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God
created
families
before
He
created
the
church!
      
Families are
EXTREMELY important to God. God saw that it was not good that man was alone so
He created woman to be a help mate for him. God performed the first marriage
ceremony in the Garden of Eden and blessed the union. He then told them to be
fruitful and multiply. (God evens uses the example of a husband and wife
relationship to illustrate His relationship with us as people.)
So much in
modern American seeks to destroy the family as God created it. Family is
supposed to be a blessing - not a curse. It is a place where we are to find
love, support and haven. But too often today's families are almost strangers
who share a house and little else.
Listed below
are wonderful websites who defend, protect, and promote Godly family life.
Individual family members: men, women, young adults, teens, tweens and children
all have their own pages and links. May they help you in your journey of family
life to enjoy the fellowship and love God intended families to be instead of the
rat race it has become.
FAMILIES
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The Family Watch Dog
A great way to protect your family.
www.FamilyWatchDog.us
When you visit this site you can enter your address and a map will
pop up with your house as a small icon of a house. There will be
red, blue and green dots surrounding your entire neighborhood. When
you click on these dots a picture of a criminal will appear with his
or her home address and the description of the crime he or she has
committed.
The best thing is that you can show your children these pictures and
see how close these people live to your home or school.
This site was developed by John Walsh from Americas Most Wanted.
This is another tool we can use to help us keep our kids safe.
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is the website of Focus on the Family and Dr. James Dobson. The ultimate
defender of God's guide for families. Truly something for every family member.
A wealth of info.
“In
the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
So
begins the Bible in Genesis chapter 1. In that simple sentence,
we gain great insight into the foundations of the universe and
beyond.
God
spoke. And worlds we cannot even imagine appeared.
This
is foundational truth for Christians who believe the vast
universe, including our world, was created by God in six literal
days.
We
believe that their can be no design without a Designer.
However, a key problem in the creationism/evolution debate
through the years has been that Christians have not been trained
how to deal with challenges to their beliefs.
That
has now changed.
The
multi-million dollar Creation Museum, a product of Answers in
Genesis, is now open in Hebron, Kentucky (just outside of
Cincinnati). This multi-million dollar museum, designed by a
former Universal Studios exhibit director, takes visitors on an
amazing walk through biblical history.
Included in this state-of-the-art 60,000-square-foot structure
are computer-generated visual effects, more than 50 exotic
animals, life-sized dinosaur animatronics and a special-effects
theater designed to thrill (and educate) the entire family.
The
museum is open Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.
– 6 p.m., and Sundays, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. Visit the museum’s website for
more info and lots of great sources of news and instruction:
www.creationmuseum.org |
The 10 Commandments of Marriage
Years ago, I asked God to give me a spouse, "You don't have a spouse because you
didn't ask" God said. Not only did I ask for a spouse but also explained what
kind of spouse I wanted. I want a nice, tender, forgiving, passionate, honest,
peaceful, generous, understanding, pleasant, warm, intelligent, humorous,
attentive, compassionate and truthful woman. I even mentioned the physical
characteristics I dreamt about.
As time went by I added to the required list of my wanted spouse. One night, in
my prayer, God talked to my heart: "My servant, I cannot give you what you
want."
I asked, "Why God?" and God said "Because I am God and I am fair. I am Truth and
all I do is true and right."
I asked "God, I don't understand why I cannot have what I ask from you?"
God answered, "I will explain. It is not fair and right for Me to fulfill
your demand because I cannot give something that is not your own self. It
is not fair to give someone who is full of love to you if sometimes you are
still hostile, or to give you someone generous but sometimes you can be
cruel, or someone forgiving - however, you still hide revenge, someone
sensitive - however, you are very insensitive...."
He then said to me: "It is better for Me to give you someone who I know
could grow to have all qualities you are searching for rather than to make you
waste your time trying to find someone who already has the qualities you want.
