Great Movie to check out - chance to support it in September!!

We had the chance to preview a GREAT MOVIE coming out this Fall.  The name of the movie is Seasons of Gray.  It is a modern day version of the Joseph story from the Bible and is VERY WELL DONE.  We will plan to see it when it comes out in September.  EchoLight Studios is a new company that is partnering to get this movie out.  Rick Santorum (yes, the Senator) is now the CEO of EchoLight Studios.  You can check out the trailer below AND google EchoLight to find out more.

NEED YOUR SUPPORT:  Seasons of Gray needs your support to help bring the movie to your area.  Please go to the link below to find out how you can help!

http://seasonsofgray.com/  (then click on "Find out how to bring Seasons of Gray to your town" at the top of your page.

The Solbergs at Cru Staff Conference in Colorado

Shawn and I and our oldest son, Josh, are enjoying our time here in Fort Collins, Colorado at the 2013 Cru Staff Conference.  We look forward to being here every other year to get some great training but mostly to celebrate and to see how the Lord God is working AROUND THE WORLD to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every tribe and tongue and nation!  It is exciting to see the Lord build His Church and that we have the privilege of being part of that!!

LINK FOR CRU AT CSU:  https://csu2013.cru.org/index.htm

LINK FOR WATCHING:  https://csu2013.cru.org/watch/index.htm

Hope you can take some time to watch a session or two from our Staff Conference!

Real Life Story: Couple married 36 years coming to a Weekend to Remember Getaway!

Shawn and I never tire of hearing the stories of marriages transformed and encouraged by our Great God!  He created marriage and He is the One who uses tools like the Weekend to Remember Getaway to mold and shape us in marriage.  Please rejoice with Shawn and I as you read the comment from this couple below. 


Dear Weekend to Remember Ministry Team,

My husband and I just returned from the Family Life Weekend to Remember in Scottsdale, AZ, due to the fact that we were the winners of the grand prize weekend, from a local radio station. 

I cannot begin to tell you what a difference this seminar/conference made in our lives and marriage. I have been wanting to go for years, but knew that my husband would never agree to spending the money. We have been married for 36 years, and as we do have a good marriage, it was not a great marriage. I was having some issues, but I felt like it was my own insecurities causing them. We were not Christians when we first exchanged our vows and until this weekend, I do not believe we were living a true biblical marriage. I really wanted to go and prayed for God to answer this prayer, and HE did! There were so many things He spoke to both of us about and I now truly believe we have a fresh, new start, doing it God's way and we both thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  

I just have to tell you I have been to many women's conferences over the years and my husband to Promise Keepers, but nothing compared to the presentation of this weekend. You all do this right. Everything from start to finish was planned out beautifully and this weekend truly ministered to hearts and especially ours. I was concerned that because we are older and empty nesters that the materials would apply more to younger married's, but nothing could be further from the truth. The speakers were excellent and they were exactly the people that needed to be at this event.  

So again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving us a chance to go and strengthen our marriage and give us a fresh new start. I am 58 years old and feel like a newlywed! May God continue to bless your ministry!  

(couple married 36 yrs)

MORE ABOUT WEEKEND TO REMEMBER:  www.familylife.com/weekend

Great Video to Share: What is Love?

Shawn saw this video on a Facebook post and showed it to me.  Had to share it.  Take three minutes to watch it and find out why!!

Back to Eden: Highly Recommend Watching this Film!!

Shawn discovered a "real treasure" a few days ago when she was led to the Back to Eden website below.  After she told me about the Back to Eden Film, I was honestly skeptical of this "new way" of gardening.  I had grown up gardening and thought I knew a few things.  But I honestly have to say, after watching the film, I have a new perspective on gardening AND hope to put this into practice in our own yard in the coming weeks and months.  It makes so much sense when you think about how God setup things in the Garden of Eden and how He allows things in nature to work WITHOUT our help!

The film is about an hour and 45 minutes total....but well worth the time to watch.  We have given you a link to the website below AND a way to view the trailer for the film below that.  ENJOY!

http://backtoedenfilm.com/

For Couples: The Truth about Money and Relationship -- from Dave Ramsey

Great article below for couples about money and relationships - and from a real knowledgeable source - Dave Ramsey!  Read below and put some of Dave's knowledge into practice soon!

