Don't Mess with "Text-Us"

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Ex 3:5

Texas has some tough laws. Some may even consider them unreasonable. Why, just think of the drastic steps that have been taken to protect children. Of all things! For example, cell phone use – of any kind – is prohibited in local Texas school zones. A driver can be fined up to $200, not just for texting, but even just for talking, while passing through these areas. Can you believe that? Don’t the police and the courts understand how urgent that message to a friend may be? It could involve sports … or shopping … or even dinner plans!

You know I’m speaking facetiously. Children are worth more than all the text messages in the world. No one would knowingly maim or kill an innocent boy or girl for the sake of a phone call or text. Those who have been responsible for such tragedies are overwhelmed with guilt and regret. If they only had it to do over again, they would not do it at all.

Though people supposedly have common sense, laws are still necessary. Why? People think that they won’t cause an accident, because they are smart, safe, and careful. So tough Texas laws protect everyone, threatening “only” a $200 fine, in an effort to prevent the greater cost of a child’s life.

Here’s a shocker. Survey results released in April, 2013, indicate that more adults are texting while driving than teenagers. Nearly half of all adults surveyed by AT&T say that they're using their smartphones to send text messages or check their emails while they're behind the wheel of a car, even though almost all of them agree that the practice is unsafe. By comparison, about 43 percent of teenagers cited in an earlier USA Today survey admitted that they text and drive. And as National Safety Council representative John Ulczycki pointed out to the newspaper, "[You're] looking at around 10 million teen drivers, but about 180 million other adult drivers." Source: http://www.leftlanenews.com/study-adults-more-likely-to-fess-up-to-texting-while-driving-than-teens.html.

There are also rules about cell phone use at many local movie theaters, though much less is at stake than a human life. Our family saw a movie a couple of weeks ago. Among the announcements about popcorn and restrooms, there was a dire public warning and prohibition against cell phone use during the film. If you had an emergency message, you had to step out of the theater so as not to distract other patrons. If you insisted on talking or texting inside the theater, with the movie playing, officials would identify you and evict you! Why? People think that their message is so important that, even if it does distract others, it’s worth it.

On a recent flight from Dallas to Nashville, I was seated next to a young, sharp executive who worked with Bausch and Lomb, the optical company. Believe it or not, after hearing repeated instructions to disable all cell phones for take-off, he carefully hid his phone from the attendant with his neck, shoulder, and hand. He kept on talking in a low voice. He apparently decided that his business call was more important than any possible interference with the airplane’s microwave-based take-off equipment.

So cell phones can distract drivers, movie-goers, and airline passengers. What about Christians who are determined to seek things above and worship God without distraction? I’m not referring to those cool apps that let people read the Bible on their phones. I’m asking about the temptation to text, tweet, or check Facebook while trying to connect with a holy God.

If people won’t mess with Texas, because they don’t want to pay a $200 fine, why would Christians mess with God? If a cell phone keeps me from drawing close to God, what does it cost me? What does it cost others around me who are also distracted? Is it worth it?

If God is jealous, and He will not tolerate other things that rival Him for my attention, what does he think about cell phones in worship?

The Lord told Moses at the burning bush to remove his sandals, because His presence made that ground holy. What might He have said if Moses had pulled out a cell phone to retrieve a text from someone else, or to send one?

I’m not going to let my phone distract me or anyone else from drawing near to God. It’s just not worth what it costs. Help me, Lord, to seek and to serve You with all my heart!

Marriage Success Strategies: 4. Reboot

This post is the fourth in a series.

Can you remember how happy you were when you first married? You began a thrilling new adventure, filled with excitement, eagerness, and anticipation. You were madly in love. Every day – every moment – was special. There were no angry words, violent deeds, or episodes of selfish pouting. There were no arguments about money, material possessions, annoying personal habits, or anything else. It was, after all, the honeymoon.

