Good morning ladies. Working our way down to the end of this month! Yay! Every day closer to Spring. Imagine with me the soft, green grass, the warmth of the sun, and a bed of yellow tulips. Ahhh. Not to mention baseball!! Anyway, in the meantime, enjoy and be thankful for the sunshine, our warm homes, hot food and hot chocolate, and layers of clothing to wear. I know there are many that aren't so fortunate. If I could bring them all in and feed them soup, I would. What are you up to today? Be careful out there if you need to go out.
I have a question for you. Are there any thoughts about the devotion going out just three days a week? I've recently gotten a work-from-home writing job and it will take up some time. Probably morning time, since that's when I can think and write most clearly. Let me know what you think. Thanks!
Devotion
Good words today, as we consider all of our different relationships. It can be so easy to dwell on the things that are wrong, but God's Word (in our key verse) tells us otherwise. Have a Terrific Tuesday ladies!
“Stop the Scary Marriage Mash-Ups”
“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (CSB)
When they were younger, our kids loved to watch Mary Poppins. Their eyes were riveted to the television screen, watching Mary magically tidy up the toy room or Bert and the chimney sweeps twirl and leap over the rooftops of London. And of course, when that part of the movie came on the screen, they had to try to “step in time!” right along with them, all over our living room furniture!
Recently, I discovered an online video which was a collection of scenes from this classic movie. The way the scenes were spliced together completely changed the vibe of the movie.
Dubbed Scary Mary, this version looks like a trailer for a horror film with Mary Poppins sometimes peering out windows or with dark gloomy skies overshadowing the screen. At one point, the children appear to be running for their lives! Mary’s voice can be heard singing what’s actually a lullaby from the movie, but to hear her slowly and almost inaudibly vocalizing the words, “Stay awake, don’t rest your head” sounded creepy!
By choosing only the seemingly dark and dreary parts of the film, the video made you believe something totally untrue — that Mary Poppins is actually a horror flick!
Often, when we think about our marriages, we selectively retrieve memories of difficult events and interactions and then string them together in a mash-up of memories that paints the entire relationship in a ghastly light.
We all have bad times. Times of underlying tension. Heated conflicts. Cold shoulders. All-out disagreements. We’ve experienced hurt feelings, dashed hopes and seasons of intense sadness. But let’s not allow our minds to play tricks on us, fooling us into believing our entire relationship has been horrendous, crafting our own Scary Marriage movie.
Today’s key verse states, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Instead of looking only for the bad in a relationship, let’s implement a powerful practice that will enable us to focus on what God is doing, even within our marriage. Let’s look for and dwell on the good rather than the bad.
The Greek word for dwell in Philippians 4:8 means “to consider, to take into account, to calculate.” We can be deliberate to take into account and add up all the aspects of our marriages — and of our spouses — that are honorable, commendable, lovely and worthy of praise.
If we look hard enough, refusing to dwell on what frustrates or even infuriates us, and instead mentally add up the admirable qualities, we are best positioned to allow God to gift us with a fresh and healthy perspective. We can obtain a renewed commitment to that man we fell in love with. (Likewise, dwelling on good things can help us gain a strengthened relationship with a best friend, a sister, a close co-worker, etc.)
Every marriage is a unique blend of awesome and awful. However, we get to choose where our thoughts will dwell. When we dwell on the awful, we craft our own horror flick and want to run away — or at least cover our eyes. But it doesn’t have to be that way if we resolve to deliberately focus on the awesome instead.
Father God, help my mind dwell on the good aspects of my spouse and my marriage, rather than focus on whatever falls short. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Karen Ehman
TRUTH FOR TODAY
Philippians 2:5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
Ephesians 4:32, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." (NLT)
Romans 12:10, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." (NIV)
I have a question for you. Are there any thoughts about the devotion going out just three days a week? I've recently gotten a work-from-home writing job and it will take up some time. Probably morning time, since that's when I can think and write most clearly. Let me know what you think. Thanks!
Devotion
Good words today, as we consider all of our different relationships. It can be so easy to dwell on the things that are wrong, but God's Word (in our key verse) tells us otherwise. Have a Terrific Tuesday ladies!
“Stop the Scary Marriage Mash-Ups”
“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (CSB)
When they were younger, our kids loved to watch Mary Poppins. Their eyes were riveted to the television screen, watching Mary magically tidy up the toy room or Bert and the chimney sweeps twirl and leap over the rooftops of London. And of course, when that part of the movie came on the screen, they had to try to “step in time!” right along with them, all over our living room furniture!
Recently, I discovered an online video which was a collection of scenes from this classic movie. The way the scenes were spliced together completely changed the vibe of the movie.
Dubbed Scary Mary, this version looks like a trailer for a horror film with Mary Poppins sometimes peering out windows or with dark gloomy skies overshadowing the screen. At one point, the children appear to be running for their lives! Mary’s voice can be heard singing what’s actually a lullaby from the movie, but to hear her slowly and almost inaudibly vocalizing the words, “Stay awake, don’t rest your head” sounded creepy!
By choosing only the seemingly dark and dreary parts of the film, the video made you believe something totally untrue — that Mary Poppins is actually a horror flick!
Often, when we think about our marriages, we selectively retrieve memories of difficult events and interactions and then string them together in a mash-up of memories that paints the entire relationship in a ghastly light.
We all have bad times. Times of underlying tension. Heated conflicts. Cold shoulders. All-out disagreements. We’ve experienced hurt feelings, dashed hopes and seasons of intense sadness. But let’s not allow our minds to play tricks on us, fooling us into believing our entire relationship has been horrendous, crafting our own Scary Marriage movie.
Today’s key verse states, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Instead of looking only for the bad in a relationship, let’s implement a powerful practice that will enable us to focus on what God is doing, even within our marriage. Let’s look for and dwell on the good rather than the bad.
The Greek word for dwell in Philippians 4:8 means “to consider, to take into account, to calculate.” We can be deliberate to take into account and add up all the aspects of our marriages — and of our spouses — that are honorable, commendable, lovely and worthy of praise.
If we look hard enough, refusing to dwell on what frustrates or even infuriates us, and instead mentally add up the admirable qualities, we are best positioned to allow God to gift us with a fresh and healthy perspective. We can obtain a renewed commitment to that man we fell in love with. (Likewise, dwelling on good things can help us gain a strengthened relationship with a best friend, a sister, a close co-worker, etc.)
Every marriage is a unique blend of awesome and awful. However, we get to choose where our thoughts will dwell. When we dwell on the awful, we craft our own horror flick and want to run away — or at least cover our eyes. But it doesn’t have to be that way if we resolve to deliberately focus on the awesome instead.
Father God, help my mind dwell on the good aspects of my spouse and my marriage, rather than focus on whatever falls short. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Karen Ehman
TRUTH FOR TODAY
Philippians 2:5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
Ephesians 4:32, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." (NLT)
Romans 12:10, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." (NIV)
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