The Solberg Family

Helping Our Military: Finally Home to Family Campaign

2012-02-02T07:05:00.005-06:00

When I first heard “the military divorce rate is up 42% since the Afghanistan-Iraq Wars began in 2001”, I thought surely that was a mistake. Unfortunately, it is a fact backed up by research from 2011. Multiple deployments over the past 11 years have taken a serious toll on our military.

But you may say, “That is all coming to an end since our troops are coming home”. While we are thankful that many of our troops are coming home, the battle is far from over when a soldier returns home. Many soldiers are coming home wounded by Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) and other challenges from these long deployments. And most of these troops have not been deployed once or twice, but many times—some as many as a dozen or more during those 11 years. It is difficult for civilian couples to understand the stress of these multiple deployments. We have some friends with Military Ministry (www.milmin.org) that serve at Fort Hood in Texas. We are overcome at times with the stories we hear from them of the devastation they see from soldiers and their families left behind.

SPARKING A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT TO GIVE BACK TO OUR MILITARY: FamilyLife launched it’s Finally Home to Family campaign in early 2012 as we offer immediate assistance to military couples. We are asking everyone to give a $10 donation—this donation will be pooled with thousands of others to provide a 100% free registration for military couples to an “Art of Marriage” or “Weekend to Remember Getaway”. You can give your donation by (1) texting the word HOME to 28950, (2) by going to www.FinallyHomeToFamily.org, or (3) by calling FamilyLife at 1-800-FL-TODAY (358-6329). Thank you for your donation which we believe God will use in a mighty way to bring help and hope to these soldiers and their spouses and families!

NEXT STEPS TO HELP:

(1) Read more about the Finally Home to Family Campaign at www.FinallyHomeToFamily.org

(2) Make a $10 donation as outlined above to help provide a scholarship for a military couple.

(3) If your desire is for a specific military couple you know, contact FamilyLife (see number above) to purchase a gift certificate or a reduced rate military registration for a Weekend to Remember Getaway.

Contentment: Can we really be content?

2012-01-30T08:51:00.001-06:00

The church we attend is doing a sermon series called "The Secret". It is all about how we can be content by God's power with what He has given us even though our culture is always screaming we need "MORE"! It has been eye-opening to think about how much we are bombarded by the need for more stuff. In God's timing, I found the following article on contentment in our FamilyLife articles archive - it's a great read! Hope you enjoy it and are challenged as well!

Why Am I Not Happy?When we always look for more, we never learn the secret of contentment.
by William Barcley

Nelson Rockefeller was once asked, “How much money does it take to make a person happy?” He reportedly answered, “Just a little bit more.” This frank response gives us an insight into the human soul. We are tempted to think that we’d be happy with just a little bit more—though at times we are also tempted to admit that in reality happiness will require a LOT MORE!

Human beings always seem to want what they cannot have. This is true with jobs, houses, talents, and very often with spouses. The job we have never seems good enough, and the ideal job always seems just out of reach. Our houses are never big enough or never in just the right location, but we can’t quite get the one we want. We recognize many of the talents that we have, but we have a nagging envy of the other guy’s abilities. Our divorce rate indicates that we are always looking for something more in marriage.

This problem is made worse by the fact that we think that if we had the right job, house, talent, or spouse, we’d be happy and content. But because these things are just out of reach, so is contentment—or so the common wisdom goes. The search for happiness based on our circumstances in life creates a restlessness and discontent in our souls.

Now listen to someone who did not think that life was about a constant search for something different or for more of what this life offers:

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13)

That’s the apostle Paul. He testifies that he has learned to be content in any and every circumstance. His is not a constant search for the right circumstances that will bring him happiness. He is content wherever he is.

Paul wrote Philippians from prison. He had been struggling with the question of whether his imprisonment would end in release or in death (1:19-26). He knows of others who are stirring up trouble for him while he is in chains (1:15-17). Yet, in spite of his circumstances, he has joy, and he exhorts the Philippians to rejoice. That’s contentment! The passage quoted above from his letter to the Philippians teaches us three things about the nature of Christian contentment.

1. You can be content. Contentment is attainable. We know it is attainable because in this passage Paul has attained contentment. We might be tempted to think, “Well, Paul was an apostle; he was on a higher spiritual plane than I am. He may have attained contentment, but I can’t.”

But Paul did not attain contentment because he was a spiritual superstar. He says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” The same God who strengthens Paul also strengthens all who believe in Christ.

Philippians 4:13 is sometimes taken out of context and used in ways it was not intended to be used. Some take it to mean that there is nothing a Christian cannot do, because God is strengthening him or her. It almost becomes a motivational, self-help verse, in which people grit their teeth and say, “I can do this because God is strengthening me.”

But it is important to recognize that when Paul says “all things,” he doesn’t mean that God gives you the ability to do whatever you want, even good things that you desire to do. Instead Paul is referring to God’s empowering His people to acquire an important Christian virtue, namely, being content wherever God leads them. While growth in holiness does require effort and struggle on our part, ultimately we grow because of the power of God at work through his Holy Spirit within us.

The good news is that in the midst of your current struggles contentment can be yours. As you wrestle with a chronic health problem, a difficult job, or troubled relationships at home, you can have contentment as God gives you grace.

2. Contentment must be learned. Twice in Philippians 4:11-13, Paul specifically says that he has “learned” to be content. In the Greek, Paul uses two different verbs to express the idea of learning. The first verb is a common word in the New Testament for learning something. The second verb, which appears in verse 12, is a little more unusual and occurs only here in the New Testament (though Greek writers outside the New Testament use it).

Paul’s use of this second verb indicates that contentment does not come naturally. Not only must contentment be learned, but learning contentment is contrary to our normal (and sinful) ways of thinking. We cannot pursue Christian contentment the way the world pursues contentment, or even in the ways that we would be naturally inclined to pursue contentment.
For example, the world says that to be content you need to get out of a bad situation. The Bible says that we are to find contentment in the midst of even the most difficult circumstances. The world says that contentment comes by getting what you want in this world. The Bible teaches that true contentment comes by being satisfied with God and longing for heaven. In this sense the truly contented Christian is always discontented in this life as he longs to be filled with God.

3. You will not be truly content until you learn to be content in every situation that you face in life. Paul is content in every possible situation that he faces in life—in every circumstance, in great abundance, and in great need. In the same way, we have not truly learned contentment when we are content in some circumstances but not in others. Real Christian contentment entails being content in every situation in life.

Paul says, first, that he is content in plenty and in abundance. We may think that it is easy to be content when we are not in situations of hardship. But that’s not true! Times of abundance and ease, though a great blessing, are oftentimes when we become spiritually complacent. We easily forget God and pursue the things of the world, which in themselves never satisfy but only leave us longing for more. We need to guard against an ungodly discontent when life is going well and God blesses us with material abundance and health.

But we also need to learn contentment in times of need. The contented Christian recognizes both the inevitability and the importance of afflictions. Paul knows hardship all too well. Remember, he is a prisoner as he writes this letter. Consider what he says to the Corinthians:
As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger … We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 6:4-5, 8-10)

Can we truly say that when sorrowful, we still rejoice; that when poor, we are content to make many rich; that even when having nothings, we still possess all things?

Afflictions will come. This is true for all who live in a fallen world. But it is especially true for Christians who face the additional difficulties that come with being followers of Christ—persecution, self-denial, etc. Christ calls His people to suffer. Recognizing the inevitability of hardship helps us face it with a certain degree of contentment.

Contentment glorifies God
Paul’s letter to the Philippians exudes Christian contentment. It permeates the entire letter. Sixteen times in this letter Paul uses the noun joy or the verb rejoice. Joy refers to a state of gladness that typically occurs in Scripture with the recognition that God is in control no matter where we find ourselves. Joy is not a mere surface or momentary happiness. It goes deeper than that. Because it recognizes and delights in God’s sovereign power and providential goodness, the joyful heart is the contented heart. And the contented heart brings glory to God.
May we achieve contentment, being satisfied in God, so that He might be glorified.

Taken from The Secret of Contentment by William Barcley, ISBN 978-1-59638-191-9 pages 21-36, used with permission from P&R Publishing Co., P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865.
William Barcley is the pastor of Sovereign Grace Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He and his wife, Kristy, have six children. You can hear Dr. Barcley talk more about the secret of contentment on a recent FamilyLife Today

Caleb's 12th Birthday!

2012-01-25T14:00:00.006-06:00

He's finally 12!! Yes, our son, Caleb, celebrated his 12th birthday on Friday, January 20th!!

And he was able to celebrate with a few of his friends - pictured on the right here. On the far left is his friend, Ethan - then to his right are his friends, Landon and Alberto.

Thy had pizza and cake together as well as having a lot of fun with Nerf guns. Landon and Ethan were also able to spend the night so the "party" was extended from Friday afternoon all the way into Saturday afternoon!

Thanks be to God for another year of our son's life! May he grow up to the the man that God created him to be!

For Every Married Couple - Laugh with us!!!

2012-01-21T11:14:00.001-06:00

Shawn and I are continually hearing how communication is a challenge for EVERY married couple (and the ones who say it is not are deceiving themselves). Below is a humorous dialogue that should have most married couples chuckling as they think of themselves!! Enjoy!

A judge was interviewing a woman regarding her pending divorce, and asked,"What are the grounds for your divorce?"
She replied, "About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by."
"No," he said, "I mean what is the foundation of this case?"
"It is made of concrete, brick and mortar," she responded.
"I mean," he continued, "What are your relations like?"
"I have an aunt and uncle living here in town, and so do my husband's parents."
He said, "Do you have a real grudge?"
"No," she replied, "We have a two-car carport and have never really needed one."
"Please. . ." he tried again,"is there any infidelity in your marriage?"
"Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don't necessarily like the music, but the answer to your question is yes."
"Ma'am, does your husband ever beat you up?"
"Yes," she responded, "about twice a week he gets up earlier than I do."
Finally, in frustration, the judge asked, "Lady, why do you want a divorce?"
"Oh, I don't want a divorce," she replied. "I've never wanted a divorce. My husband does. He says he can't communicate with me."

Great Video - from Focus on the Family!

2012-01-16T21:58:00.004-06:00

In case you missed it, Focus on the Family aired a great commercial during one of the NFL games this past weekend. Check it out!

Great Way to Start the Day!

2012-01-07T21:36:00.002-06:00

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1

It happened a couple of days ago on my way to work: God reminding me of His great creative ability with an outstanding sunrise! Check it out in the picture here. And the picture doesn't even come close to showing all the colors that were there that morning!

Just as the sun rises and sets each morning and evening, God's great faithfulness continues each day. We do not deserve it -- but by His grace and mercy He gives it to us. And He has many ways of reminding us of this - like beautiful sunrises and sunsets, in the laugh of a small child, in an unexpected encouragement from someone we know --- and in a million other ways.

Thank You, Lord, for the great sunrise --- but more importantly for the reminder of your great faithfulness to me and to all who call themselves Christ-followers. May I come to know you more intimately this year and learn to trust You more!

Who will you follow in 2012?

2012-01-02T08:24:00.002-06:00

The following are a few words from our church's lead pastor, Bill Elliff. He preached a great sermon on Sunday January 1st about putting God and His Word first in 2012. Hope you will both enjoy and be challenged by it!!

Everybody follows somebody. Our parents, mentors, teachers, celebrities...we are influenced by others. But who will YOU follow this year?

What if you had the opportunity to follow someone who loved you perfectly? And someone who knew exactly the right path for your life? And also, who knew the end from the beginning and could see the whole year at a glance?

Enter GOD. Why would you follow anyone else when He is perfectly motivated to help you find the right path? If you chose this direction, then you must discover HOW to follow and it all begins with humble listening.

The most amazing thing is that God has given us a guidebook. It is 66 books of information that leads you to Him and into "all the right paths for His Name's sake." It's called the Bible and if you don't have one, ask me and I'll give you a brand new one for 2012.

Why would I make such an offer? Because you are valuable. Your life matters and being on the right path with Christ makes all the difference for you and everyone whose life you touch this year.

Make a commitment TODAY to follow hard after Him. You'll never regret it!

Find out more about Bill Elliff and The Summit Church at http://thesummitchurch.org/

A BIG THANK YOU to our Ministry Partner Team!

2011-12-26T11:29:00.008-06:00

As missionary staff for Campus Crusade for Christ and FamilyLife, we were wholly dependent on couples, individuals. and families that provide our financial support - we call those folks our Ministry Partner Team.

So Shawn and I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to each of our Ministry Partners! Thank you for sacrificing so we can continue to serve as God has called us! Thank you for praying for us so we can continue to persevere in the battle for the family. Thank you for helping make a difference in marriages and families across this great country.

And as a reminder to our Ministry Partners, as you support our work at FamilyLife, you are also helping support Campus Crusade for Christ as well. The Crusade staff has put together the video below to help thank those that support missionary staff. Shawn and I pray you will be encouraged and appreciated as you watch the short video. God bless you all!

Campus Crusade for Christ -- Christmas Thank You from Masterworks on Vimeo.

Lyrics to "It's About the Cross"

2011-12-20T07:18:00.001-06:00

I posted the video of this song a couple of posts back...but wanted folks to see the lyrics as well. They are powerful! Christmas is about SO MUCH MORE than what our modern world celebrates. Let's make sure, as Followers of Christ, that we are celebrating the real meaning of Christmas!!

Christmas Song: “It’s About the Cross” – by Go Fish

It's not just about the manger, where the baby lay.
It's not all about the angels, who sang for him that day.
It's not just about the shepherds, or the bright and shining star.
It's not all about the wise men, who travelled from afar.

It's about the cross, it's about my sin.
It's about how Jesus came to be born once, so that we could be born again.
It's about the stone that was rolled away, so that you and I could have real life someday.
It's about the cross, it's about the cross

It's not just about the presents underneath the tree.
It's not all about the feeling that the season brings to me.
It's not just about coming home to be with those you love.
It's not all about the beauty in the snow I'm dreaming of.

It's about the cross, it's about my sin.
It's about how Jesus came to be born once, so that we could be born again.
It's about the stone that was rolled away, so that you and I could have real life someday.
It's about the cross, it's about the cross.

The beginning of the story is wonderful and great,
But it's the ending that can save you and that's why we celebrate!

It's about the cross, it's about my sin.
It's about how Jesus came to be born once, so that we could be born again.
It's about God's love nailed to a tree.
It's about every drop of blood that flowed from Him when it should have been me.
It's about the stone that was rolled away so that you and I could have real life someday.
So that you and I could have real life someday.
It's about the cross, it's about the cross.

BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS:
The “bad news” is that your sin separates you from God and that there is no way, on your own, that you can be made right with Him again. But the “Good News” is that Jesus Christ died on the cross that you could be born again into a new life and a relationship with God.

If you now recognize your sinfulness and would like to be born again, please talk to God in prayer and tell Him this. He is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Tell Him that you know you are a sinner and that you are separated from Him by your sin. Call on Jesus as your Lord and Savior, asking Him to forgive you of your sins and thanking Him for His gift of Eternal Life. Tell Jesus you want Him to take control of the “throne” of your life and make you the kind of person He created you to be.