Your spouse would be bone from your bone and flesh from your flesh and you will
see yourself in her and both of you will be one. Marriage is like a school. It
is a life-long span education. It is where you and your partner make adjustments
and aim not merely to please each other, but to be better human beings and to
make a solid teamwork. I do not give you a perfect partner, because you are not
perfect either. I give you a partner with whom you would grow together"
Author Unknown
www.focusonyourchild.com helping parents raise healthy, confident and
well-adjusted children
www.christianteacher.org ChristianTeacher.org is dedicated to
providing information which will enable Christians teaching in public schools to
stand true to their faith while working within the framework of
government-regulated curriculum standards. We pray that the guidelines presented
throughout our site will empower Christian teachers to make a significant, Godly
impact on the lives of their students.
www.ourjourneyofhope.com Our Journey of Hope, a service organization
"initially a vision born in the heart of a cancer patient," with spiritual
encouragement and hope for cancer patients and families. Access online articles,
sermons, devos and other resources; interact with others also experiencing
cancer. Connect with a trained counselor (telephone or email) who will listen
and offer to pray with a caller. CTCA says it is "simply a way to extend to
people a rope of love, support and hope as they navigate through the waters of a
cancer diagnosis." Free services are also
available to pastors, lay ministers, cancer patients and their families.
Follow the 10 Commandments of Marriage
God designed marriage. And if you follow His plan for it, your marriage can
grow and thrive. Applying God’s biblical principles to your marriage can
help you discover His love for you and your spouse, and give you both more
love for Him and each other.
Here are "10 commandments” you can follow to have a thriving marriage:
1. Thou Shalt Not Be a Selfish Pig.
Consider the needs of your spouse before your own. Seek out ways to give to
your spouse. Be patient with your spouse and understand that neither of you
is perfect. Gently and kindly respond to irritation. Be honest and
vulnerable with your own thoughts and feelings, and make time to genuinely
listen to your spouse to try to understand his or her thoughts and
feelings. Ask you spouse, “What says ‘I love you’ to you?” and act on that
information. Discuss your individual priorities in areas such as work,
children, friends, church, money, and vacations, then work out the
differences so you can work together toward the same goals. Commit to act
in loving ways toward your spouse even if you don’t currently feel the
emotion of being in love, and watch as love rekindles after you act in
love. Keep dating each other.
2. Thou Shalt Cut the Apron Strings.
Let your spouse take your mother’s or father’s
place as the preeminent person in your life. Decide to create your own new
family without undue influence from your family of origin. Try to work out
conflicts with your spouse just between the two of you, and if you need to
seek outside counsel, don’t turn to each other’s parents first. Don’t
accept financial gifts from your parents or in-laws. Leave your past in the
past by refusing to think or talk about old boyfriends or girlfriends, dwell
on mistakes that God has forgiven, or frequently discuss special events or
experiences that occurred before you met your spouse. Build a “one flesh”
connection with your spouse that makes you together in your hearts even when
you are physically apart.
3. Thou Shalt Continually Communicate.
Make regular discussions about things that
matter to each of you a habit and top priority. Don’t let busy schedules,
children, television, or fear of conflict keep you from communicating.
Regularly speak affirming words to each other, and use positive tones of
voice, facial expressions, and body language. Be direct; tell your spouse
exactly what you want to say instead of merely hinting at it. But always
remember to be tactful while speaking forthrightly. Consider how your
spouse is best wired to give and receive messages: Is he or she an
auditory, visual, or feelings person?
4. Thou Shalt Make Conflict Thy Ally.
Know that it’s normal for married couples to have conflict, and that every
married couple can expect to encounter it. Understand that when
conflict is handled poorly, it can damage your marriage, but when it’s
handled wisely, it
can actually lead to greater intimacy. Use your anger constructively
instead of destructively. Focus on the problem rather than the person.
Stick to the facts, and don’t set out to deliberately hurt your spouse.
Don’t discuss your private conflicts in front of others, such as family
members, friends, or business associates. Don’t make threats during an
argument. Don’t let small conflicts fester and eventually become big ones.
Don’t make generalizations. Don’t withhold sex to punish your spouse, or
use it as a reward to manipulate him or her. Pray about your conflicts and
listen for God’s responses. Seek to clearly understand both yourself and
your spouse. Confess your sins. Forgive your spouse and accept his or her
forgiveness.
