be a good thing. Being full of compassion, wisdom, and grace are things we aspire to as Christ followers.

Our lectionary passage today brings us to a familiar tale of the temptation of Jesus. This is a good lesson for this first week of Lent, as it sets our Lenten practices into motion. If you have decided to give something up for Lent or adopt a new spiritual discipline for the next 40 days, this passage will give you inspiration. Watch how Jesus deals with the devil’s temptations and be encouraged.

Luke 4 (Common English Bible)

4 Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. 2 There he was tempted for forty days by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and afterward Jesus was starving. 3 The devil said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”

4 Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread.”

If you have decided that your Lent practice includes a change of diet that emphasizes reducing your carb consumption, take heart! You don’t live only by bread!

5 Next the devil led him to a high place and showed him in a single instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 The devil said, “I will give you this whole domain and the glory of all these kingdoms. It’s been entrusted to me and I can give it to anyone I want.7 Therefore, if you will worship me, it will all be yours.”

8 Jesus answered, “It’s written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”

I hope that the thing you gave up is something you worshipped. That is the point. When you miss that thing, turn your thoughts to the Lord. He will help you depart from it for your own good.

9 The devil brought him into Jerusalem and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here; 10 for it’s written: He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you 11 and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.”

12 Jesus answered, “It’s been said, Don’t test the Lord your God.”13 After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity.

Jesus was able to resist Satan three times because he was full of it: Full of the Holy Spirit. Luke wants us to understand this, mentioning it twice in the first verse. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and led by it. So, too, are you. So when you feel weak, turn your attention to the power of the Holy Spirit within you and ask for an increase. You will not be disappointed.

The Perfect Lent Dessert

Faster

Posted on by Betsy

Today is Ash Wednesday and many believers will commit to a form of fasting for the next 40 days of Lent. (Sundays, being the celebration of the Resurrection, are not counted in Lent.) Some might fast from food or drink. Some might fast from Social Media. Some might fast from behaviors or actions that are harmful and unproductive. Are you a Lent faster? What are you giving up this year?

Today’s lectionary passage is a fascinating look as what God desires in our fasts. The people were complaining that God did not honor or recognize their fasts. Here was God’s response. Read it through: I think you will be surprised.

Isaiah 58 (New Revised Standard Version)

Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of injustice,
    to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you;
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”

Wowzers. All the chocolate/fast food/alcohol fasts have no place on this list. Are you surprised? I think God’s mandate is clear here. Surely that’s not to say that giving up a fixation isn’t valuable, good for you, or a proper response to the call to practice disciplined self-sacrifice. Those types of commitments have great value. But focusing on these things in addition to your usual Lent habits would surely honor the type of fast God desires.

If you remove the yoke from among you,
    the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be like the noonday.

Acting decisively to remove the yoke of oppression and injustice. Feeding the hungry. Tending to the needs of the afflicted. Bringing the homeless poor into our homes. Clothing the naked. Stop pointing the blame finger at others. Ceasing evil talk, gossip, and hate speech. These are the things that would please the Lord this season.
11 The Lord will guide you continually
    and satisfy your needs in parched places
    and make your bones strong,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water
    whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
    you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
    the restorer of streets to live in.

May we have a holy Lent together and heed Isaiah’s words, making a real difference in our communities and our world for the next 40 days. Are you in?

Queen Anne’s Lace by Becca Ziegler

The Shelter of Lent

Posted on by Betsy

It’s that time of year again, folks, where we are invited to deepen our faith, expand our discipleship, increase our discipline, and enlarge our response to God’s will and God’s word. Yes, Lent is upon us. In two days many will gather to observe Ash Wednesday, the quiet, dark, formal beginning of the season. Lent is the 40 days of preparation for the Easter celebration, and we are invited to practice a Holy Lent by fasting, repenting, studying, examining, praying, worshipping, self-denying, sacrificing, and focusing our whole attention on becoming more faithful in our ways, words, and deeds.

There have been many years when the oncoming of Lent made me silently groan. It is an intentionally dark season, and it is intentionally hard. We do this in contemplation of Good Friday, when Jesus hung on the cross for our sins in an intentionally dark and hard moment. He did that for us. How can we turn away from the Lenten disciplines that are intentionally dark and hard so that we emerge on Easter stronger, better, and more committed?

As much as we groan, we must.