FOLLOW-UP: If you admitted you are a sinner and trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then rejoice first and then let a Christian know of your decision. And if you are not sure who to tell, please email us (gsolberg@familylife.com) so we can rejoice with you and help you begin your daily walk with the Savior!!

Great Quotes from a friend!

2011-12-16T19:06:00.008-06:00

I have a friend from Houston that sends me a daily email that shares a Scripture and then some great thoughts around it. Oftentimes, God has used these email to stir and renew my heart. But He has also used some of the quotes my friend passes along to BOTH challenge and encourage me.

Hope the quotes below can both encourage and challenge you as well!!

" We are not a generation marked by passion. Passion can be lost in programs and progress reports and institutions and calenders. In doing what is Good, we may Fail to do what is Best." R. Albert Mohler Jr.

" Here is a perfect description of the contemporary Church, especially IN AMERICA, with its beautiful facilities, the finest music, and state-of-the-art technology. It has busied itself in everything but THE WILL OF GOD---TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST. The word " evangelism " has as much attraction for the modern Church as the word " righteousness " has for the world."
Ray Comfort ( The Evidence Bible)

" I believe the holier a man becomes, the MORE he mourns over the unholiness which REMAINS IN HIM."
Charles Spurgeon

" Worship is why we were born and why we were born again."
A.W.Tozer

" Some would think that it would take AN ACT OF GOD to change my home,my marriage, my life, and me. Well, they are exactly right."
Nathan Cothan

" Oh, my friends, we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the church, that of evangelizing the world and winning the lost, is almost entirely NEGLECTED."
Oswald J. Smith

" God wills that we should PUSH ON INTO His Presence and LIVE our WHOLE life THERE."
A W Tozer

Great Time Away: Dad and Daughter!

2011-12-12T08:01:00.003-06:00

One of the great "perks" of serving at FamilyLife, is getting to take our kids with us on trips from time to time. I had one of those opportunities the first week of December as my daughter, Sarah, and I traveled to San Antonio for the Weekend to Remember Getaway there.

We drove down from Little Rock to Austin the first night and then went on to San Antonio the second night. Had a great time at the Weekend to Remember and then traveled on to Houston for a quick trip before returning home to Little Rock. We thank God for the safety we enjoyed as we traveled.

Check out a few pics below of our trip!

Here is a picture of the Westin La Cantera - one of its courtyards. It's a gorgeous resort!!

This is at the pool at the hotel where we stayed in Austin. Sarah had a great time!

Had some fun "meals" on our trip. This is some delicious vanilla bean cheesecake Sarah had a TGI Fridays in San Antonio!

Sarah and I also got to go ice-skating at a temporary ice rink setup at the Westin. It was cold but was a lot of fun!

We were cold....but had fun ice-skating together!

Also got to work out at the Westin's exercise room a couple of times. Sarah's muscles are her strength are growing as she grows.

Great Christmas Song: It's About the Cross!!

2011-12-08T16:04:00.002-06:00

We heard this song recently at the church we attend here in Little Rock. It is a powerful song and perfect as we celebrate the real meaning of Christmas!

Check it out and share it with others!!!

Celebrating 19 years!!

2011-12-02T20:13:00.002-06:00

It's hard to believe it's been 19 years since Shawn and I were married - November 28, 1992. We were so young then and knew so very little about how challenging marriage would be! But we are so thankful to God for His Grace which has enabled us to stay married for those 19 years! Without Him, we would NOT be together!

We didn't do anything huge for our anniversary but simple went out to eat at Shawn's favorite restaurant - Macaroni Grill - and then went out to do a little Christmas shopping. It was nice just to be together and to celebrate God's goodness for those 19 years.

We are already planning for our 20th anniversary next year. Shawn won a gift certificate to a very nice bed and breakfast in Hot Springs and we hope to spend a couple of nights there in December of 2012.

Thanks to each of you reading this who have prayed for us and for our marriage!

Need a Laugh Today - Read this "Pickles" Comic Strip!

2011-11-28T19:00:00.001-06:00

One of our family's fun "Sunday activities" is reading the comics after church. And my personal favorite (this is Glen) is Pickles. It is always good for a laugh. I don't know if it is because I am getting older or just because it is funny. This is the Pickles from Sunday, Nov. 27th.

Hope God can help you get a good "belly-laugh" from this one!

Help my Faith to Grow!!!

2011-11-25T20:47:00.005-06:00

Had to share this after I read it...very convicting of my frequent lack of faith in an all-powerful and ever-gracious God! As the father in Mark 9 exclaimed, "I believe - help me in my unbelief!"

Difficulties Concerning Faith - by Hannah Whitall Smith

`If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:23-24

I wish you would try to imagine yourself acting in your human relations as you do in your spiritual relations. Suppose you should begin tomorrow with the notion in your head that you could not trust anybody because you had no faith. When you sat down to breakfast, you would say, “I cannot eat anything on this table, for I have not faith, and I cannot believe the cook has not put poison in the coffee, or that the butcher has not sent home diseased or unhealthy meat”; so you would go away starving. When you went out to your daily avocations, you would say, “I cannot ride in the railway train, for I have no faith, and therefore I cannot trust the engineer, nor the conductor, nor the builders of the carriages, nor the managers of the road.”

Just picture such a day as this, and see how disastrous it would be to yourself, and what utter folly it would appear to anyone who should watch you through the whole of it. Realize how your friends would be insulted, and how your servants would refuse to serve you another day. And then ask yourself the question, “If this want of faith in your fellowman would be so dreadful, and such utter folly, what must it be when you tell God that you have no power to trust Him, nor to believe His Word; that it is a great trail, but you cannot help it, ‘for you have no faith’?”

From the Devotional: A Gentle Spirit

It finally happened! Josh's first "broken bone"!!

2011-11-21T06:39:00.002-06:00

God is so faithful to protect us many times....and our kids! Our son, Josh, has been a "daredevil" since he was little but has never, by the Grace of God, had a broken bone or even been to the ER. Well, that ended at age 15 on Monday Nov 14th. That is the day Josh broke his first bone - his right arm.

He as playing football with some other kids at our homeschool co-op on Mondays. He went to catch himself from falling and broke the end of the thumb side of his right arm. We are very thankful that (1) he broke his right arm and he is left-handed and (2) that Shawn was able to get an appointment with our pediatrician so that we didn't have to wait and wait in the ER.

The pediatrician did an initial x-ray and sent Shawn and Josh to the orthopedic specialist. He had broken the radius of his arm in a "growth plate". So Josh had to have the break surgically fixed on Tuesday morning at a local outpatient orthopedic center. Again, we are thankful to God and to the medical staff for the excellent work. The MD told us to expect everything to heal fully in 6-8 weeks!

Here Josh is sporting his new "right arm friend"!

And here he is "being Josh" and having fun with his cast!!

Fun with Caleb - trip to South Texas!

2011-11-18T22:10:00.013-06:00

It finally happened! Caleb got to take his "first trip with Dad" to a Weekend to Remember Getaway. He and I headed to South Texas to the Weekend to Remember that was held on South Padre Island, Nov. 4-6. We had a great time together. Part of the "attraction" for Caleb was, not only getting to fly on a plane and go with Dad, but also getting to see his friend, Japheth, who lives with his parents in Mission, Texas.

Below are some of the pics from our trip! Enjoy!

This is Caleb as we are on the plane from Little Rock - excited about taking off!

This is Caleb on the beach - just after sunrise - weather was chilly that morning!

Another shot of Caleb with the sun coming up over the water!

On Saturday and Sunday the temps warmed up so Caleb got to have fun in the pool!

He also came with Dad to workout! Here he is running on the treadmill!

And here he is "taking it easy" in a hammock out beyond the pool area!

We go to spend the night at his friend, Japepth's home on Monday night. Here he is drawing on Japheth's desk!

A great - CinnaBon! Caleb had a CinnaBon in the Dallas airport on the way back to Little Rock!

Here we are! Glad we were able to have fun together on the trip!

FamilyLife - Give Thanks to God for all He has done!

2011-11-14T09:11:00.001-06:00

Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Psalm 105:1

We, as the staff of FamilyLife, have so much to be thankful for this past year (fiscal year 2011). The Lord drew over 62,000 people to our Weekend to Remember Getaways. In those Getaways, we know of just over 2,100 people who asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. We are also thankful for more than 13,500 folks who recommitted their lives and marriages to Christ as well as hundreds of other couples whose marriages were saved from the brink of divorce by the Lord at these Getaways.

Fiscal year 2011 was also a great year as we launched The Art of Marriage (AOM) on 2-11-11. The launch weekend there were over 600 AOM events with an estimated 30,000 people in attendance—held in 47 states and 5 countries outside the U.S. Since the launch, over 1,400 additional AOM events have been held or scheduled. These 1,400 events have been done in all 50 states and 20 countries around the world with an estimated 90,000 in attendance. 98% of those who attended an AOM said they would be extremely likely or very likely to recommend the AOM to another couple. Thank You, Lord, for giving us this new outreach and for the thousands You are reaching through it—many who would never have attended a Weekend to Remember!!

But there is more: There are over 9.1 million listeners to our four different FamilyLife radio broadcasts each week; the launching of our HomeBuilder Initiative as we ask God to raise up HomeBuilder Area Directors in 100 cities in the U.S; thousands more helped through our e-mentoring initiative online; and many couple, families, and individuals given help and encouragement through our resources and articles found on our website at www.familylife.com.

And last but certainly not least, we are most thankful to the Lord for our Ministry Partner Team. God’s faithful and generous provision through our Team has allowed us to continue to serve here at FamilyLife for another year. We are thank ful to our Team for their faithful prayers, for their generous gifts, and for their steadfast commitment to help us reach our goal as a ministry of “Every Home a Godly Home”!

"And, by the way, Jesus will be there too!" Thought to ponder

2011-11-09T20:53:00.003-06:00

Heaven - that word stirs up images in the minds of most folks. Some may not believe there is such a place, but for the Christ-follower, Heaven is a biblical reality. It is a place where we will spend eternity with God and with other followers of Christ who have gone before us.

And there are great promises about Heaven for the Christ-follower as well:

Revelation 21:4: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
1 Corinthians 2:7-9: But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,”What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”
2 Corinthians 5:8: Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

TO PONDER: As you think about Heaven, what is the part of Heaven that you most desire? To see loved ones that have died? To be in a place with no more pain? To walk the streets of gold or explore the "place" that the Lord made for you there?

Bob Lepine shared this with our staff about a week ago. As I thought about it, I thought of many things I would look forward to in Heaven. Bob named off many as well. But then, he really got us with his next statement...

"And, by the way, Jesus will be there too!"

OUCH! Of all the things I am looking forward to in Heaven, the "thing" I should be most looking forward to is Jesus - being in the presence of the Lord. It was so convicting - how often I look forward to the rewards that the Lord gives me instead of focusing in the Lord Himself!

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to keep my focus on You - the Giver of every good and perfect gift. And while I sincerely appreciate all the "rewards" You give me as a Christ-follower, may I NEVER desire the rewards more than I desire to know You more!

What lane do you drive in? Fun picture to share!

2011-11-04T07:50:00.002-05:00

If you are married, then you know that there are certain areas where you and your spouse DO NOT agree. This can be a "heated" thing between husband and wife --- or it can be something that you just laugh about but really isn't that big a deal.

Shawn and I have had some "fun disagreements" over the years about driving in the left lane on the Interstate. She thinks it is fine to drive in the left lane even if you are not passing. At times, she stays there even when someone is passing. This is a serious offense in my book. I was taught you ONLY drive in the left lane for passing. Otherwise you are in the right lane at all times.

Shawn found the picture below on the Internet and sent it to me. Maybe it means she's finally come around to MY WAY!! (or maybe not - we'll see on our next road trip!)

Fun Video - makes you think!

2011-11-01T07:43:00.001-05:00

A friend in our small group shared this funny video with us. And while we laugh at what he says there is MUCH truth to it! He does say one "bad word" that is beeped out so watch it first to see if it is OK with you before you let your kids watch!

We do live in an amazing time!!

Great stuff for Husbands or any Young Man!

2011-10-28T16:33:00.001-05:00

Pornography is a growing addiction among BOTH men and women in our country. I've seen stats as high as 75% of men and even 50% of pastors are addicted to porn. Whose figures are correct is the least of my concern. The bottom line is that pornography is killing marriages and ruining families everywhere.

I CHALLENGE every man who sees this to read the article linked below AND send it to a friend or two to read. We must take on pornography head on and that means being proactive at guarding our hearts and helping other men do the same!

http://huzband.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/how-porn-works-we-need-to-know-this/

Waiting! Why is it so hard for us?

2011-10-21T08:16:00.006-05:00

A friend sends us emails with great scriptures and something to think about. I don't know if God gives her these or she gets them from a reference, but they are thought-provoking and oftentimes, convicting. But conviction is necessary as a Christ-follower otherwise we would not know we needed to change! This one was too good to NOT pass along. As I have personally struggled with God's timing related to health issues, this one really hit home. Sorry, Lord! Help me to wait patiently as You do your work in me!

Timing
Be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Why does the Bible so insist on waiting? There are many instructions on it, many examples of those who tried to rush God - Moses, Abraham, Peter...

God says so much about it because our time is usually faster than His. His agenda for a situation includes deep workings and intricate details. He intends to grind His grain very fine, an excruciating work on our character that won't let any coarseness remain. He heats ore long and hot, removing not just the impurities that can be seen but all that exist. We usually don't care about such thoroughness. We want to get out of difficult situations quickly and achieve success suddenly. For us time is of the essence; for God, time is essential.

What does this mean on a practical level? That the things that seem slow to us are already accomplished to God. When we act on impulse, we are violating His patient plan. When our blood pressure rises, God says, "Be still, settle down, I'm on the throne." Psalm 46:10

Can you hear Him? If you're in a rush, probably not. How often was Jesus rushed, or in a panic? How many people who have put their trust in Him have been let down? Relax. Wait. Be strong, take heart, and trust.

Fun with our Tennessee Family!

2011-10-17T15:24:00.002-05:00

Josh, Sarah, Caleb and I (Glen) had the chance to visit our "Tennessee Family" (at least a good part of them) a few days back. Shawn was off at the Annual FamilyLife Women's Retreat all weekend.....so we took the opportunity to visit with my Mom and Dad, my sister and brother and their families in and around Jackson, TN. We had a great time and enjoyed some great food as well! Here are some of the pics to share! Enjoy!

Caleb climbing in Granddaddy's truck to retrieve the keys locked inside!

Our three kids with Grandmother Peggy - getting ready to pray before we eat!

My sister Gretchen with two or her grandkids!

My Dad with one of his great grandkids!

My brother Michael having fun with one of the kids!

My Mom with her great grand, Reuben!

Caleb having fun with several of the kids!

Sarah getting her "baby time" (she LOVES babies!!)

