What if You Suddenly Died?

             

        Several years ago, a woman at the place of my employment received a devastating telephone call. Her husband was killed in an automobile accident while travelling for a work assignment. The woman was absent from work for about a week for bereavement and funeral leave.

        When she returned to work, she was still obviously very withdrawn and possibly in a state of depression. Unlike some, she was willing to talk. After relaying my sympathies to her, what I said next seems to have greatly improved her mood. 

        I told her that she could be proud that, when her husband died, he was where he was supposed to have been and was doing what he was supposed to have been doing.  He was a man of honor, fulfilling his responsibilities.  His wife smiled.

        If you had a sudden massive heart attack and died on the spot, what would you want your wife and children to be told? That you died on your way to a scheduled business meeting or that you lied to them and died while having sex with a prostitute?

Casein Protein Intolerance

             Agalee Jacob, a Canadian dietitian and diabetes educator. says. " Lactose intolerance , which is an intolerance to the sugar found in milk, is one of the most common food intolerances, but an intolerance to casein can sometimes cause similar symptoms." Casein is a milk protein rather than a sugar. Milk to most people is a harmless and tasty food ingredient. To persons with a milk product intolerance it is basically a poison.
             Intolerances to food products which most people can safely consume. can, in the intolerant individual almost instant bloating, cramping,. flatulence. and diarrhea.Sufferers acn experience either or both of these food intolerances.
             It is possible to purchase lactose-free products which can be safely consumed by the lactose intolerant person but not all of these products are also casein-free. An example is a "dairy free" coffee creamer which contains "casein. a milk derivative."
             In our lives as Christians, many things are tasty and pleasant but they can also sometimes cause discomfort or even intense pain. Sports.our occupations, literature. culinary adventures, travel, etc, can all be positive and fulfilling experiences. When they are allowed to become obsessions that interfere with our family and Christian duties. they can cause injury in our lives. Anything which distracts us enough to make us less useful to our families and to our Lord is damaging.
              Oddly enough. some Christians unintentionally cause severe injury in their families their personal lives. and in their relationship with the Lord. when they become obsessive about "church work.
               These are people who are unable to say "no" to any church related request. It is important to understand that God is not the one asking you to be involved in EVERY church project or activity. Often, when you try to do too much you end up accomplishing very little and you may cause emotional and spiritual injury to yourself and others along the way. How does it honor God for you to perform forty-five church projects at the cost of neglecting your husband and your children? Your emotional and spiritual burnout does not honor God. It makes you less useful to Him.
               It is much better to choose two or three activities into which you feel especially led by the Lord and to do them excellently without neglecting yourself or your family.

Another Update on the Karen Shahan Murder Case

The Karen Shahan Murder investigation just continues to become more and more bizarre.  The case has not yet gone to trial so more information will probably follow.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2541359/Pastor-53-arrested-airport-stabbing-wife-death-heading-Europe-marry-boyfriend.html

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2014/01/richard_shahan_allegations_abo.html

“…. I’d like to think there is a heaven.”

Billy Crystal (b. 1948) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and film director.  He has hosted the Academy Awards nine times and has appeared in numerous classic comedic films.  He recently released a memoir, "Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My keys?"

In a recent USA Today interview he mentions his love for his wife of forty-three years.  “… we laugh a lot. Janice has always made me laugh.  … I can’t bear to think of life without her.  I want to go first because I don’t want to miss her.  I’d like to think there is a heaven, and it will start from the happiest day in your life.  I’ll be 18, and Janice Goldfinger will walk by me in a bikini, and I will follow her, and it will start all over again.”

“….  I’d like to think there is a heaven.”  How sad it is that he does not know.

The First Meal As a Married Couple

"A couple sat down to eat their first meal as newlyweds.  The wife said, "today I learned how to make meat loaf and chocolate cake."

The husband looked at his plate and said, "That's great, honey!  Which one is this?"

From the Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.

Names in the Bible: Hosea

The name of the Hebrew prophet Hosea (8^th Century BC/BCE, ca. 780-725) is derived from the Hebrew word for “salvation.”  Hosea and his adulterous wife, Gomer, are seen by biblical interpreters as symbolic of Yahweh and Israel.  Just as Gomer ran away to another man, God declared that Israel was chasing after other gods.  The gods were affluence, Canaanite religions, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and magical practices.