Today’s lectionary passage gave me pause. It signals our transition into Lent, and it offers a completely new idea: Lent is a shelter, a refuge, and a safe place.

Think about the previous Lent seasons. Did you benefit from that special Lent study? Did giving something up for 40 days bring clarity of mind? Did your prayer life grow? Did you emerge stronger?

I hope the answer is yes. But in the meantime, let us contemplate the safe and secure fortress that Lent can be if we give ourselves over to it completely.

Psalm 91 (New Revised Standard Version)

1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
    who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
    my God, in whom I trust.”

9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
    the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you,
    no scourge come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

14 Those who love me, I will deliver;
    I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them;
    I will be with them in trouble;
    I will rescue them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them
    and show them my salvation.

Focusing our attention on Lent will help us take our eyes off the troubles, trials, and temptations of the world. God dwells in Lent, and wherever God dwells, there is protection. May we enter joyfully, expectantly, and hopefully.

Shelter by Michelle Robertson

GodArt

Posted on by Betsy

If you have ever stood outside and watched the sunset on a clear evening, you have likely seen God’s artistry at its finest. I have never seen the Northern Lights, but the sun setting over the Albemarle Sound is a masterpiece of color, technique, and artistry unlike anywhere else. We are so blessed in the Outer Banks to behold such beauty on a nightly schedule. I can imagine God with a palette and paintbrush, deciding which colors he will use each night to delight his children.

What would we give, if we were to return the favor? Ever wonder what would delight God? What does God want from us that would give him the immense pleasure we get from a full-color sunset?

Psalm 147 New International Version (NIV)

1 Praise the Lord.

How good it is to sing praises to our God,

    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

    he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds.

4 He determines the number of the stars

    and calls them each by name.

5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

    his understanding has no limit.

6 The Lord sustains the humble

    but casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;

    make music to our God on the harp.

8 He covers the sky with clouds;

    he supplies the earth with rain

    and makes grass grow on the hills.

9 He provides food for the cattle

    and for the young ravens when they call.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;

11 the Lord delights in those who fear him,

    who put their hope in his unfailing love.

God delights in those who fear him. I learned in seminary that the word ‘fear’ in such cases is not the same as being afraid or terrified. No, indeed, this use of fear refers to “reverential trust.” God delights in those who have a reverential trust in him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. When you come straight to him for everything, it brings him delight.

You are God’s delight! Imagine that.

We paint our own sunsets of beauty for God whenever we sing to the Lord with grateful praise. In this sense, though, it is not literal singing but leading a life of grateful praise. Serving one another as Jesus did, being generous to a fault, taking second place, praying without ceasing, encouraging the downtrodden … each of these things paints a beautiful scene for God to behold. And in those things, he is delighted.

A man approached me in a store parking lot when I was in Atlanta recently. He was gentle and apologetic. He only spoke enough English to say, “Sorry.” He indicated the grocery store from which I had just come and said, “Sorry (followed by a lot of Spanish) taco.” Taco may be the only word he knows for food, and his humility in saying sorry repeatedly touched my heart. When he opened his hand and pointed to the few coins he had and said, “one dollar,” I realized he was asking for money. One dollar.

One dollar won’t buy you a taco in this part of Atlanta, so I gave him a ten.

His eyes welled up and his head dropped in gratitude as he quietly and profusely thanked me. I don’t know if he went off to buy baby formula or beer, but as I put my cart away, I saw him walking into Publix with his head held high, and I saw God’s artistry in that moment.

Where are you being called to delight God today? Can you be generous? Encourage someone who is down? Pray for a hurting neighbor? Take a casserole to a lonely person? Help a man buy a taco?

Go ahead. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Live out your life of grateful praise by painting something beautiful with your actions. God will be absolutely delighted.

Holy Art

Ohana

Posted on by Betsy

My husband and I recently re-watched a clever Disney movie called “Lilo and Stitch.” It is one of my niece’s favorite movies (her cat is named Lilo!) and when it popped on our screen one day a few weeks ago, we realized we didn’t remember anything about this 2009 movie. It is a story about family. It is a story about love. It is a story about “Ohana”, the Hawaiian word for family. “Ohana means family. No one gets left behind or forgotten.”

