The Good News Blog

by Dr. Charles Stanley
Romans 3:21-27

At Calvary, the Lord displayed His grace for the entire world to see. The cross represents the intersection of His holiness and His love. From there, He poured out mercy on an undeserving population: all of humanity, including you and me.

Our holy God is absolutely without fault. He’s so “perfectly perfect” that no earthly man or woman can look upon Him and live (Ex. 33:20). The problem has to do with our sinful nature—we all have an inborn desire to rebel against His authority (Rom. 3:10). Anyone who thinks otherwise is deceiving himself (1 John 1:8). It’s important to understand that God hates sin. He cannot abide evil in His presence, so He pronounced a death sentence on sinners (Rom. 6:23).

But Scripture also tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8), and He created people with the intention of caring for them. What’s more, the Lord desires that all people spend eternity with Him. Yet there remains the problem of our sin and the death penalty that we owe.

The Lord cannot violate His own nature. Though God loves mankind, His holiness would be compromised if He permitted the filth of sin into His presence. So the Father made a way to cleanse dirty hearts and transform wayward natures: He put the sin of all mankind on Jesus Christ’s shoulders.

The Father sent His holy Son to be a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus Christ took our sin upon Himself and died on the cross in our place. When we trust Him as our Savior and receive His forgiveness, we are made new—holy, perfect, and welcome in our Father’s presence.

by Bo Sanchez

       Eagles are amazing parents.

       I didn’t know how special their nest was for their babies. 

To make it, Daddy Eagle picks up sturdy twigs and sharp thorns to build this special home. But to make the nest comfortable, he’ll cover the twigs and thorns with soft grass. 

And here’s the amazing part: Mommy Eagle will pluck her own feathers from her breast! She’ll place them on the nest for added warmth and softness.

       Many times a day, Mommy Eagle will fly out to look for food. She’ll fly back to put fish and other food into the open mouths of her hungry kids.

       Because the nests are built on high rocky cliffs, winds are very strong. Whenever there’s a storm, Mommy Eagle covers them with her large wings.

       The tiny eaglets live a pampered life. 

Because every need is met by their loving parents.

       But one day, it’s time to teach them how to fly.

       And in an instant, their entire world changes.

Flight Training Is Always Cruel

       To teach their young to fly, Eagles follow four stages—all painful.

       First, Mommy stops bringing food. 

The tiny ones are crying out in hunger but she doesn’t seem to hear them. The kids are in shock. They ask, “Why is Mommy not listening to our cries?”

Second, she flaps her wings to sweep away the grass and feathers in the nest. The sharp thorns are now exposed, pricking the delicate skin of the Eaglets.

Third, she does the unthinkable: She throws them out of the nest. The little Eaglets jump back in, only to be pricked by the thorns. They’re now bleeding. They’re shrieking in pain. And they’re wondering, “Why is Mommy torturing us? Why is she cruel?”

Fourth, Mommy pushes the Eaglets off the nest again. But not just off the nest, but all the way off the cliff! 

The little Eaglets hurtle down to the ground—one thousand feet below—towards sure death.

But before they hit the ground, Daddy Eagle swoops down and catches them on his wings. He drops them back into the nest.

They cry out, “Mommy, why are you killing us? What have we done?” But they barely are able to catch their breath, when Mommy pushes them out again.

This death-defying, terrifying ordeal is repeated seven to eight times until the Eaglets get the message—and start flapping their wings.

       Soon, they’re soaring on top of the clouds with their proud parents beside them.

       Friend, this is exactly what happens to you when God teaches you how to fly.     

God Taught Me How To Fly

       Twelve years ago, I launched myself as an entrepreneur.

       Because I was serving God, I felt God would bless my little businesses. I mean, that was the least He could do! After all, I served Him already for almost 20 years. 

Confidently, I got my savings and poured it all into food carts.

I started with a “squid balls” cart. 

I stationed it on the sidewalk, very near a market and a municipal hall. Perfect location, I said.

But the results were pathetic. Some days, I was breaking even. Some days, I was losing money. I felt very discouraged. But I told myself, “No worries. I’ll try again.”

So I bought two more food carts. This time, it was a hotdog stand and an ice cream scooping station. I rented space in a new mall here in Ortigas Center.

