tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37079478421833814042024-03-26T23:38:25.143-07:00MANTURITYEstablishing Spiritual Maturity in Today's Man.Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-19110836642260105882013-08-11T19:22:00.000-07:002013-08-11T19:22:15.304-07:00Visit the NEW Manturity.com<a href="http://www.manturity.com/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW MANTURITY.COM</a>Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-32464151981682244712013-08-07T08:49:00.000-07:002013-08-07T08:49:03.098-07:00Manturity is Moving to WordpressFirst off, I just want to thank all of the people that have decided to follow the Manturity blog on Blogger for the last two years. I have enjoyed your company, your comments and your overall interest in the Blog.<br />
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For the last two years the Manturity Blog has been broken up into two websites, the Blogger site and the .com website. All of the material on the Manturity.com site would just be a link to my manturity.blogspot.com site. With the Blog continuing to grow, I felt I needed to change both sites over to one site. Here are some of the reasons I decided to make the switch.<br />
<br />
<b>-Easier for readers to navigate</b><br />
<b>-No more jumping from site to site</b><br />
<b>-Easier to track data and views</b><br />
<b>-Better overall SEO</b><br />
<b>-The power to make a more user friendly and better looking website</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
As a final choice for my new site, I decided to use Wordpress and build my site off the <a href="http://www.studiopress.com/" target="_blank">Studio Press/ Genesis Platform</a>, using the <a href="http://my.studiopress.com/themes/metro/" target="_blank">Metro Theme</a> as my child theme. This process took me months to make a final decision on and another couple months to build the site. I really think the new site came out looking great and would love for you to continue to follow and support.<br />
<br />
Please feel free to visit the new site <a href="http://www.manturity.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a> and subscribe via email at the bottom of the Home Page.<br />
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Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns.<br />
<br />
I look forward to connecting with you all in the future on the new Manturity.com.<br />
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Thank you and God Bless!<br />
<br />
Bryan<br />
<br />Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-87834178899340779942013-08-02T05:42:00.002-07:002013-08-02T05:42:34.339-07:00Manturity Spiritual Maturity Quotes Vol. 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcboEehW4zgwbnBI9Biypy_8-Dizh7v0jiPiEjHyh8fcG8JpWPH9dd5ZdcbBbjuDQPSxykFZpEkAALwMSUPGEYFEQjDcoqOh7T3fuTJA77-MBS6TPPBuKipvwPE1subOHQR0sEdjj0USM/s1600/ORIGINALQUOTES3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcboEehW4zgwbnBI9Biypy_8-Dizh7v0jiPiEjHyh8fcG8JpWPH9dd5ZdcbBbjuDQPSxykFZpEkAALwMSUPGEYFEQjDcoqOh7T3fuTJA77-MBS6TPPBuKipvwPE1subOHQR0sEdjj0USM/s400/ORIGINALQUOTES3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What is spiritual maturity and what are some ways to find it in our everyday life? One of the best ways to learn or teach yourself about something is to break it down into quotes. Volume 3 of original Manturity quotes is all about the topic of spiritual maturity. Take a few minutes to review them all and share one of your own in the comments at the end!<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"The man climbing the ranks of spiritual maturity is the man who has realized he can't do life on his own. He needs God."</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Spiritual maturity is first a lifestyle and last a destination." </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"The spiritually mature man has an obvious deep respect and solid relationship with his father, our King!" </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Spiritual maturity can be recognized when the man you are on Sunday morning is the same man Saturday night."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Growing in spiritual maturity is accomplished by continued growth in the Spirit of God!"</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Spiritual maturity is not a race or a marathon. It is a journey that will take us to our final and eternal destination."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Spiritual maturity starts with the demolition of old habits and the construction of new ones."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Spiritual maturity teaches a man to never justify his decisions based on other peoples actions, instead he should test all things before God."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Struggles will always be a part a part of life and a good test of our spiritual maturity. It is in those times that we must earnestly seek and trust God, not blame Him."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"The spiritually immature man is inconsistent in what and why he believes. Maturity will establish the spirit of consistency, the desire to gain knowledge and a real relationship with Christ!"</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-size: large;">Share your own quote in the comments or which one was your favorite. Share on your social media and check out Volume 1 and 2!</span><br />
<br />Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-87770680788202917372013-07-30T02:28:00.001-07:002013-07-30T02:28:56.766-07:00Wake Up and LIVE!<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i>This is a feature Guest Post by <u>Bob Evenhouse</u>. If you are interested in writing a guest post for the Manturity Blog, please visit the <a href="http://www.manturity.com/contact.html" target="_blank">Manturity Contact page</a>.</i></div>
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I am thirty, but I am much older. In fact, I am older than
God per a quote by GK Chesterton that I will share in a moment. My life
consists of much of the same day in and day out. I am married, have wonderful
children, a stable job, a house that is not falling apart, lots of friends, and
I just finished a novel. I am blessed but I find at times that spiritual
progress is lacking. Life, if not lived, can grow stale, unexciting, and make
me feel, well old. Wonder and joy have been sapped and replaced by the weighty
fatigue that can accompany being a responsible adult. <u>I need to renew and I
know it</u>. I need to pray and believe that God can wake me up, raise me from
my drowsiness, and bring me life; a rich full life.</div>
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Have you ever felt this way? Have you experienced the weight
of life, the desire for wonder and excitement again? It comes and goes for me.
I believe, like many things, admitting this desire aloud and especially in
prayer can bring about an inner revival that can change the course of your day,
week, month, year, and life. But do you believe it? Do you believe that God can
change you? That he can call you from the self imposed slumber and do something
amazing for His Kingdom? </div>
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Let’ have a look at the nation of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>. Please open the scriptures
to the book of Malachi chapter 3 verse 10.</div>
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If you’ve read the Old Testament you know how much promise
came with <st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place>.
They were given everything and yet did not live to the potential God called
them. Even the great kings like Solomon, the wisest man in the history of the
world and David, the man after God’s own heart, did not listen to prophets and
committed horrendous acts. </div>
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These horrendous acts may have been moments of passion. But
my guess is they happened slowly. David was supposed to be at war with his men,
not at home spying on women. For him, it started as any other day and ended
with adultery and later the murder of the woman’s husband, an honorable man.</div>
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In Malachi chapter 3, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> has turned away yet again,
either through conscious decisions or lackadaisical faith. God asks them to be
a giving people once more and says: </div>
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“Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I
will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that
you will not have enough room for it” (Malachi 3:10b, NIV translation). In this
context God says do not worry about the food that you horde! Don’t keep it to
yourselves because I will provide for you. In fact he says he will throw open
the floodgates of Heaven to do so! </div>
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If you believe what the scriptures say of Heaven, stop and
imagine that. Imagine cleaning up the area of your life that needs attention.
Live life with purpose and obedience and He will pour open the floodgates of
Heaven? If you believe this, pray it. Open your lips right now. </div>
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My response – “Really Lord? I’m in.” </div>
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Now does not mean God will let you win the lottery, find a
spouse, stop you from sinning again and again, land that job, or make that
sale? Maybe, but probably not. <b>This is a
call to wake up and live</b>. To live every moment with purpose and obedience
because this is what we have been asked. The Author of life has made life
simple: to obey. </div>
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Now, obedience may seem plain, dull or boring, but consider
this. Obedience might mean moving across the country or to another one. It
might mean starting that ministry you’ve considered for some time or leaving
your high paying job so that you can spend more time raising your kids. It
might mean volunteering or speaking or simply having that conversation you have
rehearsed a thousand times with that person you need to share your faith with.</div>
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If you find waking up hard and still struggle with the
monotony of life, consider this quote by GK Chesterton who was a spiritual
father to C.S. Lewis:</div>
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“…perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is
possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every
evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be that God makes every daisy
separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the
eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father
is younger than we are. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere
reoccurrence; it may be a theatrical ENCORE.” (Chesterton, <i>Orthodoxy, </i>44-45).</div>
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So reader, where does this find you? Where are you today?
Are you living every moment of the day as fully as you can? Have you struggled
with obedience or the monotony of the every day? </div>
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<b>Kneel down. Stop what
you are doing and pray. Pray for direction and stop to listen. It may not come
right away, but God is speaking to you. God is seeking you. Listen to what He
is saying and believe He will move you.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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If you feel led or inspired please share below. Both stories
of coming alive in Him or how you know you need to do so.</div>
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Thank you for reading and live well today.</div>
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God Bless.</div>
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<o:p> ______________________________</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>About the author:</o:p></div>
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Bob Evenhouse is a freelance writer in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Grand Rapids</st1:state></st1:city>
<st1:state w:st="on">MI</st1:state></st1:state></st1:place>. He is married to
Cindy and has two beautiful daughters and a son due any day. You can follow him
and read posts about writing at <a href="http://parttimenovel.wordpress.com/">http://parttimenovel.wordpress.com</a>.
