A Transparent Marriage: relationships

Showing posts with label relationships. Show all posts

Relationship goals

Wow, wow, wow! Relationship Goals by Michael Todd, this book embodies everything a transparent marriage is. The book went on sale April 28, 2020, and immediately an instant best seller, reaching millions around the world.

For those who have no idea who Michael Todd is, you are just missing out. Pastor Todd of Transformation Church in Oklahoma is by far one of the most real of our time. His ministry continues to reach millions around the world every Sunday with his message to represent God to the lost and found for transformation in Christ. In 2019, his relationship goals message went viral on YouTube, and God continues to speak through him and his wife with this new book, ok which is just the beginning. What if you do nothing else this year for spiritual growth and personal growth least be encouraged to follow pastor Todd and Transformation Church, as God is using them to bless millions.

So Relationship Goals, what does that mean? It sure means more than the cute selfies and posts we see across social media going viral and single ladies using the hashtag #relationshipgoals, which by the way, at the time of this article, has over fifteen million searches on Google. That is actually 15 million people seeking something for their relationship, and rest assured, it is more than a cute picture to post.

Our friend Webster defines relationships as a state of affairs existing between those having relations or dealings and defines ga oal as the end toward which effort is directed. Simply put, it's safe to say a relationship goal for a couple is being with someone and working together toward a set of goals. Those goals, to name a few, can be work toward marriage, family and wealth. The problem is that to win in these areas requires work, it requires being in one accord, and most of all, a lot of God along the way.

When it comes to marriage, a book like Relationship Goals is perfect because it goes into a raw look at how to win in dating, marriage, and sex. You can read thousand of books on the subject but it won't mean a thing to you becauseforr us to be encouraged on a personal level we need to hear from those that have walked through the valley and come out victorious and it is only by sharing their struggle and vulnerable transparency that we can learn from their mistakes and learn how Gods grace is sufficient for all of us to survive the storms of marriage.

Remember free people free people, when you share your struggles giving God the glory He continues to give you the wisdom to win in relationship and that is the ultimate goal.

A Transparent Marriage
www.atransparentmarriage.com

How do you choose to walk today?

You can either walk through life with God frantic or you can walk through life with God peaceful knowing that He is working in your favor because He is faithful and has promised to take care of YOU!

Let the Lord fight your battles. "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" Jeremiah 33:3

Keep God first, and watch how blessings overflow your life.

A Transparent Marriage

www.atransparentmarriage.com

Holding hands through the storms

We always find it beautiful when we come across an image of an elderly couple holding hands. Why is that? How is that sweet image able to soften our hearts? Can it be because we recognize that they made it, that they are victorious? Because they were able to achieve something we only dream about, but for one reason or another, life happens, and we don’t think we will get there. What a blessing to grow old with the person you love!

Now do me a favor, Can you close your eyes and picture yourself at eighty years old sitting on a park bench holding hands with your spouse? Hold that image for a few seconds, take a few deep breaths as your seal it in your memory. Let the image give you peace, feel love and appreciation, let that image sink deep Inside your soul and save it there.

Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” He reminds us in Mark‬ ‭10:9‬ For when the storms of life seem overwhelming,thinkk of the peace you felt when you recorded the image deep inside your soul. The enemy will sway you left and right, over and over again through the years, he will try to make you think you are sinking ,but if you are grounded on the word of God, No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper says Isaiah‬ ‭54:17‬

According to Peter we are to be “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter‬ ‭5:8‬ You must make Jesus number one in your life and remember that image of the two of you holding hands after a lifetime of memories.

You may think, How will that image sustain me? When you make God your anchor, you are sustained by declaring Jesus is your Lord and Savior, because he says in Romans 8:2,8 “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
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Continue to hold hands through the storms of life, declare the blood of Jesus over your lives with God always at the center, seek Him every day, and in the end, you will bring that beautiful image to life.