But month after month, I was losing money.

Soon, I was forking out money just to pay for my rent and salaries of my workers.

Finally, before the year was over, I had to accept defeat, and close all the food stores. My entrepreneurial ambitions were now dashed to the ground. 

I lost P600,000+.

That may not be big for you, but that was my life savings as a missionary.

I felt depressed.

I asked God, “Lord, why did you not bless my businesses?”

I was confused. I told myself, “Perhaps God doesn’t want me to be an entrepreneur. Perhaps He just wants me to be a preacher.”

For many months, I didn’t know what to do. I was lost. I was like a ship trapped in a thick fog. What should I do now?

Looking back, I now know what God was doing…

What Will It Be: Thorns Or Clouds?

Like the Mommy Eagle, God stopped feeding me.

When provision stops, God isn’t saying, “I’ve decided not to love you today.” When your provision stops, God is saying, “I’ll provide for you in a greater and more abundant way.”

Like Mommy Eagle, God removed the soft cushion of my nest. My food businesses were like sharp prickly thorns beneath me. Every little move I made was painful. 

When your life becomes painful, God isn’t saying, “I don’t care for you.” When life becomes painful, it means God is saying, “I have a better place for you.”

Like Mommy Eagle, God was pushing me out of my nest. But I jumped back right in, only to be hurt again.

I have seen this happen with people in toxic relationship. They get very hurt in the relationship and cry buckets of tears. But soon, they just jump back right in—only to get hurt again. They get attached to the toxic relationship.

But pain is life’s messenger. It’s saying, “There’s a better place for you. You weren’t born to live around thorns. You were born to soar above the clouds.”

Failure isn’t God’s rejection.

Failure is God’s redirection.

Proverbs 20:30 says, Sometimes, it takes a painful situation to change your ways.

He didn’t want me in the food business. He didn’t make me a cook. He made me a communicator. He didn’t make me to feed bodies. He made me to feed minds.

Failure Isn’t God’s Rejection;

Failure Is God’s Redirection

       Like Mommy Eagle, God was teaching me how to fly.

       He wanted me to get out of the food business because it wasn’t my big thing. It wasn’t my passion. (I just had a passion for eating!) It wasn’t my core gift. 

       Totally discouraged and without much money left in my savings, I was forced to create businesses that didn’t need any capital. The only possible businesses for me were those in my turf: Communication. 

My first successful business was corporate seminars. 

I was already preaching for 20 years. Why not preach to companies and get paid?

I hit the road running. No learning curve. From Day 1, I started earning.

Today, I run 12 small businesses. All of them incredibly successful.

Today, I thank God that my food businesses failed. If they didn’t, I would have been stuck there, doing what I didn’t love.

       Friend, is God pushing you out of your nest?

       Has your provision stopped?

       Perhaps God is saying, “There’s a better life for you than this. There’s a better relationship for you than this. There’s a better job for you than this. There’s a better business for you than this…”

       Believe that God wants to teach you to fly!

Is It A Dip Or A Dead End?

       Seth Godin is one of my favorite business writers.

       He says that when we get into a difficult situation, we need to decide if it’s a dip or a dead end.

       A dip means there’s great success if you persevere through that difficult time. Dead End means there’s no great success even if you persevere for a thousand years.

       So ask yourself: When you get over this difficulty, will you be number one or number two in that niche?   If not, it may be time to bail out. And look for an area where you can be great.

       Like I’ll never be great in the food business, no matter how much I persevere with my food carts. But I knew that I’d be great if I just stick to my core gift of communication. 

Same Thing In Ministry

When something isn’t working, when something is causing pain, when something is not growing, be quiet. Listen to God’s direction in your heart. He may not be asking you to change location, or change a job, or change a business, or change a relationship.

He may be asking you to change strategy.

       Let me give you an example in my ministry. My spiritual family is Light of Jesus. For over 10 years, Light of Jesus was stuck. Like we were stranded. Our growth was stagnant. We tried various ways to make Light of Jesus grow, but we felt like we were ramming our heads on an iron ceiling.

       For years, Light of Jesus got stuck with 2000+ members.