My Mom and Dad and I as we were leaving to head back to Little Rock!

For EVERY Marriage: The Art of Marriage

2011-10-10T22:00:00.009-05:00

Shawn and I have posted previously about FamilyLife's "The Art of Marraige" Video Event, but we wanted to remind those of you who know AND tell those who do not. This is an incredible tool that God gave FamilyLife and YOU CAN USE it to reach marriages and families where YOU ARE.

This great event is designed to be done on a Friday night and Saturday - it can be done in a church, retreat center, community events area - anywhere people can gather, it can be done. And it is scalable from just a few couples getting together to larger events with 100's of couples in attendance.

Shawn and I hosted one of these for 6 couples in our small group last Spring and had a blast doing it. We are now working with our home church, the Summit Church in North Little Rock, AR to host one for our church and the larger community of Little Rock. We are looking forward to all God is going to do through it!

You can find out more at http://www.theartofmarriage.com. You can also contact Shawn and I for mroe info. Check out the trailer below. Don't miss this chance to invest in your marriage AND help others invest in theirs as well!!

Growing Up TOO FAST!

2011-10-05T08:13:00.002-05:00

I was looking through some pictures of our three kids lately and was amazed just how fast they are growing up. You hear folks that have kids out of the house warn you to enjoy the days you have left -- and I am personally understanding that more and more as our kids get older. When they were younger it seemed we would have them around for a long time. Now, it seems the time with each of them is way too short!

As you reflect on your own kids, be sure to thank God for them each day. "Thank You, Lord, for our three precious kids. May we enjoy each day you have given us with them - each day is a gift from You to us!!"

Josh flying off a swing - always the daredevil!

Sarah and her beautiful smile!

Caleb and his favorite dog, Dixie Belle!

The Knot's Prayer: A Great Prayer to Pray

2011-09-29T09:12:00.002-05:00

A friend send this to me recently and I thought it was something I needed to share. In a world where cirumstances and people often tell us YOU CAN'T, God reminds us that "with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible". May the Lord change my heart to an attitude of "I CAN WITH GOD"!!

THE KNOTS PRAYER

" Dear God:

Please untie the knots that are in my mind,my heart, and my life;

Remove the have nots, the cannots, and the do nots that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots, may nots and might nots that may find a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots, would nots, and should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all, Dear God,

I ask that You remove from my mind, my heart, and my life all of the am nots that I have allowed to hold me back. (from You)"

Author Unknown

What Happens When There are No Clean Dishes!

2011-09-24T19:00:00.002-05:00

At first glance at this picture, you may be saying, "The Solbergs really should work on getting their dishwasher going!" That would be my first impression too if I didn't know about "Barbarian Night".

What is Barbarian Night? It is a night when we throw out regular table manners and eat "Barbarian style". In this case, we had black beans and rice. No utensil, no plates. Just eat straight off the table with your mouth.

We got this idea from Tim Kimmel, one of our FamilyLife Weekend to Remember speakers. He did this with his family as a way to have some fun and "loosen up" from the normal dinnertime routine. We have done it with spaghetti a few times but really need to get it on our "regular monthly calendar" so that it will be a fun memory for the kids AND for Shawn and I.

Why not give it a try at your house? It's all for fun.

DISCLAIMER: Be sure to clean the table VERY WELL before starting this practice!!

Post to Share on Dennis Rainey

2011-09-20T20:02:00.004-05:00

Saw the following post after Dennis Rainey shared it with the FamilyLife staff a few days ago. Thought it was too good NOT to pass on.

Dennis had spoken in Little Rock at a pastor's meeting for an organization called "The CALL". This is a great organization that shares the needs of kids who need to be fostered or adopted. Please take three minutes to read the post. It will be worth it!!

http://sojourneroftruth.blogspot.com/2011/09/coffee-with-dennis-rainey.html

More about The CALL:

http://www.thecallinarkansas.org/

Great Song to Share - Matthew West!

2011-09-15T21:38:00.004-05:00

We bought our son, Josh, a new CD by Matthew West for his 15th birthday last month. One of the great discoveries as I have listened to the CD are all the great songs he has beyond just the "popular" ones we all hear on the radio.

There are several I really like, but this one is awesome. It is called "The Healing Has Begun". Again from Matthew West - The Story of Your Life. Enjoy!!

Cliff Jumping at Greer's Ferry Lake!

2011-09-12T07:48:00.008-05:00

The kids and I (Glen) had a chance to go to Greer's Ferry Lake late last week and had a blast. Greer's Ferry Lake is near Heber Springs and about an hour north of Little Rock. Some friends had told us about the "cliff jumping" there and it sounded like a lot of fun. And once the initial "fear" of jumping was over, we all had a great time!

Sarah's first jump off!

Caleb's first jump off the same cliff

Sarah jumping again - she jumped the most of the three of our kids!

Caleb was initially a little timid, but was soon jumping fearlessly!

The three of them after a number of jumps.

Sarah and Caleb jumping at the same time!

Josh doing a flip - said it was "easy"!!

Caleb and Sarah taking a swim in another area of the lake.

Caleb drying off after the jumping was about done

Josh found a "unique" place to get some fun - on the side of a cliff!

Fun Stuff - Kulula Airlines!!

2011-09-09T22:17:00.001-05:00

Saw this in a recent email and thought it would fun to share. I have done my share of traveling over the years and have heard some pretty "boring stuff" from flight crews. Kulula sounds like they are anything but boring! Enjoy!!

Kulula is a low-cost South-African airline that doesn't
take itself too seriously. It's head office is situated in Johannesburg. Kulula airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture" and announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:

On a Kulula flight, (there is no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"

On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."

On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings.. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have."

"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."

"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

As the plane landed and was coming to a stop atDurban Airport , a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo , a flight attendant on a flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."

From a Kulula employee: " Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth . To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public
unsupervised."

"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with more than one small child, pick your favourite."

Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines."

"Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."

As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.."

And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

Heard on Kulula 255 just after a very hard landingin Cape Town : The flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

Overheard on a Kulula flight into Cape Town , on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain really had to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"

Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline. He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment.
Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane.
She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Why, no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?"
The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"

After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg , the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.."

Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today.. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of Kulula Airways."

Heard on a Kulula flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing.. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."

Fun for Us Bald-Headed Guys!

2011-09-05T07:40:00.008-05:00

One of the fun traditions in our family is reading the Sunday comics. We get the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette each Sunday and the kids still enjoy reading the comics.

One of my personal favorites is "Pickles". Maybe it is because I'm getting older or maybe it's just because it's funny!

For any man out there who is bald, I think this will make you chuckle. For anyone who has loved one or friend who is bald, it will also probably cause a chuckle! Enjoy!

Pickles Comic Strip - Sept 4, 2011

15!! Josh celebrates His Birthday!

2011-09-01T07:09:00.001-05:00

15!! How can it be that our oldest son, Josh, is already 15!! Shawn and I were remembering on his birthday, August 30th, about the day he was born! He had some great lungs on him and let everyone know he was "here"!! I still remember holding him and thinking, "Wow, I'm a Dad!" After 15 years, I am so grateful to have Josh as our son and for our other two kids. What great gifts God has given us!

We had a "family birthday" celebration on Tuesday night - Josh will probably be having some friends over in a week or two for his "real birthday party". Enjoy the pics. And thanks for taking some time to pray for Josh. God has a plan and purpose for his life and we want Josh's greatest desire to be to know the God that created him and follow His plan!

Opening a "surprise DVD" from his old small group leader

Before we sing "Happy Birthday" and he blows out the candle!

Opening a card from one of his grandparents

Josh enjoying a "fun picture"!!

Kids just make you laugh!!

2011-08-29T07:02:00.002-05:00

I admit it! Sometimes as a parent I get "worn out" with all the challenges of parenting. We seem to have to say the same thing over and over and over.......(you get the picture). But in the midst of my complaining and grumbling at times, God continually reminds me of just how much fun our kids bring into our lives on a DAILY basis!

If you need a good laugh, check out the photos below of our son, Caleb! He is a riot at times with the things he does. May I never grow tired of laughing!!

Caleb and his friend, Ethan, having a "Kodak Moment"!!

This was hilarious. Caleb took some pieces of apple and put cuts in them to make them look like teeth. He is so creative and funny!

And this was Shawn and Caleb and I wearing some crazy hats and laughing together at a get together we had for his new class at our church!

Humility - Great Article to Share!!

2011-08-24T20:52:00.006-05:00

My son, Josh, and I have been walking through a study in the book of James, and found this great article on humility - a theme of James. Hope you will enjoy as much as I did!

It's hard to be Humble – Neil Downey

I have an infatuation with country music. Not modern, Kenny Chesney-style country: that stuff is essentially pop music with cowboy hats. No, I’m referring to old-school twangy country: singers like Conway Twitty, George Jones, and Charlie Pride.

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t prefer this style of music. I just admire it for its creativity. If you were to read a list of popular country tunes from a couple of generations ago, you’d find some clever song titles, including If the Devil Danced in Empty Pockets, He’d Have a Ball in Mine; She Got the Goldmine, I Got the Shaft; and my personal favorite I Gave Her the Ring, She Gave Me the Finger.

One particular song from that same genre of music is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek description of a significant struggle in my life. Here’s an excerpt:

Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble

When you’re perfect in every way

I can’t wait to look in the mirror

‘Cuz I get better lookin’ each day

To know me is to love me

I must be a hell of a man

Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble

But I’m doin’ the best that I can 1

As ridiculous as those lyrics sound, they paint a relatively accurate picture of my attitude for a long period of my life. It is extremely hard to be humble when you’re full of pride. When I was I little kid, I thought I was pretty hot stuff. In nearly every picture of me from grade school and Junior High, I have my chin in the air, with an “I’m all that and a bag of chips” pose. I used to blow-dry my hair, I’d unbutton my shirt to show off my chest, I would spend hours in front of the mirror amazed at how cool I was. Or at least that’s what I wanted everybody else to think: that guy is cool! More than anything, I wanted to be popular.

But not many people want to spend time around a self-absorbed kid with a giant ego.

It wasn’t until college when I started to follow Jesus that my self-perception began to change. When I started reading scripture, praying, and hanging out with Godly people, I started to experience humility for the first time.

Because humility isn’t simply a low view of yourself (nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I might as well go eat worms); it’s having a biblical view of yourself. Knowing that you are sinful beyond measure yet loved beyond imagination tends to make a person humble.

The longer I live, the more I see how subtle and sneaky pride can be. I am a world-class image manager. I will do things – good, Christian things – just to get noticed and acknowledged by people. I still want people to think that guy is cool! Humility is something I must continue to pray for and seek as I battle pride.

However, it’s nice to know that I’m not alone in my struggle with pride. Even heroes of the faith had some humility issues. Read this from Numbers 12:3: “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” At first glance, this might sound quite impressive. Until you consider who wrote the book of Numbers. Yep, Moses. But I digress.

Humility in Scripture

Humility is important for several reasons: the primary reason being that God commands it. In Micah 6:8, the prophet writes “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” That’s pretty clear-cut.

But God not only requires us to be humble; He also explains the benefits of humility.

He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. Ps 25:9

He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. Pr 3:34

Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Lk 14:11

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather humble myself and have God exalt me than exalt myself and have God humble me. The latter sounds much more painful in the long run.

Over my years of marriage, my wife and I have made a significant number of “some assembly required” purchases.

And even though this probably goes against some sort of man-law, I heavily rely on the instruction manual to help me put an intricate item together. It’s especially important that the manual has pictures of what the finished product should look like. It’s much easier to put something together if I have a clear picture or model of the ideal.

And so it is with humility. Jesus is our ultimate example of what it looks like to be humble. In his letter to the church in Philippi, the apostle Paul gives this advice:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phil 2:5-11

Jesus - God the Son - left the splendor and majesty of heaven and took on human flesh to be born in a feeding trough. He showed the ultimate obedience and humility by subjecting himself to a form of execution reserved for the vilest offenders. He, who was sinless and perfect, suffered and died for us. And what was the result?

Humankind was redeemed, Jesus was exalted and the Father was glorified.

Enhancing God’s Reputation

So how does this apply to us? How am we supposed to be like Jesus in the area of humility? Well, Paul spells it out pretty clearly; we should have the same attitude as Jesus. And what kind of attitude is that? One of service, obedience and sacrifice. One that seeks the good of others. One that is willing to lay down rights and privileges in order to glorify the Father. Because in the end, that’s what it’s all about.

Scripture clearly and repeatedly tells us that the purpose for which we were created, our reason for being alive, is to glorify God. I once heard someone explain what it means to glorify God this way: God doesn’t change. But the way people view him and think of him – his reputation – does change. So everything we say, do, think and feel can be to enhance God’s reputation; to give people a glimpse of how good and great God really is. And you can’t glorify God and yourself at the same time.

I love God. I want to obey him and serve him. I want other people to know him and worship him because I want him to be glorified. And I don’t want anything about myself to keep that from happening. So I want my attitude to echo that of John the Baptist in John 3:30: “He must become greater; I must become less.”

As I continue to walk with Jesus - becoming more aware of his holiness and my own sinfulness, yielding my will to his, and allowing the fruit of the Spirit to grow and ripen in my life – I continue to become more like him. And it’s slowly becoming not as hard to be humble.

Endnote

1 It’s Hard To Be Humble, Mac Davis. 1980

From Cru Press: http://crupress.campuscrusadeforchrist.com/green/_assets/crucomm/downeyitshardtobehumble.pdf

Campus Crusade - staying relevant in the 21st Century!

2011-08-19T16:23:00.006-05:00

You may have heard about Campus Crusade for Christ changing its name, after 60 years, to Cru. Since we are part of Campus Crusade staff, we wanted you to know the "real truth" behind the name change. Below is a letter we sent out to our Ministry Partners. If you have questions, please contact us!

In the U.S., Campus Crusade for Christ is becoming Cru. We know you care about this ministry and we want you to be among the first to know. We’re announcing it now, but we’ll adopt the new name early in 2012.

This change is being made in order to be more effective in sharing the gospel and to see even more people come to faith in Christ. It’s been a two-year process, but ultimately we have come to this decision through much prayer and with a deep sense of dependence on God.

Words Matter
Although our name for the last 60 years is well respected in Christian ministry and missions, the word “Crusade” now carries serious negative associations. Also, the word “Campus” actually hinders people who are not students from engaging in our broad range of ministries. Research has shown that 20% of the people in the U.S. willing to have a conversation about Jesus are less interested when they hear the name Campus Crusade for Christ. Words may take on new meaning over time, but our calling never changes. We are committed to give every person around the world an opportunity to hear the gospel and a chance to say YES to Jesus. That’s what makes a name change necessary.

Field Tested
Cru has been used for over 15 years by a number of our local college ministries. It has a track record of success in evangelism and discipleship. To those who are familiar with us, it connects with our past and yet is forward looking. For those that we will connect with in the future, the name will be filled with all of the experiences and meaning of who we are and what we have to offer. The name was selected from a pool of 1,600 potential names.

