Sin's Stench

I woke up gagging and knew I’d made a mistake. More than a miscalculation or misjudgment, the choice I made was really stupid and the smell proved it.

Before going to bed the night before, I opened a package of spare ribs that I bought earlier in the day. I intended to cook them at a low heat overnight and serve them to the guys at Bible study. The meat didn’t smell right. In fact, it smelt awful. But instead of trusting my nose, I leaned on my reasoning ability. Okay, ‘ability’ isn’t really an actuate term to use to describe my powers of deduction. Such thought processes for me tend to be unreliable, based more on feeling, instinct or how long it’s been since I’ve eaten a good does of dark creamy chocolate than on logic. I weighed the options.

1. I hate to waste food, so I don’t want to throw this out. Plus it will take time and more gas to go back to store tomorrow morning to return these, and I need this meat for dinner tomorrow.

2. The meat looks nice and pink (the appearance is what fooled me).

3. I just want to go to bed and don’t want to deal with spoiled meat.

4. Maybe, it just needs to be rinsed off and cooked!

So, that’s what I did, put the meat into a roasting pan to cook overnight.

The putrid meat heated slowly all night long. And when Craig opened our bedroom door the next morning odor invaded our room. That’s when the gagging part happened.

It’s hard to describe the smell. Rotten, sour; worse than milk left in baby bottle for a week, in the car, in summer heat. Much worse. Deep. Penetrating. A stench that assails your senses, turns your stomach and convinces you that you may never want to eat again. An odor that makes repeat over and over, “I will not vomit. I will not!” Nothing like a delicate, lovely fragrance but a rotten reeking revolting smell so thick that it almost seemed evil. God intended this disgusting aroma as a way to prevent us from eating something that would make us sick. A warning. Yet, I am the one who brought it into our home, opened it up, ignored the warning and rationalized that it was really okay and instead of throwing it out I provided a way for that decayed meat and its smell to slowly permeate our home while we slept.

Sin is like rotten meat. We don’t have to partake, but if we’re deceived about it’s true nature, because it looks good or we don’t want to be bothered with dealing with it, and we decide to bring it into our life, it will invade the places where we live. I think this may be especially true of sexual sin, addictions, those that we try to hide, as if we could secretly indulge in them without any effect to the rest of our lives. In time, the affect of such unconfessed, hidden sin—sin that we like, that we hold on to, the kind that pulls us and draws us and wraps around us—is that in time it will take over our soul and those we love most will be tainted by it’s odor.

(To Be Contiued)

More of Maui

Here I am under a waterfall in Maui. I had to climb up here. It may look like I'm dead but really I'm wishing I could stay there for a long time, it was very wonderful!

It's beautiful here in El Paso. If we had an ocean I'd think we were in Maui. The sky there is a vivid blue, the clouds and mountains spectacular, just like here. It's cooler there, between 75 - 85, but the wind blows like it does here. I am going to try to post a video. This is the second waterfall I climbed into. It was a lot of fun. I have added the video (it's very grainy, sorry) so you can get an idea of how much fun it was. Blessings, Sue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_CkH7oMnTk
Let me know if it works.

Maui!

Craig and I have just returned from a trip to Maui. What a beautiful part of the world and what a privilege to be able to go and enjoy it. While there we celebrated 33 years since Craig proposed!

In the morning for the first few days Craig attended a medical conference. Then we got to relax and do some sight seeing which included a helicopter tour with front row seats, a hike in the rain forest and snorkeling.
Here is a picture of us in front of a waterfall which I crossed and stood under (I'll post the video next time) and a picture of a rainbow which greeted us one morning when we woke up.

Just wanted to touch base and begin to share this amazing trip with you.
Blessings
sue

The Fiercesome Four

Here is a picture of our four boys when they went with Craig to Scotland earlier this year.

I tend to focus so much on our sweet grandchildren that I thought I should at least give a little space to their daddies (and potential daddy to be).

From left to right you see, Mike (who is married to our older daughter, Sara), next is Josh, our first born (married to Shauna), Eric, our youngest (married to Amy), and Robert who is married to our younger daughter, Aimee.


All together they are a great bunch of guys and I'm very proud of each one of them.