       We tried everything. We gave Life in the Spirit seminars, built prayer meetings left and right, but nothing was working. 

Psalms 119:71 says, My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.

       Our suffering made us listen to God.

And He spoke to us. He led us to change strategy. And the results have been mind-boggling.

From “Chapters”, we created “Feasts”. 

Here’s the big difference: Chapters were traditional, religious prayer meetings for “Insiders”. Feasts were wild parties, radically obsessed to reach “Outsiders”. 

Basically, God told to us, “Forget yourself. Love your neighbor.” In the old structure, we were serving ourselves. We spoke our own language (Christianese). We designed all our events for us, locals. But God led us to give up our selfishness and love those who didn’t belong to our group. We began to design the entire event for those who felt out of place in church.

       What happened? We shattered that iron ceiling. 

Two weeks ago, we were expecting 6000 people to come to our Easter celebration. But on that day, 9000+ came—and that’s just for Metro Manila alone.

For one year, Light of Jesus has been growing explosively. 

       Friend, do you feel that you’re stuck? Do you feel that life is stagnant?   That you’re not growing?

       Listen to God’s voice. He may be asking you to change your strategy. Don’t be attached to how you did things before.

       Because what brought you to where you are now may not bring you to where you want to go.

Success Doesn’t Teach You Much;

Only Failure Teaches You

Your Most Powerful Lessons Of Victory

       This is the irony of life.

       Success doesn’t teach you much.

       It’s only Failure that teaches you your most important Lessons of Victory.

       When you’re successful, you don’t know why you’re successful. You just assume that perhaps it’s this or that thing.

       When you’re successful, you’re complacent.

       When you’re successful, you’re not teachable.

       When you’re successful, you’re proud.

       When you’re successful, you’re hard-headed.

       But when you fail, you fall on your face.

You hit the ground. 

Bang!

       You’re stunned. 

       You’ve dazed.

       You’ve got blood on your lips.

       You’ve got massive pain on your knee.

Suddenly, you’re attentive.

       Suddenly, you’re quiet.

       Suddenly, you ask hard questions. 

“Why did I fail?”

“What can I do so I won’t fail again?”

As you answer these questions, you learn lessons of victory.

And when you apply those lessons of victory, that’s when you succeed.

See Everything As A Blessing

       One day, a man who was stranded in an island.

       He decided to protect himself from the burning hot sun. For many days, he built a grass hut.

       But on the day he was to sleep in it, a lightning hit the roof, starting a fire. He hurried to put it out, but it was no use. Everything burned down.

       He was devastated. He clenched his fist towards the heavens and screamed, “God, how could you do this to me?”

When he woke up the next day, a ship was going to the island. He was being rescued! He jumped up for joy. 

When the ship landed on the shore, the man asked his rescuers, “How did you know I was here?”

The men said, “We saw your smoke signal last night.”

Friend, what is your grass hut?

What has been taken away from you?

What has been destroyed and lost forever?

Is it a relationship?

Is it a job opportunity?

Is it a dream gone bad?

Don’t fear. Don’t give up.

God is teaching you a lesson of victory.

Through your loss, your failure, your trial, God is rescuing you. God is saving you. God is bringing you to a better place.

Eagles Are Made For Storms

       Let me end with one more thing about Eagles.

       When a storm comes, other birds hide in trees and caves.

       But not the Eagle.

       Because Eagles love storms.

       Eagles sense in their bodies that a storm is coming. And they get excited.

       Because Eagles don’t really fly. Eagles soar. All they do is spread their 7-foot wings and use the wind to carry them. So the stronger the wind, the higher they go.

       Some say that Eagles can sleep in the storm.     

       Friend, your storm will lift you higher.

       Rest in God’s love.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

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PATIENT IN TRIBULATION
by Dr. Harold Sala

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” -Romans 12:12

If ever a man was patient in tribulation it was William Carey, who as a missionary to India, pioneered the modern missionary movement. Carey was born in England to a modest mother and father, a yeoman, which meant that he probably owned a small piece of ground.

Unable to either send his son away to school or to pass on an inheritance to him, he apprenticed young William to a shoemaker, who died before Carey had finished his apprenticeship.

