My husband and I just became aunt and uncle for the second time today.

Welcome to the family Kristy Belle!

I was reminded recently that droning out the politics and events of the world today is shirking our duty as Christ followers.  It's pretty easy to get absorbed by ourselves and think that what is happening in the world is not relevant to our lives.  But the truth is that while world events are not happening at my back door and I am not always directly impacted by them - eventually they come around. 

It's important to keep up with where the world is headed and to be intentional about influencing that direction as you can in your sphere because the big picture is that our children and grandchildren will be living in this world after we are gone and it is our duty to keep it for them.  To give them and the people of the world the opportunity and freedom to learn of and know Christ.

We fight for our rights and liberty so that today and years down the road

Check out the full article here.

So don't take the easy road of being absorbed with your life - influence.  Read the news - townhall.com is a great place to do that.  Listen to your husband or friends as they discuss world events - don't be passive - join in.  Create a blog and share your thoughts with people around the world.  Donate your time or finances to organizations that are making a difference, volunteer locally.  Help your friends to see the big picture and get them involved - influence your sphere.
 

I have been married for 1 year, 9 months... and 10 days if you want to be precise.  My husband and I have been through our ups and downs, times of trial and times of deep joy.  In this year and 9 months we have discovered again and again the truth that marriage is a challenge that you are never quite prepared for.   Yet, by grace, we keep fighting together and learning how to face the struggles life throws at us.

Couples in today's culture, I think, have an increasingly difficult road ahead of them.  Cohabitation has become the norm, which has been proven to decrease the rate of marriage and greatly increase a couple's chance for divorce (also here).  Divorce is rampant.  Seven years is supposedly the breaking point for many marriages, but 1 in 12 marriages end within the first two years.

How many longtime, happily married couples do you know?  Are they still on their first marriage?  Or is it their second or third, which might only last a few more years before they are dissatisfied and decide to move on.

For those of you who see little hope of lifetime happiness in marriage.  For those of you who don't have any role models to follow in this area to give you hope.  Take a minute to be encouraged,  John Thomas from Boundless Webzine, writes about his experience:


There are couples out there who have made it through 60+ years of marriage.  And wisdom does come with age, so maybe those of us who are new to this can learn from their diligence.

For further insight and advice on marriage for the long-haul visit Focus on the Family, or FamilyLife.

Welcome one and all. 

As you might guess from my blog name, I value family very much.  I plan to cover all things related to families, children, faith, and marriage on my blog. 

Come back and read often!