Hosea named his daughter Lo-ruhama, meaning “not pitied.”  His son he named Lo-ammi, meaning “not my people.”  Both names expressed God’s displeasure. With Israel.

What happened next is also symbolic of God and Israel.  Hosea brought Gomer back and with love and patience, restored her to her proper place.  He remained true to her in spite of her unfaithfulness.  His love was redemptive.

Christians believe that what is taught of God and Israel speaks also to them, those grafted into the tree.  The relationship between redeemed man and God is seen as an ideal marriage.  Because of our limited ability to understand, God speaks to us in powerful symbols we can understand.

The names Joshua (Hebrew: Yehoshua) and Jesus (Hebrew: Yeshua) are derived from the same word as Hosea/Hoshea and ultimately mean “Yahweh is salvation.” 

A Wedding Hope

“I hope you realize what a generous and giving person you are marrying,” the bride’s father said to the groom.

“I do sir!” said the groom. “And I hope she inherited those fine qualities from her father.”

“From The Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”

Crossed Messages

“A preacher died.  Shortly thereafter a man with the same name went on a business trip to a southern state.  He sent a telegram to his wife, but it was delivered to the preacher’s wife by mistake.  It said, “Arrived safely.  Sure is hot here!”

“From The Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”

She Listened to the Lord

Kylie Bisutti won her dream job as a Victoria 's Secret lingerie model in 2009 in a competition with 10,000 other models.  In 2012, she quit the financially lucrative position because she had come under conviction that the lifestyle she was leading was in conflict with her Christianity .  She is still a model, but now it is not in her underwear.   She had become convinced that "My body should be only for my husband and it's just a sacred thing."

The Acrostic in Proverbs 31:10-31

Acrostics are an artificial literary form, not hidden Bible Codes.  They were a favored poetic convention in Hebrew poetry and represented conscious effort on the part of the writer to place the text into a complex pattern while still retaining its readability and meaning.

In Proverbs 31:10-31,  "tThe Excelent Wife" passage, the initial letters of the Hebrew verses go successively through the Hebrew alphabet in the correct sequence. In languages other than Hebrew, the word order appears to be random.  In the English below, the initial words of each Hebrew line are in BOLD text.

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

The Hebrew text below, with the first letters of each line in Bold text, makes the acrostic clear:

אשת־חיל מי ימצא ורחק מפנינים מכרה׃

בטח בה לב בעלה ושלל לא יחסר׃

גמלתהו טוב ולא־רע כל ימי חייה׃

דרשה צמר ופשתים ותעש בחפץ כפיה׃

היתה כאניות סוחר ממרחק תביא לחמה׃

ותקם בעוד לילה ותתן טרף לביתה וחק לנערתיה׃

זממה שדה ותקחהו מפרי כפיה [כ= נטע] [ק= נטעה] כרם׃

חגרה בעוז מתניה ותאמץ זרעותיה׃

טעמה כי־טוב סחרה לא־יכבה [כ= בליל] [ק= בלילה] נרה׃

ידיה שלחה בכישור וכפיה תמכו פלך׃

כפה פרשה לעני וידיה שלחה לאביון׃

לא־תירא לביתה משלג כי כל־ביתה לבש שנים׃

מרבדים עשתה־לה שש וארגמן לבושה׃

 נודע בשערים בעלה בשבתו עם־זקני־ארץ׃

סדין עשתה ותמכר וחגור נתנה לכנעני׃

עז־והדר לבושה ותשחק ליום אחרון׃

פיה פתחה בחכמה ותורת־חסד על־לשונה׃

צופיה הליכות ביתה ולחם עצלות לא תאכל׃

קמו בניה ויאשרוה בעלה ויהללה׃

רבות בנות עשו חיל ואת עלית על־כלנה׃

שקר החן והבל היפי אשה יראת־יהוה היא תתהלל׃

תנו־לה מפרי ידיה ויהללוה בשערים מעשיה׃

"The New York Same Sex Marriage Vote" Revisited, #4

On 28 June 2011, I posted "The New York Same-Sex Marriage Vote" and promised, "More on tax-exempt status, homosexuality, persecution, and marriage later."  Today, marriage.