However, the word “honeymoon” originally referred to the initial sweetness of wedded bliss (“honey”), that was typically expected to last only a month (“moon”)! Well, whether a week, a month, or even a couple of years, that first sense of euphoria can give way over time to complacency, laziness, and indifference. It can even turn into resentment, hostility, and divorce.

For some fun and truth mixed together, see the “Seven Stages of the Married Cold.” http://www.skywriting.net/inspirational/humor/the_married_cold.html

When a computer or network becomes sluggish or is infected with a virus, the “System Restore” function makes it lean, clean, and new once more. The same kind of step may work to revitalize and rejuvenate your marriage. Don’t give it the boot; give it the reboot!

Today is the first day of the rest – and potentially the best – of your married life. Decide to start over – right now. Whatever the past, there is hope for the future, depending on the choices you make in the present. The Bible is all about rebooting. When Noah and his family left the ark, they restarted their lives in a clean, fresh world. When the Israelites were oppressed in Egypt, God gave them an “extreme makeover,” a new beginning in the Promised Land. After the seventy-year exile in Babylon, God brought the people of Judah home – again.

After Simon Peter’s denials the resurrected Lord met him near where the disciples were fishing. He asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” Peter could answer afresh, leaving the past behind and starting over. And so he did.

Researches agree that marriages tend to go through seven stages. They are:

Excitement: enjoying the honeymoon.

Realization: becoming aware of imperfection.

Rebellion: fighting to get some independence back.

Cooperation: working together to raise the kids and pay the bills.

Reunion: drawing closer after the nest becomes empty.

Explosion: dealing with crises, such as loss of job or health.

Completion: reaching the end of this life, with peace and accomplishment.

For details see: http://www.paklinks.com/gs/life-and-relationships/578832-7-stages-of-marriage.html.

How do you reboot your marriage?

● Seek first the kingdom. Matt 6:33

The strongest glue between any two people is the unity of spirit they can share in the Lord. It will sustain them through the toughest times and strongest storms. Over time, though, struggling couples stop praying, worshiping, and studying the Bible together. Solution? Get in the Word, on your knees, and in the church. The closer you are to Jesus, the closer your spouse will want to be to you. As you follow Him, your wife or husband will naturally receive a better mate as a result.

● Revisit your happy, early days. Gen 29:20

The seven years that Jacob worked to get Rachel seemed to him but a few days, because of the love he had for her. You likely remember that feeling as well. What happened to it? How, when, and why? What would it take to get it back?

● Open your heart. 2 Cor 6:11-13

Paul recognized that the Corinthians had become strained in their affections toward him. They withheld their love, their warmth, and their attention. The same thing happens in marriages. Couples allow misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and past words and deeds to shut down the openness they once shared. They drift apart because they no longer talk and listen. If they would clear the debris and remove the blockage, their spirits could be one again.

● Build and strengthen trust every day. 1 Cor 4:2

          As a steward Paul sought first to be faithful or trustworthy. Trust can take only a moment to be destroyed but a lifetime to try to rebuild. For a marriage to reboot each spouse must determine, “Starting today, and every day, I will earn and maintain your trust regarding where I am, what I am doing, and who I am with. I will never give you reason to doubt my inetgrity and fidelity.”

● Ask. Don’t assume. Eph 4:29

When a marriage is in a rut, spouses take each other for granted. Each assumes that the other knows his or her thoughts, feelings, and needs. Pride keeps them from seeking each other’s help and counsel. To reboot your marriage, learn what your spouse feels and needs. Listen more than you talk. Admit what you don’t know. Follow Eph 4:29, speaking only words that encourage, offer grace, and build up.

● Honor her or him above yourself. 1 Pet 3:7-8

Prov 31:10 notes that an excellent wife is worth than rubies. A marriage can start fresh when spouses recognize each other’s value. Starting today, they express both publicly and privately, “You mean more to me than any other person on earth.” Do you want to reboot your marriage? Make your mate feel appreciated, affirmed, and esteemed.