In the early 1800’s, it was difficult, if not nearly impossible, for someone of such lowly birth and status to ever gain recognition, yet Carey eventually did, being recognized by institutions and even governments for his work as a linguist and a social reformer.

William Carey was an unlikely candidate for success, if ever there was one. Lacking education, good family or church connections, and a helper who would encourage him, Carey often had to walk alone, ignoring rebuffs which would have paralyzed the determination of most men.

If the true measure of a person is what he overcomes to succeed, rather than simply what he does, Carey would rank very high. During his apprenticeship, he worked with a youth known as a dissenter (that’s someone who disagreed with the Anglican church) and eventually William Carey, following the example of his friend, became a Baptist.

Marrying the sister of his employer, Carey first pastored a small church, then made the decision to go to India as a missionary. His wife, however, made the decision not to go, and refused to board the ship when Carey and his eldest son left for the mission field. Eventually changing her mind, Dorothy followed.

Now some 200 years later, biographers are uncertain as to what caused her mental collapse, but soon after she arrived in India, Dorothy’s equilibrium began to fail her.

She hallucinated, but more devastating, she constantly assaulted her husband, accusing him of infidelity and philandering. On two occasions, she sought to kill him, not knowing what she was doing.

If Carey failed, it was in that he cared too much about the people he tried to reach. He taught himself Dutch, German, Sanskrit, and Bengali, a language which he knew better than any European.

He made a great contribution to India by standardizing the language. But his main purpose as a linguist was to translate Scripture into the languages of the people he served.

Lacking financial support, Carey served as the superintendent of a plantation that grew dyes which had a wide market in the free world, then a professor in the University at Serampore, and eventually a government translator.

But one of Carey’s greatest contributions to the life of the Indian people was to do for India what Wilberforce did for England. He attacked the practice of sati or burning the body of a man’s widow who was often in her 20’s along with his body following a man’s death.

After the British parliament which ruled India at the time finally outlawed the practice, Carey had the satisfaction of translating the new law into Bengali.

On one occasion, Carey happened to witness the burning of a leper. He was so moved by what he saw that he worked against the mistreatment of those afflicted with leprosy and eventually convinced the government to treat them more humanely.

He also maintained an interest in botany, and it was his efforts which gave birth to a botanical garden. He published papers and codified the plants of India, gaining world recognition and honors.

What tremendous tasks this shoe-cobbler-turned-missionary accomplished with God’s help! William Carey took his place in the shrine of God’s unlikely candidates for success who made a tremendous mark on their world. It’s amazing what God can do with somebody who is a nobody and doesn’t know that God cannot use him.

*Permission to reprint this article is hereby granted by Guidelines, Inc.*

by Dr. Harold Sala

“Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” -Psalm 32:11

In my file on “happiness” is a yellowed piece of paper, the inexpensive kind of paper which little children use in school. It’s been there now for almost a quarter of a century, and the edges are frayed and soiled.

On the paper is an essay written in a child’s hand by a nine-year-old girl who happened to be my daughter. It reads, “Money can’t buy happiness. Or love. Sometimes money can’t buy the things that you like best. Money can’t buy the kind of things that mother makes. Money can’t buy good friends. Money can’t buy a baby.

Or a pair of pretty eyes. Money can’t buy the moon or the sky. But most of all money can’t buy the love of God for us.”

Talk about wisdom coming from the mouth of a child. Scores of the world’s wealthiest people have never learned what Bonnie wrote. Prior to his death, J. Paul Getty, the oil man, was described as one of the world’s richest men.

In an interview he told the press that he “finds it hard work being a billionaire.” He said, “I always wish I had a better personality, that I could entertain better, converse more intelligently. I’m always worried of being dull.”

There’s a Jewish proverb that says, “When you are rich, you always tell funny jokes and you sing well, too.” But the fact is that money cannot buy happiness.

In the event that you have been following this current series, you’ve heard me say that happiness, as most define it, is the world’s counterfeit of Christian joy which transcends a happiness based on possessions and circumstances. Does this mean though that godly people cannot be happy, or happy people cannot be spiritual? Not at all.

Real happiness is a by-product of joy, something which comes forth like a bubbling spring from the reservoir of joy in the heart. But be very clear, this kind of happiness comes from within, not without. Its source is joy, not material gain.