Changing Our Name Will Help…
• Increase evangelism as more people are willing to engage with us in discussions about Christ.
• Involve more people who want to make a difference in their world for Christ.
• Improve synergy between all our ministries. They will benefit from a more cohesive connection while still maintaining their individual ministry’s identity.

In the months ahead, there will be a period of transition where you will see both names used. For more information, please visit www.ccci.org/cru to see a brief video, graphics and answers to the most frequently asked questions.

You can be sure that our calling and mission have not changed. Our heart remains the same— to help fulfill the Great Commission by winning people to Christ, building them in their faith to see their lives transformed, and sending them out to reach others for Christ.

Media Reaction
Although many folks have shared their enthusiasm over this change, you may have heard some misinformation in the media about the motivation behind the name change. Just in case these reports have caused any concern I want to let you know, first hand, what is truth.

1. Campus Crusade for Christ is unswervingly committed to lifting up and proclaiming the name of Jesus. We were founded with a commitment to the centrality of the cross, the truth of the word, the power of the Holy Spirit and the global scope of the Great Commission. Nothing has changed.
2. The problematic words in the name were Campus and Crusade. The term "Campus" has not represented the full scope of our mission for many years. The word "Crusade" carries negative connotations that serve as barriers to connecting people with the heart of Jesus.
3. The majority of Christian mission organizations and most local churches do not have the name Jesus or Christ in their name. This doesn’t lessen their devotion to Christ or their effectiveness. We want everyone to be more concerned with our mission than the name of our organization.
4. Our mission remains the same: To help fulfill the Great Commission by winning, building and sending Christ-centered multiplying disciples and to give every person a chance to say YES to Jesus. It’s the same mission that God gave to Bill and Vonette Bright in 1951. We believe that our new name will help us more effectively accomplish that mission.

Vonette Bright and Leadership
"From the beginning, Bill (Bright) was open to changing our name. He never felt it was set in stone. In fact, he actually considered changing the name 20 or 25 years ago," said Vonette Bright, who co-founded Campus Crusade for Christ with her husband. "We want to remove any obstacle to people hearing about the most important person who ever lived—Jesus Christ."

“Our leadership team and board of directors are united in their belief that this is the right time to embrace a new name, and that this name meets our objective of achieving a greater level of effectiveness in ministry,” said Steve Douglass, president of Campus Crusade for Christ. “This decision has been saturated with prayer. We only want what God wants for us. And while we are excited about this name, we are even more excited about our renewed commitment to our mission. We believe this new name will position us to connect better with the next generation.”

“We believe wholeheartedly that God has given us this new name,” said Steve Sellers, vice president for the U.S. for Campus Crusade for Christ. “Our team understands that our name is really for the benefit of others. Ultimately, it’s not about our name, but how we live out our mission every day.”

Request for Prayer and Final Words
Please pray with us that many more people will come to Christ as we take this step of faith together as a world-wide ministry. We know there will be opposition, but we pray that God will USE the opposition and media attention to further His Kingdom. Thanks for praying!

Finally, Shawn and I want to say THANK YOU for linking arms with us to lift up the name of Jesus. We thank God for you as our Ministry Partner Team and count it a privilege to partner with you. Because of you the Gospel and God’s plan for marriage and family are being proclaimed. Your partnership is appreciated more than you know.

Great Stuff on Marriage!!

2011-08-11T21:26:00.006-05:00

Saw this on FamilyLife's website and thought it was worth sharing.....Enjoy!

11 Rules on Marriage You Won’t Learn in School - FamilyLife.com

Trip to Colorado and Grand Canyon - Post 4 of 4

2011-08-06T18:32:00.002-05:00

And now, for the "Grand Finale" --- our last post about our trip to Colorado and the Grand Canyon. Please be sure to scroll down to see the rest of our adventure in posts 1-3.

At this point, we had arrived at Campus Crusade for Christ Staff Training at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado. This is a great time all the U. S. Staff for Crusade get to enjoy every two years. My only wish was that it would last longer - only 10 days but what an awesome 10 days! Enjoy the pics!

One of the new things this trip to Staff Training in Fort Collins was the "FamilyLife House"! (OK, I know it looks like a tent....but it was setup inside as a house). We wanted to share with all the Crusade staff the great tools we have available to use to build marriages and families where THEY are. We are so thankful we had more than 1,400 staff tour the "house"!!

And Shawn and I served as greeters to invite folks to come in to the "FamilyLife House". We met some great folks during the two times we served as greeters!!

This is a shot of Keynote - the band (they are the "music ministry" of Campus Crusade") that led worship for all the staff for most of our time at CSU. They are incredible! I believe the Lord was sitting up in Heaven smiling as we sang and worshipped together for Staff Training!!

Another awesome treat the Lord has for us as staff were the great speakers we heard and were challenged by. This is Frances Chan who spoke twice. We had other great speakers as well!!

One of the kids favorite times of the Staff Training is called "The County Fair". They turn one of the parking lots into a carnival with rides, food, and lots of other fun!. This is one of the boys being catapulted up and down -- probably the most popular of all the fun at the fair!!

And this is the other son (I think this is Josh) seeing how many times he can flip on the way up and down. If I had done it, I would have "lost" all my food!!!

Here's another shot of our training. This is the president of Campus Crusade, Steve Douglass, as he addressed the crowd and challenged us all to share the Gospel even more passionately!!

This was truly amazing. At the Rec Center at CSU, they had a rockclimbing wall IN THE POOL! Both the boys and Sarah loved it (Caleb is on the wall in the picture). I even tried it once. Hard to get a handhold or a foothold when everything is wet!!

Here is the "lazy river" also at the Rec Center. It was a lot of fun. You can see Sarah in the middle of the picture just ahead of the innertube.

As our time was drawing to a close at Staff Training at CSU, we had to pack up the "FamilyLife House" to get it back to Little Rock. It was great as many folks (that's me in the picture) pitched in to make it all happen in a couple of hours!!

Another great reminder of WHO is really in charge - this is a sunrise over Guymon, Oklahoma!

And (drum roll please) our last pic to share in this post. This is Sarah having fun trying on a hat at a Cracker Barrel we ate at in Oklahoma. She didn't buy it but it looks cute on her!!

Trip to Colorado and Grand Canyon - Post 3 of 4

2011-08-04T07:09:00.002-05:00

And now we are ready for Post 3 of our 4 posts on our trip to Colorado and the Grand Canyon....at this point we have left the Grand Canyon in Arizona and are heading to see some friends in Durango, Colorado (southwestern Colorado area)

The road we traveled from the Grand Canyon to Durango led us right by the 4 corners area where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah come together. We DID not actually get out and stand on the place....but we got a picture!!

There were many great memories from our time in Durango with our friends, Bill and Cathy Dixon, but one of the best were the Durango sunsets. And as great as the picture might look, it doesn't even capture the full color and beauty. Thanks, Lord, for such beautiful sunsets!!

A great memory for Josh and Caleb and I was a flight in the Dixon's plane. This was Caleb's first time EVER in an airplane! Caleb and I sat in the back and enjoyed some great views over the mountains and the town of Durango!

That's right -- your eyes are NOT deceiving you! That is Josh actually flying the plane. Bill let Josh take the controls for a while we were up. I think it gave the three of us a much better appreciation for all that goes into flying an airplane!!

And here's a picture of Bill with Josh and Caleb after we had landed and were helping get the plane ready to be put back in the hangar. It was a great time and a special treat!!

One of the other fun things the kids did a couple of times on our trip was rockclimb. Both in Durango and in Fort Collins they had great climbing walls that the kids enjoyed tremendously! The kids often made the walls look easy they climbed so quickly to the top!

Here's another pic of both Caleb and Sarah climbing different routes on the wall in Durango!

Once we left Durango, we headed to Colorado Springs to see some old friends who used to live in Arkansas - the Youngs. Was great to see them and to see how their kids had grown. Only wish we lived closer so we could see them more often!!

Trip to Colorado and Grand Canyon - Post 2 of 4

2011-08-01T11:06:00.007-05:00

On to Part 2 of our journey.......out time AT the Grand Canyon.......Enjoy!!

This was the kids "first view" of the Grand Canyon and it was incredible. Pictures really cannot do justice to the height and depth and breadth of what you see at the rim. If you haven't seen it, make a point to see it!

Another gorgeous view from the South Rim!

Shawn and I at the South Rim. It has been raining for a few days before we arrived but God gave us two incredible days with great visibility!

The shadows you see as the sun moves across the sky are fantastic!

More spectacular views! God is so creative. He is an incredible artist with the many colors and shadows you see at the Rim!

The sun setting over in a view West over the Canyon.

The kids by a tunnel as we walked a ways down the "Bring Angel Trail". Was fairly easy going down but not very easy at all coming back up. We only went down for about 25 minutes before turning around for the ascent!!

Our precious three again enjoying one of the Wonders of the World!

A shot of Shawn and I outside our cabin at the Grand Canyon. We stayed at Maswik Lodge. Would recommend it to anyone visiting the Canyon!!

Trip to Colorado and Grand Canyon - Post 1 of 4

2011-07-30T07:15:00.008-05:00

Our family, the "Arkansas Solbergs", had a phenomenal trip in July out to the Grand Canyon and to Campus Crusade Staff Training in Colorado. We are very thankful for folks who prayed for our trip as well as our Ministry Partners who give financially so that we can go to Staff Training in Colorado.

Since we took many, many, many pictures, we decided it would be best to break them up into different posts. So we have broken our trip up into 4 parts: (1) on the way to the Grand Canyon, (2) at the Grand Canyon, (3) on our way to Staff Training at CSU, and (4) at Staff Training and the way back to Arkansas.

Hope you will enjoy viewing all of the pics we are sharing!!

This first segment of our trip - on the way to the Grand Canyon - is in the post. The first day we went from Little Rock to Oklahoma City, OK - the second was our "long day" from OKC to Albuquerque, NM - and the final day from Albuquerque to Flagstaff, Arizona!!

A sunrise over the Rio Grande River in Albuquerque, New Mexico. What a beautiful way for God to start my day. Thank You, Lord!!

All of our route out from Little Rock to the Grand Canyon was I-40...but that road runs very close to the famous "Route 66". Saw this mural and thought it would make a good picture!

Caleb and I having some fun with the "Cigar Man" as we called him. This restaurant had a number of these wooden figures and this was Caleb's favorite!

One of the great things about traveling with kids are the pools you get to splash and swim in on your travels. We didn't get to swim in every pool at the hotels we stayed in but we did at most. This is one from Oklahoma City on our way out to the Grand Canyon.

Another perk of being on the road and staying at hotels is the free breakfast many of them offer to their overnight guests. Most of the hotels we stayed in offered "make-your-own-waffles" an our kids usually had them. Great memories - simple things!!

A Grand Sunset in Maumelle Arkansas!!

2011-07-29T15:42:00.003-05:00

Some things are so beautiful that they scream of something (or Someone) greater than ourselves. They scream "There is a Creator!!" God allowed me to capture this sunset in our hometown of Maumelle!! Incredible!

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:18-20

"If I was the devil" - It will make Every Christ-follower think!!

2011-07-23T07:39:00.001-05:00

Our pastor, Bill Elliff, did a sermon series a few months back called "The Wind". It was all about the Holy Spirit, as Bill termed Him, the "nearest God", and how the Spirit is supposed to work and be seen in the life of a Christ-follower. Here is one of Bill's thoughts from that sermon series. Enjoy!

If I was the devil, I would have a simple, primary agenda. My plan would be to do whatever necessary to confuse people about God. I would attack this in multiple ways, of course, because nothing works for every human.

First, I would try to make some believe there simply was no God. That everything was by chance. And, that we are in this brief life on our own. There might be a few takers on this, but not many because it takes an enormous amount of faith in light of all of creation to believe such a lie.

If that didn’t’ work, then I would confuse them about God’s character. I’d tell them there is a God, but He’s bad. I would blame every evil thing on God. I would whisper in their human ears that He must be very unloving to not fix the problems in this world in the way and the time that we think is necessary. This would assure that they would never trust God because who in their right mind would trust somebody so evil?

If humans did decide to believe in God and did think that He was good, I would tell them that God is distant from their everyday lives. That He was not concerned about the details and so they must be in charge of all decisions of daily living. That God is really nothing more than a dottering, old, distant relative who shows up on Holidays and at weddings and funerals. Nice, but inconsequential.

If I was the devil, there is one thing that I would avoid at all costs: the notion that God is good AND near. My greatest fear would be that followers of God would somehow discover that God is living, in full personhood, right inside of them. I would shudder at the potential of Christ-followers being unleashed who knew and believed in the nearest God, the Holy Spirit living right inside of them, and that He could explode through their lives in power and love and truth.

I know the devil’s not that smart, but that’s what I’d do….if I was the devil.

By Pastor Bill Elliff, The Summit Church, North Little Rock, AR, Feb. 2011, from Sermon Series “The Wind” on The Holy Spirit – The Nearest God.

Fun Cartoon to Share!!

2011-07-20T20:35:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine in San Antonio sent this cartoon. With all the iPhones and iPods and iPads.....thought this was a good one to share! And a reminder to me and all the Dads out there how important your role is!!

Planting Good Seeds in Your Marriage!!

2011-07-15T07:31:00.002-05:00

The following "thoughts" are from the FamilyLife Marriage Bible, written by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. I thought this was a great reminder to all of us married folks of the critical importance of our "words" to each other. Hope this is an encouragement to you!!

Verbally Plant Good Seeds

When God created the universe, He used a unique vehicle – words. The psalmist records how God created all that we see: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made…For He spoke and it was done: He commanded and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6,9, italics added)

When God wanted to free Israel from brutal slavery in Egypt, again He used words: “He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, lice in all their territory…He spoke, and locust came, young locusts without number (Psalm 105:31, 34, italics added)

God conceived human life in His mind and gave it birth through His words. He could have fashioned creation gently in His hands – yet He chose to use words. He spoke, and it “stood fast.”

In a similar way, the words you use can be powerful and even life-giving to your spouse. One of the most important things about a married couple is what they say to each other. When positive words flow, the relationship grows robust and flourishes. But if the lines of understanding and positive communication to down permanently, it is only a matter of time before the marriage dies. You can create life in your mate with your positive words, or you can inflict destruction with negative and neglectful words.

During World War II, many factories in the US were converted into manufacturing firms producing ammunition, ships, and other wartime resources. Posted throughout those factories were little signs with these words: “Loose lips sink ship”. Today, we need little signs in our homes that read, “Loose lips sink partnerships.”

Proverbs 12:25 is clear, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes him glad.” Notice the impact of a “good word”. Gladness comes from just one well-placed, positive word.

Be sure to appreciate the power of words. They can assault your mate or honor him or her as a valuable person who had God-given worth and assets. Your efforts to give unconditional acceptance will go for naught if you sow pessimistic, critical, or unsympathetic words into the heart of your mate.

From the FamilyLife Marriage Bible, Dennis and Barbary Rainey

Swim Season has come to an end for this year!!