"Because the Bible says so" doesn't hold much water with the rest of the world.  The world doesn't, for the most part, accept our values.  Most people in Western countries think that marriage is between a man and a woman because that is how it "just is," "that's the way it has always been."  That is, of course, not actually true.

Marriage worldwide has taken many forms: multiple husbands for a single wife; multiple wives for a single husband; one man, one woman for life; group marriage of multiple husbands and multiple wives all of whom "belong" to everyone; serial marriages to individual spouses; "open" marriages into which other persons may be temporarily inserted for sex; marriages for legal purposes in which the "spouses" might never even meet one another; marriages between children and adults; wives who may be "shared"with visitors as a form of polite hospitality; a form of prostitution called "comfort marriages" in which men marry and then divorce the wife in a single afternoon so their sexual relations will not be considered to be illegitimate; and many other variations.  

For the Christian, the words of Jesus in the Bible are authoritative.


"And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."  Matthew 19:4-6


I predict that we will eventually lose the battle over same-sex marriage.  Remember that the world does not share our values, except incidentally.  The modern argument is that there are no absolute values; nothing is always true; there may not even be such a thing as "truth.".  Your "truth" may not be my "truth."


Public opinion can be easily swayed by seemingly reasonable arguments about "fairness."
We are called to obey the truth as given to us by God, not as determined by the changing opinions of men.  We must understand that this will in no way convince the rest of the world and they may react very negatively to us.  We must decide which we value more, the opinion of other people or the opinion of God.  This makes our choice very simple and,  possibly, very difficult.


A possible option if we eventually lose the legal battle over same-sex marriage: drop our tax exemption status and continue to do what we know is right.  Hold religious wedding ceremonies which we consider to be binding and submit whatever civil paperwork is required to make our marriages "legal."


R. Albert Mohler, Jr., the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, speaks on this subject in "Evangelicals and the Gay Moral Revolution," an article appearing on page A13 in the Friday 1 July 2011 issue of The Wall Street Journal.  The chilling final sentence of the article is "We are about to find out just how much we believe the Gospel we so eagerly preach."

Bible Printer's Errors: The Wife-hater Bible

The 1810 Wife-hater Bible says something entirely different with the mistaken substitution of one word.

What it says:

“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own wife also, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

What it should have said:

“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

This verse is almost universally recognized to not be actually teaching literal hate for one's family.  It is hyperbolic language, the language of absoluteness, a conscious exaggeration for effect.  It's like saying "I hate liver!" (for other examples see Genesis 29:30-31 and Luke 16:13)

New blog added to list

I have added another blog to my blog list. Atypical Pastor's Wife.
http://atypicalpastorswife.blogspot.com/

Check out the excellent post, "Not Worth Nothin.'"

Some Points of Advice

1. Always read the fine print.
2. There really are sharks out there.
3. Don't ever assume that you know what someone else is thinking.
4. Always be transparent, especially with other Christians.
5. Politics will never solve the world's problems.
6. An attractive person/pornography/vices/sports/obsessive hobbies/work/career isn't worth ruining your marriage or losing the trust of your children.
7. Don't push your spouse or your children, encourage them.
8. Take credit if you deserve it; don't take blame if you didn't do it.
9. There is nothing edible about liver.
10. Know why you believe what you believe; because someone told you so isn't good enough.

Intimacy4us

I have added the website, www.intimacy4us.com, to the list of blogs and websites which I check regularly. Each of the websites and blogs on the list contributes to the theme of this blog that Christians should be and are represented in every legitimate human field of endeavor and are “on the loose;” “ακωλητοσ” (“unhindered”).

www.intimacy4us.com  is a site for married Christian women which is dedicated to fostering and enhancing their experience of physical, emotional, and spiritual intimacy with their husbands.

  __________________________________________________________________

Update on 31 July, 2026: the site may no longer be active but its focuses still are very relevant. There is no room or need for sexual hesitancy within a Christian marriage. Sexual intimacy in a marriage is absolutely holy and pure. Our great teacher, Paul, told us so in Hebrews 13:4. He describes Christian sexuality as ἀμίαντος. Strong's Concordance #283 translates this word as undefiled, unsoiled, untinted, innocent, and harmless.