5. Thou Shalt Avoid the Quicksand of
Debt. Stick to the “10-70-20 budget.” Start by
subtracting your tithe and taxes from your gross monthly income. Then take
10 percent of
what is left and save or invest it. Use 70 percent of the remaining amount
for your monthly
expenses. Then apply the remaining 20 percent to debt reduction. Overcome
greed by
learning to admire things without desiring them, regularly giving things
away, giving generously toward advancing God’s kingdom, and reminding
yourself that you can’t take anything with you when you die.
6. Thou Shalt Flee Sexual Temptation –
Online and Otherwise. Treat sexual temptation as if it were a
deadly disease, and do everything you can to run from it. Protect your
mind, asking God to help you keep it pure, realizing that your body follows
your mind. Build sexual intimacy with your spouse; devoting enough time to
him or her; getting away from others to be together; and being sensitive to
your spouse’s energy levels, best time of day or night, and desires.
7. Thou Shalt Forgive Your Mate 490
Times. Make forgiveness a habit that you’re always willing to
practice with God’s help. Forgive your mate not just for big issues, but
also for small things like irritating behavior that can drive a wedge
between you. Take every thought captive by praying for the Holy Spirit to
renew your mind and bring your thoughts into conformity with biblical
truths. Remember how lavishly God has forgiven you, and know that the ways
you should forgive your spouse – even for major issues – pale in comparison
to what Christ has done for you.
8. Thou Shalt Keep the Home Fires
Burning. Keep the fires of love and passion burning by tending
to your marriage as diligently as you would a living thing. Consistently
speak words of blessing to your spouse. Humbly and specifically confess
your mistakes to God and your spouse, seek forgiveness, then move on.
Accept your spouse unconditionally. Don’t try to change your spouse; trust
God alone to do that. Realize that the only one you can change is
yourself. Treat your husband or wife with respect. Study your spouse and
note his or her likes and dislikes and strengths and weaknesses. Then use
that information as you interact with him or her.
9. Thou Shalt Begin Again and Again.
Know that no matter how badly your marriage
may have begun or become, God can heal and renew it. Accept your partner’s
flaws and
idiosyncrasies, knowing that since Christ has accepted him or her, you
should, too. Give your mate your full attention as often as possible.
Mutually submit to each other, and adjust to each other’s needs and dreams.
Overlook offenses whenever you can. Encourage each other however you can.
Express affection on a regular basis, such as by holding hands or hugging.
10. Thou Shalt Build a Winning Team.
Don’t be deceived into thinking that your marriage is nobody’s business but
your own. Realize that your marriage affects God, your children, your
family and friends, and your society. Strive for teamwork in your
marriage. Look to God as the architect of your marriage, and commit to
following His blueprints. Look to Jesus Christ as your marriage’s coach,
and read His “playbook” (the Bible). See your mate as a player on your
side, and decide to work toward the same goals together. Develop
intangibles that can help you win, such as goal-setting, commitment,
discipline, and togetherness. Draw on fan support in the form of
encouragement from family, friends, children, coworkers, and your church
family.
PARENTING
October 2004 Letter from CEO of our local YMCA (thought I would share it with
you because it speaks volumes.)
Dear
Friends,
My parents
used to say the dumbest things. I remember when my dad would yell at me and my
brothers, while we were in the car, "Don’t make me pull this car over!" We would
just look at each other and laugh. "Dad you’re not gonna pull the car over.
You’re trying to beat last year’s trip time!"
Or my mom
would say, "Who do you think you are?" I would want to yell back, "Mom, Do I
need a name tag? I’m
Cam, your son!"
I love it
when a parent says, "If you fall out of that tree and break your leg, don’t come
running to me!"
I heard Mike
Breaux, a Pastor at
Willow
Creek
Community
Church,
mention that he wondered if Joseph ever said to Jesus when Jesus would leave the
back door open, "Boy, were you born in a barn." "Well yea, I was actually,"
Jesus would laugh.
Parents
really do say some stupid things. Like when a parent says, "You are just
worthless." "Why aren’t you more like your brother?" "I’ve never seen anyone as
stupid as you." "You’re no good." "What did I do to deserve you?"
Parents do
say some stupid things.