"Lord, thank you for these men in my life and I'm praying for an outpouring of your power and life on each one. Give them hearts fully devoted to you, full of wisdom and servant hood. Guide them as the leaders of their homes. Show them how to love their wives as Jesus loves the church. Enable them to balance truth and grace in raising their little ones to know and honor you. Give them a passion for your Word and your ways. Let them be shining examples of Godly men in their workplace and community, family and church. To the praise of your glory. Amen." I love you guys.

Burnt Toast

When our children were young and we still lived in San Diego, Craig's parents started a fun Saturday morning tradition. They picked up our little ones early in the morning, and took them to their home where they all enjoyed a 'Carbon Toast Party' where they dipped burnt toast into coffee before eating it. The idea of burnt toast is pretty awful and dipping it in coffee isn't very appealing and eating it is nearly criminal in my opinion. Yet, for the children and their grandparents it continues to be a sacred memory of fun times together. So, when Great-granddad and Great-grandmumps came for a visit over the fourth of July, the tradition continued with the great grandchildren. Here are movie #1 and movie #2.

Frog Blog

When it rains in El Paso the water washes rocks out of the desert landscaping and frogs out of hiding. We usually don't know that there are frogs anywhere near us, until the rains come. Then, water fills the drainage area behind our house and the frogs begin to serenade us. Serenade isn't really very descriptive. Saying they annoy us is more accurate. Especially when a few of the critters end up in our pool , form a chorus and begin croaking as we being sleeping. The other night, around 2:00 AM, Craig got out of bed.
Groggy from sleep and wearing a sleep mask so I don't die, I mumbled, "What are you doing?"
"Getting rid of the frogs."
I my half-conscious state I thought he was going to shoot the little noise makers. And, in my typical logical manner, I thought, "That will make more noise than the little froggies." Of course I didn't care enough about this insight to get out of bed. Instead, and I dozed off.
When my hero returned I asked what he'd done, he told me he used the net and got two frogs out of the pool. I listened to the silent night air and fell to sleep, thankful that my husband is a man of action.
The next day, I spotted several frogs on our pool cover, which was wadded up in the middle of our pool. As I tried to catch one in the net,(which I held in one hand, since I was talking to our daughter on the cell phone), it jumped off into the water. I chased it, shrieking, "Oh no it got away! It's going to die. It's jumped into the water."
"Mom!" Sara, said, "frogs know how to swim. They're frogs."
"Oh yeah. But, they can't live in chlorinated water,can they?"
The answer is, 'not for long,' proven by the dead frog Craig scooped out of the pool that evening.
Well, I was thinking about how we as followers of Jesus, can live in this world for a time, but knowing Him means we've been reborn for another world, another place. Like that frog that jumped into the our pool and never got back out, it's dangerous to try to make this world our home. We're not meant to adapt our thinking or behavior or life to the elements here. This world is only the channel that will take us back to the place where we really belong.

Berries

Since childhood red raspberries have been my favorite. I remember them growing in the yard of my Swiss grandmother.

When they first arrived in the stores this season, I splurged and bought a tiny plastic container of the luscious berry for an exorbitant amount of money (well, ok, less than a half gallon of ice cream but more than a head of lettuce.) When I got home I placed them in one of the drawer of my refrigerator. Then, completely forgot about them.

How could I forget about something that I really wanted, I would enjoy and that cost me a lot (comparatively?) I'm not sure, but I did and when I finally remembered them, they were moldy and had to be thrown away!

What a shame. What a waste. What a good reminder, that the Lord has provided all manner of good and yummy and desirable gifts, opportunities and delights that are just waiting for us to come and get them.

Often we don't even take advantage of any of them. He's given us peace and we'd rather sulk and be miserable. He paid for our sins, yet we refuse to forgive ourselves. He provided for us to have the best fruit ever, the fruit borne by the Holy Spirit, but instead of gaining the benefit we act like these gifts do not belong to us.

So, here are some new berries. I remembered them and they are almost all eaten. I've enjoyed them and wanted to tell you about the berry lesson.
2Pe 1:3 - His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Let's Pary Today Prayer CD's

Hi Fiends,

If any of you have listened to any of the "Let's Pray Today" CD's (see link on left side of this page) and found them helpful, please consider letting my friend, Cathy, know. She's looking for endorsements (see below) and would really appreciate your input.