He is currently shopping a manuscript for a young adult novel.</div>
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Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-45765079850436521492013-07-25T03:43:00.002-07:002013-07-26T09:27:24.709-07:00Manturity Marriage Quotes Vol. 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3lJ-VeZee78uTYOypb6Aomk9V-KH6u_od9F1YbWGNJ_2fK94eP87H69w_MzhNswX4FSuh45Q5j0Xoo2rT-4o35B9nDRUVcdXmwLEet-ho8d5xpRIXIWegZt-_dVfsygRmXeu5n1Cnt2x/s1600/ORIGINALQUOTES2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3lJ-VeZee78uTYOypb6Aomk9V-KH6u_od9F1YbWGNJ_2fK94eP87H69w_MzhNswX4FSuh45Q5j0Xoo2rT-4o35B9nDRUVcdXmwLEet-ho8d5xpRIXIWegZt-_dVfsygRmXeu5n1Cnt2x/s400/ORIGINALQUOTES2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love being married and God has blessed me with a beautiful wife. Through this union, I have now been blessed with strong son. So what do you like or enjoy about marriage? What are some ways your life has benefited from your marriage? Feel free to share some of your thoughts in the comments at the end. In the meantime, here are 10 original Manturity Quotes on the topic of marriage. Read them, share them and live them.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"Base your marriage of a God who designed it; rather than a world who corrupts it."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"The immature husband will convince himself that a life separated from his wife and kids will be more beneficial than his God given role to lead them." </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"The strong Christian husband stands apart from other men because he is leading his family with honesty and is also being led by God faithfully and daily."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"If your communication with your wife is struggling, better check your communication with God too."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"A man that decides to get married is a man that chooses, better yet VOWS, to be the protector, the provider and the spiritual leader."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"A strong, mature marriage will communicate in a way that is genuine, loving and Christ like."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"A common failure I see in married men is that they treat people they hardly know with more respect then they give their own wife. This is absolutely wrong, DO NOT be this man."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"You do not gain respect by demanding it from your wife; you gain respect by serving your wife."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"You can tell how much a husband loves his wife by the way he talks about her when she's not around."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"Whether a man be dating or married or neither, his first priority relationship must be of his and Christ."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">"A husbands love for his wife should not be based on how much his wife loves him; rather he should love her diligently each day, love her through any situation or conflict and love her as Christ loves the Church."</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-size: large;">Be sure to share your thoughts or your favorite. Also, check out <a href="http://manturity.blogspot.com/2013/07/manturity-original-quotes-vol-1.html">Manturity Quotes Volume 1</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-84772934143435273762013-07-22T05:27:00.001-07:002013-07-22T05:27:13.337-07:00Every Man Sets His Own Standards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Are you in control of your choices each day or is somebody else?</span></b><br />
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Over the years I have ran into many men who quote something like the following, "I don't believe in Christianity because my father never believed" or "I don't believe in that kind of stuff because of what 'they' say." Who are 'they' and why are they saying these things, I ask? I tend to get frustrated when I hear these type of responses, because quite frankly, they are not responses they are excuses. This is a man who is not in control of his beliefs and he has allowed the influence of others who may have not known the truth to set the standard for his life.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How long will a man choose to live according to these lies or excuses before he decides to take matters into his own hands? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How much longer till he matures and decides to search out the real truth himself?</b></span></div>
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Before the days of Manturity, I lived my life according to the standards of others. I chose to base my beliefs off of things I had simply heard and grew up learning. I used the excuses I mentioned above every time I was approached by someone who actually knew the truth and was essentially trying to help me. I found a strange comfort in this lie I was living when I was in the moment, but I also felt empty afterwards. I didn't know what to do until my life started to fall apart piece by piece.</div>
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I was quick to anger, I was quick to use sarcasm as a means of protection and I was quick to defend my "standards" even though I knew I had none at all. I was irritable in my marriage, I was unloving to my wife and went down a destructive personal path that almost destroyed my marriage. A good Christian friend of mine finally got a hold of me and challenged my standards. He could see though my false protection measures and told me to step up and find out the truth myself. It was time.</div>
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Even a man without standards should be smart enough to recognize a man that has standards and his life is living proof of it. As shallow as it sounds, this played a major role in choosing to stop living according to the standards of "them" or "they" and find out the truth for myself. <u>Note that this should be an example for all of us men that the way we act and are seen by others can be enough to cause another man to change his life. </u>This was over two years ago now and I am still learning, growing and striving to be the best man of God I can possibly be each and every day. Let's choose to let Jesus be our standard!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">So who is setting the standards in your life?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Are you living to please others or are you living to please God?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">SHARE some of your personal experiences in the comments below.</span></b></div>
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Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-42214665505919160412013-07-18T03:53:00.001-07:002013-07-19T16:53:06.265-07:00Manturity Original Quotes Vol. 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOahgE_SxN_cj7iAv0MN0WSwtnTG57pAm6fWz5v2JmpupCrTQJQRsQtHRbYKHkigqEiERCM5KGDi7pAAFZtPyqqzVCB-e_myZoUiEWmeHgCv4DRm9d1oVLviOPrDQMj0CkH4TkKbiBALMI/s1600/ORIGINALQUOTES1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOahgE_SxN_cj7iAv0MN0WSwtnTG57pAm6fWz5v2JmpupCrTQJQRsQtHRbYKHkigqEiERCM5KGDi7pAAFZtPyqqzVCB-e_myZoUiEWmeHgCv4DRm9d1oVLviOPrDQMj0CkH4TkKbiBALMI/s400/ORIGINALQUOTES1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you have read my recent post "<a href="http://manturity.blogspot.com/2013/06/5-daily-challenges-for-men.html" target="_blank">5 Daily Challenges for Men</a>", you will know that one of my daily challenges is to write an original quote. I have found this process to be a very powerful way to keep myself thinking about positive things and on Christ. Since these quotes are mainly shared on my social media sites, I thought I would start publishing them in volumes of 10. Quotes from famous people are great, but they take no effort. Step it up men and challenge yourself by coming up with your own original quotes!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Maturity is the ability to act and speak with self control"</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Men, true spiritual maturity is more than just the Sunday service head nod and the occasional men's breakfast. Instead it is striving daily to set HIS example, it is seeking communication with HIM daily and it is being thankful for HIS daily blessings."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"When building, the right tools can make all the difference. God has provided us with many tools like prayer and His Word. We must use these often!"</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"Always remain a man that is teachable and willing to learn."</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"For some men, the process of spiritual maturity begins when they realize their physical strength is not as important as their spiritual strength."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"You can't pick and choose which parts of Christ you'll accept; you have to be ALL in!"</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"The immature actions of men are direct insights into their weaknesses. On the opposite hand, the mature actions of men show their strengths and adherence to discipline."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"No one ever said the journey would be easy and sometimes it may not seem worth it, but it is in those times that we MUST learn to lean and depend on the power of Jesus!"</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Spiritual maturity will teach a young man that the broken relationship with his earthly father can be healed by his heavenly Father."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Spiritual maturity is not an overnight occurrence; it must be diligently sought after in your DAILY thoughts, actions and prayers."</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I would love to hear your thoughts on these quotes. Be sure to get involved in the comments below and feel free to share these quotes on your own social media sites!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-87777710749345934222013-07-11T04:26:00.000-07:002013-08-23T17:59:04.718-07:00How To Make Your Marriage Last<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0psyUkAHjs-tYeK5XrrHil3pEi5XR4atIk6VnzYOSLKxP1sihA47DetMv8lf6_KSmLnpi54vwh22RvBUcH_HSqPCquX1F8PvyQQK51CQRSzbgqv5hYHj94BHx7B_v9uYmcFNolrMV0KqY/s1600/How+To+Make+Your+Marriage+Last+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0psyUkAHjs-tYeK5XrrHil3pEi5XR4atIk6VnzYOSLKxP1sihA47DetMv8lf6_KSmLnpi54vwh22RvBUcH_HSqPCquX1F8PvyQQK51CQRSzbgqv5hYHj94BHx7B_v9uYmcFNolrMV0KqY/s400/How+To+Make+Your+Marriage+Last+(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It has been my
experience that Satan will do anything he can do to destroy the sanctity of
marriage, which was created by God. Satan is there to seek and destroy what is
meant to be beautiful. (1 Peter 5:8, John 10:10) Marriage can feel like an
inescapable trap for some… that is where I was about 4 years into my marriage…
hopeless, helpless and miserable. I didn’t see any way out. I began to
contemplate the ‘D’ word. It was at that time that I began to realize that
marriage was not meant to be this way. Marriage, according to God, is meant to
be a wonderful, comforting, loving thing. For those who have discovered the
secret it is just that. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3707947842183381404" name="_GoBack"></a>Right now you are probably
wondering what this big secret is. I’ll tell you, I promise… But you must
promise to listen very carefully.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>It is altogether
simple and devastatingly difficult</u>… <b>Here it is: </b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.manturity.com/2013/07/27/how-to-make-your-marriage-last/">.....READ THE REST OF THIS GUEST POST<br />AT THE NEW MANTURITY.COM</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.manturity.com/2013/07/27/how-to-make-your-marriage-last/">CLICK HERE!</a></span></b><br />
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Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-25092505545354825642013-07-02T04:16:00.000-07:002013-07-18T03:19:07.446-07:005 Ways Self Control Builds Maturity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIvbYkrj-Au3EBceoF1M2zAj-Mwj5kqKr7wTr0EoepWMH1d4UsdeTxN34nJODBTNFneX0NOcquTaqtOEfOkuEa8UBYizXLblbYBqKloY2tIyl4jeQQSs9kFEeTW8FPQIBn5oOacVr0VOa/s522/SELF+CONTROL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIvbYkrj-Au3EBceoF1M2zAj-Mwj5kqKr7wTr0EoepWMH1d4UsdeTxN34nJODBTNFneX0NOcquTaqtOEfOkuEa8UBYizXLblbYBqKloY2tIyl4jeQQSs9kFEeTW8FPQIBn5oOacVr0VOa/s400/SELF+CONTROL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Attaining and maintaining a high level of maturity may be one of the hardest things we ever experience in our lives. Two years ago, I had no idea what real maturity in life and in Christ meant, but with a name given to me from God like Manturity, I knew the truth would soon be revealed to me.<br />
