Celebrating

I have just received an email from Toastmasters International stating that I am now confirmed as


Advanced Communicator Gold.

Celebrating

Ambassadors

An ambassador is one who goes to speak on behalf of another, usually a government or business but you can be an ambassador for a person.

Paul wrote in second Corinthians 5:20 "So we are  ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us,"

As a Christian, following Jesus is more than having a membership in a church. Every follower of Jesus is also called to represent Jesus to others - that is to be ambassadors. That is a sacred commitment that we made at our baptism and it is part of our calling as Christians. The question is about how well we do that.

Political Yard Signs

Today is primary election day in Kentucky and there are political yard signs everywhere you look. Some people think they can stick a political sign any where they want. There is a lot of abuse because enforcement is so lax.

 

Political campaigns must have the permission of property owners to place a sign on their land. Some public lands are off limits for political signs. I am so glad that the signs will soon be down at least until November.

More on Marriage

In the American society we often find that both husband and wife are employed. The pressures of conflicting demands and too little time for each other creates stress on the relationship. With all the distractions couples can easily forget that strong, caring, and loving relationships need constant work.

 

With out constant attention to the relationship a marriage can wither without either noticing the decline. Couples can slowly and quietly drift apart.  Many couples remain married in name only and others live in a loveless relationship. At this point all kinds of events can trigger the dissolution of a marriage. The situation may seem hopeless to one or both and they start looking for comfort else where then infidelity, argumentation, alcohol or drugs take control. Anger can then come to a head and a rupture occurs.

 

There is help for the marriage. Many churches and counseling services offer ways to work through the issues and refocus the relationship. IT takes work and often more work than would be needed if the couple had worked on it all along. Meaningful communication is the key to renewal. Get help before it is too late.

Shock Lingers On

I was contacted out of the blue by a friend from long ago. Her contact reminded me of the difficult position she placed me and a lot of other people in back then. She was married to another friend and I thought they were the ideal couple. They had kids in collage and all seemed to be right with the world. Then it was discovered that she had been having an affair with his best friend and she wanted a divorce. We like many of their other fired were caught in the middle not knowing what to do.

 

Some marriages seem like they are made in heaven but take a lot of work here on earth. A marriage takes commitment, attention, care and a lot of love. Those of us on the out side can not know how a mate can drift from loyal spouse to adultery and divorce. I am still sad about that day now over twelve years ago.