● Do not expect perfection. Ps 103:8-9, 14

Since the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, should we not be the same? Since he does not keep his anger forever, how can we? Since he knows our frame, and remembers that we are dust, shall we not treat our spouses likewise?

● Give more than you take. Give whatever it takes. Matt 5:41

Unhappy marriages involve spouses who are scorekeepers; they are out to be sure they get the most points. Renewed marriages focus on giving instead. Unhappy marriages fail due to lack of commitment. People decide in advance what they are willing to give, and then they quit. Rebooted marriages thrive on sacrifice, patience, and kindness. They flourish with thoughtfulness, tenderness, and unselfishness.

● Model Christ and the church. Eph 5:22-33

Marriages disintegrate because men will not take the spiritual lead and  / or women will not follow their lead. When the husband parallels Christ as the loving head, and the wife reflects the church as the submitted bride, their marriage can start fresh and stay that way.

● Make the most of every day. Heb 3:13

Live so that, at the end of every day, your spouse will say, “I’m so glad God gave you to me. I’d say, ‘I do,’ all over again!” As Clint Back wrote: “When I said I do, I meant that I will 'til the end of all time, Be faithful and true, devoted to you. That's what I had in mind when I said I do.” I also love these words from the Forester Sisters: “I'd choose you again. I'd choose you again. If God gave me the chance to do it all again, oh, I'd carefully consider every choice and then, out of all the boys in the world, I'd choose you again.”

Cory Collins

http://corycollins.net/

Is the Pope Our “Holy Father?”

This article is not intended to question anyone’s sincerity or religious zeal. Rather it is designed to address people’s questions in a fair, objective, and biblical manner. Please read it in the spirit in which it is written, as an attempt to “speak the truth in love.”

“… you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and He is in heaven.” Matt 23:8-9

Many are talking about the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the choice of his successor, Pope Francis. Should the church, as Christ established it, have a pope (meaning “papa”)? We must ask first, “Is the Bible the only source of religious authority? If so, what does the Bible teach – or not teach – about the papacy?”

When we lived in New York in September, 1978, the New York Post headline surprised me with a headline regarding Pope John Paul I that read, “Holy Father Dies.” The use of that phrase to describe a man caught me off guard. In Roman Catholic teaching the phrase “Holy Father” refers not only to God in heaven, but also to the pope on earth. Is that right? Is the papacy a New Testament office? Is one man to be regarded as the “papa” of the entire “Catholic” (meaning “universal”) church? Does God reveal doctrine through the pope that is not in the Bible? Was Simon Peter the head of the early church, or even the rock on which Christ built it?

Various claims have been made regarding the pope throughout the years. The Catholic catechism, which contains summaries of their teachings and principles, may be accessed here: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm. Among its statements we find the following:

882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered." http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/882.htm

936 The Lord made St. Peter the visible foundation of his Church. He entrusted the keys of the Church to him. The bishop of the Church of Rome, successor to St. Peter, is "head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and Pastor of the universal Church on earth" (CIC, can. 331). http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/936.htm

937 The Pope enjoys, by divine institution, "supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls" (CD 2). http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/937.htm

By contrast, however, Simon Peter described himself as simply a man, a servant, an apostle, a fellow elder, and a witness of Christ’s sufferings (Acts 10; 1-2 Peter). The papacy emerged centuries later, as the evolving Roman church wanted a single leader to parallel the Roman Emperor. The Council of Nicaea in AD 325 decreed that the bishops of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome had superior authority over others. In AD 590 Gregory the Great, the bishop of Rome, in a conflict with the bishop of Constantinople, claimed universal jurisdiction over Christendom. Great efforts have been made to trace a direct succession of popes from later times backwards to Simon Peter. The list has been revised several times, with disputed results. In AD 1409 there were actually three popes at the same time in different locations, each excommunicating the other two and their supporters.