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I've recently been re-reading through most of the New Testament. This time I'm heading through it, well, backwards; so much for self control. Don't ask me why I chose to do it this way, but regardless; I have been able to pull out some powerful information. As many of us know, Paul, Peter and the author of Hebrews lead the way with the teachings on the topic of maturity. There inspiration, of course, is the life and example of Jesus. They don't really use the actual word "mature" to often, but if you have a heart to hear the many teachings, then all of that seems to come out it is the idea of maturity in our Christian life. So without rambling too much, here are <u>"5 Ways Self Control Builds Maturity"</u> in a man. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) Our Enemy is ready, are you?</span></b></div>
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<b>1 Peter 5:8, "Be <u>self-controlled</u> and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."</b> I have used this verse in the past and will continue to use it because it is TRUE and it is POWERFUL. Peter is giving the elders and the young men instructions on how to live our lives. Peter quickly goes over the elders training and jumps right into the training of young men. The teaching of self control in this verse is relevant today, because it is very obvious that there is an enemy lurking and waiting to attack. The enemy loves to attack when you are most vulnerable; tired, angry, sick, emotional, frustrated, etc. The enemy knows where you are weak and will attack at the first signs of weakness. Stand Firm!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) Learn how to tame your tongue!</span></b></div>
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<b>Titus 2:6, "Similarly, Encourage the young men to be <u>self controlled</u>."</b> Paul is giving Titus specific instructions on how to teach the various groups. When Paul speaks about the young men, the first thing he talks about is self control. His more direct teaching after this verse deals with speaking with integrity, showing seriousness and soundness in speech. Paul's reasoning for this good speech was so that anyone who heard Titus would leave him and not condemn him, they would have nothing bad to say about him. We must also pursue this type of sound speech as we learn and grow in our walk with Christ. This must be when we are at work, with friends, with our family and to our wives! Speak Firmly!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3) Wake up! It's time to fight!</span></b></div>
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<b>1 Thessalonians 5:8, "Let us be <u>self controlled</u>, putting on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet."</b> Do you know why the breastplate was so important? The breastplate was worn to protect a soldier's vital organs and without it he was as good as dead! The same can be said for us, unless we are wearing our breastplate of righteousness, we leave ourselves open for attack and fatal injury. Guard your heart! The helmet also plays a major role in keeping a soldier safe and does the same for us by keeping the enemy out of our head. A well built helmet of salvation must be worn to keep out the evil thoughts and the false feelings of this world! Wear your armor daily!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) Learn to live with maturity!</span></b></div>
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<b>2 Peter 1:5-7, "Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, <u>self control</u>; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." </b>Paul gives a wonderful example of godly living in these verses. Self control falls right in the middle of all of these qualities. I can agree that there is a learning curve that comes before understanding self control and there are apparently many things to come after self control. Paul goes on to teach us that if we can live according to these things, we will be effective and produce great works for Christ. Make every effort and be eager gentlemen!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5) Be self controlled, no matter what!</span></b></div>
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<b>Philippians 1:27, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ."</b> This was the only verse I chose without the actual words "self controlled", but I thought it brought the entire post home. Paul is writing to the people of Philippi while still in chains. His hope was that whether he was able to see them again or not, they would stand firm in their walk with Christ. This verse does not leave any room for excuses. <u>In all things and in all situations</u> gentlemen, we are to present an attitude and manner worthy of Christ. I think we all need to pray for strength on this one. It starts with prayer and consistency!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">We must learn to be men, who not only talk with maturity,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Share how God has taught or shown you maturity in your life in the comments below.</span></b></div>
Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-6561928128676047842013-06-25T04:34:00.000-07:002013-08-23T17:51:45.892-07:005 Reasons to Write Your Wife a Love Letter<div class="MsoNormal">
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Men, I have been writing my wife a weekly love
letter for more than a year. That’s not a sentence I would have ever expected
to write about myself. I am not a man of outward sentimentality, and I very
rarely make my emotions known. Most people would call me calm and hard to read.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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But, men, what I learned is this: as good as it
can be for me to remain solid and calm in the storms of life, my wife needs
something more. My wife needs to be loved, and she wants to be romanced. I
learned after a year of marriage that it wasn’t enough to just show up, and I
couldn’t stop with just providing a paycheck. I needed to do more to show my
wife how much I love her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And I don’t think I am alone. I bet that your
wives also want to be loved and hear from your heart. <u>They want to know just
how deeply you love them</u>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am not going to push you all to start writing
a weekly blog to your wife. Instead, I want to encourage you to start small.
All I want you to do is this: I want you to write a short, handwritten letter
to your wife today, right now. Think of one thing about her or one thing she
does that makes you thankful to have married her. Write it down and give her
that note. Let her know you love and appreciate her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In case you aren’t already convinced about writing
that love note, let me offer you<br />
<b><u>Five
Reasons why you should be writing love notes to your wife.</u></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) You
will fan the flames of love in your marriage.</span><o:p></o:p></b><br />
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Gary Chapman famously explained the concept of <a href="http://www.5lovelanguages.com/" target="_blank">LoveLanguages</a>, and the first language he describes in book is Words of Affirmation.
For many women, they feel most loved when they are spoken to kindly, when they
are praised, and when they are otherwise wooed with your words. Your wife will
know she is loved when she reads that short note from you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Go ahead and write a short love note now. Just
put down two sentences about one thing you like about your wife. Now leave the
note on your wife’s bedside table. Just trust me on this one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) The
smartest man in the world gave his wife love notes.</span><o:p></o:p></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.manturity.com/2013/07/27/5-reasons-to-write-your-wife-a-love-letter/">....READ THE REST OF THIS POST </a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.manturity.com/2013/07/27/5-reasons-to-write-your-wife-a-love-letter/">AT THE NEW MANTURITY.COM</a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.manturity.com/2013/07/27/5-reasons-to-write-your-wife-a-love-letter/">CLICK HERE!</a></span></b></div>
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Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-53493118647129132752013-06-20T04:37:00.000-07:002013-06-20T04:37:02.996-07:00Strength in a Husband's Love<div style="text-align: center;">
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Love is a sign of weakness and also a sign of vulnerability. According to whom you might ask? My answer would be culture and the world's views. How can you show your strength in your marriage by simply loving? How can you effectively lead your wife if you are perceived as weak and powerless? I get it men because I was there and I lived in my marriage according to this mindset and all it did was fail. In fact, I almost failed it twice.<br />
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Do you recall when you first felt love for your wife? The moment may have come after your first kiss or maybe after realizing you couldn't live without her for another day. The words came out of your mouth, I Love You, and something like a fire was born inside of you. A desire and passion was now alive in your heart and all you wanted was more of this love. But as time passed, the passion may have faded or the feeling of being weak in this love arose inside of you. Why? I finally realized that my personal problem was my sources and, quite frankly, you could also have the same source problem.<br />
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Since the culture and this world couldn't give me that answers I needed, I decided that I must look for answers in other places. My new source became a source I had known for my entire life, but I had never given him an honest chance. The name of this source is Jesus.<br />
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<b>Men, please don't click off this page or doubt my words, you must remember at this point that all other options have been exhausted as they were for me, that maybe you are not happy in your marriage or you just want to make your marriage stronger.</b><br />
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Where is your Bible? Find it and start with the Book of Ephesians. Ephesians 5:25 states, "husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it". Ephesians 5:28 states, "so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife, loves himself". Jesus Christ showed us the ultimate example of love when he sacrificed his own body for us. He was willing to put aside his pride, to set aside his doubt and fear, and allow God to do as needed with him. Are you willing to do this in your marriage?<br />
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How often do we put our pride in the way of our marriage or our love for our wives? How much are we willing to sacrifice in order to show her the love she needs? How many times have we embarrassed our wives in order to make us or our friends look good? How can we continue to do this men? We must rely on the proper source.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text 1Cor-13-4" id="en-NIV-28670" style="background-color: white;">4 Love is patient,<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28670A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span> love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28670B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> 5</span><span class="text 1Cor-13-5" id="en-NIV-28671" style="background-color: white;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </span>It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28671C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span> it is not easily angered,<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28671D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></span> it keeps no record of wrongs.<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28671E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> 6<b> </b></span><span class="text 1Cor-13-6" id="en-NIV-28672" style="background-color: white;">Love does not delight in evil<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28672F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></span> but rejoices with the truth.<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28672G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> 7</span><span class="text 1Cor-13-7" id="en-NIV-28673" style="background-color: white;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </span>It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 4-7)</span></span><br />
