Promiscuity often goes hand-in-hand with having no respect for boundaries. And those who “sleep around” are also those who violate other boundaries. But what if a couple is exclusively dating only each other? Well, that is a better scenario than promiscuity. But the risk is that your hearts become deeply connected without commitments. It isContinue reading “Sex Equals Influence.”
Category Archives: Marriage
Repeating a Pattern.
When the Bible repeats a pattern, that means it is important. Here’s one repeated within just a few pages–a single generation. When Jacob needs a wife, he travels to the land of Laban, and sees the shepherdess Rachel coming with a herd of sheep. So what does he do? While he was still speaking withContinue reading “Repeating a Pattern.”
Being the Right Person.
Someone once said, “Marriage is not so much FINDING the right person as BEING the right person.” That’s a timely word in a culture that views both marriage and careers as some magical romantic fantasy where the person or occupation perfectly fits your every trait, satisfies your every desire, and renders you blissfully happy foreverContinue reading “Being the Right Person.”
Generations.
Americans are obsessed with independence. We want to do OUR OWN thing, no matter what. Period. Mic Drop. It is impossible. As John Donne wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself.” What we do affects those around us. Your family is a life boat. We are in the boat together: paddling, steering, fishing,Continue reading “Generations.”
What Are You Looking for in a Spouse?
Just as AMERICAN IDOL spawned a genre of TV talent contests, the BACHELOR birthed a litter of marriage contests. What traits are these contestants looking for in the opposite sex? Appearance, chemistry, and a sense of humor probably top the list, along with ambition, success, and money. Abraham and Isaac looked at marriage differently. AbrahamContinue reading “What Are You Looking for in a Spouse?”
BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A RIB? Genesis 2:21-24.
I had a childhood argument with the girl next-door. She said girls had more ribs than boys because God had taken one of Adam’s ribs to make Eve, and ever since… Of course, that’s as silly as her belief that thunder was the sound of God bowling. Humans have 24 ribs. But how many couldContinue reading “BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A RIB? Genesis 2:21-24.”
THE PARADE OF THE ANIMALS. Genesis 2:19-20.
Twice the Bible records the same miracle: all the animals line up in parade formation and march. How many paintings are there in Sunday schools and doctors’ offices showing animals streaming toward the S.S. Noah, beasts of every shape and size, calmly moving in neat lines, more well-behaved than shoppers on Black Friday? But thatContinue reading “THE PARADE OF THE ANIMALS. Genesis 2:19-20.”
THE COMPLEMENT AT THE CENTER OF CREATION. Genesis 2:18-23.
Genesis 1 is a symphony—beginning quietly, a single oboe smoking out a note, clarinets join, more wind instruments, some strings, cello and bass, violins, a bit of percussion. The organ creates a pavement of sound, a foundation for a massive edifice, and the whole thing swirls and swells growing louder, faster, over 100 instruments now,Continue reading “THE COMPLEMENT AT THE CENTER OF CREATION. Genesis 2:18-23.”
Household Words: 