This was the kind of happiness which Jesus had in his ministry on earth–not the kind of happiness which the world seeks. This kind of happiness is not a goal, something which you have when certain things happen to you. It is something you stumble across, something that you discover doing the will of God for your life.

One of the most intriguing women I ever met was an elderly woman who lived in poverty. She was crippled with arthritis and confined to her bed. I met “old Mrs. Cason,” as we boys called her, in an old cotton mill town near the college I attended. We would often take groceries to her, and I remember that when we put a carton of milk in her icebox, it was often barren.

Was she happy? Not as the world views happiness. Having your hands crippled with arthritis or your body twisted grotesquely is nothing which anyone can be happy about, yet this woman would say, “Oh, God has been so good to me!”

 ”How is that?” we sometimes asked, and she would say, “He’s sent you to help me.” And “I sense His presence right here in my room.” That happiness was the by-product of having God in her life and joy in her heart. It’s the real thing.

If you really want happiness, don’t search for it. But you’ll find it as you make God’s will your goal in life. The God-dimension brings joy and its by-product, happiness, which only the children of God can fully know or understand.

It’s all part of the joy which comes by knowing that God, not circumstances, is really in control of your life. This is the only kind of real happiness which endures. And this, money cannot buy.

*Permission to reprint this article is hereby granted by Guidelines, Inc.*

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And the God of all grace…will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” -I Peter 5:10, NIV

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Have you experienced destruction in your past? God wants to completely restore you. He wants to make you strong, firm and steadfast—He wants to make you better than before!

Sometimes, when you are in the midst of difficulty, you can’t quite see the restoration God has prepared. You can’t quite see how He can turn it around for your good. But that’s when you have to take a step of faith and trust that He is the God of restoration, and He is working behind the scenes on your behalf!

If you’re in a difficult place right now, I invite you to join our online community this Sunday at 7:00 pm CST for the webcast, “Finding God’s Favor” Come be encouraged by testimonies of God’s restoration and favor!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for being a restorer and a rewarder of the people who seek You. I trust that You are working behind the scenes in my life, ready to bring Your restoration. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Happy Easter to YOU!!!

by Dr. Harold Sala

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? -Galatians 5:7

When you are tempted to give up and quit, do you ever consider what might happen if you didn’t quit, if you tried one more time, if someway, somehow God gave you the strength which you lack and you made it to your goal? That we are temped to quit is a given–everybody, at times, hears a quiet voice within saying, “This just isn’t worth it.”

If the test of your character is what it takes to stop you, then whether you grit your teeth and try again or give up may depend on what’s inside, the kind of stuff you are made of.

In his book Endurance Alfred Lansing tells of the incredible journey of Sir Ernest Shackelton in 1915 across 800 miles of an ice-filled ocean where it was bitterly cold and their safety was constantly threatened by gale-force winds. No one had ever made that exceedingly difficult journey before; and it was not until 1957 that an expedition with heated, tracked vehicles and radio communication attempted what he did.

His journey against all odds has been called one of the most heroic sea journeys of all time. Did he think about quitting? He couldn’t afford that luxury though he knew how grave was the danger that confronted them. He knew that thinking about giving up doesn’t engender the courage which is necessary to survive.

When I wrote my book Profiles in Faith, I analyzed the lives of men and women who have accomplished great things. Did they get discouraged? Of course. Did they ever think about giving up? At times; but they didn’t quit, and that was the difference.

Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with a sherpa guide by the name of Tensing, was the first to conquer Mt. Everest, was asked how he succeeded when others failed, and he replied that when others had turned back, he took just one more step.

Frankly, the world never has many Ernest Shackeltons, Edmund Hillarys, or Mother Teresas. Common ordinary people–the Peters, Andrews, Jameses and Johns of the everyday world–inhabit it, the moms who have to get their kids off to school and the dads who work two shifts to cover the expenses of a sick child.

But there is one thing for sure: at the end of your strength and your resources there is the helping hand of God who takes you beyond yourself. Modern biographers of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s adventure don’t say much about his prayers, which were earnest and sincere. Time and time again, when the expedition was destined to disaster, the forces of nature subsided and he survived.