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Men, I pray that whatever stage your marriage is in or is headed that you keep the emotion of Love alive! Love almost always requires us to do things that are out of our "normal" nature, but in the end we will come away stronger and a better man and husband. You may not believe me now, but if you're man enough to give Christ a chance, I know you will not regret it. Do not wait another day to love your wife differently, to engage her faithfully and to seek God daily for guidance and direction. You can do it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">As I am a young man on the topic of love, please feel free to share your thoughts or actual events that have confirmed the strength of love in your marriage!</span></b>Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-193966901089204112013-06-17T05:36:00.000-07:002013-06-17T05:36:25.309-07:0010 Things I Have Learned from Fatherhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a new father of only 5 months, I have already come to learn the value and necessity of having a son in my life. Before he was born I thought that I had life all figured out. I was told by some of my close friends that life would change, but not having gone though it yet, I thought they were just trying to scare me. I was wrong.<br />
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At first it appeared life had changed for the worse; walking up in the middle of the night over and over again, a crying baby that I had no idea how to help and a sometimes frustrated wife that didn't want my help. I thought to myself, "What did I get myself into?". As time passed, my wife and I continued to work together and we were soon lean, mean, baby problem solving machines. Well, maybe not quite that...<br />
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In the aftermath of my wonderful first Father's Day, I came up with my top 10 things I have learned from Fatherhood, or top 10 things I have improved on in my life. Word it however you like.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>1) Love</u> </span></b>My parents taught me about love, my wife showed me how to love, but my son has taught me about the strong bond of love. When it took months for me to realize I loved my wife, it took "first sight" to love my son. My love continues to grow for him each day and I pray daily that God would help me maintain that love for him and my wife. (1 Corinthians 16:14)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>2) Value of Time</u> </span></b> I can't count the times people have asked if the baby was sleeping well or if we've slept at all in the last week. I also wonder what my wife and I did with our time before we had our little guy. From late nights, to early mornings, to staying at home a lot more, I have learned that my time is passing and I want to spend it loving my wife and son to the best of my ability. It's a daily prayer to make sure I am not overly distracted.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">3) Necessity of Patience</span></u></b> I really like to think that I was a patient man before our little guy, but after about a month of frustrating occurrences and small battles with my wife, I had to dig real deep and pray for more patience. God is always good and has helped me to become a more patient man. And don't think this is just at home, this patience shines in all that I do now. (Galatians 5:22-23)<br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">4) Great Communication with my Wife</span></b></u> My wife and I were fortunate to be blessed with over 5 years of marriage before our son arrived. Through many ups and downs we were able to establish a strong sense of communication with each other. We discussed many times before our son was born that we were going to have to take this to the next level and we have. My wife is a wonderful mother to our son and we pray daily that God would help us be the very best parents we can be for our son.<br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">5) Strong Protector</span></b></u> Being the protector of my family already fell into my role when I became married to my beautiful wife, but with a son, it has become an even stronger trait that I try to possess. From making sure he stays safe and comfortable at home, to making sure he is properly fed and spending quality time with him when I am home. I want my wife and him to know that they are in safe hands and that I will do everything to protect them. I pray daily, especially when I leave them alone, that God would protect our family. (Philippians 4:13)<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">6) Selflessness</span></u></b> Everyone one of us can admit that we were selfish and self indulged before a child came into our life. The weekends revolved around the wife and I, the dogs were no trouble when thrown in the kennel and we did what we pleased with our time. These days our schedule revolves around our little guy, and because of our deep love for him, this is not a problem and we are glad to it. This might be one that I need to pray about more. (James 4:6)<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">7) I am Blessed</span></u></b> Knowing that I have a great wife and a happy son, I am fully aware that I am blessed. As I seek prayer in each of the areas listed in this top 10, I make sure that I let God know how thankful I am for what he has blessed me with in my life. I have to stay aware that all of this could change at any moment and that I must continue to seek and rely on my God.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>8) Teamwork </b></u></span><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>(wife, family, friends)</b></u></span> As the time approached to have our baby, we knew we were going to need the support of friends and family. God has blessed us with some amazing people from our Church in our life and they were more than willing to help us out. I suppose through this, I learned to put a bigger value on their friendship and do a better job at making myself available and honor the relationship more consistently.<br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">9) Fatherly Maturity</span></b></u> The story of Manturity continues to progress as I add the role of fatherhood to my life resume. The last few years have taught me the value and strength of having God in my life and maintaining a strong and healthy marriage, but fatherhood makes me want to know more about maturity. I firmly believe every man must mature and the path is very similar for all men. I pray that I can be the mature father my son needs me to be. (Proverbs 22:6)<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">10) God's Love</span></u></b> Our Church recently ran a series about God's love and I think it came at the perfect time in my life. As I could feel that I loved my wife and son more, I still wanted to know more about God's love and what it meant in my life. The verse at the end says that God is love and we must love as well if we are to know God. I can't say everything about this verse now, but knowing that God commands us to love makes me want to be a better man, greater husband and stronger father! (1 John 4:8)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Gents, I have only been at this for 5 months!</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">I would love to hear what fatherhood has </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">taught you over your years. </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Share in the comments below!</u></span></b><br />
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<br />Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-22421277950972489422013-06-12T04:22:00.001-07:002013-06-12T04:22:27.704-07:00Why Men Need Accountability<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have come to learn that accountability among men is a two way street. On the one side, we need to have accountability as individuals or for ourselves and on the other side we need to be an accountability partner to other men. Although these roles are very different, they are both very much needed in our lives.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When we break it down, <u>accountability is an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions</u>. When carefully read, we can see that accountability is something that you are willing to do or you feel obligated to do. After a couple years of having accountability partners in my life, I can honestly say it is much easier to be willing to do this then to feel obligated. Obligation will always make you hold back some of your stronger feelings and your time will be wasted in the end. Men must become willing to be held accountable and accept full responsibility for their actions. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Why is it important to be held accountable?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From my own experience, I have found accountability in my life to be a blessing rather then a curse. When you are able to open up and be honest with another man of God, you will learn that he understands you or has gone through similar problems in his life. God teaches us an effective lesson in the book of 1 Peter that says, "Resist Him (the enemy), standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." -1 Peter 5:9 </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This verse always gives me hope, but also makes me want to work harder in my walk with Christ. It allows me to remove signs of selfishness and, again, be more open to sharing my heart, fears and struggles with other men.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why is it important to hold other men accountable?</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">Shortly after I found a man to hold me accountable, God showed me a struggling young man in my life that also needed accountability through me. At the time I didn't understand why God was doing this, but I have now learned and come to understand the value it had and still has in my life. It is clear in our culture that men are dying, spiritually, and a lot of it has to do with the pressures of this world. Most men are not willing to talk or share their feelings and that is why we must have a heart to pursue these men. We must learn to love them the way Christ showed love to his disciples. When reading through Hebrews we get a good idea of what holding other men accountable should look like; "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - all the more as you can see the Day approaching." -Hebrews 10:24-25</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Be strong. Be responsible. Be accountable.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>So do you think men need accountability in their lives? </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why or why not?</b></span></span><br />
<br />Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-3030919413863832112013-06-06T03:57:00.000-07:002013-06-06T03:57:17.613-07:005 Daily Challenges for Men<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know what you're thinking, but it's not what you think. Most of us already feel like we have enough on our daily plate so why would we want to be challenged even more? The answer is simple, among all of the chaos of work and family during each day, we must find a way to be challenged in our walk with Christ. Although Sunday service is a great experience and necessary in our Christian walk, we must pursue our walk with Christ the rest of the days of the week.<br />
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I have come to believe that this process of being challenged in Christ has to become a desire. It has to become something you almost crave each day, and if you miss any challenges, you feel like you have suffered a loss and not done your proper duties. <u>If it is made a desire in your life, you WILL find the time.</u><br />
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Here are five of my personal challenges that I make myself face each day. Do I have to do these? No, but I do them because I want to be respected among my peers, disciplined in my walk with Christ and because I do not want to allow work and chaos to control my life.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">1) Discussion With God.</span></u></b> This process can also be called prayer but I like to refer to it as discussion. This could be turning off the radio show on the way to work and talking to him, it could be after a frustrating talk with a co-worker or anytime you have a moment. This time does not have to be fancy, but it must be pursued and must be intentional.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">2) Personal Quote.</span></u></b> This has become one of my favorite things to do throughout the day. For any of you who follow the Manturity <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Manturity" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/Manturity" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, you will see many of my personal quotes. These are simply born out of situations throughout the day, after discussions with God on subjects or whatever is on my heart. Keep a journal of your thoughts and quotes or post them on your social media as well. This simple, but effective process will make you think on a deeper level and test your knowledge.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">3) Attitude of Love and Respect.</span></u></b> The first two challenges can happen at any time, but this one really requires a man to take things to the next level. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in hurtful conversations, don't encourage wrong doings and don't allow the negative influences around you bring you down. <u>Your center, your core should be built on Christ</u> and your daily attitude should reflect it whether you are at work or home.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">4) Uplift Someone.</span></u></b> An unselfish man of God should be able to recognize when someone is in need. Take those opportunities to show the love of Christ and give them some words of encouragement. Maybe you work with someone who does a great job day in and day out? Make it a point to thank them for there diligence and service. You might be surprised what will happen after you take that initiative.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">5) Take A Quiet Break.</span></u></b> It's not hard to believe that in this busy world one of the hardest things for a man to do is to just take a break. The best ways I have found to do this is to take a walk by myself at lunch, find a bench at lunch and relax or find some alone time when you get home. Even if it's a half an hour or fifteen minutes, this time can be very fruitful to a busy man. Think about Jesus and all the times he would disappear from the disciples or the crowds and just pray. This was no mistake and we should follow his example. Forget about work and the daily struggles and just relax.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">This is by no means a complete list. Share some ways or some things that you like to challenge yourself with everyday!</span></b><br />