Other questions also arise. Since Peter was first an apostle, how can a non-apostle be eligible to fill his shoes? Why was Peter himself never called “papa” or “pope?” If Peter was the apostle Paul’s father and head, how could Paul approach him as an equal and rebuke him (Gal 2)? Why does each pope choose a new name for himself? Is this thought to follow Jesus’ designation of Simon as “Peter?” If Peter’s role as “head of the church” continues through successive generations, why would his replacement not also be called “Peter” or “rock” (as the term means), instead of “pope” or “papa?”

Why don’t the other apostles’ roles also continue today? Since Peter was a married man (Mark 1:30-31; 1 Cor 9:5), why is the pope today required to be celibate? If the pope can speak ex cathedra (from the chair of authority), why does the current pope not appoint his own successor with the Holy Spirit’s guidance? If he were to do this before he died or resigned, would that not seem simple, reasonable, and consistent? Why is the new pope chosen instead through a democratic election process? Why does each pope choose a new name for himself? Is this thought to follow Jesus’ designation of Simon as “Peter?”

The Lord’s church has but one head, Christ Himself (Eph 1:22-23). It has but one “Holy Father,” in heaven (Matt 23:9). It is founded, not on Peter, but on the bedrock truth about Jesus that Peter confessed (Matt 16:16).” Peter used the keys of the kingdom, not at the pearly gates of heaven, but here on earth to open the door to Jews (Jerusalem, Acts 2) and Gentiles (Cornelius, Acts 10).

Put another way, the office of “Holy Father” is already filled – by the God of heaven. He was not chosen by human voting or election. He will never grow old, become weak, resign, or need to be replaced.

Cory Collins

http://corycollins.net/

Should I Start Drinking? If So, Why?

When it comes to the use of alcohol, more and more sincere Christians seem to reason, “The Bible does not say not to!” They figure that, since the Jews of Jesus’ day drank at least small amounts of alcohol diluted with water, alcohol itself is not inherently evil. Therefore, they say, drinking in moderation is a matter of personal preference today. They ask, “Why not drink?”

I’d like to ask a different question. Instead of asking, “Why not?” I’d like to ask, “Why?” Is there a strong, convincing reason for me to start drinking? Will anyone say, “Cory, you really ought to start drinking, and this is the reason?” So far, no one has proposed anything strong enough to get me started.

In first-century Judea, there was just such a reason. The water was contaminated and unsafe to drink. As Tom Standage points out in his epilogue to A History of the World in 6 Glasses (New York: Walker & Company, 2005, p. 269), The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 80% of all world illnesses are caused by waterborne diseases. Jason Freewalt writes, “Contaminants such as human waste, animal waste, and chemicals cause deadly diseases and/or make water unfit to drink.” http://www.freewalt.com/freewaltfamily/jason_erika/documents/Essay3-JasonFreewalt-4358488-HIST510A001Spr13-OvercomingContaminatedWaterinAncientTimes.pdf

In such situations in ancient times the addition of a little alcohol purified the water so that it could be used. I understand that. It makes sense. In such cases, a little alcohol was not optional. It was essential.

However, one is hard-pressed today to find any equally compelling reason to start drinking. Some might try to make a case for the alleged health or sleep benefits of drinking a little wine. However, I know personally of an outstanding preacher and Christian college president who secretly began drinking “a little” wine to help him deal with stress. Over time he increased his usage, and while driving he eventually killed two women and injured a third as a result. His true story helped me decide not even to start without some very strong reason that would be worth the risk. So far I have not found it.

Why do people begin drinking? Perhaps they want to be social or to experience a high. They want to have a good time and to fit in with their peers. Perhaps they grew up in a home or a culture where it seemed that “everyone did it.” Perhaps their parents said “no,” and they with their friends thought they had to prove themselves.