Paul wrote to Christians in Central Asia Minor and chided them because they started out in their Christian lives in a burst of glory, but then became discouraged, listened to dissenting voices, and gave up. “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” he asked them (Galatians 5:7, KJV).

Long ago someone said that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. It is still true. Tempted to give up, to call it quits? Most of the men and women who have accomplished great feats were not a super-cut with a gene pool of greatness but rather ordinary men and women who had a stubborn, determined streak in them which caused them to press on when others quit.

Nothing of value is ever accomplished by giving up. Remember, when you are tempted to give up, pray, “God help me!” and take one more step, and then one more, and that will be enough. Whether you are in Antarctica, an office, a classroom, or a bad marriage, don’t look back and don’t even think of giving up. Go on, and someday you will see the hand of God leading and encouraging you.

*Permission to reprint this article is hereby granted by Guidelines, Inc.*

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.” -Psalm 56:8, NLT

TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria

Do you know how important you are to God? He cares so much about every detail of your life. He cares about your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. In fact, what you are going through is so important to Him that He records every sorrow and collects every tear you’ve shed. Why would God record your sorrows and collect your tears?

Because He loves you so much, and He is your Vindicator. He’s keeping account of every wrong that’s ever been done to you so that He can make up for every single one of them. He wants to restore everything that has ever been stolen.

He wants to heal every single hurt and pain. He sees the longings and desires of your heart, and you can rest knowing that He is working things out for your good!

So today, know that you are precious to Him. He has your best interest at heart. He is working to bring restoration and peace to you. Keep standing, keep believing, and keep doing the right thing because the One who collects your tears will restore every broken place in your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and setting me free. Thank You for being my Vindicator. I choose to release every hurt, pain and sorrow, knowing that You will make all things new in Your time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time…though it tarries, wait for it” -Habakkuk 2:3, KJV

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God has an appointed time to fulfill the visions, dreams, and desires in your heart. Just because it has taken a long time or because you’ve tried and failed doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen.

Don’t give up on those dreams! Don’t be complacent about pursuing what God has placed in your heart. Our God is a faithful God. No matter how long it’s been, no matter how impossible things look, if you’ll stay in faith, your set time is coming.

Remember, every dream that’s in your heart, every promise that has taken root, God put it there. Not only that, but He has every intention of bringing it to pass. Hold on to that vision today. Declare by faith, “My time is coming. God is working behind the scenes on my behalf. I will fulfill my destiny!”

As you continue to hold on to that vision and speak life over your dreams, it won’t be long before you see them begin to take shape. You’ll see your faith grow, you’ll see your hope strengthen, and you’ll see yourself step into the destiny God has prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I receive Your Word which is life and health to me today. I ask that You ignite my heart with Your holy fire so that I can pursue Your perfect plan for my life. Make my thoughts and words agreeable to Your will. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Hi valued readers,

Good day!

I received this story from a friend by email and I think that this story is worth sharing.

I dedicate this story from unknown source for those who are married, not yet married, and soon to be married. May you be inspired by this story on how to save marriage from divorce.

How to Save Marriage from Divorce
-author unkown-

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage.

But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible.

Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife’s divorce conditions… She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy.

Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms.

She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more.

There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me!

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life.

My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office, jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind. I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won’t divorce.

My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flower in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead.

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank.

These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

-End of Story-

If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you. If you do, you just might save a marriage.

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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” -Proverbs 14:30, NIV

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Did you know the best thing you can do for health is to set your heart at peace with God? Peace is such a powerful position. It is a position of life and strength. Peace literally means “to set at one again.” In other words, we have peace when our minds and hearts are in alignment with the Word of God.

It’s so easy to let the pressures and distractions of life pull our thoughts away from the Father. It doesn’t take long before we are so focused on earthly things that we feel overwhelmed and all stressed out. But, we weren’t meant to live anxious about life, we were meant to live in peace.

Today, choose to keep your heart at peace by staying focused on God the Father. Give life to your body by staying in agreement with Him. Let His peace guard your heart so that you can be equipped to live the abundant life He has promised to you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word which is life to my soul. I praise You because You are the Prince of Peace and give peace to my heart and mind. I choose to stay focused on You today. Thank You for guiding my every step. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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