<br />Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-66289114058238745752013-06-03T04:28:00.000-07:002013-06-06T04:11:09.577-07:00Every Man's Problem with Prayer <div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1369914609211_1762" style="background-color: white; color: #454545; padding: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’ve all heard it before: pray more, pray better, and pray continually. What does it mean to pray? Should prayers be verbalized? Does it matter? What does it mean to pray in the Spirit? With all the demands of a 21st century man of God, how do you even start the monumental task of attempting to pray continually?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Certainly there are times throughout scripture where prayers are aloud and in front of a multitude of people: Solomon in 1 Kings 8 (2 Chronicles 6), the priests and Levites in 2 Chronicles 30, Job in front of his three friends, Isaiah’s allusion to aloud prayer in Isaiah 26:16, the apostles together in Acts 4:24, and Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17. According to my research, it is inconclusive as to the expression of prayer through vocal cords for any other prayer in the Bible. Even though it’s written down in verbatim form, surely the Spirit of God that inspired our scriptures knows what each and every prayer said regardless of verbalization.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are also other times when aloud prayers are discouraged because they can draw undue attention to the prayer issuer rather than the message or intent of the prayer. Such instances Jesus addressed in Matthew 6:5 (Mark 12:40, Luke 20:47) while he was denouncing the teachers of the law who basically were praying just to satisfy the need of themselves or their constituents to hear a prayer. Apparently, the apostles were so confused as to the method of prayer that they directly asked Jesus to teach them how to pray in Luke 11. Even the most pious of the fathers of our Church were clueless when confronted with the example of Jesus contrasted with their societal knowledge of prayer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are certainly examples where individuals make known their private prayers to the many for the encouragement of the many: Paul repeatedly informed the churches and various individuals of his personal prayers in every one of his epistles. Surely praying together with the same intent helps in times where we need someone to agree with us in prayer (Matthew 18:19) and for the mutual bearing of burdens with your Christian brothers. As men, we don’t like letting other men in to our personal problems or desires - but there’s nothing wrong with it; in fact, it is right and true and good. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then we’re confronted with the command to pray continually in 1 Thessalonians 5:16. By definition, we physically cannot continually pray aloud since God created us with the need to sleep, eat, and socialize. Therefore, there has to be an underlying coordination with the Spirit of God who prays for you and issues prayers, while coordinating with your soul, when even your mind may not be aware (Romans 8:26).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Praying, by definition, is a communication with your creator</b> - the one who knows you on the level of intent and desires. He knows you past all the external walls we put up as men. He knows what we are really praying for, regardless of any words we may actually be saying, at all times. His Spirit is inside us constantly searching us, discovering our hearts’ desire, and detecting how we respond to various crises of ourselves, loved ones or community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus repeatedly went off in the wilderness or somewhere else by himself to pray and commune with his Father. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that when he was raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11:41, one of the few times he prayed aloud in the Bible, that he directly told his apostles and disciples that he was praying only so they could hear him. Jesus also indicated that praying by yourself while behind closed doors is acceptable and encouraged in Matthew 6:6. Jesus was leading by example when he went off alone for prayers and fellowship and he actually taught that praying and fellowshipping alone with the Father is pleasing to the Father.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since Jesus was the firstborn of many brothers (Romans 8:29/Colossians 1:18), we should expectantly follow his example and instruction in order to become the men of prayer that God expects of us. After Jesus, and after we accept him as Lord, the Spirit of God makes his home in us and he continually ushers us into Truth and Goodness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we increase and grow regarding maturity in the Lord and spiritual maturity, we are gifted with an exponential increase in ability to engage in successful praying. As we are transformed into the likeness of Jesus, the intents and desires of our hearts are molded to the intents and desires of the will of God. As the Spirit of God groans and intercedes for us when our intents and desires are congruent with the will of God, we issue effective prayers - whether or not we are actually verbalizing them through the linguistic approximations of our minds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>In conclusion, I believe that every man has two choices: to want to be like God or to want to live life your own way</u>. One way leads to becoming mature in the Spirit where you can effectively pray continually and the other leads to becoming further from the character of Jesus where your prayers are an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 28:9). Therefore, whichever path you choose, even on a daily basis, depends on whether or not you can effectively pray - let alone pray continually.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Men</b>, each day you must make a choice that today you want to be a little more like God, that you trust him to mold you into the image of Jesus, and that you allow him to highlight times/people/places where you need to be. If our intents and desires are truly congruent with being like God, becoming perfect even as he is perfect, then our hearts will immediately commune with the Spirit of God to call forth a pleasing spiritual prayer to the Father. When the Spirit of God groans and prays with you, assuredly you should know that you’re partnering with God and that it pleases him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then and only then may we rest assured of the promises of Jesus in Matthew 21:22 and Mark 11:24, where we are promised that whatever we shall receive the desires of our hearts. Practically, this means that a little more God comes into our lives or circumstances and results in a little less suffering and pain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each day, every morning, make a conscious decision to trust God, to be like him, and to want to become more like Jesus. If you do that, your desires will increasingly be in accordance with the Father’s will, your prayers will increasingly become more effective, and you will see the power of God in your life. Are you ready to become an effective man of prayer?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">____________________________________________</span><br />
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="color: #454545;"><b>This is a Guest Post by a great friend of mine, Ryan E.</b></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="color: #454545;"><b><a href="http://manturity.blogspot.com/search/label/Ryan%20E." target="_blank">Click here to check out more posts by this author!</a></b></span></div>
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Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-53567722082827095242013-05-29T04:55:00.000-07:002013-08-23T18:00:09.894-07:005 Ways A Man Builds Discipline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ06A-ymt75TEfPiZxuoyexcm5HcjgPMCL2Mky6zqEKrA39HaKEFKvumeOw0rCo-eKHFg_Fq5O7m2dyum5FD65SN4Lf4X1lxZ8N8n-z-w3UiJ5Ps9jEkLYv6ApWCSNvznlDJCdBf3-yk5/s1600/5+way+discipline+FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ06A-ymt75TEfPiZxuoyexcm5HcjgPMCL2Mky6zqEKrA39HaKEFKvumeOw0rCo-eKHFg_Fq5O7m2dyum5FD65SN4Lf4X1lxZ8N8n-z-w3UiJ5Ps9jEkLYv6ApWCSNvznlDJCdBf3-yk5/s400/5+way+discipline+FINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Discipline is training to act in accordance with a certain set of rules. Young men either know or find out that it takes a certain amount of discipline to finish High School or graduate College. Older men also either know or learn the hard way that a strong sense of discipline is a requirement in order to be successful in the workplace. And finally a man that is in the position of also being a husband must learn quickly that discipline is needed to maintain a strong marriage and to raise children up effectively.<br />
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In all honesty, discipline is a trait that every man must come to grips with at some point in his life.<br />
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So if discipline is needed so much in our culture, why is it not taught more to young men coming up through the ranks? Why does this culture have such a hard time raising effective and mature leaders? Why are men struggling in marriages and not growing up? The answer lies in the source. Who or what is your source? Who are you allowing yourself to be mentored by or be disciplined by? As I was reading through the Book of Hebrews I found a solid section of verses in chapter 12 that shows clearly how God raises up men of discipline.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here are 5 Ways A Man Builds Discipline.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hebrews 12:1-13</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1) </b><b>Earthly Father</b></span><br />
<b>Hebrews 12:10 "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." </b>When speaking about training and discipline, I have to revert back to my earthly father. This was when I first experienced what discipline was and how it impacted my life. I understand that some men may not have had this opportunity to experience an earthly father, but maybe you had a mentor or close friend that helped you learn along the way. Either way, God first teaches us discipline by our earthly father but then goes to say that God will discipline us for good or after we leave our earthly father. Once we leave the nest, we must continue to seek God and allow Him to discipline and influence us.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) Submission</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.manturity.com/2013/07/15/5-ways-a-man-builds-discipline/">....READ THE REST OF THIS GREAT POST<br />AT THE NEW MANTURITY.COM</a></span></div>
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Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-13339963948096601342013-05-23T04:20:00.000-07:002013-05-23T04:20:53.932-07:00What is Reality? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YLNlE2WUyJB5BStwJdYCeAsSeRXr2FZu035wcf2KSAi8-Dz20OMNFFmzLjWJKgo28ul2dtwygKngtO_WG2Nob1ZKb5MxoyEcnd2e_T-bfNi_RwMvnKHXV_v55nwsMA-IwmvVrQXaJXoH/s1600/whatisreality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YLNlE2WUyJB5BStwJdYCeAsSeRXr2FZu035wcf2KSAi8-Dz20OMNFFmzLjWJKgo28ul2dtwygKngtO_WG2Nob1ZKb5MxoyEcnd2e_T-bfNi_RwMvnKHXV_v55nwsMA-IwmvVrQXaJXoH/s400/whatisreality.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #454545;">What is real?