2011-07-12T07:02:00.002-05:00

It has been another fun year with Caleb and Sarah being part of the "Maumelle Marlins Swim Team". They were able to be a part of the 3 of the 5 Marlin meets this year and both did well!

Sarah moved up from 9-12 year old girls to swim with the "big girls" - 13-18 - and did well. She still loves backstroke and is really continuing to improve in butterfly as well! Caleb also continues to do well in swimming and was able to compete in butterfly twice this year and do well! He is thinking about trying IM next year as well!

We thank God for giving them the ability to both swim well AND have fun!

Our two swimmers after a meet in June!

Hard to see, but that's Caleb in the 2nd lane from the right side!

Tough Times: Something to think about!

2011-07-08T07:56:00.002-05:00

I was talking to a co-worker of mine earlier this week. He had been sharing about some really tough stuff that had been happening in their lives in the last weeks: a couple of family members had died, some other family members were seriously ill, things were looking tough in some financial areas for them, one of their children was being difficult to deal with again.

There is the "stuff" of real life. No one is immune to it.

But in the midst of that, I looked at my co-worker and said, "Aren't you glad that in the midst of this tough stuff, you know, as a follower of Christ, that this life is not all there is."

There is a life beyond this life. Eternity awaits. And for the Christ-follower, that is an eternity to look forward to with great anticipation! Not only being in the presence of our Lord but also in the company of all the Christ-followers who have gone to eternity before us.

But we also must remember that the Lord does not leave us alone in the midst of the "tough stuff" of life. He has given us the Holy Spirit to live within us and empower us. He has also given us His Word to encourage and equip us. And finally, He has given us the Body of Christ to encourage and exhort and comfort us.

If you are facing tough stuff this day, remember the Lord's faithfulness. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. Stand on His Promises. They will never fail!

Fourth of July Fun with the Solbergs!

2011-07-05T12:08:00.004-05:00

Did you hear the sound? Did you see or smell the smoke? Last night, in many communities like ours, kids and families were out shooting fireworks in honor of the 4th of July! It is a fun time when the kids are able to enjoy the fun AND no one gets hurt!

Our kids were able to celebrate the festivities TWICE this year - once with friends in Little Rock on Sunday night, and then again last night (Monday night) in our neighborhood in Maumelle. We didn't buy a lot of fireworks this year, but our three did have fun with what they got. I think the favorites were the "M5000" firecrakers - which were very powerful - and something called a "Speed Ball" which made a loud noise and spun up into the night sky!

Enjoy a couple of pics below.

Caleb getting read to light one!

Sarah lighting another one!

Bernoulli's Law and Jesus: What's the Connection?

2011-06-29T19:31:00.001-05:00

Our pastor, Bill Elliff, shared this a while back. As I read over it, I thought it was "good stuff" and wanted to share it with others. Enjoy!!

How do you get a 400-ton piece of metal to fly through the air at 600 miles an hour? That’s easy. Bernoulli’s law.

Daniel Bernoulli was a Swiss mathematician in the 1700’s who discovered the law that was later applied to aero-dynamics. It is the observation of how movement over an airplane wing creates lift - in this case, over the wing of a 747. There is one law that we all know applies to a 40-ton piece of metal: the law of gravity. What goes up, must come down. But there is a greater law that takes over the law of gravity, which Bernoulli describes.

How do you get a sinful, separated, messed up human being clean, forgiven, and right with God? How do you overcome the law of our sinfulness and depravity? It cost a great deal (the death of God’s Son in our place) but it put in motion a greater law. Paul says the “law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death.” When this law becomes active in our lives as followers of Christ, we soar.

You can sit on the runway and die if you want to – you have that choice. Or, you can come to Jesus Christ and let Him lift and liberate you. This is “Christ’s law”….and it works every time!

By Pastor Bill Elliff, The Summit Church, North Little Rock, AR, Oct. 2010

Joplin Friend: Video he made to share and remember!

2011-06-24T21:43:00.005-05:00

I have a friend I know in South Texas that did most of his growing up teen years in Joplin, Missouri. He was recently back there after the tornado to help and to bring supplies from his church in South Texas.

While I visited him, he shared that he had created a couple of videos. They are incredible. You can search for more of his video with the name "fishxpressions". Here is one of them. It is only by God's grace that thousands didn't lose their lives in Joplin. It looks like a war zone.

Joplin Memorial (preacher sound clips) from fishxpressions on Vimeo.

Father Son Fun in Texas!!

2011-06-18T06:36:00.002-05:00

Had the great privelage of spending about 10 days with Josh, our oldest, on a trip to Texas recently! Although most of the trip was "work" for FamilyLife, we did manage to get in a little fun along the way!

One of those stops was at a place called "Dave and Busters". Josh described it as an "adult Chuck E. Cheese" since it has lots of fun things to do...but more grown up that Chuck E Cheese!

We spent about 3 hours having fun there! It was a lot of fun!

The outside of D and B's

Josh on one of the many games we played!

Josh driving - won't be long until the "real thing"!!

A picture after the fun was over that day!!

Signs of the Times: Marriage Under Attack!

2011-06-16T15:05:00.002-05:00

There are signs all around us each day. The one you see pictured to the left is one a FamilyLife staff person saw about 2 weeks ago. This could literally be a sign in our neighborhood in Maumelle….or yours where you live: A husband who has “cheated” on his wife and now the family is breaking up as a result. The results will be devastating for all involved!

It is a “sign” of the times we are living in. But it is also a reminder of how urgent the need for marriage/family help is!! There are marriages and families dying in neighborhoods all around you and me every day. Do we really care? Or are we too busy with our own lives to step in and offer help? There is a huge difference between knowing what we should do and actually doing it—being a hearer OR a doer.

Would you take a minute to stop and pray right now. “Lord, please show me how you want me to respond”. Maybe you have a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or family member that you know needs help. Maybe it is you and your marriage and family that is in need right now. Whatever the case, will you respond. Will you reach out and offer help OR reach out and ask for help?

The Lord of the universe stands ready to hear your response. And Shawn and I stand ready to respond as well. Phone or email us and we will get back with you. Our contact info is at the bottom of this page. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you. Keep on asking, seeking, and knocking!

Have a Good Laugh!! BBQ Humor!!

2011-06-07T06:55:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine from FamilyLife sent this to me in an email. I am NOT a guy that barbeques much, but I know plenty of men who do. I can see how this scenario could easily play out at many homes! Enjoy! It's good to laugh! God loves for us to get a good "belly laugh"!!

BBQ RULES

We are about to enter the BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity. When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine...

(1) The woman buys the food.
(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert .
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.
(4) The woman remains outside the compulsory three meter exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman.Here comes the important part:
(5) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.More routine...
(6) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
(7) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meatImportant again:
(8) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.More routine...
(9) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
(10) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.And most important of all:
(11) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
(12) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed ' her night off ', and upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.

Prayer for Your Spouse!!

2011-06-03T15:29:00.004-05:00

Found this prayer in an online article I recently read. Shawn and I have shared it with a number of folks we know. I am going to try to begin praying it on a regular basis for my wife. Hope it encourages and challenges you today!!

PRAYER:
Dear God, Help me to keep life in the proper perspective. Help me to love the one you gave me with all my heart, even when I don’t feel like it. When I get distracted by all that must be done, remind me to take the time and effort to communicate that my spouse is my first priority. Forgive me for all the times I have ignored my spouse – all those times I have let people or things or activities take up time that should have been spent with him. Forgive me for all those times I gave my partner only what was left after everybody and everything else had had its share. Teach me to be more generous and less greedy, more sensitive and less selfish, more focused and less hectic. Teach me how to show love to my spouse every single day. Amen.

Taken with permission from Dr. Steve Stephens, 20 Surprisingly Simple Rules and Tools for a Great Marriage. Tyndale House Publisher, Inc.

Video to Share: Manifesto!!

2011-05-30T06:11:00.002-05:00

I haven't a video in a while but couldn't pass this one up! The worship band at our church played it a couple of Sundays ago and, once I got the lyrics, I was hooked. The lyrics are not complicated, but they are powerful!

Enjoy! And sing along! The song keeps playing over and over in my head! Praise God for the gift of music!

LINK: http://youtu.be/o_6JQDsbtlM

Short on Time? Check out FamilyLife Today "On The Go"!!

2011-05-27T14:51:00.012-05:00

Are you short on time? Always seem to be rushing off to the next thing on your busy schedule? If that sounds like you, then we have just the thing for you!! FamilyLife Today® On The Go is geared for your busy lifestyle. Practical, Biblical help for your marriage and family in bite-sized chunks.—many 5 minutes or less!

These short segments are taken from the best FamilyLife Today radio programs. A new On the Go is released each Monday and Thursday and will cover a variety of topics. Not everyone has time to listen to a 25 minute program, so we’re providing some of the most compelling discussions from FamilyLife Today in a condensed fashion. Our desire is to take what God has given us (great audio content) and deliver it to people in a variety of ways to fit their lifestyle.

You can listen to “On The Go” (1) thru our iPhone App “FamilyLife Audio” , (2) by subscribing to the podcast thru iTunes, OR (3) you can also find “On The Go” at http://www.familylifetodayonthego.com/. Any of these are great ways to listen in on these short segments. Listen in! You HAVE time!!

Encouragment for Your Marriage!

2011-05-20T08:44:00.002-05:00

Our small group has been reading through the book Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas! We cannot recommend a book MORE HIGHLY related to marriage! Some mentors of ours from Corpus Christi, Joe and Connie Sengler, told us we should read it....and they were right! It should be standard reading for every couple in the first year of marriage!!

As we have gone through the book, I have been startled by the number of "great quotes on marriage" that have grabbed my attention. Hope the quotes below will both encourage and challenge you in your marriage relationship!!

“If you want to be free to serve Jesus, there’s no question – stay single. Marriage takes a lot of time. But if you want to become more like Jesus, I can’t imagine any better thing to do than to get married. Being married forces you to face some character issues you’d never have to face otherwise.” Page 21

“The key question is this: Will we approach marriage from a God-centered view of a man-centered view? In a man-centered view, we will maintain our marriage as long as our earthly comforts, desires, and expectations are met. In a God-centered view, we preserve our marriage because it brings glory to God and points a sinful world to a reconciling Creator.” Page 32

God lets us choose whom we’re going to love. Because we get the choice and then find it difficult to carry out the love in practice, what grounds do we have to ever stop loving?...Once we enter the marriage relationship, we cannot love God without loving our spouse as well. Page 42

Christianity involves believing certain things to be sure, but its herald, its hallmark, its glory is not in merely ascribing to certain intellectual truths. The beauty of Christianity is in learning to love, and few life situations test that so radically as does a marriage. Page 51

Many of the marital problems we face are not problems between individual couples....They are problems between men, generally, and women, generally. They are problems that arise because we are either too lazy or too selfish to get to know our spouse well enough to understand how different from us they really are. Page 60

Contempt is conceived with expectations. Respect is conceived with expressions of gratitude. We can choose which one we will obsess over – expectations or thanksgivings. That choice will result in a birth – and the child will be named either contempt or respect. Page 67

In fact, much Christina teaching has gotten it exactly backwards. We’re told that if we want to have a stronger marriage, we should improve our prayer lives. But Peter tells us that we should improve our marriages so that we can improve our prayer lives. Instead of prayer being the “tool” that will refine my marriage, Peter tells me that marriage is the tool that will refine my prayers. Page 76

Marriage is an operation by which a woman’s vanity and a man’s egotism are extracted without anesthetic – Helen Rowland, Page 89.

One of the best wedding gifts God gave you was a full-length mirror called “your spouse”. Had there been a card attached, it would have said, “Here’s to helping you discover what you’re really like!” – Gary and Betsi Ricucci.

Behind virtually every case of marital dissatisfaction lies unrepentant sin. Couples don’t fall out of love so much as the fall out of repentance. Sin, wrong attitudes, and personal failures that are not dealt with slowly erode the relationship…..Page 96

Suffering as a Follower of Christ

2011-05-16T08:12:00.003-05:00

This is from a friend of mine in Houston....too good to not share!!

MEDITATION VERSE:

" Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.And His disciples asked Him, saying, ' Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, ' Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." John 9:1-3

from the Life Application Bible Commentary

" A common belief in Jewish culture was that calamity or suffering was the result of some great sin. But Christ used this man's suffering to teach about faith and to glorify God. We live in a fallen world where good behavior is not always reward and bad behavior not always punished. Therefore, innocent people sometimes suffer. If God took suffering away whenever we asked, we would follow Him for COMFORT and CONVENIENCE, NOT OUT OF LOVE AND DEVOTION.

Regardless of the reasons for our suffering, JESUS has the power to help us deal with it. When you suffer from a disease, tragedy, or disability, try not to ask, ' Why did this happen to me?' or ' What did I do wrong?' Instead, ask God TO GIVE YOU STRENGTH for the trial and a clearer perspective on what is happening."

Great Recipe to Share from Mother's Day Dessert!

2011-05-10T06:34:00.002-05:00

So many times you see a picture of a great dish or dessert, but when you make it, you are disappointed. Well that is definitely NOT the case with this dessert.

Pictured to the left is Mocha Pecan Mud Pie. I made it for Shawn for her Mother's Day dessert and it was outstanding (when you read the ingredients, you will probably understand why!!). Both of our sons, Josh and Caleb said, "Dad, can we have this for our birthday dessert?"

I used a pint of Haagen-Dazs Coffee ice cream and a pint of Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate ice cream. You could taste both the chocolate AND the coffee. The oreos and pecans added great flavors as well. I also choose to use a regular graham cracker pie crust instead of the chocolate one they suggested.

If you want a mouth watering pie that is really not TOO difficult to make, give this one a try. But be sure to invite us over so we can enjoy it too :) !!

Recipe posted at:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mocha-pecan-mud-pie-10000000257949/

More Prayer: Devastating Flooding in Arkansas!

2011-05-07T07:38:00.004-05:00

I heard about it on the news...even saw pictures as well. But nothing could really prepare me for seeing it in person last Friday. It was devastating to see in person.

I am talking about the flooding in Arkansas. Last week we had severe storms followed by about 12-14 inches of rain over a few days. This has caused the White River and several other rives in Arkansas to overflow their banks in historic proportions. In Eastern Arkansas, the Mississippi is also causing widespread damage as many of you may have seen on the National News.

I had to drive to West Memphis, Arkansas last Friday and got to see lots of the flooding as I drove (see pictures below). It was devastating to see home after home after home flooded...and field after field after field flooded as well. Especially knowing that many of these folks are farmers and will not likely be able to get their crops in any time soon.

As you take a look at the pictures below, don't just look but become a "participant"! By that I mean, as you are looking, take time to pray. Pray for those affected by the flooding. Pray for the Body of Christ to come in and help in a way that makes Christianity attractive to those who do not know the Savior. Pray that God will work miracles and do supernatural things that ONLY He can get credit for - that He would indeed be glorified (His Name made famous) in all that is happening!