The Truth About Money and Relationships

 by Dave Ramsey

 

Myth: My spouse and I shouldn't talk about money because it only leads to fights.
Truth: You can't have a great relationship until you can communicate and agree about money.

Larry Burkett, noted financial author, says, "Money is either the best or the worst area of communication in our marriages." After years as a financial counselor and working with marriage counselors, I know that money and money fights are a major cause of divorce, not to mention the thing we fight about the most.

So if you are married and have money fights, you are normal. But if this is a real problem area for you, there is also an opportunity to improve your relationship and maybe even reach agreement with your spouse. I'm not talking about agreement brought on by surrender, but rather by each person getting a vote, understanding the other's view and finding common ground.

Let's face it – if we can agree on the checkbook, there would be nothing left to fight about except who gets the remote!

Men and Women are Different

When it comes to money, men tend to take more risks and don't save for emergencies. Men use money as a scorecard and can struggle with self-esteem when there are financial problems.

Women tend to see money more as a security issue, so they will gravitate toward the rainy-day fund. Because of their need for security, ladies can have a level of fear—my wife, Sharon, calls it terror—when there are money problems. Men and women are different in how they view money, and it is largely because they process problems and opportunities from different vantage points.

On top of the fact that men and women are different, opposites attract. Chances are, if you're married, one of you is good at working numbers (the nerd) and the other one isn't good at working numbers (the free spirit). That isn't the real problem. The problem is when the nerd neglects the input of the free spirit or when the free spirit avoids participating in the financial dealings altogether.

Marriage is a Partnership

Marriage is a partnership. The preacher said, "And now you are one." Both parties need to be involved in the finances. Separating the money and splitting the bills is a bad idea.
 
Listen up, nerds. Don't keep the money all to yourself. Don't use your "power" to abuse the free spirit. Free spirits, don't just nod your head and say, "Yeah, that looks great, honey." You have a vote in the budget committee meetings, too. Give feedback, criticism and encouragement. Work on the budget together!

"But what if my spouse won't get on board with me?" many of you wonder. It is tough, but with patience and kindness, your spouse will eventually see the light (don't beat them over the head with the need for a budget, and please don't subject your spouse to a lecture of "Dave says...").

As you work on your money together, you will begin to change your family tree. One of your main goals in your marriage should be to pass a legacy down to your children and grandchildren.

Learn how to work together regarding money in Dave's life-changing class, Financial Peace University.

LINK TO THIS ARTICLE:
http://www.daveramsey.com/article/the-truth-about-money-and-relationships/lifeandmoney_relationshipsandmoney/

Is God Good? Video to Share

Great video to share - especially if you know those who struggle with the question, "If God is good, then why.......?"  Check it out!!

Great Quotes to Share

Wanted to share some GREAT QUOTES.  Shawn and I hope they will ENCOURAGE and INSPIRE you THIS DAY!  This is the day the Lord has made - let's rejoice and be glad in it!!

" If your religion has not changed your life, you need to change your religion."  David Jeremiah

" If the kingdom of God has not come within you, then it will be about you.If the kingdom of God has come within you, then it will be about Him."  Nathan Cothan

" The Devil is the kind of friend that if you were in quicksand he would pat you on your head."  Adrian Rodgers

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. -- Corrie Ten Boom

Faith ends where worry begins, and worry ends where faith begins.  --George Mueller

I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book. -- President Abraham Lincoln

The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts.  --John Jay - 1st Chief-Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Reminder: Great song and promise from God's Word!

Heard this song on the radio earlier this week and couldn't stop singing it.  But even more interesting that the music are the lyrics - how powerful!  And right from the Word of God since He has promised "never to leave or forsake us".

Enjoy and think on how the Sovereign God of the Universe will never leave a Christ-follower!  He is Constant in this ever-changing world!

Finding true meaning in the Christmas season!!

Was on the web a few days ago and stumbled across this article from the Washington Times...was expecting to find something "secular", but to my pleasant surprise, found a great article on Jesus our Savior and lots of Bible passages as well.  Have copied the first few paragraphs of the article for you to read....click on the link below to read the full article! 