What is reality? When did it start and why? </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #454545;">Are there different levels of
reality?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #454545;">I think about concepts like this all the time. I believe
that everyone who has any understanding of the philosophy behind these concepts
has already arrived at what they believe to be a concrete ideal of reality.
Consider the differences between the religious, atheistic, and the various new
age concepts: each is so different than the others and the consequences to our
earthly lives are tremendous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545;">The atheist believes in nothing that they can't
physically measure or scientifically experience. Therefore, their reality is
merely material. The last analysis of atheism is that whatever is deemed
acceptable by the individual or societal mores is permissible and encouraged if
it is logically necessary. As such, abortion, eugenics, and strength ought to
be encouraged and celebrated to increase the potency of human materialism.
You're out of luck if you're not smart, strong and beautiful by human
standards... Either relegated to subjugation or mercilessly dismissed of human
value.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #454545;">The last analysis of the new age is that, as a
collective, we are god. Our collective consciousness creates reality and
changes the material by first creating the pattern of the spiritual. As such,
they must rely on their cumulative wisdom in order to create reality.
Considering that the addition of imperfect wisdom cannot create infinite,
perfect wisdom, their best reality will always fall short of an ideal reality.
They cannot hope for an end of suffering, imperfection and fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545;">The last analysis of the religionist contains a perfect
reality. We recognize that the material is a shadow of the spiritual and that
the temporal is nothing compared to the infinite. This material reality is
upheld and manifested by an infinite being who is independent of time and
matter; this being is absolute and perfect and never changes. This being owns
and creates every level of potential reality, the things seen and unseen, the
experiential and unfathomable, the beginnings and the ends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;">So why is there
a material reality? Can anyone know?</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #454545;">I believe the material reality was/is only manifested to
allow the infinite being to ever experience anything without knowing the
outcome beforehand. By giving us, as material creatures, a free will and by
then giving us a portion of his perfect potential (in the form of his
indwelling spirit) he can remove himself from timelessness and absolute reality
and experience a reality of imperfection through an imperfect being.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;">So what would
that mean to us?</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #454545;">I think it means: He knows and understand us. He
had given us all the tools to fulfill his call to be perfect. He has given us a
peace knowing that our perception of reality doesn't have to create destiny for
ourselves or our brethren. He has joy when we chose the leading's of his spirit
rather than a logical analysis of or material perception. He allows us to
experience, in a minute manner, the true spiritual reality in the midst of our
current shadow reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #454545;">Even better is that the fullness of this infinite being
was made human in Jesus. He both showed us the nature of the infinite's
character and revealed the way a human who truly decides to follow God lives.
He experienced every human temptation but was still without sin or iniquity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #454545;">Jesus was the firstborn of the new man. He reiterated
that we partner with God for the benefit of all creation. We call down, and
pray for, the true reality to be manifested in this shadow reality when we say
"your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #454545;">Rest easy
today. There is so much more that you can't know or see. It's all exciting and
refreshing to know that our God is unfailingly loving, truly faithful, and the
provider of every necessary tool to <u>become the men he wants us to be</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #454545;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #454545;"><b>______________________________________________________________</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #454545;"><b>This is a Guest Post by a great friend of mine, Ryan E.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #454545;"><b><a href="http://manturity.blogspot.com/search/label/Ryan%20E." target="_blank">Click here to check out more posts by this author!</a></b></span></div>
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Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-57112244059550607932013-05-20T04:17:00.000-07:002013-05-20T04:17:58.847-07:00The Road to Redemption<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Standing there at the pew Sunday morning,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My hands firmly grasping the seat in front of me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Pastor calls an alter call;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I knew he was speaking to me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I knew God was calling me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My mind was angry from my recent sins.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My recent self inflicted complacency.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Images arose in me of lust,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Extreme judgments and selfishness.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I knew this call was required.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I knew this was what my heart needed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I needed to seek forgiveness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To be redeemed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Minutes pass and my grip increases.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I must go up front, I must.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">With my knuckles looking white;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I finally released my grip and took the first step.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Down the row and into the aisle,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My steps felt long and heavy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My mind said everyone was staring at me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A lie said everyone was judging me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was my own reflection;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My very own guilt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the front and at the alter,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At my greatest moment,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My knees began to shake.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They bent as I fell to the ground.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My back felt heavy,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It, as well, went down to the ground.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">All the mistakes and all the pain;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I find myself here.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now what?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Tears.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Brokenness.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Redemption.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I began to seek God,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To ask for His forgiveness.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ask for his hand of direction.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I felt hands being placed on me;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I felt the prayers of others.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As I continued to pray,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">People understood.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">People cared.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">God forgave.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I AM REDEEMED!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Are you?</span></div>
Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-38792136374342410192013-05-14T05:00:00.003-07:002013-05-14T11:06:15.658-07:003 Maturity Lessons for Young Men<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Think Different". This was a wonderful slogan used by my wife's favorite technology maker, Apple. The great thing about this phrase is how relevant it is in our culture today. "Think Different" is exactly what the young men of this culture need to do and MUST do starting NOW. What are you waiting for? How about some guidelines?</div>
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As Christian men we must think different and I found the Apostle Peter to be a good example for us. No he did not have the technology we have today or the influence that comes along with all of it, but he did face many hardships and persecutions that we can relate to such as pride, lust, drinking and more. </div>
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Towards the end of 1 Peter, we get a solid glimpse of what it means to be a mature young man and how we are suppose to carry ourselves. Follow along as we break down 1 Peter 5: 5-10.</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">BE SUBMISSIVE</span></u></b></div>
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<b>Verse 5: "Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you clothe yourselves in humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the Proud but gives grace to the Humble.'"</b> Peter is specifically targeting the young men in this section and his first verse deals with submissiveness. Would you agree that young men think they are on top of the world? That they can conquer anything and that they know everything? I can agree that this is not every man, but this is certainly a large percentage of them. Peter directs us young men to stay submissive because God opposes the proud. In other words, cut out the pride and willingly submit to those above you.</div>
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A few other words associated with submissive would be patient, respectful, servant and compliant. As young men we are going to have to earn our stripes. We are going to have to keep our mouth shut when we don't want to and we are going to have to learn things by experience.</div>
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<u> Pray that God would show and teach you how to be submissive to those in authority above you.</u></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">BE HUMBLE</span></b></u></div>
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<b>Verses 6 & 7: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." </b>It appears that out of the three, humility is at the top of the list. Peter builds up this word three times over the span of these few verses. Peter is saying to stay humble under the protection and guidance of God and that after awhile and when you are ready, he will lift you up and make you a strong disciple. We must humble ourselves first and be open to his teaching before we can be released to do his work. </div>
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Being humble also means we are not being proud or arrogant. We do not allow ourselves to be put on a pedestal of any type. We have an understanding that we are lower in rank or "second" to Christ and we, again, are courteous and respectful to those around us at all times. </div>