Most start when they are young. They are often first exposed to alcohol in their own homes, by their own parents. The older a non-drinker is, the harder it is to convince him or her to start drinking. People over time seem to realize that, even if they could start, they do not need to start. In the first century it was essential. In our own day it is not. So my first question is not, “Could I?” My first question is, “Should I?”

Yes, one may say, “The Bible does not say not to!” The same can be said of other practices as well. In such cases we must exercise wisdom and judgment.

“The Bible does not say that I cannot smoke just one cigarette, or even a pack.” That may be true, but I just do not think it’s smart for me to do it. I ask, “Why should I?” Plain old common sense and my doctor tell me to avoid tobacco and nicotine.

"The Bible does not say that I cannot have most of my body tattooed.” How should we answer that? We may consider Lev 19:28 and its application today, but I still want to ask, “Why should I? What would be the purpose?” I just cannot find a compelling reason.

“The Bible does not say that I cannot blow $20 on lottery tickets, just for an evening’s entertainment.” That may be true, but I cannot find a good reason to try it. The thrill of the lottery comes from the exciting idea that I might win or gain something for little or nothing. I would support the gambling industry by doing so. Perhaps I could try that, but again I ask, “Why should I?”

In my youth I heard, “You must not start drinking alcohol because …” Various reasons were given. These included the Bible’s warnings about alcohol, the potential loss of one’s influence, and the financial cost. I was warned against supporting the alcohol industry, about the association of alcohol with various sins, and about the link between alcohol and disease and death. I was told that 50% of all traffic fatalities involved the use of alcohol, for example. I heard of people who started drinking socially but eventually lost their jobs and their families as their alcohol use increased. I was taught that drunkenness was a sin, and that I would never become drunk if I never started drinking. All of that made sense to me. Frankly, it still does.

One of my high school classmates began drinking with his buddies behind the stands at football games. He thought it was cool, and he gained “friends” by providing them with enough to go around. One thing led to another, and he became a drunk and a drug addict. Now he is clean. Imagine someone saying to him today, “You know, the Bible does not forbid you to start drinking again!” Does anyone think he should?

In my own life I have watched and learned from his experience and the experience of others. Could I drink? My response is, “Tell me why I should.”

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. Prov 20:1

Marriage Success Strategies:3. Honor

This post is the third in a series.

According to Patricia McGerr, writing in the February, 1988, Reader’s Digest, Johnny Lingo was a shrewd Polynesian trader who visited the Kiniwata Island in the Pacific. He was looking for a wife, and he met a young, single woman named Sarita. The custom was that a man would offer a girl’s father two or three cows as a gift when he asked for her hand in marriage. Some eligible young ladies brought more beef than others! Lingo did what most considered unthinkable. He gave Sarita’s father eight cows. Eight cows! The wedding took place, and she was known from that point on as the “eight-cow woman.” That may not be the most desirable nickname, but the effect was powerful. Sarita held her head higher, stood taller, and faced life more confidently just because of what her husband thought she was worth. 
Source: http://www.ultimatehusband.com/8cow_wife.htm

What would it do for your marriage, for your spouse, and even for you, if you dedicated yourself to honoring your mate? The fact is that every word and every action in every marriage is a value statement. We put a price tag on our wife or husband by the way we treat her or him every day.

The Word of God specifically commands men as follows. “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Pet 3:7, ESV).

In a failing marriage, at least one person feels dishonored, undervalued, mistreated, and disrespected. Words are caustic and strike below the belt. Body language and tone also intimidate, cut down, and dishonor.

● “I can’t believe you’re so dumb! Don’t you know better than that?”

● “You look ridiculous in that outfit! Why can’t you dress like her?”

● “You know, the guy I could have married makes a lot more money than you! Why don’t you do something important with your life?”

● “You bought WHAT? Don’t you have any sense at all?”

● “No wonder you have turned out like you have, considering how awful / rude / ugly / selfish / mean / stingy your mother (or father) is.”

