Ministry > DanielParker
Day 5-When To Speak Up
Read: Ephesians 4:25-32
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29)
Good communication is essential for a happy marriage. Poet Ogden Nash seems to have hit on a formula to help us remember how to communicate effectively. Nash, in his witty style, wrote:
If you…
Day 6-Matters Of The Heart
Read: Colossians 3:18-25
“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Colossians 3:23)
In a book called The Second Shift, Arlie Hochschild describes how working couples share home responsibilities. Husbands and wives who both have careers generally agree that it is only fair for them to divide household chores. Yet studies show that men tend to…
Day 4-Avoding The Greener Grass
Read: Ephesians 5:22-33
“Let each one of you in particular, so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)
Nancy Anderson says she grew lukewarm in her Christian faith and thus believed the world's lie: “I deserve to be happy.” This led to an extramarital affair that nearly ended her marriage. She…
Day 3-Opening The Door
Read: 1 Peter 3:1-12
“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel.” (1 Peter 3:7)
When my wife and I went out to lunch with some friends, I noticed that the husband went around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for his wife. I said to him, "Some…
Day 2-One Day Is Not Enough
Read: Genesis 2:18-25
“He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.” (Ephesians 5:28-29)
Why are we so stubbornly neglectful at times about the relationship that can bring us the most happiness?
It's no secret that outside of our fellowship with God, the most vital connection we have with anyone is the…
Day 1-The Miracle Of Marriage
Read: Matthew 19:1-8
“Therefore, they are no longer two but one flesh. God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6)
When Pastor Howard Sugden performed the wedding ceremony for my husband and me, he emphasized that we were participating in a miracle. We believed him, but we didn't comprehend the size of the miracle needed to hold two people…
IN-The Commitment to Love
Introduction
Despite what we have heard in countless fairy tales, there is no guarantee that people who get married will live happily ever after. Things can go wrong - sometimes terribly wrong. Even with the best of intentions, couples may find themselves in a house full of resentment, hostility, unrest, and misery. There is no heartache quite like the heartache of…
IN-Paradise Lost
Introduction
The power of human sexuality is immense. Sex sells. Companies use it to lure people into purchases of all kinds, from clothes and cosmetics to cars and vacations. We are bombarded with sex and sexual images in magazines, in movies and on television, in music, on billboards, and, most of all, on the Internet. To put it simply, we live…
IN-A Letter To The Man of Few Words
[embed]https://youtu.be/tmMcL1OJAWM?feature=shared[/embed]
Dear Dad,
It is late October. I am seven and barely 90 centimeters tall. You seem like a giant to me. I reach out to hold you and my tiny hands are engulfed by your smooth and strong palms.
It is late October and I am 17 years old. I close the door behind me while uttering a muffled goodbye, not…
IN-It's Not Fair (draft)
We are often tempted by our circumstances to agree with the cynic: “No good deed goes unpunished.” In reflective moments, we may find ourselves embittered by the unfairness, inequality, and injustice that show up on every page of human experience.
Where is justice? How can we have confidence in God when life seems to favor those who have no regard for Him?
Follow…
Day 7 - Learning Trust
Read: Matthew 6:25-34
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear (v. 25).
As a child, I worried about making friends at school. As a college student, I worried about getting work after graduation. Today, I worry about the health of my parents and if my…
Day 6 - New Address?
Read: Philippians 4:5-8
His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (v. 7).
Move to a new home, or stay at the old address? This question filled my mind for several days as my husband and I discussed the possibilities. A handful of problems were obvious when we toured a prospective home. For instance, a pipe…
Day 5 - Well, That's Just Perfect!
Read: Colossians 1:15-22
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross (v. 20).
The seminar speaker emphasised a positive mental approach to everything. And I’m okay with that, for the most part.
She elaborated on how we might stay positive in the face of annoyances. Suppose someone rudely swoops into that prime parking…
Day 4 - Like Yourself
Read: Lev. 19:1-18, 33-34
Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt (vv. 33-34).
Geel is a charming town in Belgium with a unique population—a significant percentage of the people there have a diagnosis of…
Day 3 - Mercy On Our Minds
Read: Matthew 25:31-46
I was sick, and you cared for me (v. 36).
Years ago, a family member who suffers from bipolar disorder had an extreme psychotic break. The manic episode led to job loss, jail time and homelessness. For two months I was on the phone with social workers, law enforcement officers, friends and family members, trying to figure out how…