Thanks and blessings,

Sue

Hello dear friend, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for supporting Lets Pray Today Ministry and our efforts to transform women’s lives through an active relationship with the Lord.

Our first year has been amazing! We have distributed and sold almost 1000 prayer CDs and MP3 downloads. We have had opportunities to speak at churches, women’s events, retreats and conferences. Kay Arthur as well as the American Association of Christian Counselors have strongly endorsed the entire series. Moms In Touch International has added us to their website and we have been featured in newspaper articles in both Texas and New Mexico. In November of last year we were finally covering most of the costs of establishing the ministry and were able to distribute monies to mission efforts in China through the Bineham foundation. And now, thanks to a generous donation, we are close to being back in the studio to record our new CD entitled “Praying for My Prodigal.”

God be praised for what has been achieved!

While we have been focusing on reaching out to our local communities, we are now approaching a point where we are ready to take the next step toward national distribution. In order to do this, we need to find a distributor who sees the benefit of our ministry and our prayer CDs. Towards this end, I want to personally ask a favor from you. We have not heard back from many of you who have purchased one or more of our prayer CDs. By sharing just a few sentences about the difference these prayer CDs have made in your life or in the lives of your family and friends, you will provide us with the resources we need to secure a distributor.

If you are willing to share a few words with us, simply reply to this email, or you can visit us on our site. If you share personal details which you would like to be kept confidential, we will simply remove your name from any testimonial we use. We appreciate your help and will continue moving forward as God leads.

We pray for you God’s richest blessings – pressed down, shaken together and running over,

Cathy Endebrock and the Let’s Pray Today Ministry Team

Prayer is like riding a bicycle: you can learn about it, you can read about it, you can even watch it. But until you DO it, you’re missing the best part. Let’s Pray Today!!

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Craig and I have been viewing some great DVD's on marriage called, Love and Respect. We're learning a lot about the way God designed men and women. Even after over 30 years of marriage, this information is a bit startling because it really goes against the thinking of today's popular culture.
Have you ever thought you understood God's word on a subject just to discover that your knowledge was true but incomplete? This is how I feel, since I speak and teach about what the Bible says about marriage. From now on, I hope I can share in a way that is even more helpful.
The basic concept boils down to the fact that God created men to need respect, just like women need love. Need as in the air we breathe. Need as in food, water, shelter, except this is an emotional need that God created in men that we as women don't have in the same way. And that's why it's so difficult to fully understand or respond to this need in the lives of our husbands and sons. It can be a hard concept because, at least for me, I've really failed in this area. But I'm praying that the Lord will help me to be a better wife and to love my precious husband in ways that will meet his needs.
We often joke about the differences between male and female but don't take the next step in learning to appreciate and be thankful to God for designing us as He has. Now, one area that is considered primarily female is the inborn love of chocolate, which brings us to the picture I posted today.
Recently, Aimee went to find out why Emeline was so quiet and found that she had discovered her older sister's bag of chocolate kisses. Aimee is very careful to not let her girls have sugar and so this was Emeline's first taste of candy of any kind. When she saw her mom she held out the small, partially devoured foil wrapped candy and smiled before cramming it quickly into her mouth. I give Aimee credit that she went for the camera and called me to come and see her baby with her mouth coated with chocolate.
After laughing, I bent down and said, "So, Emeline, how did you like your first taste of chocolate?" She smiled, threw her arms up into the air and said, "Yah! Ummm!"
There you have it, proof that as women we have needs that the men in our lives may not full understand or appreciate and the same is true for them.

When Death Comes

I guess you never stop being proud of your kids, those born to you and those that arrive by the easier method of marriage. I just witnessed an amazing act of selflessness from our son-in-law, Robert and his wife, our daughter, Aimee.

Robert’s mom died in bed on Friday and was found late in the day by Robert’s dad. She has suffered for many years with ill health and while she is finally free from that it is so hard to think of life here without her. Kathy’s passing leaves an empty place in our hearts. She and Ethne (Robert and Aimee’s 3-year- old) were especially close. Last night, while washing her hands, Ethne looked up at me and asked, “Grammy are you going to die soon?”