● “You are an embarrassment to me.”

● “You’ll never amount to anything.”

● “You never do anything right.”

● “What was I thinking when I married you?”

● “I told my best friend how lazy and selfish you are. He (or she) agreed.”

In a failing marriage, the message is, “You are worthless, insignificant, unintelligent, inferior, and useless.”

The children learn from their parents how to dishonor others in order to get their way. They disobey their teachers. They hurt and yell at their siblings. They mock, mimic, and ridicule people in authority. They become bullies. In their fights, the one who hurts the other the most is the winner. They are just doing to others what Mom or Dad has done to the other parent, and to the children as well.

Many times people dishonor their mates because they feel like failures themselves. “Misery loves company.” People who dislike themselves can be very effective at finding fault with others. Then the marriage can become a contest to see who can depreciate the other the most and the fastest.

In a successful marriage, both spouses choose the opposite approach instead. Each determines, “Today I will place the highest value I possibly can on my mate. I will affirm, uplift, and reinforce him or her. I will go first and take the initiative. I will continue to honor him or her, regardless of circumstances or challenges, because I honor the Lord by doing so.”

There are countless ways to express this idea in marriage. Time invested, gifts of genuine appreciation, and sharing in the other person’s interest all say, “You are an eight-cow woman!” Bringing coffee, opening a door, squeezing an arm, and holding hands are simple but clear signals that say, “You are precious to me.” Here are some specific words that honor, also.

● “I can’t get over it! Of all the people you could have married, you chose me! I am most blessed to get to spend this life with you.”

● “I appreciate the things you do over and over to help keep our family going. You wash the dishes, mow the grass, take our kids to school, etc. I notice, and I am determined not to take you for granted.”

● “I could never pay you what you’re worth to me.”

● “I value your time and your patience. I know that sometimes I nag and complain. I’m sorry. You’re worth so much more to me than that.”

● “My goal is to become the man or woman who deserves you.”

● “You are such an influential role model for our son (or daughter). I’m so glad that he (or she) has you for a father (or mother).”

● “I really admire you because …”

● “I value your opinion, and I’d really like to hear what you think.”

● “I have noticed how sweet / thoughtful / generous / kind your mother (or father) can be. I am thankful for your family’s good qualities.”

● “I told my best friend how thoughtful, supportive, and unselfish you are. He (or she) agreed.”

Children learn the honor principle from their parents. They “honor father and mother” as the Bible teaches. They respect authority in the home, in the school, in the streets, and in the church. They bring the honor principle into their own marriages, and the cycle continues.

Do you want a successful, happy marriage? Just decide what it’s worth to you, and what your spouse is worth, and act accordingly.

Cory Collins

Marriage Success Strategies: 2. Ask

This post is the second in a series.

Have you ever taken your car to a mechanic, or taken yourself to a doctor, and heard the “expert” begin by asking you questions? As you listen, the idea dawns on you, “If I had asked these things myself much earlier, found the answers, and implemented them, I might have avoided this car repair or health checkup entirely!”

So it goes with marriage. A troubled couple, on the brink of divorce, visits a counselor. He or she asks the husband and wife some questions. They are very predictable and quite easy to understand. “What issues have you faced?” “How have you tried to resolve them?” “What steps could you take to draw closer to God and one another?”

The ironic thing is that this couple could have asked themselves these questions much earlier and saved a lot of grief!

Unhappy couples, however, practice a “Don’t ask; don’t tell” policy. They do not seek ways to improve. They do not indicate what they really need to make the marriage thrive. They drift apart, and they lose their love.

It’s simple but true. No one knows what your spouse needs but your spouse. You will not know unless you ask. When you do ask, he or she will greatly appreciate it and will almost certainly tell you!

Here are some powerful questions that will get you started. You may pick just two or three. You may add others. Husband, be the leader by asking your wife first and by listening very carefully to her responses.