Prayer Request: Keeping People and Relationships First

2011-05-02T08:04:00.007-05:00

The older I get, the more I appreciate the "people" and "relationships" that God has brought into my life. Things and stuff will always be around....and will need to be attended to. But God is continally reminding me that I need to keep relationships FIRST - my relationship with the Lord, my relationship with my wife, my relationship with my kids, and everyone else after that.

I am naturally a more "task-oriented" person. I always have my "to do" list and want to be sure I am getting the things done that I am responsible for. The problem with a "to do"" list is that it never ends. There will always be more to do.

But the "to do" list itself is not the problem....it is making sure that the BIG ROCKS of life, people and relationshops, are ON the to do list. It is a continual process of making sure the urgent things of life DO NOT crowd out the important things. That balance is what I need to wrestle with. That balance is something I need God's wisdom to maintain. As I abide in Him, He will show me what that balance looks like day-by-day and hour-by-hour.

So thanks for taking a moment to pray for our family and for me specifically as the husband and father: That as I abide in the Lord God that He will give me the wisdom I need to keep my relationships, with Him and others, FIRST! And when I am out of balance, that God will use people, cirucumstances, and whatever else He needs to "wake me up" so I can repent and get going in the right direction again.

Thanks so much for your prayers for us. God bless you!!

Encouraging Read for Parents!

2011-04-27T16:41:00.007-05:00

A friend of ours emailed this to us....thought it would be good to share to encourage you parents of young folks (like us)......Enjoy! The website it is from is linked below!

Help! My Kids Are Trying Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll!

Is this your worst nightmare? That your kids will fall away from the values you have tried to teach them? That they will go off and experiment with the most dangerous activities and that they will be nothing like the people you raised them to be?

You are not alone. These are the greatest fears of many parents.

Are you ready for some good news? Time and time again, we've seen that when young people rebel or get off track in life, relationship brings them back. Research even supports the notion that relationship is the greatest factor predicting whether kids will remain true to their parents' values…or rebel against them.

Is that incredible or what? More than what books they read, what schools they attend, what shows they watch, what activities in which they participate, even the friends they choose - the quality of our relationship makes the greatest difference.

This is one reason Love and Logic puts so much emphasis on avoiding arguments and power struggles with kids. If the loving bond with our kids is not intact, all the best limits, techniques, and accountability will not get us to our goal of raising great kids.

There may be times when the wisest thing parents can do is set aside control battles over things like haircuts, fashion, or even grades - and focus on building the most loving relationship possible.

Some parents decide to suspend the fight and do things with their kids that they truly enjoy. They focus on what they like about the kid and what brings them together.

Is it possible that an afternoon playing a favorite game or rooting for a team we love could be more powerful than months and years of nagging kids to be more like us?

Take heart. Young people are notorious for experimenting, for trying on identities, and for straining to distance themselves from their "old" parents. And if we have great relationships with them, they often come around in wonderful ways - to be great people just like us!

Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward this article to a friend.

Jedd Hafer

http://www.loveandlogic.com/

Happy Easter! He is risen, indeed!!

2011-04-23T06:23:00.001-05:00

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26

How do you answer Jesus' question as recorded in John 11? Do you truly believe that He is the Risen Savior? Do you really believe that if you believe in Him you will never die?

As a follower of Christ, I must guard my heart to not let Easter become "just another Sunday". I must ask the Lord to never let me grow cold to the power of what occurred on that Sunday morning more than 2,000 years ago: History was forever changed. Eternity was forever changed. All by the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

However you, as a Christ-follower, decide to celebrate Easter, please do not grow cold to the magnitude of what happened that morning! As a follower of Christ, I was brought from death to life. I was given eternal life after this Earth and an abundant life while I remain here. I have been given the Holy Spirit to live in me so that I can live in obedience and joy!

Celebrate all the Lord Jesus has done! He is Risen indeed!

Today: A Gift from God

2011-04-20T14:08:00.008-05:00

Do you really believe that today is a "Gift from God"? As followers of Christ we say that, but do we REALLY believe it? And do we ACT as if we believe it?

There is a man I work with named Marcus. He frequently says "This is a day we have never seen before AND a day we will never see again!" Read that again: "This is a day we have never seen before AND a day we will never see again!"

As I write this on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - I have to come to the realization that this is the ONLY April 20, 2011 that I will ever experience. It is a unique day that will never be repeated again. I only have one chance to live his day for the Glory of God. I only have one chance to be obedient to the things He tells me to do today.

My challenge to myself AND to you is this: Live like you believe this day is a GIFT from God, remembering that it is the only one you will get in your lifetime!

The Great Commission: A Must-See Video!!

2011-04-16T05:50:00.001-05:00

What an incredible thought! To see God's Great Commission completed in our lifetime! When there are no longer any "unreached people" in the world. Every tribe and tongue and nation has clearly heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and had a chance to respond to the Gospel of Grace!

Well that is what the video link below is about. A meeting of leaders in Amsterdam in 2000 in which key leaders were brought together to commit to the fulfilling of the Great Commission.

I challenge you to take 6 minutes and 56 seconds to watch and be inspired!!

The History of Table 71 The Lausanne Global Conversation

Have a Little Fun with Arkansas!!

2011-04-14T14:32:00.005-05:00

People are always poking fun at the state of Arkansas! And I must admit, that before we moved here, that I TOO would have been in that group! But no more. Arkansas is a great place to live!!

A friend was recently talking to me and asked us to send her a postcard from Arkansas. I found this one and sent it to her. It's entitled "Hillbilly Livin' on Vacation". Most folks would think this is a typical picture of a home in Arkansas. Well, the truth is it is NOT!

Here's to having a good laugh! We all need some good laughs each day!!

Revival: Could this be the start?

2011-04-10T17:55:00.014-05:00

REVIVAL: That is a word I have heard almost since the day I became a follower of Christ at age 30. But what does "Revival" really mean? What does that look like in the US in 2011?

I don't have all the answers to those questions, but I do know one thing: The Lord is doing something supernatural in Little Rock, Arkansas! Yes, I said Little Rock! And many of the folks at the Summit Church (where we attend) and other churches in Central Arkansas are praying that what we have been seeing for the last week is the "ignition point" for an awakening that will sweep across Central Arkansas and then spread like wildfire all across the Unites States!

You can read many of the details in the link below. But even if you DO NOT take time to read what has been happening, I do ask you, follower of Christ to do one thing: PRAY FERVENTLY. Pray that the "outpouring of the Spirit and the Grace of God" that we have been seeing will continue to manifest itself across Arkansas and then spread as God directs it! This is NOT for the glory of The Summit Church or any church - this is for the Glory of God and the building of the Kingdom of God - one life at a time!

http://thesummitchurch.org/blogs/summit

Meditating on God's Word - What Does that Mean?

2011-04-06T20:38:00.007-05:00

As I have read Psalm 1, I have often wondered "what does it really mean to meditate on God's Word"? I have a friend who uses the word "marinate" as a synonym. In the same way we marinate food overnight to get a fuller and richer flavor, I need to spend more time in God's Word so that He can reveal to me the fuller, richer meaning of it. I hope the devotion below will help you, as it did me, to really better understand how the Lord wants us to meditate on His Word!

CHANGED THROUGH MEDITATION - Experiencing God Devotional - Blackaby

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalms 1:2)

Meditation means “to think deeply and continuously about something.” For a Christian, this means remaining in the presence of God and pondering each truth He reveals about Himself until it becomes real and personal in your life. This takes time. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus accused certain would-be followers of calling Him “Lord” and yet never doing what He told them (Luke 6:46). They had the correct truth in their heads, but it had never translated into obedience. When you meditate on Scriptures, the truth moves from your head to your heart and results in obedience. As the Psalmist said: “Your word have I hidden in my heart, / That I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11).

When you know God’s Word in your mind but not in your heart, it means that you have learned the principles and concepts and doctrines of God, but you have not come to know Jesus personally. You can reject a doctrine, or ignore a concept, or challenge a principle, but it is much more difficult to ignore a Person. You can have Scripture in your mind and still sin against God. There are those who can recite long passages of Scripture and yet live ungodly lives. However, you cannot have Scripture fill your heart and continue to sin against God. When God’s truth is allowed to touch the deepest corner of your soul, the Holy Spirit will transform you into the image of Jesus Christ. Don’t just read your Bible, meditate on God’s Word and ask Him to change your heart.

Celebrate Shawn at 40!!

2011-04-02T08:32:00.004-05:00

Shawn and her best friend from Houston, Denise!

Well, the big #40 birthday has come and gone for Shawn!! And she survived and I think even had a lot of fun on her 40th!!

It all started out with a couple of surprises (thank you God for letting us pull these off!) on her birthday on Wednesday, March 30th. One of her good friends, Teresa, was taking her out, "just the two of them" to celebrate her birthday. The real surprise was that there were about 6 or 7 other women at that restaurant waiting for them to arrive! One of the ladies, I am told, got the whole restaurant involved in signing Happy Birthday to Shawn! They ate Mexican food, talked, had some birthday cake and celebrated...but the surprises were not over yet!

Then they continued the celebration by walking across the road from the restaurant to Starbucks. That is where Shawn's best friend from Houston, Denise, was waiting (she had flown in secretly and Glen and his friend, Keith, had brought her to the Starbucks). She was hiding behind a newspaper when the ladies arrived but soon revealed herself! Shawn was overcome with emotion. Denise took a video - it is hilarious how Shawn is literally screaming with joy!!

The ladies spent some time there at Starbucks continuing to celebrate before the party was finally over. It was a great way to "Celebrate Shawn" - a great gift from God to all her know her and call her a friend!

Family Fun in Kansas City!

2011-03-29T20:21:00.005-05:00

For those of you who were praying - THANK YOU! We had a safe and a fun trip to Kansas City last weekend for the first of two Weekend to Remember Getaways there this Spring! We traveled up on Thursday, served at the Getaway on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and then came home on Monday. It was quick but a really fun trip. The Lord was working the the marraiges and hearts of the just over 500 folks who were there! Thank You, Lord, for all you did last weekend and all You will continue to do in the lives of those husbands and wives You transformed! Wanted to share a few pics from our trip! Enjoy!

It as "Final Four" time --- check out his creative display at a local KC Wal-Mart!!

Shawn and I and the Lead Volunteer Couple, Allen and Angie!

This may have been our biggest surprise of the weekend! Yes, it snowed about an inch on Saturdya night and Sunday duringn the day! Didn't affect driving but it was cold!!

A MUST-SEE Video!!

2011-03-25T06:02:00.003-05:00

Shawn saw this video on Facebook a few days ago. The first time I watched it, it just blew me away! I encourage you to watch it (or watch it again today)! Then share it with those you know - both those who are "God-friendly" and those who are not! God has great plans for helping folks to "Reverse" their thinking!! (The fool says in their heart there is no God!)

Eight Questions for a Healthy "Spiritual Heart"!!

2011-03-22T07:25:00.001-05:00

These questions were developed at FamilyLife, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. They are taken from the New Testament book of 2 Timothy. Please take a few minutes to read over them and ask the Lord God to search you and take a honest assessment of how healthy your “spiritual heart” really is!!

Question #1: Do I love the Gospel more than I love my own reputation and comfort? So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. (2 Tim. 1:8)

Question #2: Do I love God’s truth more than my own opinions and preferences? What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (2 Tim. 1:13-14)

Question #3: Do I embrace God’s assignment for me ahead of my own agenda? You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Tim. 2:1-2)

Question #4: Do I remind myself every day of the Gospel and choose to forget lesser things? Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. (2 Tim. 2:8-10)

Question #5: Am I becoming a skillful (not a casual) student of God’s Word? Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15)

Question #6: Am I cultivating a Godly character and putting to death the impulses of the flesh? Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Tim. 2:22-26)

Question #7: Am I ready at all times to talk with others about God and His Word – even when it’s inconvenient? In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Tim. 4:1-5)

Question #8: Am I in pursuit of eternal, not temporal, rewards? For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Tim. 4:6-8)

First Track Meet of Spring for Josh!

2011-03-19T06:11:00.001-05:00

Josh, our 14 y/o son, had his first track meet last Saturday. And by God's grace, we had one of the most beautiful Spring days we have seen in our 8 years in Arkansas ---- temp about 70 degrees, a gentle breeze, low humidity --- a perfect day for being outside!

Josh did well competing in the 4x100 relay, the 100, 200 and 400 meter events. He is competing this year for the first time in races with both Junior and Senior High boys (although he is really only racing against the Junior boys). Check out the video below - Josh is in the inside lane - on the far right of the video:

Help for Parents of Teens!!

2011-03-16T18:56:00.006-05:00

I get emails from a great ministry called Heartlight Ministries (more info at the end of this post on Heartlight). They are all about helping parents of teens and teens have the great relationship with each other and with Jesus. Here is one of Mark Gregston's latest emails!!

Developing Responsibility in Your Teen --- by Mark Gregston

I have a word of advice that is applicable to almost every parent of a teenager in today’s world. Stop! More specifically, stop doing so many things for your teen. By doing too much, you are likely stifling their motivation, limiting their creativity, promoting irresponsibility and postponing maturity. You may even be taking away the sense of accomplishment, pride and self-esteem they would otherwise have.

Most parents do not require enough from their kids today; nor do they train them to handle responsibility. There was a time in our society when young people were expected to do many things for themselves. On the farm or in larger families they were expected to help out around the house, take care of their siblings, and even help support the family in some instances. Along with the conveniences of modern day living has come the prolonging of immaturity well into the mid-twenties.

Fact is, teens are capable of handling plenty of responsibility, but too often parents get in the way. We can underestimate their abilities and stifle new challenges, so they don’t mature. I often hear parents say things like, “They’re too young for that,” or, “I’ll just have to redo it anyway.” Regardless, they need to learn and they’ll only do so when we stop doing everything for them. I don’t think kids should drive a car at age 16, or vote or go to war at age 18, but that’s the real world. Is there risk involved in the process? Of course. But there’s no way to avoid it. Exposure to some difficulty and risk is a necessary part of the growing process.

You may remember the large-scale science experiment known as the Biosphere 2 from about twenty years ago. In the Arizona desert, a group of scientists tried to recreate in a sealed environment the different ecosystems found on Earth. The plan was to create a self-sustaining cycle (a biosphere) that would continually support life on another planet. Vegetation grew, but they found that the trees eventually drooped over and broke in half. It was because there was no wind. You see, as trees grow outdoors, bending back and forth in the wind creates small cracks in the bark and then sap fills the cracks, making the whole tree stronger and the bark thicker. Without it, the tree has no strength and support.

Likewise, not allowing our teens to learn responsibility — to bend in the wind — we are not allowing them to learn the skills they are going to need to survive and stand upright in the world. So, take a minute to think about the skills your teen is going to need, and then plan how you will train them to deal with those issues through real-life responsibility. Here are just a few of things you can focus on:

Cooking healthy meals, doing their own laundry, buying groceries, changing a tire, how to spend money, how to save money, how to study, how to act in a job interview, how to plan, how to deal with stress, handling conflict…the list could go on forever.