Do you give the theological answer about God’s Sovereignty and the truth that life ends whenever He says, “Come?” or do you give the answer that will comfort a little heart that is already broken from losing someone who loved her so fiercely?

“No,” I said. “Remember how Gran was sick? Remember how she had to go to the hospital a lot? Remember how she went to see the doctors because she was sick?”

Ethne nodded.

“Gran was sick. I am strong (I didn’t feel strong). I am healthy. I am not going to die.”

“But when you are very, very old, will you die?”

“Yes, I will because every one will die. But do you know what? When I am very, very, very, very old, you will be too. You will probably be a Grammy by then.”

Her eyes grew wide and her smile too and she laughed to think of herself as an old woman. “Well,” she said, “when I am grown up I will go and stay with Pops (Robert’s dad) for two weeks. I will stay with him and he won’t be so lonely. He will be so happy that I am staying with him on the top bunk!”

I scooped her up, and held her and let her love flow into me so that I really could be strong. Then I tucked her back into bed with a kiss that lingered and a prayer of thanks that I could know and love such a precious little child.

As I was saying, the news of Kathy’s death reached our kids late Friday night. Their weekend was already planned out. No one plans, but God’s, included Kathy dying on Friday. On Saturday, Robert and Aimee were photographing the wedding of the daughter of one of our pastors. Then, on Sunday, flying to Austin to shoot a wedding there.

In the face of the devastating news they just received Robert and Aimee made the decision to go ahead an fulfill their obligations to these two couples and not to mention the fact that Robert’s mom had just died. Their grief was held at bay and not allowed to cast its shadow over the joy other’s were experiencing. They cared more about the capturing the wonder of two lives joining as one than about their own pain. Isn’t that like Jesus? If they were your kids, wouldn’t you be proud too?

(To see a picture of Ethne with her Gran and to read Robert's thoughts, click on the 'son-in-law' tab on the left of this screen and click on his flicker tab.)

Gasping For Air

(Pictures of swimming at in indoor pool with our friends.)

Hey. Most of you probably don't read magazines for Teenage guys. Now and then I write for one that is amazing, it is, Breakaway, published by Focus on the Family. In April they ran a story I wrote about pornography. It's a topic I care deeply about because I see how the Evil One is using all types of sexual addictions to destroy lives and families.The sad part is that God has designed human sexuality to be a great blessing and even to represent the mystery of the love between Christ's and His Church.
My interest in the topic of Biblical sexuality (sex according to God's design) began when I was about 11 years old and a neighbor sexually abused me. As any child would, I knew that what happened to me wasn't right or good. I wanted to understand what God had to say on the subject! Of course my own healing took time and prayer and studying what the Bible had to say. I discovered that God's Word says a lot about sex but I didn't learn much of this in church. So, anyway, that's part of my journey.
If you are one of the many people who have suffered sexual abuse at any time in your life, please take heart that the Lord cares and hates what happened to you. He is offering you healing, and freedom and wholeness.
If you want to read my story, you can find it here.
Blessings,
Sue

Hello!
I've been home from the Colorado Christian Writer's Conference for almost a week and still haven't posted any thing about how much the Lord blessed me there. So, because I've feeling bad about being such a slacker, I'm going to post two reruns of some of my favorite stories. Hope you enjoy them. (A note about the picture.) One year, after reading the story posted here, to the ladies of our WOW Bible Study, they surprised with a 'Thank you for teaching gift,' -- A black plastic bag filled with pretty socks- Blessings, Sue

HOLEY, HOLEY, HOLEY

Not too many pounds ago I had three preschoolers. Back then our budget was tight and my jeans were loose. One morning I borrowed a car, loaded up my brood and headed for Gemco. It was the store with everything; house wares, fabric, clothes and, way in the back, the lowest priced groceries in town.

We went in for food, but took a tempting detour through the shoe department. The

cart stopped itself in front of the ladies socks. I really needed socks. I really needed

groceries. I looked down at my neglected feet then up at my three hungry children.