A Transparent Marriage
www.atransparentmarriage.com

Don't let isolation be your default

According to Webster the definition of default is a selection made usually automatically or without active consideration due to lack of a viable alternative, another definition is in the absence of.

The Bible teaches us that Jesus often withdrew from people and the demands of his ministry to pray and be with the Father. It was during those isolating moments that Jesus heard from the Father and prepared for the demands before him. When storms of life sway us left and right in our marriage, it is easy to default to isolation and hide our pain and suffering from the world, leading to feeling depressed and defeated. What I instead we use those challenging times to isolate welcoming in his presence versus isolating automatically to focus on all the bad things that are happening in our life.

We learn in Ephesians 4:11-13 that "with God beside us and His Spirit to guide us we can navigate the waters of loneliness and come into the rest and peace that comes from giving up all efforts to satisfy my human desires giving myself entirely over to God" Be encouraged that in moments when life gets rough you have another option to select, you can choose to invite Jesus into your life and let the Father comfort, guide you and give you the wisdom to deal with the situation at hand.

Allow Jesus to be the alternative default in the presence of conflict, and just like Jesus, you will hear from the Father. Remember, in Luke 11:1,7, we read that 'Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, 'Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fail." Don't give the enemy a free pass to defeat you; you don't get to confront him alone.

A Transparent Marriage
www.atransparentmarriage.com

The right now life

Can you say, "I have maximized every moment with the people I love?" The definition of maximize is to increase as much as possible. Let that sink in!

The right now life doesn't mean changing everything you are doing by quitting your job and moving to Europe and starting your dream life. What it means is, take every moment as a life experience and apply that as the foundation for the voyage of your dreams while never forgetting that the most important moments come from your family.

Right now life is about changing little things that establish your future walk in life. What can you do right now to maximize your opportunities in love, family, and business?

Reflection: Big waves start as little ripples and have the power to turn into a Tsunami with the right environment.

A Transparent Marriage

www.atransparentmarriage.com

Glory to God!

I have heard the phrase "Glory to God" many a times and just now it made me question what does that really mean to us? I believe when you say "All Glory to God" you mean "I couldn’t do this great thing without his consent, I am just a servant who comes to show his magnificent power over this situation".

You see, when an actor gets an Oscar or Grammy, when an athlete wins the Super Bowl or the World Series you hear "I want to thank God" The thing is when you hear that statement you should really be hearing The Lord make a bold statement of His power. All credit goes to him by His will and power.

Can you and I say, "I give glory to God for my marriage"? That what He brought you together was to show His glory on earth by bringing two different individuals into a binding contract with Him to create life, to be the generational curse-breakers and the servants for His glory for future generations.

Whatever you do, giving glory to God is realizing He made you for a purpose. Show your spouse that you are here to serve your family, friends, and community.

A Transparent Marriage
www.atransparentmarriage.com

Slow down and enjoy life

In the world of today everything is about speed and convenience.

When we are hungry we pull up an app and our food is brought to us by a driver. When we want instant answers we google it or better yet we ask siri or alexa. We have become accustomed that anything we need, is right there in front of us! Yet, know that God doesn’t always work in such way. Not having instant answers and convenient situations in our lives makes us think that God doesn’t answer our prayers.

Timing is not our timing. Sometimes patience is truly a virtue in today's society of our fast-paced living. Time seems to equate to money but never living our life. We trade our time for money but not for God. I believe each of us was bought at a price with certain gifts to give to the world. It's those gifts that we should use to help others. By mentoring and volunteering our time we can become angels and messengers of God on this earth to spread the gospel of Jesus. It is through slowing down and realizing life's too short to run your race at someone else's speed.

Slow down, enjoy the ride and help someone each day reach their goals and you will see how God opens doors that you thought were impossible.

Tip for couples:
Find opportunities to come together as one in sharing your talents. Volunteer at a food bank or homeless shelter. Talk about the experience of helping others on your journey of being a messenger for Christ.

A Transparent Marriage

www.atransparentmarriage.com