Start talking about and training them for the things that will be required of them as adults, before they have to actually face them.

No Substitute for Experience

Kids need to experience for themselves the link between their choices and the resulting consequences—good or bad. Learning to make good choices requires practice — it’s not an inborn ability and they won’t magically develop that skill when they turn 18 or 21.

They also learn from the experience of observation. For instance, I believe that a man’s word is his bond. If I say I’ll do something, I do it. And I believe that order and cleanliness is important. So, I try to model those and other important character traits to my staff and the kids I work with. The point is, you can’t expect more from your child than you demonstrate in your own life.

When you’ve been doing everything for them all along, they’ve come to depend on you. But you need to make the transition in the early teen years. So sit down with them and discuss your new expectations with words like “I/we will no longer do…” Then stick to it and don’t pick up the slack.

You’ll never be a perfect parent. Neither will I. But if we’ve done the best we can to prepare and train our kids in the teen years for adulthood, and have modeled responsibility for them, that’s all we can do. We need to step back and trust what we’ve taught them all their lives will rub off on them. Yes, they will make mistakes, but they need to. Swallow hard and allow them to learn for themselves.

Well-intentioned parents can all too easily become enabling, and that can lead to trouble for the teen when they break out on their own. It reminds me of someone who found a butterfly struggling to shed its cocoon. Trying to help the butterfly ease its way into the world, they broke open the cocoon to free the fragile creature—but the butterfly then died! You see, it needed the process and struggle of getting out of the cocoon in order to gain the strength to live. So do your kids.

We talked about this issue in-depth on our radio program titled “Developing Responsibility in Your Teen.” Listen online here (or look for the program at http://www.parentingtodaysteens.org).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mark Gregston is an author, speaker, radio host, and the founder and director of Heartlight, a therapeutic boarding school located in East Texas. Call 903-668-2173. Visit http://www.heartlightministries.org, or to read other articles by Mark, visit http://www.markgregston.com

Giving Away Ministry: The Art of Marriage!!

2011-03-12T07:48:00.002-06:00

As part of the staff of FamilyLife, we are continually "WOWED" by all the the Lord God is doing in and through this ministry. But we know we are only touching a "small part" of the U.S. population. If our goal is "Every Home a Godly Home", we know we can't get there using ONLY the tools we have for the last 30 years!

The Art of Marriage is a tool I personally believe will touch more couples in the next 5 years that we have in 30+ years with the Weekend to Remember! That is a bold statement but you would believe it too if you had seen the quality and the power of this great video event!

Shawn and I are working to get an Art of Marriage on the "calendar" at our home church here in North Little Rock. There is work involved but the payoff is worth the effort - transformed lives and marriages!!

And that leads us to this challenge: Could God be calling YOU to host an Art of Marriage event. Imagine bringing the same life-transforming power God provides through Weekend to Remember Getaways to your community, your church, or your small group—no matter what the size of the city you live in. Wouldn’t that be awesome!

Shawn and I had the privilege of seeing The Art of Marriage in July and were blown away by the quality of this great new tool. This one and a half day event uses great biblical teaching, engaging stories, real-life testimonies and humorous vignettes to help couples fully experience and embrace God’s design for marriage.

So we are back to the question: Could God be calling YOU to host an Art of Marriage Event? For more information, visit http://www.theartofmarriage.com/. And if you are interested in finding out more after you visit the website, then please email Glen at gsolberg@familylife.com!

2011-03-09T12:01:00.004-06:00

Our pastor, Bill Elliff, recently said that he felt that “marriage and family were under attack TODAY more than he had seen in the last 40 years!!” As part of the staff of FamilyLife, we see the attacks on a daily basis. And it was confirming to see our Pastor and many other pastors and leaders recognizing the same attack!

"What should be our response to this attack?", you might ask. There are many ways that we COULD respond, many of them good ways. We feel the BEST FIRST RESPONSE to the crisis in marriage and family is prayer! Yes, prayer!

So Shawn and I are also asking you to pray for us: that the Lord would use us in any way He chooses to reach out to couples with the hope and help that ONLY Jesus can bring supernaturally. I also ask that you would pray that prayer for yourself as you read this. God wants to use you, wherever you are, to build His Kingdom. The question is, for you and for me, "Am I available and am I listening?" Honestly, the speed of life for me makes me wonder if I ever slow down enough to hear the "still small voice" as He speaks.

Thanks for praying! Prayer to the Lord is one of the most powerful weapons we have to fight this battle. Thanks for going to battle for us in prayer!

Great Sermon to Listen To!!

2011-03-05T08:17:00.001-06:00

I listen fairly often to sermons from a Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, Texas. They staff there does an awesome job of communicating God's Word. I hope one day to actually VISIT "The Stone" (as folks there call it) on a trip down to Texas!

I recently heard a couple of awesome sermons -- on the subject of Heaven and Hell. Strap on your seatbelt and listen......there is some tough stuff.....but straight from God's Word! The links are below. If they don't work, you can go to www.austinstone.org and find them on the website

Sermon on Hell - January 23, 2011

http://www.austinstone.org/resources/sermon/hell/

Sermon on Satan and Heaven/Hell - January 30, 2011

http://www.austinstone.org/resources/sermon/what_satan_doesnt_want_you_to_know_about_heaven/

Help Online for Marraige and Family!!

2011-03-02T20:06:00.012-06:00

There are hurting marriages and families everywhere—where you live and where we live here in Little Rock. How is God going to get them help and encouragement? One answer is FamilyLife eMentoring. Shawn and I first highlighted eMentoring in July of 2010 when it was first announced to the public. Since then, eMentoring has been reading more and more folks each month.

What is “eMentoring”? While it’s not a counseling service, and no professional advice or services are offered, an eMentor takes a special interest in helping an eMentee develop as a person and as a believer. They’re a dependable listener and advisor who draws upon both the Word of God and personal experience to help the eMentee develop wisdom, stability, and dependence upon God. eMentors are sought based on a comprehensive list of qualities: spiritual and relational maturity, emotional stability, compassion, heart of prayer, trust in God, availability, teachability, transparency, humility, a desire to share Christ…and, of course, basic computer skills. They’re trained to pray online in written form, as well as in basic theology, evangelism, and how to disciple others and encourage personal spiritual growth. They are NOT counselors, but are equipped to offer Christ-centered solutions to life’s challenges and difficulties. In short, they are encouragers…showing others the way to seek God’s promise through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Take a few moments to check http://www.familylife.com/ementoring for more info. You can request help OR you can find out more about becoming a eMentor. We are in need or more folks to be trained as eMentors as the needs for help online continue to grow and grow each moth! And please put the enclosed eMentoring bookmark in your favorite book. Share eMentoring with others you know and use eMentoring when you are in need of some encouragement and help!

Actual Comments from folks being eMentored:

“I am a big, burly, Grizzly Adams type with better hygiene. Even so, I cried as I read your e-mail. I am so grateful that God is using you to speak encouragement to me. I thank you and I thank God for you.”

“Thank you for emailing me. I am SO grateful for this- thank you so very much! E-mentoring is just brilliant and a lifeline for mums like me who don’t have a whole lot of support.” [from a “mum” in England]

Passport2Purity with Caleb!! A Great Time!!

2011-02-27T07:39:00.009-06:00

If you checked out our prayer post a week or so back, we asked you to pray for a number of things last weekend - one being Caleb's Passport2Purity Weekend! Well, Caleb and I were able to have his Passport Weekend, and we had a great time!

We drove up to Russellville AR and stayed overnight at a hotel there. We did two sessions of Passport to Purity on Friday night. Then got up and did two more on Saturday morning after breakfast. Then we took a break from Passport2Purity and had some fun hiking on Mount Magazine (see pics below). Then we did our final session on the drive back to Little Rock. We capped it all off with dinner out at a Mexican Restaurant and Caleb's special dessert (see pic below as well)

Below are some of the pics from the weekend! It was a great time of having fun and looking ahead to the teen years for Caleb as he grows into the man God created him to be!!

We had supper in Russellville at Stoby's! The weekend off to a great start!

Caleb got to pull the train whistle outside Stobys. It is LOUD!!

Saturday morning going over the great Passport2Purity material together!

Hiked to the highest point in Arkansas on Mount Magazine.

On another trail on Mount Magazine - beautiful day!!

Along Bear Hollow Trail - a creek with cold water!!

A beautiful view of the Arkansas River Valley from Mt. Magazine!

Celebration Dinner after Passport2Purity - Caleb's first Fried Ice Cream!

UPDATE: Prayer for our Family This Weekend

2011-02-24T11:20:00.003-06:00

Shawn and I SO APPRECIATE those who pray for us! We wanted to give you an update on our the post from last week to pray for our family over last weekend!

Josh and Sarah at the Youth Retreat: Both Josh and Sarah told us that they had a great time and enjoyed their small groups and the speaker (our former Youth Pastor). They did NOT get much sleep, but did enjoy their time and God protected them and kept them safe!! Thank You, Lord!!

Shawn's "Girl Time": Shawn had a lot of fun hanging out with her friends Teresa and Lisa over the weekend. Shawn didn't get much sleep either but that is OK since they had so much fun! Hopefully all three ladies were refreshed after their time together!!

Glen and Caleb for Passport to Purity: We had a great time together as we "journeyed" as Father and Son through Passport to Purity! Caleb asked some great questions and we talked about the teen years and the challenges he will face. We also had fun doing some hiking around Mount Magazine - the highest point in Arkansas!

Thanks again for your prayers!!

Reach Out to Jesus!!

2011-02-21T07:07:00.001-06:00

“A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, `Who touched me?' " 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:24b-34

“She simply reached out to Jesus in faith!” Those were the words my pastor, Bill Elliff, spoke to me earlier this week. He related the story above from Mark 5 and spoke of the woman who had been ill for 12 years. Bill said the woman probably had a mixture of both faith in Jesus power to heal and unbelief as well. But she CHOSE to reach out in faith and touch his cloak. She moved from fear to faith to action!

I (Glen) have been experiencing some health challenges in the last months. Not anything life-threatening but challenging nonetheless. At times, worry and anxiety have consumed me. Other times I have experienced great peace from the Lord in the midst of these health challenges. At this point, my prayer is twofold: that the Lord would heal me of the physical health issues and, more importantly, that I would learn the lessons He has for me AND bring glory to Him through the process.

Now here’s the question for you: What challenge are you facing today? Maybe one in your marriage. Or one related to your kids. Maybe your finances are in a rough place. Or possibly you just feel a distance from God. Whatever the challenge is for you today, I pray that you would simply do what this woman did in Mark 5: Reach out in faith to Jesus! He has promised to never leave or forsake us. He has told us to ask and seek and knock for the things we need. He has told us that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, He can do great things through that faith. He is the author and finisher of our faith!

Be encouraged today. Reach out in faith to Jesus!!

Prayer for Our Family This Weekend!

2011-02-18T08:59:00.005-06:00

If you read one of latest posts on Prayer, then you know just how important prayer is for a follower of Christ! So we are asking for your prayers this weekend!!

Our son, Josh, and our daughter, Sarah, will be a church youth retreat this weekend here in the Little Rock area. Please pray that they would hear and respond to the Lord as He speaks throughout the weekend. Please also pray that would have fun and make deeper connections with their small group leaders and with Godly friends that the Lord has put in their lives.

In addition, Glen and Caleb will be spending a day and half on Caleb's Passport to Purity Weekend. For you that do not know about Passport to Purity, it is a weekend that a parent spends with their pre-teen preparing them for the upcoming teen years. Caleb and Glen will be traveling to Mount Magazine (the highest point in the state of Arkansas) to have some fun and talk about some important issues coming in the teen years. Glen already did this with Josh a few years back and Shawn did it with Sarah when she was 11! Please pray that Glen and Caleb would have fun and that the truths that are communicated to Caleb will be embraced by him as he grows into a teen and then a young man! You can find out more by going to the link below:

http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.3955827/k.2C03/Passport2Purity__Talk_to_Your_Teen_About_Sex.htm

And last but not least, Shawn will be spending Friday night and all of Saturday having some fun "girl time" while the rest of us are away from home. Please pray that Shawn would have fun and be refreshed during her time over the weekend!

Great Encouragement on Prayer to Share!!

2011-02-16T09:13:00.001-06:00

A co-worker of mine shared this in a prayer time we had recently. I thought it was so good that I wanted to share it with others. So read, reflect, and enjoy!!

Why Pray if God Already Knows What We Need?

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Matthew 6:7-8

As a father of nine, I can tell you that I sometimes know what my children need before they ask. However, what I as an earthly father only sometimes know, our Eternal Father always knows. Which inevitably leads to the question: If God knows what we need before we even ask, why bother asking at all?

First, it is crucial to recognize that supplication should not be seen as the sole sum and substance of prayers. Far from merely being a means of presenting our daily requests to God, prayer is a means of pursuing a dynamic relationship with Him.

Furthermore, God ordains not only the ends but the means. Thus, to ask, “Why pray if God already knows what we need?” is akin to asking, “Why get dressed in the morning and go to work?” For that matter if God is going to do what He is going to do anyway, why bother doing anything? God has ordained that the work we do and the prayers we utter both produce results. The fact that God knows the future does not imply that our futures are fatalistically determined any more than our knowledge that the sun will rise causes the sun to rise.

Finally, while our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask, our supplications are in and of themselves an acknowledgement of our dependence on Him. And that is alone is reason enough to pray without ceasing.

From The Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff. Published by the J. Countryman division of the Thomas Nelson Book Group, Nashville, TN 37214.

Arkansas Snow Fun!!

2011-02-13T21:35:00.009-06:00

Snow, snow, and more snow! That has been the reality of Central Arkansas weather for the last few weeks. As an example, last Friday we had snow, then we had snow again on Monday, and then we had a real big snowstorm (7-8 inches) on Wednesday! This is NOT normal for Central Arkansas but we are enjoying it!

The kids and I (Glen) have gotten out in it several times. The pics below only include Josh and Caleb but Sarah was out enjoying it as well - just didn't get pics of her!

Caleb making a "mini-snowman" from one of the smaller snows.

The boys after sliding down "the big hill" near us!

Now coming back up the hill for MORE!

The two sledder/sliders up close!

After rolling down the hill - covered in snow!

And Caleb had "frozen hair" - it was in the 20's for the high!!

She's a Teenager! Sarah's 13th!!

2011-02-08T22:23:00.008-06:00

We now have TWO TEENAGERS in the house! And we honestly couldn't be happier!

Sarah celebrated her 13th birthday last weekend by having 4 friends over for a sleepover! They had a great time together, as girls always seem to do when they are together!

Below are some of the pics from their time together!

By the way, why do they call it a sleepover when the girls actually get very little sleep? Maybe they should call it a "stay over" :)

The New Smile for Sarah!!

2011-02-01T18:53:00.006-06:00

It is a day she has been waiting for.....a day when she would be "free" of her braces.....and the day has finally come!!!

On Tuesday, February 1st, just in time for her upcoming 13th birthday on February 6th, Sarah got her braces off! You can see the "before" and "after" pictures below!