No contest. My feet were definitely outnumbered. The choice seemed totally obvious

and completely unfair. I knew other people with preschoolers who could afford socks

and food. I even considered some of those people to be my friends—usually.

I glanced sideways at the other shoppers. Some had new towels in their carts. Others had name brand shampoo that made your hair smell like an herbal garden. I bet they can afford socks. They probably buy the fancy kind with cute little patterns. All I want is plain, white, cotton.

I reached for the package and examined it. They sure were white. They sure were soft. They sure didn’t have holes in the heels.

“Mommy,” my two-year-old asked, “you hugging socks?”

The baby squirmed in her front snuggle/carrier.

“Mom,” Mr. Four-year-old informed me, “you’re smashing the baby. Didn’t we come to buy food?”

I looked into the eyes of my trusting children and sighed deeply. Reluctantly I hung the package on the hook. Then I squared my shoulders and pointed the cart toward the grocery section. But before I gave it a forward push, I said a quick prayer. I did not kneel. I did not wail. I did not close my eyes. I just lifted a thought to the One who always hears. “God, I need socks.”

The next day I answered an unexpected knock on the front door. I opened it to see, Shirley, a lady from church.

“Hi Sue. Say, my daughter-in-law works at a sporting goods store and has access to some clothes. I thought you might be able to use them.”

“Sure. I love hand-me-downs.”

Shirley placed four large, black, plastic trash bags near my front door. “Most of these are new. Overstocks, discontinued items or returns.”

I hugged her. “Thanks for thinking of me.”

We all waved as she backed out of our driveway, then took the bags inside. My kids gathered around as I loosened the knot on the first bag. “Isn’t it nice when people give us clothes?”

Mr. Four-year-old peered into the bag and announced, “These aren’t clothes. It’s nothing but a great big bag full of socks.”

I gathered them into my arms—the children, not the socks—and hugged them. Isn’t God good!

Readers Respond!

Hello, it’s me, long lost bloger (I almost wrote blooger which looks a bit like booger— whoops.) Can’t believe I’m going to post that, but why not? After days and days of no posting, at least it’s something.

Last time I posted was about the power of story. Today, I want to share something very precious. For the first time ever I have been contacted by readers about an article. This is amazing! It is humbling. I’ve heard from a woman named, Sherry, and I tried to respond to her by email but I don’t think she got the message. (Sherry if you read this please check your bulk folder for emails from me.) Anyway she liked the article enough to search and find my blog! Next, I got a letter, hoping that I was the Sue Cameron who wrote the article in Focus on the Family, from a dear 80 year-old brother named John. He tries to live each moment by asking Jesus for direction and then following what he hears! Wow. Also, I had a phone call from a lady here in town, and a man who lives near Atlanta. He is struggling with being too busy and carving out the time to sit at the feet of Jesus. I’ve never met any of these people face-to-face, but somehow we’ve connected. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to know that something I’ve written has touched someone’s heart. What a great and awesome privilege.

So, to all of you who check this blog from time to time and find it empty, I’m sorry. Thank you for your time and interest, I am honored by your attention and will try to be a better friend by writing more often. If you’d like to see the article you can find it HERE.

Here's to stories

There’s something wonderful about having a three-year-old around the house. It’s the questions, comments, and observations but mostly; I think it’s the free flowing imagination. After watching “Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang” with Ethne (and 9 month old Emeline) yesterday, our car ‘flew’ to church and of course we had to sing as we flew. Then Grammy and Granddad became Mom and Dad and we added an invisible brother so we could play out the story. I was surprised when Ethne gave me a huge hug and kiss at bedtime since she isn’t overly affectionate. Afterwards she handed me a ‘treasure chest’ and I realized she was just play-acting what she’d seen the little girl do in the movie.

Well, two thoughts. First, we may actually have another actress type in the family. Also there is a very powerful influence in stories story. As a writer this isn’t a surprise but to see its affect so vividly (and immediately) portrayed startled me. Why are we so impacted by what we see and hear? Is this a part of being made in God’s image? What is it in human nature that makes us long for stories? Novels, movies, sit-coms, soaps, reality TV, news reports, celebrity pieces, stories absorb us and, like it or not, we absorb stories and in some mysterious, powerful way they impact our lives.

