Weekly Photo Challenge(S): Home, Unique, Love

This Week’s Challenge: “Share a picture that evokes HOME for you.   It might be the place where you live, or a more abstract representation, or something completely different.” 

                                                 Our home in the Philippines! It’s nice to have a place to call home especially as we’re expats here in Oman and have to be ready to pack up and leave at a moment’s notice.  Of course we know a home is so much more than “4 walls and a door”; it’s “where the heart is” as they say, which brings us to the photo challenge I missed 2 weeks back: LOVE.

“Love. Can you believe we’ve never done this theme? I won’t give you any hints here. Amaze us with your own interpretation of LOVE.”Simply put, LOVE=Family.  Wherever we are together is home enough for me!

And finally, last week’s challenge: “share a picture that says UNIQUE to you”.    I love this photo of our 2 sweeties.  At first glance, you can really see that they are brother and sister, can’t you? They look so similar in many ways, but the truth is that they each have their own unique character traits and habits.Our son who loves to play to the point of exhaustion.                                      Our joyful little princess!

That brings us back full circle to this week’s photo challenge HOME – where UNIQUE members of a household are united in LOVE.

Click here to check out more entries for this week’s photo challenge, HOME, at the Daily Post.

“The Most Excellent Way”

Image is taken from the front of the church bulletin for Friday, October 12th, 2012. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

A fine sermon from Pastor Chris Howitz from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13:

“Being in Love” and “Behaving in Love”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I noticed this blogpost in wordpress’s “most popular posts” for today.  I think it’s a good read and quite timely, it being Valentine’s Day and all.  It comes from the blog, “Wisdom for Life“, written by Steve Cornell who is founding and senior pastor of Millersville Bible Church, Millersville Pennsylvania (USA) (a position he has held for more than 25 years).  Whether married or single, I think it’s worth a read.

What if I don’t feel love for my spouse?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re in a healthy, loving relationship, be thankful and have a happy Valentine’s Day!  If not, keep trying, (don’t give up!) and look to God in prayer!  🙂

“Marriage Masala” Conference, Muscat, October 2011

The Protestant Church of Oman (PCO) was delighted to have Rod and Ruthie Gilbert host a marriage conference at the Ghala Church this past week. The word “masala” (also spelled “massala”) is a term used in South Asian cuisines (including Indian, Napali, Bangladeshi and Pakistani) to describe a mixture of spices.  That was the purpose of the marriage conference; to add spice and flavors to Muscat marriages, whether the couple has been married 5 months, 5 years or 55 years.

Rod and Ruthie Gilbert are wonderful speakers (and people!).  Rod was born and raised in India while Ruthie was born and raised in America.  They have a wonderful international ministry that you can check out at www.marriagemasala.com.

3 “L‘s” to Spice a Marriage: Learning to be more Loving, Learning to be Listening (Lightening Loads) and Looking (face to face).

Many Christians are familiar with the book, “The Five Love Languages” by author, Gary Chapman.  Rod & Ruthie worked us through an activity in which we tried to determine our strongest and weakest “love languages” as well as what we think our spouse’s are.

Another interesting worksheet where we wrote down what we thought were the major “loads” occupying our spouse’s brain space so we could consider ways of helping them overcome worries or concerns.

I loved the point that Rod and Ruthie made with the penetrating question, “How often do we take the time during our hectic days to just stop and look into the face of the one who has won our heart?”  As an exercise, we took 12 seconds to just gaze into one another’s eyes.  Sounds funny but it was one practical tip on how to “stop and smell the flowers” and appreciate our spouses.

The 12 words are: “I am sorry“, “I was wrong“, “Please forgive me“, and “I love you“.

We have different “conflict language” just as we have different “love languages”.

Rod & Ruthie were quite hilarious during their “light-hearted reenactments”! 🙂

C-Count to Twelve  D-Decide on Boundaries   E-Endure!

After this wonderful marriage conference chalk full of great biblical truths and priactical applications, we are really looking forward to reading the book “Marriage Masala” which we’ve ordered.  If you’re interested, you can order this book on this link to Amazon for only $15.99 US.

“No Arms. No Legs. No Worries!” Nick Vujicic in Oman

Wisdom, Humor and Insights Offered by Nick during His Talk:

• “Be passionate for today!”
• “You can have arms and legs and have a broken heart.”
• “The rain will fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (quoting from Matthew 7)
• “I am very blessed and have never been so thankful.”
• “Your greatest asset is “TODAY”!”
• “I can type 43 words/minute, 53 after coffee.”
• “My palms were sweaty…Just seeing if you’re awake!”
• “What are they going to do? handcuff me?”
• “My parents are my heroes today.  I thank God for my parents who kept on planting the seeds of encouragement and love.”
• “I believe all human beings have value and a purpose in their lives.”
• “F.E.A.R. – False Evidence Appearing Real”
• “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (quoting from Psalm 139)
• “You must be honest with yourself.”
• “Who are you?  What is your goal?”
• “If you put your happiness in temporary things, your happiness will be temporary.”
• “You were created with a purpose.”
• “You don’t know what you can achieve until you try.”
• “The opposite of fear is courage.”
• “If I jumped off the table, I’d break my arms…or something, haha!”
• “How can a man with no arms or legs become the hands and feet of love?”
• “I was so nervous my knees were knocking.”
• “I picked up my hands free phone…Thank God they’re hands free.”
• “You don’t need hands to hold someone’s heart.”
• “Don’t just think “How will I get through this?” but, “What will I learn from it?””
• He called 53 schools before he finally got a chance to speak at a school.
• “If it’s not meant to be, there must be something better coming.”
• “Don’t just “survive”. “Thrive!””
• “If you’re faithful with a little, you’ll receive more.”
• “Is it worth it?  If I could encourage only one person, it’s worth it.”
• “We must understand the value of being responsible for what you have.”
• “Your greatest asset is time.  The greatest way to use it is in love.”
• “Who’s perfect?  Nobody.  Who needs grace? Everybody.”
• “Be thankful for even the trials in life.”
• “Love till it hurts.  Forgive and learn to forgive yourself.”
• “Without my faith in God, I wouldn’t be here.”
• “If He doesn’t change my circumstance, He’ll change me.”
• “I have a pair of shoes in my closet…just in case He says “yes”.  Don’t ask me what the size is.”
• Nick shared how reading and understanding John 9, the story of the man born blind whom Jesus healed, was a turn-around pivotal moment in his life.  “…this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
• This was Nick’s 3rd time to the Middle East and the 1st time in Oman.
• “I am only a servant with a message of good news.”
• “I love you. Ha bibi, shookran!”

*Update Jan. 2012 – I noticed this well-written summary from another Omani blogger who also happened to hear Nick Vujicic speak – Lessons from Nick Vujicic.  Click on it and check it out!