And if I say so myself, her teeth are beautiful!! The orthodontist called them "textbook"! We are so thankful for God's provision for the braces! What a beautiful smile she has!!

Now I pray she won't be like her dad (me), who lost every retainer I had!! She told me hers is supposed to be "pink and black zebra print sparkly glow-in-the-dark"!! Guess that will be hard to lose!!

The Abundant Life Jesus offers!!

2011-01-29T08:02:00.002-06:00

I have been reading through the Gospel of John with our son, Josh. As we have been reading, I have also been reading through my old BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) notes that I have from my five years - those were 5 incredible years in my life as a young follower of Christ.

I also have been "marinating" of late on how (also from John 10) that the thief comes to steal and kill and destroy....but Jesus has come to give us ABUNDANT LIFE. But what is the abundant life. How can you describe what this means?

So here is one of the best explanations of the abundant life I have read....straight from the BSF Notes from the Gospel of John!!! Enjoy!

BSF Notes on John 10: The Abundant Life

Jesus not only came to give believers spiritual eternal life, He wishes them to experience at present this eternal life abundantly. Abundant life means the fullest expression of the Christian life, when Christ is not only received but given full Lordship in every know area of life. When one literally lives by drawing upon His exhaustless source of joy, peace, love, patience, self-control, power, strength to endure, and ability to meet every situation in life, life becomes abundant, zestful, adventuresome, without fear, and the personality is fully integrated.

It is this abundant life which He has come to give you. Do you experience it now, and if not, why not? It is from the abundant drinking of Christ inwardly that the rivers of water described in John 7:38 flow outwardly thereby transforming other lives. Such abundant receiving from Him results in abundant living and an abundant entrance into Heaven.

Copyright Bible Study Fellowship. John Series, Lesson 16.

Are You Living the 50/50 Plan in Your Marriage?

2011-01-27T07:12:00.000-06:00

It’s an assumption that many men and women have in marriage: You do your part and I’ll do mine. You have your 50% to do and I have my 50% to do. That’s fair, right? But even though it may seem fair and logical, it is setting a husband and wife up for disappointment and conflict.

Why? The biggest problem with the 50/50 plan is that it is nearly impossible to figure out if your spouse has met your halfway because neither of you can agree on what “halfway” is. My view of what is “halfway for Shawn” is different that what she thinks is halfway and vice-versa.

The 50/50 plan is NOT God’s design for marriage. And it is destined to fail for several reasons: (1) Acceptance is based on performance, (2) Giving is based on merit, (3) Motivation for action is based on how each spouse feels, and (4) Each spouse has a tendency to focus on the weaknesses of the other.

So what is God’s Plan? Well, folks at FamilyLife call it the 100/100 plan—it requires 100% effort from each of you to serve your spouse. Living out Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than yourselves.”

Dennis Rainey has written a great article on this subject entitled “Superglue Your Marriage”. Simply go to http://www.familylife.com/articles. Then search (top right corner) on “Superglue Your Marriage” to find the article or use this link:

http://www.familylife.com/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=dnJHKLNnFoG&b=3873535&ct=4639269&notoc=1

Caleb's 11th Birthday!!

2011-01-24T21:19:00.006-06:00

It's hard to believe....but it's true: Our "youngest" is now 11 years old!! Shawn and I can't possibly be that old....can we? :)

Yes, last week, on Thursday, January 20th, Caleb celebrated his 11th birthday celebrating at home with Shawn and I and his sister and brother. And then on Friday, he celebrated again. First by going to a "inflatable jumping place" called Jump Zone with a friend - and then later by going to Chuck E. Cheese with some friends. It was what he asked to do!

We are so thankful for our son, Caleb. He is a great gift from God as are all three of our kids! We hope you enjoy the pics below!!

Caleb and his birthday "blueberry pancakes"!!

One of the presents he received - a special Yo-Yo!!

And, of course, there MUST be Legos!!

Caleb and his friend, Landon, with his real birthday cake (it was brownies by his request)!!

Trip to the ER!! Counting Our Blessings!

2011-01-19T07:44:00.006-06:00

It is NEVER fun to have to go to the ER. Fortunately with our three kids we have had very few trips to the ER. But in God's providence, we had another one on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning for our son, Caleb.

He had complained of a sore throat and some hoarseness for a day or so and then began having a cough. That cough eventually worked itself into a "croupy cough". Shawn gave him a treatment (he has asthma so we gave him some albuterol) before he went to bed on Tuesday night. That seemed to help him get to sleep but he woke up a couple hours later with an even worse sounding cough. Shawn tried everything with him that we have done in the past for asthma attacks and croup, but nothing really seemed to help. He said it felt like his throat was closing up.

So we were off the the ER (via an ambulance that we called because of the severity of his breathing distress). This was our first time to go to Arkansas Children's Hospital. The staff there were outstanding. It was a busy night for a lot of folks at the ER but we were out of there in about three and a half hours. They gave him a "stronger breathing treatment" and some steroids to help with the croup. The staff all agreed he was sounding and breathing much better when we left.

We are so thankful to have good insurance, excellent medical staff, and, most of all, a God above who loves us and cares for our every need. While we were in the ER, Caleb and I were reading Psalm 4. This is what we read. Caleb thought this was so cool:

"
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!" Psalm 4:1

Simple fun as a family!!

2011-01-15T07:19:00.004-06:00

As parents, so many times we think we have to "go out" and do something fun as a family. And while going out IS FUN, sometimes staying in and doing something simple can also be fun!

A couple of nights ago, Shawn and I wanted to spend some time just having fun together as a family. Life is often busy and we have finally understood we have to MAKE TIME to do this or it will NOT happen. So we pulled out a game called "HIT THE DECK" and started playing. It is a fast-faced card game similar to Uno but with more challenges and fun!

We just spent about 20 or 30 minutes playing but had a lot of fun. You can find out more about Hit the Deck at the link below:

http://www.fundexgames.com/instructions/pdf/Hit_the_Deck_Card_Game_Specialty.pdf

Our encouragement to you is HAVE FUN as a family. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money!! Let us know how YOU are having fun as a family!!

New Narnia Movie - Fun to Watch!!

2011-01-12T15:15:00.004-06:00

Watching movies is always fun! But watching in 3D is even better!!

Some great friends of our gave us a gift certificate (thanks, Keith and Lisa) so we could take the kids to see the newest Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, in 3D! It was an great movie and was fun as we have seen several of the series of movies!

If you are looking for a great family move, check it out!!

Great Movie - Saturday 1/8 at 7pm CST on Fox!!!

2011-01-06T16:00:00.002-06:00

Got this email from Dennis Rainey! Looks like a great movie. Shawn and I and the kids will be watching. Hope you can watch too!!

A Special Message from Dennis Rainey:

If you're anything like me, you sometimes have a hard time finding quality entertainment that you can watch with your family. That's why I am so excited to tell you about a new movie airing on Fox this Saturday night (8 PM, 7 Central), as part of Walmart and P&G's Family Movie Night series.

Change of Plans tells the story of a young couple, Sally and Jason, whose lives are turned upside down when Sally's best friend from college is killed in a tragic accident. Sally and Jason are forced to make some life-altering decisions when they discover that she has been named legal guardian to her friend's four children, three of whom were adopted from third world countries. Change of Plans stars Brooke White (American Idol) and Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show) and according to the official website, portrays how "fulfilling life can be when you look beyond your own plans and invest in the lives of others." What a great discussion starter for you to engage your kids around issues that are truly important.

To view a trailer for Change of Plans and to read more about the movie, visit the movie's official website by clicking here.

Immediately following the movie, you can tune in to a live webcast sponsored by Chick-fil-A's WinShape Foundation that features FamilyLife's own Paul Pennington, Executive Director of Hope for Orphans, as he and other leaders answer questions about adoption. To learn more about the webcast, click here.

One other thing, you may also be interested in going to http://www.loveishere.com/ which will also be featured as part of Family Movie Night. This site, sponsored by our friends at the WinShape Foundation, is designed to give help and hope to marriages and populated with a lot of great articles and resources to help marriages and families. FamilyLife has stockpiled a number of our articles and resources at loveishere.com as a part of our partnership with Chick-fil-A's WinShape Foundation.

Join me and take some time with your family this Saturday night to watch this important movie. It's pro-family, pro-children, and pro-adoption - all things that are close to the heart of God. While you're at it, invite your friends and family to do the same, and make sure you tune in to the webcast afterwards.

One Home at a Time,

Dennis Rainey

Prayer Request: For Glen and Shawn

2011-01-05T20:13:00.004-06:00

I was talking with a friend today at FamilyLife. We were talking about parenting issues - he has 8 kids, we have 3. Both of us were clearly recognizing the fact that parenting is HARD!! Each child is different. What works with one may not work with another. What works this week will not necessarily work next week.

That is why PRAYER is so vital to effective parenting. Taking the time to pray together as husband and wife about having the Lord's wisdom for parenting - remembering that we are not to "lean on our own understanding" but "allow Him to direct our path". And getting other folks to pray for you as well!

So Shawn and I ask you, as you read this, to pray for these things for us as parents:

WISDOM: The Lord's wisdom to know how to train and love each of our kids
PATIENCE: We would remember that training is a "long-term thing" - not look for quick fixes.
COURAGE: Courage to do the difficult things we need to do as parents
HUMILITY: The humility to admit when we are wrong and ask for forgiveness
JOY: That the Lord's joy would be ours as we realize daily what a great gift our three kids are!

Thanks for praying. God bless you!!

Happy New Year!! It's 2011!!

2011-01-01T07:05:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year!! Shawn and I and the kids hope you will experience a GREAT NEW YEAR in 2011! We firmly believe that God has great plans for all of us for this New Year. Our role is simply to cooperate and obey Him so that He can give us the abundant life He promised us as followers of Christ!

That does NOT mean there will not be challenges in 2011. But when those challenges come, we can rest in the fact that the Lord God knows our situation and is working for our good AND His glory!!

Found some fun as well as some thought-provoking quotes about the New Year. Enjoy!!

"Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average … which means, you have met your New Year's resolution." – Jay Leno

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." – Benjamin Franklin

Many years ago I resolved never to bother with New Year's resolutions, and I've stuck with it ever since. ~Dave Beard

"The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. … Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards. Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." – G. K. Chesterton

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. - John Wayne

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Great New Family Movie --- Rent it Today!

2010-12-28T07:55:00.001-06:00

Love GOOD new movies! And this movie, "Letters to God" is a really good one!! Shawn and the kids and I watched it on Christmas and all loved it!

This movie was inspired by a true story. It shows how God can use one person, even an 8-year-old, to significantly influence the lives of others. This is a great family movie and with so few of them out there to watch, you should take time to watch this one and support Possiblity Pictures as they come out with future movies as well.

You can check out the movie at your nearest Redbox or at the place you rent movies!! Or you can order it at the link below. Don't miss it!!

http://www.letterstogodthemovie.com/

Christmas Fun with the Solbergs!!

2010-12-26T15:46:00.009-06:00

Well, it is now December 26th and Christmas for 2010 has come and gone! But we are so very thankful for what we, as followers of Christ, celebrate on Christmas: the birth of the Son of God, Jesus! He was born to "save His people from their sins". That IS the greatest gift ever!

The Solbergs did some celebrating of our own. We attended a Christmas Eve Service and sang song greats songs there AND at home once we got back (each of our three played at least one song that we sang together). Then the kids each got to open one present on Christmas Eve (our tradition) before heading off to bed.

On Christmas morning, the kids opened their stockings and enjoyed the goodies they found there. Then we ate breakfast before opening the remainder of the presents! We are so thankful for all those generous folks who provided gifts for us this Christmas. THANK YOU for your spirit of giving!

Enjoy the pictures below of Sarah, Caleb, and Josh!

Spirit of Giving at Christmas!

2010-12-22T07:55:00.002-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE SOLBERG FAMILY!!

Christmas is a special time of the year. If you can look beyond all the sales and hype, it is a unique time each year when many folks really do have a "Spirit of Giving". And, of course, this all ties back to the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place - JESUS!

And in keeping with the theme of giving, wanted to share a article from our recent December update to our Ministry Partner Team. God bless you this Christmas!!

If you are like most Americans, you will be exchanging presents with loved ones this Christmas. As the Bible says, “It is better to give than receive”. Exchanging gifts is a fun Christmas tradition — but the most important question we can ask ourselves this day is: “Have you ever received the GREATEST GIFT ever given?”

You see, the GREATEST GIFT ever given was Jesus Christ. He was sent as a baby to a manger in Bethlehem as a gift to the world. The book of John tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…”. Jesus is a gift to you and to me and to the world.

But why did God need to send Jesus to earth? The angel said to Joseph, “...you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus came to save you and to save me from the penalty of our sin. The penalty for my sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in and through Jesus Christ. Jesus knew that you and I were separated from God by our sin. So He came to die on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty we could not pay. God’s Word clearly teaches that Jesus was Emmanuel: God with us! He was not simply a great teacher but was God in a human body. He is our Savior from sin!

But simply knowing the facts about our sin and Jesus’ death for our sin is NOT enough. We must receive His gift by faith. John tells us, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God.” Like a present you are given, you must OPEN and RECEIVE it. It does you no good to leave it under the tree. His gift is by grace: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.”

So what do you say? Are you ready to move past knowing the FACTS about Jesus to receiving Him into your life? God’s Word tells us, “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” If you are ready to receive Jesus, the greatest gift ever given, as your Lord and Savior, then just tell Him in your own words that you are a sinner and that you need Him to save you from your sins. In your own words tell Him that you want Him to be the Master of your life and that you want to follow Him. He is faithful. He is listening. He will hear you!

And please do us a favor, if you have received Jesus as the great gift that He is, please tell another Christ-follower of your decision AND please tell us as well. We want to rejoice with you AND give you some resources to get you started in your new life with Christ. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!!

Find out more at: http://www.whoisjesus-really.com/

God's Answers for Us this Christmas Season!

2010-12-19T07:50:00.004-06:00

For many of us, this Christmas Season is a joyful time to be with friends and family AND to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But for many, this is NOT a good time of the year. Many are depressed and have no family or friends to be with. I heard a statistic from a pastor saying that there are more suicides in December than any other month.

Clearly, many people are still looking for real hope. Any the ONLY real hope is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus and the Word of God have all the answer we are looking for in life.

Shawn and I pray that the following "answers" God has will encourage you this day! (Verses can be looked up online at www.biblegateway.com)

GOD HAS THE ANSWER:

You say: 'It's impossible'
God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)

You say: 'I'm too tired'
God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: 'Nobody really loves me'
God says: I love you
(John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )

You say: 'I can't go on'
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: 'I can't figure things out'
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5- 6)

You say: 'I can't do it'
God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)

You say: 'I'm not able'
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: 'It's not worth it'
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28 )

You say: 'I can't forgive myself'
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: 'I can't manage'
God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)

You say: 'I'm afraid'
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated'
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)

You say: 'I'm not smart enough'
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: 'I feel all alone'
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)