This means there is an awesome responsibility in the way we handle stories, those we write, or tell, read or watch. I am very honored to have a story appear in “Breakaway” this month. It’s a story about the way pornography affected one family, one marriage, one boy. Although it is fiction, there is truth embodied in this simple story and I think that the desire for truth is what may draw us so strongly to stories. After all, the Lord God is truth and each of us really need Him, right? So maybe when we’re seeking truth and the meaning of life, we are actually seeking Jesus.

Here is a verse that I am pondering and growing to love because t talks about the fruit of light being all that is good and right and true. "For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true" (Eph 5:8-9).

So whenever we encounter anything good, right or true, in stories we are seeing light, God is being revealed to us in some small way and this feeds our souls. We like to be fed because so many of us are soul starved. Some of the true things I saw in “Chitty-Chitty, Bang, Bang,” were that love is more important than money and that creativity is fun and that good wins over evil. Here’s to true, good, and right stories, of every kind, and to those who enjoy them.

To the young moms

(Here are 4 of our grandchildren, ready to go to church to celebrate that Jesus is alive! From L-R, Emeline, Cameron, Kayla and Ethne)















This is to thank the young moms that I know. Three are extra special, my daughters, Sara and Aimee, and daughter-in-law, Shawna.
I'd forgotten how hard it is to be a good mom of little children, how hard it is to be patient and kind, understanding and just. But Sara and her two little ones are staying here this week and that is helping me to remember. Remember being on-call to the needs of someone younger who doesn't care or understand if you have your own needs.
Then there's the constant feeding of little mouths that only like certain foods on the right type of plates, and tomorrow it won't be the same as it was today. I didn't understand about leaving the peel on the banana so that fingers wouldn't get messy and that was nearly heart-breaking to one little guy that I love. But I can be taught. Now I know how to serve his banana. And just in case I might forget, he is sure to explain it to me, in words that I can grasp, each time he makes his request.
I want to please these little ones. I want to make life easy for them and for their moms. I can help some, but the fact remains that this is not easy. Being a good parent is about the most difficult job ever invented, mainly because it requires unselfishness, doing what's best for others and putting their needs ahead of your own--all of the time--at every hour--day and night.
I love you girls for loving my grandchildren so well. Thank you.
"Lord God, bless these little children and the parents who are raising them. Give them wisdom from your heart to theirs, strength that is supernatural, and most of all, joy in the process. So they can delight in the wonder of these little ones, who they are and who they are becoming. Amen."

To Love and To Cherish

(Here is our little Queen Emeline)

To Love and Cherish

Sue Cameron

One of my favorite memories is being in an Amish farmhouse, surrounded by stacks of beautiful handmade quilts. It was my privilege to choose one to take home to cover our bed. As I drank in the vast array of colors, patterns, textures and designs, I found I just couldn’t decide on which one was the most special, the most lovely, and my very favorite. Seeing my dilemma, and knowing we could buy only one, my husband made the final selection.

When we get married, we have made our final selection. We’ve chosen one person above all the rest. When we place that ring on their finger we’re saying, “You are my favorite, the one I most desire,

I choose you.” And we promise to love and cherish them for the rest of their lives.

The trick is to think about how well we are doing and not to focus on how much we do or don’t feel loved or cherished. Are we showing our mate that we love and cherish them? How do we accomplish this in the day-to-day routine of living?

According to Gary Chapman, in his book, “The Five Love Languages,” there are five basic ways a person gives and receives love. Why not try expressing your love in one of these ways each day for the next five days? Pay close attention to your mate’s reaction.

Day 1: AFFIRMING WORDS. Tell your spouse what you value and appreciate about them. Praise them for who they are and for what they do. Do this in a written note, on the phone and face to face.

Day 2: QUALITY TIME. Put aside everything else and just spend time being with your spouse. Take a walk with them, read a book together, talk to them as they do a task, just take time to be near them.

Day 3: PHYSICAL TOUCH. Try giving your mate a foot rub, head rub or back rub. Touch their shoulder when you pass by, give them a passionate kiss.

Day 4: GIFT GIVING. This doesn’t have to cost much, try a single rose, a favorite candy bar or a meaningful card. Just give an unexpected gift for no reason at all, except that you love and cherish your spouse.

