How do you Make Relationships Work?

In today's modern thinking, everything is done in a wink of an eye and everybody gets everything they wanted soonest. Relationships though don't work overnight and there is no such thing as happily ever after. Since both of you are two different individuals with different points of view, chances are, there will always be agreements and disagreements. But How do You make things work when the going gets tough?

I myself is not an expert and I must admit that a year after marriage is not enough to make one say that you already know a lot about relationships and marriage but here are a few things I've learned from the seminars that we have attended, church sermons, personal experiences and advice from elder folks that I'd like to share with you.

Make God the center of your relationship - As two of you make your journey in life together, there are ups, downs and challenges that make you want to give up. If both of you would cling onto God and onto each other, everything will be easier to bear. God will never leave you when trials and challenges come and He never allows things to happen that you could not overcome.

Relationships should start with a solid foundation - honestly, I don't believe in love at first sight because love is developed over time. Relationships done through overnight courtship still has a long way to go. In the many couples I know, most started with friendship that has eventually grown to become love. This is because you get to know the person inside-out and there is no pretending. Like what I tell everyone, husband and I had a background of  worst-foot forward because we were good friends before courtship started. Honesty and trust is one of the basic foundations of a strong relationship as a relationship full of pretending and lies will lead to nowhere.

Listen to your parents' advice - a lot of children take for granted what their parents tell them especially when it comes to relationships. The next time they tell you something, open your ears and your heart, they see things on a different level and they are very much concerned of your future and who you'll end up with.

Let your ears work first before your mouth - everyone is guilty in this part and I'm not an exception. in any disagreement, it is best to LISTEN first before we react or speak. Harsh words and accusations may develop to grudge and hatred in the future. And please don't forget that when your spouse/partner has wronged you, correct them lovingly, attack the wrong deed and never their character. 

Taking it to the next level and getting married? What are your Individual Roles then?

Husbands:

Ephesians 5:23 says "For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior."

Husbands should lead their wife and the whole family as well. Why is this so? It's because husbands should take responsibility of the whole family - this does not mean though that husbands are the masters and wives are the servant. One can never be a leader when one do not know how to serve. In Philippians 2:7 it said "but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Leaders are not made overnight so unless one is a good servant to his family, he can never be a good leader.

Last but not the least, is written in Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" Husbands should love their wives unconditionally and must be willing to give up his own life for her just as Christ did for the church.

Wives:

Ephesians 5:22 says  "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord." This may seem unreasonable during our modern day where almost all women seek for equality, but please do note that this is a different angle we are talking about. Submitting to one's husband doesn't mean that you are inferior to him but rather wives submit to aid the husband in fulfilling his responsibilities. We are also helpers to our spouses as it was written in Genesis 2:18 "And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

I do hope that somehow we are able to enlighten you on these things. Let us remember that marriage is a covenant made with God and what He has joined together, man cannot separate - hence the term "Til death do us part." I'll try to check my notes so that I could share with you more things on relationships.

Have a blessed weekend ahead! 

cross photo taken from http://www.sxc.hu

LaNnA
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Have Spare Money? Donate it to Gideons

Well, the other day after Arroyo's latest 1 million peso dinner scandal, I posted a blog titled, "What can you buy with 1 million pesos?". After several replies from those pro and against the said dinner at Le Cirque in New York, one posted a comment that I think is worth blogging about.

Gideons International
How many of you have heard about Gideons International?

(Click the links below to learn more about them)
A Lasting Mission
A Unique Focus
Worldwide Impact
Our History

In short, they focus on distributing complete Bibles or New Testaments. These Scriptures are printed in more than 80 languages and are either given directly to certain individuals or placed in selected public locations where large numbers of people who may be searching for answers will have the ability to encounter the Word of God.

Areas of Distribution

Scriptures are distributed one by one by members of The Gideons International to these groups:

• Students in the 5th grade and above
• Prisoners and police, fire, medical and military personnel
• Anyone else Gideons witness to individually

Scriptures are placed in certain locations, including:

• Hotels and motels
• Hospitals, convalescent homes, medical offices and domestic violence shelters
• Prisons and jails

So, if you have extra money to spare, why not reach out to the lost?

You'll never know who you can lead to the Lord unless you've tried.

*We have local chapters here in the Philippines too but I don't think the credit card facility and their website is working right now.
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Getting What You Want - The right way

Whenever I read God's word, I first read the "Our Daily Bread" before the bible. The other night, this article caught my attention.

It's about getting what you want and worrying.


The article goes...

There’s a popular idea floating around about how to get whatever you want. It’s called “the law of attraction.” Just think and feel what you want to attract, and “the law will use people, circumstances, and events to magnetize what you want to you, and magnetize you to it.” This positive-thinking philosophy teaches that the “energy” of your dominant thoughts “attracts” your circumstances.

But, we don't have much proof for that because as we all know, science and religion don't mix. But for me, God's word is the truth*... (Science cannot save your soul)

^*6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

You won’t find that idea anywhere in the Bible! As believers (Christians), we have good reason to be positive in our thinking, but it’s because our heavenly Father understands our needs and meets them. Because He cares for us, we don’t have to be anxious (Luke 12:29-30). Life doesn’t consist “in the abundance of the things [we possessed]” (v. 15), so we make it our aim instead to be “rich toward God” (v. 21). We do that by seeking His kingdom and purpose (v. 31) and by laying up treasures in heaven, not for ourselves in this life.

The following bible passage is the "Battle Against Worry"

Luke 12:22-34

²²Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^" ²⁶Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Words of wisdom from God.

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China - The new SUPER power

I am sure that you are one of the few billion people who watched the opening of the 2008 Beijing olympics on television, or live (If you are the few lucky thousand).

To state a fact, the opening of Beijing '08 Olympics drew record breaking viewers surpassing Super bowl and American Idol finals.

I've never watched any Olympic opening because it was just another boring sporting event for me. This time, I watched it not because I have Chinese blood, but because of all the marketing efforts they made to let every persons anticipation level soar. I don't even plan to watch the 2012 London Olympics - Unless I go there LIVE.

Way back Year 2002, I went to Beijing joining a tour. To my surprise, I had already seen and then bought 2008 Beijing Olympics merchandise -The 2004 Olympics hasn't even started! When I went back to China last 2006, it was already flooded with Beijing Olympics merchandise.

Another fact to make a strong statement about my topic "China - The new superpower". Someone told me that in the Bible (Basic instructions before leaving Earth), it was even indicated that China will be the last super power.

I personally believe this because everything inside the Bible is true and most of what's written has happened already. *Makes my hair raise, because China is already happening.

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UAAP Season 71 updates

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