Sunday was the first of Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas. We all know how to get ready for Christmas: Shop til you drop, make an appearance at every holiday party, decorate your home like in the magazines. It’s go, go, go: get stressed out, exhausted, sick, and then spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s in bed trying to recover.

That’s the way popular culture would have us prepare for Christmas. Yet there’s an entirely different way to prepare, a deeply spiritual way, that is antithetical to what’s happening all around us during this season. A short poem in Isaiah 2:2-5 lays before us this road less traveled, an alternate path for preparing for Christmas.

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.  Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.


CLAIRE: Finding true meaning in Christmas season - Washington Times

Great Read -- What 4 Words Would You Choose?

Shawn and I read a lot of stuff -- info from the internet, emails, books, etc.  Although a lot of things are interesting, every once in a while you find something that really makes you think.  Was reading this post from an elder at our church a couple of days ago and it really stuck with me.

Please take 3 minutes RIGHT NOW to read it.  It may help you (as it did me) put things in perspective for this day and the days that follow! 

Enjoy!

http://square1ministries.com/?p=2730

ALIVE: Song and Lyrics to Share

I have heard this song a number of times on Christian radio...but somehow when I heard it this morning, it really moved my heart and emotions!  Jesus is ALIVE INDEED!  We serve a Risen Savior!  Check out the video below and BE SURE to check out the lyrics below that as well!  Enjoy!




LYRICS:

Who but You, could breathe and leave a trail of galaxies and dream of me?
What kind of Love is writing my story till the end with Mercy's pen?
Only You.

What kind of king would choose to wear a crown that bleeds and scars to win my heart?
What kind of Love tells me I'm the reason He can't stay inside the grave?
You. Is it You? Standing here before my eyes, every part of my heart cries

Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy's overcome; Death has lost and Love has won
Alive! Alive! Hallelujah, Risen Lord, the only One I fall before
I am His because He is alive.

Who could speak, and send the demons back from where they came with just one Name?
What other heart would let itself be broken every time till He healed mine?
You. Only You could turn my darkness into dawn; running right into Your arms

Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy's overcome; Death has lost and Love has won
Alive! Alive! Hallelujah, Risen Lord, the only One I fall before
I am His because He is

Emmanuel, the promised King the baby who made angels sing
Son of Man who walked with us, healing, breathing in our dust
The author of all history, the answer to all mysteries
The Lamb of God who rolled away, the stone in front of every grave

Alive! Alive! Look what Mercy's overcome; Death has lost and Love has won
Alive! I am His because He is alive.
Alive!

What if you saw THIS author's name on a book?

Was in the FamilyLife Library recently and saw a book that REALLY got my attention. As I looked at the "outside edge" of each book, I saw an ID number and first three letters of the Author's name. For the Author's name I saw the three letters GOD!! (see picture to the right). Yes, that's right. It seemed to indicate that "GOD" as the author. Now that's a book that I want to read!!

The real story is that the author's name was Godfrey - and it was NOT really a book that I wanted to read....but it left me pondering an interesting question. One you may want to ponder as well.

If, as followers of Christ, I believe God Almighty is the true author of the Bible, then why don't I spend more time reading "His love letter" to me? Why do I allow the busy-ness of life to crowd out time with the Lord and His Word?

As I have pondered that question, I have also made a commitment to spend more time in His Word on a daily basis - not because I HAVE TO but simply because I WANT TO!

Our prayer is that, as you ponder that same question, that you will also commit to spending more time with the One True God of this universe. You will not regret it!

Need a "Prescription" from God? Check this out!

A friend of mine from Houston sent me an email containing this quote. Really made me think about how good the Lord is in sending us trials. Have you thanked Him lately for His "prescriptions" in your life?

" Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise physician prescribes, because we need them; and He proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires. Let us TRUST HIS SKILL AND THANK HIM for His prescription."

Isaac Newton

Helping Our Military: Finally Home to Family Campaign

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.

Great Video - from Focus on the Family!

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!

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!

A BIG THANK YOU to our Ministry Partner Team!

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.

Great Quotes from a friend!

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 Christmas Song: It's About the Cross!!

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!!!