Day 5: ACTS OF SERVICE. Help your spouse with one of ‘their’ jobs or better yet, do it for them without being asked. Wash the dishes or mow the lawn, take out the trash or pay the bills, go out of your way to lighten their load.

Day by day watch how your spouse responds when you show love to them in these various ways. In doing so you will be able to identify what really makes them feel cherished by you. Then, make it your goal to act in this way on a regular basis. When you do you will fulfill your promise to love and cherish them.

Determine, each day, to cherish your spouse and to cover them with your love. And, like a beautiful handmade quilt, your marriage will be a place of warmth, comfort and beauty.

CELEBRATING WITH THE ANGELS

This is our oldest grandson, Benjamin. Recently he and his mom were talking about what a "really real Christian" was like. As he talked to his mom, he said, "I don't think I really have Jesus in my mind and in my spirit." Shauna then explained to him that he could have Jesus in his mind and spirit by just believing and praying, so they did.

This is very exciting news! We know his child-like faith is precious to the Lord and his prayer is the first step in Ben walking in the ways of the Lord for the rest of his life. It is very good news.

"Lord we thank you for Ben and that he has a heart that is seeking you at an early age. Please give him a great love to for you and for your word. Give him a heart to follow and obey you and to make wise choices. May he always honor you and please you. Give him joy and peace in every situation and teach him about your faithfulness and tender care for him. Thank you that he is the first grandchild to open his young life to you. Please Lord, please, bring all of our grandchildren into personal, lifelong love relationships with you. Amen."

What's in a vow?

I've really gotten out of the habit of posting. A lot has happened! These are pictures of the way the tables looked when we hosted a dinner party in honor of Richard and Sonia, friends who recently got married. Speaking of marriage, here's the second installment of articles on wedding vows. Blessing to you, Sue

WHAT’S IN A VOW?

by

Sue Cameron

We’re in the process of taking a close look at the promises we made during our wedding ceremony. Last time, we considered the meaning of ‘to have and to hold.’ Today we’ll look at, ‘for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness or in health.’

These three vows sit in between, ‘from this day forward’, and ‘until we are parted by death.’ They form the central foundation of our marriage. They are closely related, each having a double sided meaning. One aspect has to do with circumstances within our control and the other addresses circumstances we cannot control.

MOTIVE FOR MARRIAGE

First, let’s think about what is ours to control. The only thing in life we can really control is our choices and ourselves. When we chose our spouse and they chose us it was because life was better together. This motive has existed since the Creator said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” and He created Eve. For Adam and Eve, and for every married couple since, life with our beloved is superior to life alone.

Inherent in this motive, and in these three vows, is a commitment to work toward continued increase. It’s the thought of, ‘You think I’m an appealing, intelligent, fun person now—in twenty years I’ll be twenty times more!’ I believe we are actually promising our mate that we will do all we possibly can to see that life with us continues to be far better and richer and fuller than life without us.

This means I take responsibility for myself. I decide that as the years go on I will take care of my whole self, body, soul and spirit. I determine to improve myself, expand my mind and grow in my faith. Based on my vow, I will strive to reach my full potential, helping my spouse to be thankful for choosing me.

EVALUATING OURSELVES

On our wedding day we each determined to be all we could be. Marriages are good because people make them good. So, how’s it with you? Are you a better person today than on the day your spouse gave their life to you? Remember, you are not responsible to see that your spouse fulfills their vows toward you, that job belongs to them. You and I need to be sure that we are doing the things we promised. Evaluating the meaning of our vows means evaluating ourselves.

VOWS BASED ON COMMITMENT, NOT ON FUTURE CURCUMSTANCES

The other, more obvious side, of these vows has to do with situations in life that we cannot control. Such as difficulties, trials, temptations and failures. Although we long and work for a better, richer, healthier life, what we may actually encounter is serious illness, financial crisis, permanent disability, infertility, death of a child, or addictions.

The passing years may bring hard circumstances that test our determination to remain committed. If this happens, how are we to respond? Thankfully, we addressed that question when we took our vows. We promised, before God Almighty, that even if things did not get better, even if we did not gain wealth, even if illness came to us, we would remain faithfully committed to our mate and to our marriage.