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<u>Pray daily that God would teach and show you how to maintain humility in your life.</u></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>BE SELF-CONTROLLED & ALERT</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<b>Verse: 8 & 9: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around you like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."</b> So we are to be submissive, humble and self controlled? Who teaches this kind of stuff anymore? I think we can all agree that no one is really teaching this to young men these days, but it is EXACTLY what they need to hear and it is EXACTLY how they need to act. Peter paints a wonderful picture of what the enemy is doing around us and how the enemy is just waiting. Waiting for us to make a mistake and give into sin. We must pull together as Peter says at the end of the verse and work together to defeat this enemy. Stay in contact with your friends in Christ, stay accountable and stay in prayer as we are all going through troubles. </div>
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<div>
<u>Pray that God would help you stay self-controlled and alert everyday! Pray for open eyes and an open heart!</u></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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And finally in verse 10, Peter says after we have had to suffer through the lessons mentioned above, God will restore us, make us strong and steadfast. It is our reward for being young men that truly "think different".</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Stand Up and Think Different this week!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">What other lessons can you add to this list?</span></b></div>
Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-19984657735238498892013-05-09T04:18:00.001-07:002013-05-22T04:29:49.119-07:0010 Ways to Handle Social Media in Your Marriage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZ1c803Wp8V4WedSQdZv198tZBH31Qah4x35PeJsZCTed1t3nzZAxDcFCuy6L1_Mx0L4ZYMom7Cgjj1w7KEVnMYxgCiEstbYu2GpjrVw2HXD18YU1Uy2rPP6hr_v2q8u8NajYo5MVcpER/s1600/Socialmediamarriage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZ1c803Wp8V4WedSQdZv198tZBH31Qah4x35PeJsZCTed1t3nzZAxDcFCuy6L1_Mx0L4ZYMom7Cgjj1w7KEVnMYxgCiEstbYu2GpjrVw2HXD18YU1Uy2rPP6hr_v2q8u8NajYo5MVcpER/s400/Socialmediamarriage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) Never Get Defensive</span></b><br />
If you need to defend, your probably in the wrong. Don't defend a virtual friend you never see over your spouse!<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">2) Unfriend Old Girl/Boyfriends </span></b><br />
Sure they might be your "EX", but you now have access to their every move. Do you really need to know what they are up to? Do you really need to see pictures of them in bikini's men? Don't ask your spouse if "it's cool" if you can be friends with them either.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3) Relationship Status</span></b><br />
If your married, you better have it marked that your married. Another cool way to make it known is in your pictures that you post and you can write something good about your spouse or marriage once and awhile. This should help keep the "lookers" away.<br />
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) Be cool with a page review</span></b><br />
If your spouse has feelings of distrust and wants to look through your social media, let it happen. Don't lose or break the trust in your marriage over something as meaningless as your status updates.<br />
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">5) Don't do it at all</span></b><br />
I know a lot of couples that don't use social media at all and they have great marriages. Of course, we wont say anything about their overall tech knowledge, but again, this is your marriage and it should be very important to you! Talk it over with your spouse and find out if this would be the best thing to do.<br />
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">6) Share Happy Photos</span></b><br />
Have a great photo of the two of you? Put it up on your wall or keep it as your cover. Have a picture of your child or children? Throw that up on you wall every now and then. You should want to put out a positive message to the people that see you and follow you.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7) No Messaging with the opposite sex</span></b><br />
Early in my marriage, I started catching up with some women I knew from years ago. I didn't think it was a big deal at the time until my wife started asking what I was doing. It was a big deal to her and it should be a big deal to you! Again, don't unnecessarily put yourself in bad situations. Keep the private messages for your spouse.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8) Combine Your Pages</span></b><br />
I can't say I have done this personally with my spouse, but this might be a great way to stay connected with friends and family and not have to worry about who or what your doing. This would also send a positive message about your marriage!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9) Don't share issues!</span></b><br />
What do I mean? Don't share issues that you are having in your marriage on your social media and then let your spouse find out. Marriage is all about great communication skills and with our growing culture of texting and updates, we are losing the one on one deep talks. Go to your spouse FIRST and work out whatever issues you are having. Don't seek your buddies advice that you haven't seen in 10 years...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10) Share Funny things with each other</span></b><br />
I love to send my wife a funny pic, interesting message or new story on her wall. Not only does this show everyone that the two of you have great connecting skills, but it shows others that your marriage is strong and happy!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">And that was only 10 ways! </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Share some ways you and your </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>spouse </b><b>handle the social media world.</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-37583640280744910982013-05-06T04:05:00.000-07:002013-05-06T04:05:01.745-07:00A Letter To A Young Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEegH6OH9RcWEzMWD0CBm6InvP2mJo8vqa6Tah0hGAXKXIAAAOWNJdUuRql_Q5t7Pn6oljyT4f0ADDLvMek4XYXp698cA0fvrKqnBZKBGO7s4Fg-XS7j9GH0RlBNYjJTY90-bY2VZhXV-F/s1600/LETTER1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEegH6OH9RcWEzMWD0CBm6InvP2mJo8vqa6Tah0hGAXKXIAAAOWNJdUuRql_Q5t7Pn6oljyT4f0ADDLvMek4XYXp698cA0fvrKqnBZKBGO7s4Fg-XS7j9GH0RlBNYjJTY90-bY2VZhXV-F/s400/LETTER1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Dear Young Man,<br />
<br />
I've seen you in Church a few times and thought you looked like someone new. I've also seen you at the entrance to the Church, making your way through the crowd and heading to your safe seat location or the other times I would see you throwing out some handshakes to a few men. All of those times you have been alone. With never taking the chance to speak to you, I felt compelled or almost called from the Lord to write you a letter. Trust me when I say this is not my normal pattern, but I've learned to listen when God speaks.<br />
<br />
From my occasional glances around the Church crowd, I could tell that you were a man interested in what the preacher was speaking about each day. Clearly much younger than me, I can't help but think of myself when I was younger. To be honest, I probably would not have come to Church and I know I would not have looked as interested. If I was there, I was only there in the physical as my heart was never really in the whole Church thing.<br />
<br />
OK, before I lose you and you start wondering why some dude has been watching you, I wanted to challenge you with a few things. I have been through those late teens and early twenties and can remember my cold and hard mind set. I tried to come across strong and confident, but could be broken easily. I was able to fight through many battles to get to where I am today, so hear me out.<br />
<br />
<b><u>My Question: Why do you come come to Church?</u></b><br />
In my younger days I mainly went to Church because I simply had to. My earlier years consisted of my parents making me go, my times after that were related to my girlfriend going and the other times I would go out of guilt or a bad conscience. More recently after my marriage, I would go out of duty to my wife. Rarely did I ever go on my own, and those are times and years that I dearly regret. So I ask again, why do you go?<br />
<br />
After years of knowing about Christ, the Church and his teachings; it took a thorough beating to get me to truly believe. It took years of struggle to finally believe in the old Bible stories, the amazing people and of course the life of Jesus Christ. I suppose my path in life let me get to this point, but I can't help wonder if things would have been better or different if I would have received a letter like this or if a man of maturity and respect would have grabbed me and shared his life story with me. I like to think I would have listened to him, but I was very capable of putting on the "good show" without truly living the right life. Confidence is good, but life experience is hard to beat or deny. Again, why do you go?<br />
<br />
<b><u>My Opinion: Why go?</u></b><br />
We are all traveling on a path; some paths are easier and some are harder. My suggestion is to stop wondering if Christ is there for you and ACCEPT that he is real and he is there for you. Church is a place of worship, of prayer, of relationship and so much more. Don't just go because you have to or feel guilty. Go because you want to learn! Go because you want to grow spiritually! Say a prayer while you're there for God to speak to you in amazing ways. Take the initiative now and get involved with other wonderful people from the Church. Meet someone new each time you are there.<br />
<br />
You'll meet people that are kind and loving.<br />
You'll meet brothers that are going through similar issues.<br />
You could meet the woman of your dreams.<br />
You could meet a best friend.<br />
You could meet Christ and live a fulfilling life, for the rest of your life.<br />
<br />
My friend, I pray that this letter meets you with a good heart. All of us together make a family and make the Church. For this reason, I hope to call you my brother some day. What you do with the letter from here is up to you. There is no pressure. Write me back, say hello or just keep living. Keep living for Him!<br />
<br />
It will be worth it. I promise.<br />
Your Brother in Christ...<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">__________________________________________________</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you know a man that might need a letter like this?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Have you ever taken the initiative </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">with a brother you had not met before?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Share your thoughts or experience in the comments!</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-55684578970325985992013-04-25T04:58:00.002-07:002013-07-16T14:31:54.486-07:005 Tones of A Husband<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEV0a9RrdrBzYMjA20sZ8tfPo551ZIkCQwvbhDFziZMTjkcwPuvc6AfCUUXKoi5bmIiDXyl7qVnymK8ke6B4l9QYwxCMJl5yeUNJObfLly8MZLkMVHitEm1OR_ESJf0M4IzDmCUeRwZkf/s1600/husbandtone1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEV0a9RrdrBzYMjA20sZ8tfPo551ZIkCQwvbhDFziZMTjkcwPuvc6AfCUUXKoi5bmIiDXyl7qVnymK8ke6B4l9QYwxCMJl5yeUNJObfLly8MZLkMVHitEm1OR_ESJf0M4IzDmCUeRwZkf/s400/husbandtone1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Before my wife and I got married, we dated for about six years. Overall we had good communication, but we still had our issues here and there. After a few years of dating, we were hanging out at a little fair one night and our communication started to fail and the night started to get real sour, real quick. As she shut down more and more, I wondered what in the world I was going to do. Do I shut down? Do we call it a night and try to forget about this night ever happened? What do I do?<br />
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It was late and the night was already at its end, but I wanted to make her feel better somehow. We sat down on a lonely bench and didn't speak. I had won her a small, stuffed animal frog from a game earlier in the night; when things were going a little smoother of course. I'm not sure how it came to me, but I grabbed the frog and started speaking in a really cute, high pitched voice. I used the stuffed frog as the "decoy" and used this voice as my weapon of choice. After a few minutes of talking in this funny voice, she slowly started to smile. With a "win" in sight, I continued to pursue her. Within another few minutes she was laughing, the frog was a success and the voice became a favorite. God was truly looking out for me that night.<br />
