Photo Scavenger Hunt

Stapler: In its happy place!

Reflections: Tree in a lake

Leap: flying leap from a tree!

Fears: Heights and falling...

Coffee: We don't drink it, so if you come to our house this is what you get!

Time: The sun high in the sky in the afternoon.

Squirrel: He was prowling around our campsite...

White Trash: This doesn't belong here!

Date: Assignment deadline.

Police: Well, Lego police - I don't get out much :)

Self Portrait: Yep, this is me!

Making a Statement: I don't like you!

A Memory: AE

Weather: Raindrops on a lake.

Broken: It used to be usable...

Green: Stay away from this green stuff!

Music

A Favorite Thing: my comforter with mountains, beach, and clouds!

A Tool: machete straight from the Dominican Republic.

Vanishing Point: Our driveway.

Funny: Just look at those faces! We were trying to figure out what John was trying to sell the other boys that got such a response.

Divorce and Remarriage - What Does God Say About it?

“I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.” Marriage is a covenant, a vow made before God; it is not to be made lightly or meant to be broken. God would rather people not make vows than make them and break them.

“Until death do us part,” is a commitment between a man and a woman to remain true and faithful throughout life, not “until divorce do us part.” No topic is probably quite as controversial today among Christians as that of divorce and remarriage. However, scripture is quite clear on this subject, outlining specific guidelines.

God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman for life. Genesis 2:24 says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” In Mark 10:9 Jesus said, “What therefore God hath put together, let not man put asunder.” In many cases where divorce occurs, God’s will was not sought before the marriage, or before the divorce. God’s will should be sought every step along the way.

Besides being against God’s will, who designed lifetime commitment and oneness, divorce has bad affects. If two pieces of cardboard are glued together and then allowed to dry, you cannot pull them apart without damaging either piece. Divorce is the same way; a divorce cannot occur without both people getting hurt, and if children are involved they will be hurt as well.

God is also clear about remarriage. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she commiteth adultery.” (Mark 10:11-12) Just because other people do it does not make it right. In the Mosaic Law, a command was given permitting divorce. However, Jesus explains this in the New Testament: “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.” Jesus continued, “And I say unto you, Whosoever [no exceptions] shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication [harlotry, adultery, or incest], and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”

Personally, I believe that divorce and remarriage are not scriptural, even if the person who wants to remarry was not the one at fault. While I have seen families who had a divorce and then remarried blessed, I do not believe that divorce and remarriage are God’s best. God’s will, not our changeable emotions should be the basis of all our decisions. If the other person is the problem, God can handle that; He is an expert at changing people.

Every Christian who is considering divorce or remarriage should consider the following questions: What kind of example is set when I divorce or remarry? Can the world see a difference in my life if I do this? Is God glorified through it?

"All of God's people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them." -Oswald Chambers

Time

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted..." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2.

An appointed time (season) is set for everything. Time is very important in God's economy, and every time is as important as another. It is just as important to plant, as to pluck up that which is planted. Both have a purpose in God's plan, though one seems joyous, and the other painful.
The time for what seems "bad" in my life is just as important as the time for what seems "good."

"He hath made everything beautiful in His time..." Ecclesiastes 3:11.
Everything is made beautiful in God's time. (Note: In God's time, not in my time).

God wants me to use my time wisely, not wasting it. It is very easy to waste time on things that are not important, and that do not glorify God. God wants my goal in the way I use my time to be His glory.