This is a beautiful and powerful part of the wedding vows, expressing the essence of real love. It means if they suffer, we suffer right beside them. It means if they fail, we help them to try again. It means if they lose everything, they will never lose our love or us. It means, most of all, that we will choose, every day, to love them for better or worse, richer or poorer and in sickness or in health.

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD

Emeline's first Christmas

WHAT’S IN A VOW?

To Have and to Hold

by

Sue Cameron

Most of us don’t often think of the vows we made on our wedding day. Yet, each married person made legally binding promises, to their beloved, before God and man.

But, what do words such as: to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death, really mean?

While we can’t force our spouse to follow through on their promises to us, we can evaluate ourselves. It is helpful to pause and consider the meaning of the words we spoke. To look closely at the promises we made. Let’s examine each phrase. We’ll pick it up, like a priceless treasure, and hold it up to the light to see what is revealed inside our own heart.

To begin, what does the promise ‘to have and to hold,’ mean? I think this is talking about an exclusive, mutually faithful and satisfying sexually relationship within marriage. This is the first vow we made. In essence we said, “I promise that you are the only one I’ll ever have in my bed. You are the only one I will ever hold in an intimate way.”

When we made this vow we promised to meet our spouse’s needs in this area. According to God’s design you are the only person in the world who can legitimately fulfill your spouse’s sexual needs. How are you doing?

Sexual intimacy is a vital part of a healthy marriage. It is meant to be a total sharing between a husband and wife, body, soul and spirit. This relationship is to be a place of safety and joy, purity and delight, honor and giving.

The Lord means for this relationship to be a source of strength and power to every married couple, yet, for some it is sorely ignored, abused or remains a point of on going frustration.

Struggles can often be traced to one or two sources. The first is that the frequency or desire for intimate contact is not equal between the husband and wife. This is a place to compromise. If your spouse would love to love you every day of the week and once a week seems ideal to you, why not split the difference and agree on every other day?

While most of us would never withhold nourishing, regular meals from our spouse, some may be in the habit of thinking they have a right to ration out sexual contact according to their own desire, ignoring the sexual appetite of their husband or wife. But part of our wedding promise to our spouse is that we will make sure they are satisfied sexually. Likewise, we must not make unreasonable demands on our spouse for intimacy but show consideration for their built-in level of desire.

Another challenge is that men and women are very different. This is delightful and it is frustrating. It’s helpful to take time to learn about how the Creator designed our bodies to function together sexually. Understand, honor and enjoy the differences between you and your spouse.

I’ve heard it said that in regards to sexual arousal, “Men are microwaves and women are crock pots.” This being true we need to be sure to work together toward sexual pleasure for both husband and wife. This takes time, but that’s okay, we have a lot of time. After all, each of us vowed to ‘have and to hold,’ for the rest of our lives.

I’d like to recommend two books on this topic. For husbands, “The Married Guy’s Guide to Great Sex”, by Clifford Penner. For wives, “Intimate Issues,” by Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus.

(sorry if the fonts are different in size, I've tried to change them and can't)

Here is a movie of Ethne "wrapped up like baby Jesus, and her sister Emeline and mom, Aimee playing.

Easier with a friend.

Today someone named Kate sent a comment asking me to keep writing down my thoughts on marriage. If any of you are writers you know that nothing will get you going like a bit of encouragement or someone who actually wants to read your stuff! So, thank you, Kate (you sweetie) for asking, now I just have to hope that I write something worth reading.

It’s the new year and my husband, Craig, and I are doing new things together. Good things, needful things but things that are hard to do alone. Specifically, we are dieting, using the BowFlex, and reading the Bible out loud (he reads, I listen.) I know it’s only January 9 but so far we’re doing great! In the process, I’m discovering, again, that I simply enjoy being with my husband. He’s my friend. It’s good to remember that one reason we married our spouse was because we liked him, enjoy being with him and knew life with him would always be better than life without him.

That reminds me of the wedding vow, “For better or worse.” I’ll post some short articles I’ve written on that topic. Hope you enjoy them and thanks for reading. Blessings to all, Sue