I love
little league baseball, and your Y has a great baseball program. Over 1000 kids
play every spring and another 500 kids play fall baseball. There is something
basic and good about youth baseball. This summer during the Y Coach Pitch
league, my son Brooks stood on second base with his glove on his head striking
the Karate kid pose! You just have to laugh at that. That is how he garnered the
nickname "Mr. Miyagi."
But baseball
parents have a reputation as some of the worst. Early in my Y career I was
watching a game with a dad, when the dad said, "I wanted to have a ball player,
but it looks like I’ve raised a sissy." Parents say some stupid things. I just
cringed when I heard him say that. I wish I would have had enough guts to say,
"You didn’t raise a sissy. You have a raised a beautiful, funny, articulate,
smart and inquisitive kid who not only loves life, but for some odd reason he
loves you!"
I hope as
parents we can start saying things like, "I’m proud of you." "Way to go." "You
are good." "I love you." Kids need building up. They get beat down and degraded
enough everywhere else in their life. My personal challenge as a parent is to
every day communicate to my kids that even if they lined up all of the children
from around the world, I would pick them.
David
Chadwick, who led our prayer breakfast a few years ago said it like this, "By
the example of how I am parenting my kids today, I am also parenting my
grandkids and great grand kids." Whether your children are infants or fully
grown adults with their own children, you still need to set the example. Your Y
phrases it as Developing Assets in your kids.
I love this
poem by Mary Korzan.
When you
thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I wanted to paint another one.
When you
thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good
to be kind to animals.
When you
thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I knew
that little things are special things.
When you
thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a
God I could always talk to.
When you
thought I wasn’t looking, I felt you kiss me good night, and I felt loved.
When you
thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that
sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.
When you
thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything
that I could be.
When you
thought I wasn’t looking, I looked…and wanted to say thanks for all the things I
saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.
I hope our
paths cross soon. I look forward to sharing in future letters.
GRACE and
PEACE,
Cameron Corder
CEO
Cleveland County Family YMCA
Many Christians want to be informed about what is happening in the news.
Unfortunately, the mainstream media doesn’t consider news of interest to
Christians as being worthy of coverage.
That is why OneNewsNow.com
was developed. OneNewsNow.com not only gives you the secular news, but also the
news that is of interest to the Christian community which the main stream media
doesn't report.
OneNewsNow.com has a daily report that is available to those who want to stay
informed. AND IT IS FREE!
Parenting
www.childrensministry.net ChildrensMinistry.net provides a great service for
anyone involved in children's ministry. Find an extensive collection of
topical links--curriculum, crafts, drama, puppets, software, videos; a list of
musicians, evangelists and live events; links for kids; publishers of children's
material; VBS programs and much more. ChildrensMinistry.net resources include a
game exchange, a Job Center, an idea swap and message boards/forums.
www.kidology.org equipping and encouraging those who minister to children
 Your
family's guide to making the internet and technology
fun, safe and productive.
www.justmoms.com
www.pastor2youth.com
www.thesource4ym.com
www.funnykids.com Funny Things Kids Say, will warm your heart! Pastors,
editors, radio personalities, etc. may use the material freely, with appropriate
credit.
www.troubledwith.com TroubledWith was created to help you and also to be a
resource for you to help friends and family you're concerned about....Our goal
was to create a place where people can find practical solutions to their
problems, as well as an underlying message of Christian hope."
Disclaimer: The above ministries have not endorsed or
support God Speed Ministry in any way. Their logos are there to help our
visitors build recognition with that ministry. If we have used this logo
against your wishes, please email me @
renee@godspeedministry.com and we will
remove the logo ASAP. Thank you and God Bless you!
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1-888-NEED HIM
1-888-633-3446
1-704-473-4212
for prayer and
salvation
John 1:1-5
In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he
was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3He created everything
there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. 4Life itself was in
him, and this life gives light to everyone. 5The light shines
through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
Ephesians 4:3-6
3Make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
4There is one body and one Spirit–just
as you were called to one hope when you were called–
5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6one God and Father of all, who is over
all and through all and in all.
other race ministries:
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Daily Bread
of Life
"You will show me the path of life; in Your
presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures
forevermore." Psalm 16:11
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