I got to experience true Ohana last week when I got snowed in at the Norfolk airport. I was trying to get to Atlanta to speak at a women’s event and a sudden 10 inch snowfall resulted in one Atlanta plane returning to the gate two hours after it had taxied out and the rest of the flights being canceled. That same Lilo-loving niece is an officer in the Navy who is stationed in Norfolk. Her house is a few minutes from the airport and as I was making my way back to my car to drive to an airport hotel, I called her to ask about the road conditions since I had been inside the airport since before the first flake fell. “Oh, Aunt Bets, we don’t plow very well here. I will come and get you in my four-wheel drive jeep and take you there.” She showed up with a bag of snacks, heated seats, and a welcoming smile. Ohana!

I think that is the vision Jesus had for his followers when he was preparing to leave them. I think he hoped we would be “one” in our love for each other and our love for God. The unity of the Father, the Son, and believers was what he prayed for at the end of his life.

John 17 (New Revised Standard Version)

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Paul’s letters to his churches reinforce this: Most of his writings to them emphasized cooperation, collaboration, mutual love, and acceptance.

Ephesians 4 (Common English Bible)

 2 Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, 3 and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. 4 You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.

How do you think we are doing with that? As followers of Jesus Christ, as people who continue the mission and vision that the Bible lays out for the modern day church, are we Ohana for one another? And more importantly for us today, are you Ohana in your own circle of family, friends, neighbors, and the strangers God sends to you?

Ohana means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. Where is God calling you to reach out to someone today and offer your love?

“Ohama” by Kathy Schumacher

Unbreakable Cord

Posted on by Betsy

Last week I wrote a few devotionals about the famous “love passage” in 1 Corinthians 13 and its prominence at weddings. You remember that one: “Love is patient, Love is kind…love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” … It certainly is a lovely choice for every wedding-type occasions!

But to be honest, I actually prefer a different scripture when I officiate a wedding. It comes from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes:

Ecclesiastes 4 New International Version (NIV)

9  Two are better than one,

    because they have a good return for their labor:

10  If either of them falls down,

    one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

    and has no one to help them up.

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

    But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered,

    two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken

It is that last verse upon which a strong homily, and relationship, can be built. The way it applies to relationships is this: There are two people in a relationship who are bound together spiritually by adding the “third strand” of Jesus Christ. Couples who come to the altar to make a covenant with each other and with Christ are inviting and including the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to provide strength and beauty to their relationship.

Think of a braid. Two strands alone are weak. Three strands woven together are ironclad.

Does this mean Christian relationships are impervious to disruption? Sadly, no. When one or the other partner unbinds themself from the relationship, or from Christ through sin, the cord indeed can fall apart. In decades of marriage counseling I’ve heard the same story told with different characters. At some point of tiredness, ennui, boredom, or temptation, one pulled away from the braid and the relationship unravels. When “self-importance” overtakes the importance of “us,” that single strand elects to go wayward and the grip is loosened enough for the Enemy to pry in and pry it apart.

I think it is fair to say that the Enemy, whose job it is to “steal, kill and destroy,” finds the breaking apart of relationships, marriages, and families a veritable playground for the havoc he comes to bring. Couples in jeopardy will spend years in the breaking-apart and putting-lives-back-together process. The grief, expense, overwhelming fatigue, anger, and debilitating soul-exhaustion that can accompany divorce can pull people away from their faith as they negotiate the troubled waters of permanent separation.

Keeping Christ at the center of your marriage, family, and relationships gives you the best weapon against this. When you turn your eyes upon Jesus and partner with him as a couple in your home, work, leisure time, finances, and focus, you stand a better chance of surviving the fiery darts that assault all relationships. And joy.

God invites you to find shelter in him:

Psalm 62 New International Version (NIV)

1 Truly my soul finds rest in God;

    my salvation comes from him.

2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

3 How long will you assault me?

    Would all of you throw me down—

    this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

4 Surely they intend to topple me

    from my lofty place;

    they take delight in lies.

With their mouths they bless,

    but in their hearts they curse.

5  Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

    my hope comes from him.

6  Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;

    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

8 Trust in him at all times, you people;

    pour out your hearts to him,

    for God is our refuge.

No matter where you find yourself today, whether it is in a strong and committed relationship or in the chaos of one that is breaking apart, pour out your heart to God and trust in him. He is your rock, your salvation, and your refuge.

God is our Rock by Kathy Schumacher