Last post of 2011 and some more quotes...

     I am getting a lot out of Tim Keller's book "The Meaning of Marriage."  This chapter dealt with speaking the truth in love and making sure grace was thrown in there.  Keller calls this a great power of marriage that makes it so attractive and effective.  Here are some quotes:


"Don't resist this power that marriage has.
Give your spouse the right to talk to you about what is wrong with you.
Paul talks about how Jesus 'washes' and 'cleanses' us of stains and blemishes.
Give your spouse the right to do that."

"When you see the problems in each other,
do you just want to run away,
or do you find a desire to work on them together?
If the second impulse is yours,
then you have the makings of a marriage."

"Truth without love ruins the oneness,
and love without truth gives the illusion of unity
but actually stops the journey and the growth.
The solution is grace."

"As long as you feel superior to someone,
feel like you are a much better kind of person,
you will find it very hard if not impossible to forgive."

"I don't know of anything more necessary in marriage
than the ability to forgive fully, freely, unpunishingly, from the heart."

     Tomorrow not only marks Sunday and another sermon but also the first day of 2012 and my attempt to blog every day next year.  So I would say be looking for a lot of variety coming from me.  I will continue to do health updates as they come along and developments on weekly sermons.  I also might post the audio of my sermons from time to time so if you are following my thought throughout the week you can listen to the completion on Sunday.  I got some trim boards for Christmas, so maybe so photos of completed projects around the house will make it here.

     I look forward to serving the Lord in 2012.  Most likely it will look differently from serving Him in 2011 but I think 2011 has shaped me to love Jesus more.  Happy New Year!!!

Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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