● In our happiest days together, what do you think we were doing right? Together, let’s come up with three to five “success” areas.

● When – in what circumstances – do you feel that we have been the closest? What were we doing that made it work?

● If we were to set aside an hour each day, and a date night each week, how would you like to spend that time?

● How could we develop a clearer spiritual focus? What steps could we take together to pray more, discuss Scripture more, and grow more?

● When we married, what primary needs did you think I would meet? Suggest three to five of these. (The list from Willard Harley’s book, His Needs, Her Needs, includes these: affection, conversation, honesty and openness, financial commitment, family commitment, sexual fulfillment, recreational companionship, an attractive spouse, domestic support, and admiration. You may choose some of these or add your own.)

● Which of these needs could I try to meet more effectively? How can I improve? Please, just one at a time!

● What could I do this week – or even today – to show you that I am genuinely trying to improve in this area?

● If I actually do improve, will you then commend me and encourage me?

● How can I better support you in your role as the mother (or father) of our children? Be specific.

● How can we work together better in raising our children? Be specific.

● How (1 to 10) would you rate the trust in our marriage? Why?

● How can I improve the trust in our marriage?

● How (1 to 10) would you rate the communication in our marriage? Why?

● How can I improve the communication in our marriage?

● How (1 to 10) would you rate the intimacy (closeness) in our marriage? Why?

● How can I improve the intimacy (closeness) in our marriage?

● Now that I have asked you, and I have listened attentively, would you ask me these same questions and show me the same respect?

Do you want a successful, happy marriage? It’s waiting for you. Just ask.

Cory Collins

Ten Minutes to a Better Day - and a Better Life

Eph 5:16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

Time is precious. Some say, “Time is money.” Like money, one can and must manage time carefully. Like each dollar, each minute can only be spent on one thing. Like currency, time that is lost is gone. Like money, two people rarely have the same amount of time on this earth. People speak of killing time, having time on their hands, making up for lost time, and time running out. Time is thought to heal all wounds. TV viewers have heard for years, "Like sands through the hourglass... so are the Days of Our Lives."

On April 1 (is there some irony here?) in 2010 I began my return home from a mission trip to South Africa. I was eager to get back in time to see our daughter's three school performances. I flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg, South Africa, on South African Airways. The flight left about 45 minutes late, due to previous weather delays. Once we deplaned, I sped eagerly to the other terminal to catch my overseas Delta flight to Atlanta. It was to leave at 8:20 p.m., and I was at the ticket counter at 7:30. Plenty of time, right? Wrong! Boarding had ended just ten minutes earlier. The woman at the Delta desk smiled kindly and politely while shaking her head and saying, “No!”

She sent me to “customer service” (is there more irony here?). There I was offered a new ticket, for the same flight, 24 hours later! Of course, there would be a $250 fee for this adjustment. Perhaps the other airline, South African, would pay the penalty, since it was their plan that was late. They might book me on their own overseas flight, or … or …

The South African agent was most gracious and apologetic. Their U.S. flights would have taken me all over the place, and I would not have arrived at my final destination any earlier than Delta’s next-night flight. But they would put me in a first-class hotel overnight and provide three lavish meals. They would also get me a Delta ticket and cover the $250 fee.

My frustration turned to peace, as I realized that this was out of my control. I was in God’s hands. Certainly all was not lost; I would see Charissa’s university program only twice instead of three times. I needed a day’s rest. Of course, I did not need the calories from the three meals, but how could I refuse this obvious gift of God’s providence? I ate well!

It was just ten minutes, but that short time affected the next twenty-four hours. It made me wonder: “What could I do in any ten-minute period that would impact the long future, or even the rest of this particular day?” I could make a phone call or write a card. I could contact a non Christian or an inactive one. I could memorize one Bible verse. I could pray for my wife and children.

Rom 13:11-12 says, Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Say, do you have ten minutes?

Cory Collins

http://corycollins.net/