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<u>To this very day, almost 10 years later, I still use this voice as a way to make my wife laugh and win her over in "sketchy" situations. I'm not sure where the frog ended up though...</u><br />
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The main point is that we all have a tone. There are various tones that we can use to make each other happy, sad or angry. As your marriage progresses in years, these tones and our attitudes should mature so that we know when to use certain ones and when not to use others. With this in mind, I thought I would break down a Husband's tone into five categories. Feel free to add your own type of tones that has worked or not worked in your marriage in the comments.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here are the 5 Tones of a Husband</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Regular</span></b><br />
We know this voice as our "regular" voice. This is the tone that most people know us best by, the one you use the most and the one your wife probably likes the best. What do I mean "likes the best"? I can tell you that in any situation that requires a real discussion, my wife hates to hear me use any voice other then my regular tone. She doesn't want me to be funny, she doesn't need sarcasm, she wants the real me. Most of the time I will try the funny tone, but I will be quickly told, "I'm being serious"! I make the switch back quickly.<br />
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Remember that your regular Tone is the best extension of who you are; it is the most sincere, it is the most honest and it is the most trustworthy. Since we tend to use it the most, we must make sure we use it properly and protect its rights. Would you agree that your "regular tone" is your wife's favorite?<br />
These are important points to remember as we start to explore the other tone options.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Funny</span></b><br />
This tone goes back to the story at the top of this post. I never planned on having this tone in my playbook, but God had other plans. I love to use this tone around my wife when we are messing around, having fun or if I get caught doing something stupid. This voice is a great way to get you out of sticky situations; at least it has been for me.<br />
<br />
The real trick with this tone is confidence. Besides pulling this voice out for the occasional family member, this voice is specifically meant for my wife; although, I can see my four month old enjoying it in the near future. Don't be embarrassed when using this tone around her. This tone is meant to lighten up situations, to create some laughter in the marriage and keep you and your wife happy. Happy wife, happy life. Right gentlemen?<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Whisper</span></b><br />
I call this the "whisper", but this can also be your soft tone. This tone is most often seen and used when your wife is having a bad day, when you walk up behind her and tell her how much you love her and of course in "intimate" moments. This is another tone that may require some confidence and experience. This tone most likely will pass on the feelings of love to your wife. Expressing LOVE to your wife in your tone is very important in your marriage relationship. She needs to hear this tone and the feelings that come from you along with it.<br />
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Men, don't be afraid to use this! There are numerous opportunities to use this tone, with these being a few of them. Get home from work, walk in the door, wrap your arms around her and whisper how much you love her. She prepped dinner for you, you ate it, you walk up behind her and tell her softly how much you loved the food and appreciate the effort she put into it. These are just a few quick ideas; I'll leave you to figure out more... The trick is softer than your regular tone, and more serious than your funny tone. Is the whisper tone in your arsenal?<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Angry</span></b><br />
Yes, the angry tone. I would vouch to say that all men have this tone and are unfortunately quite good at using it. The question is do we know how to handle and maintain this tone? Upon first getting married, my wife and I found ourselves amongst a few heated battles. I had very little idea of how much damage my angry tone could affect her. The tone has a much deeper growl, usually followed up with intense eye and eyebrow action, and firm body language. This is far, far from the whisper tone and does not speak love.<br />
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This tone really doesn't take much confidence to pull off; in fact it's probably easy for you to do. Maybe, too easy. This one on the other hand takes maturity and self control. A man needs to learn what his trigger points are and discuss these points with his wife. It will also help if the wife doesn't intentionally set off those points. When these heavier emotions and tones are shifted into high hear, a man needs to quickly learn to gain control and tone down the situation. Realize that the REGULAR tone may be better suited until the situation can get under control. Are you able to control your angry tone?<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Silent</span></b><br />
Yes, I titled this last tone as the "silent" tone. It's amazing that the worst tone a man could possibly use in marriage is, well, no tone at all. In a sense, this tone is a step above the "angry". This tone tends to come into play when a husband feels ultimately disrespected and no longer thinks his words matter in the situation. What tends to come from this? More silence. A husband could take this tone and go for days and days without speaking to his wife in any way or legitimate form. Sure hi's and bye's make it, but the depth is gone. This tone can be just damaging to a marriage, when just a real conversation in your regular tone could start the process of resolution.<br />
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I struggled with this tone a ton early in my marriage. I would do something wrong, my wife and I would go at it; I would bite my lip and listen. After my lip was sore and the conversation moved nowhere, I'd enter into silent mode and be stuck there for weeks. Men, this is not resolution and accomplishes nothing. Man up, speak up and lead your marriage to resolution. Can you relate to the Silent tone?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The 5 Tones of a Husband. What do you think?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Can you relate to each of these tones in your marriage? </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Share another tone or a situation in your own marriage!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://us.fotolia.com/p/200510615" target="_blank"><b>photo credit: </b><b>© itestro - Fotolia.com</b></a></span>Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-35916347908687301432013-04-22T04:11:00.000-07:002013-04-22T04:11:50.028-07:00Jesus Never Failed Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #37404e;">I was recently
challenged to share my testimony at my home Church. I felt that God was calling
me to share my story of how Jesus never failed me. I shared my story there and now I share my story with you today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #37404e;">In February
2007, my first wife left me. Needless to say, I was devastated and I blamed God
for allowing me to feel so much pain. I got angry and started running away from
Him by doing anything I could to help me feel better. I quit going to church. I
was dr<span class="textexposedshow">inking every day. I hated Sundays because
most bars were closed. I was with many women trying to fill the void that my
ex-wife had left. I even cheated on a girlfriend because, even though she
wasn't giving me any reason to think so, I assumed she was cheating on me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><b><span style="background: white; color: #37404e;">People who knew me before
said that I was a completely different person and for a year and a half, I just
kept trying to please myself. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background: white; color: #37404e;">Fortunately, one summer day in June</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #37404e;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #37404e;">of 2008, God pressed this question on my
heart, "Do you really want to live the rest of your life this way”? I
instantly remembered that everything I was doing was a waste of time and that I
would only find <b>INSTANT</b>
satisfaction. The only way I would ever be <b>TRULY</b> happy again, was to
re-dedicate my life back to Christ and allow Him to heal my broken heart. I didn't
immediately stop doing the things that I was doing wrong. But over a period of
several months, God helped me eliminate the things that were hurting my
relationship with Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #37404e;">By January of
2009, I was feeling God’s healing as I was alright with being alone. I didn't
"need" to have a girlfriend and I was enjoying the single life and
depending on God for my happiness. Amazingly that same month, God introduced me
to my current wife. For 6 months we hung out frequently, but I kept telling her
that I couldn't date her because I needed to "be alone". June 4th, 2009, I felt like God was telling me that it was alright and that I was ready for a
relationship. So I asked her if she was still willing to date me. We've been
married since July 27th 2010. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #37404e;">God showed me
His mercy by protecting me when I was running. He spared me and other people by
keeping my car on the road when I was driving drunk. He kept me from diseases
or having children with random women. And He saved me from Hell by dying on the
cross for all my sins. <b>NOW</b>, He's showing me His Grace. He promises me eternal
life with Him even though I'm far from worthy. He's blessed me with a beautiful
wife, who pushes me every day to do more than just sit around and play games.
He blessed me with an amazing step daughter when I re-married. He blessed me
with an adorable daughter of my own just 15 months ago. He blessed me with a
wonderful foster daughter 4 months ago. And just 2 days ago on April 10<sup>th</sup>,
2013; He blessed me with my first son. He gave me the family I had desired all
along, even though I had rejected Him out of anger for something He didn't even
do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #37404e;">We named our
daughter Gianna Grace because Gianna means "God is gracious". And we
named our son Micah Giovanni because Micah means "Who is like God”? The
answer to the question is (emphatically) "NO ONE”! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #37404e; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is my story. </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #37404e; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">JESUS HAS NEVER FAILED
ME. AND HE NEVER WILL...</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #37404e; font-size: large;">Share some ways that Jesus has never failed you.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://us.fotolia.com/p/200626415" target="_blank"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e;">Photo credit: </span></b><span style="color: #37404e;"><b>© Paolese - Fotolia.com</b></span></a></span><br />
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<b>_____________________________________________________________</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>This was a guest post by a good friend of mine from High School. </b><br />
<b>I recently saw his testimony </b><b>posted on his Facebook </b><br />
<b>and requested that he share it on the blog.</b></div>
</div>
Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-57954714636944136692013-04-18T04:09:00.001-07:002013-04-18T04:11:17.349-07:00Tech Check<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PhKF5JAo3dSkEQ0ydOzMbXHSh-M78WCbOCVhiyxO0HevuPUTWS8Kn86GRVQa9AYWXqByDdyppE0nL_joW-MOQ68yFSsUMIv7aAgqgmb9b_8iGtT-nAQX-d5DFwl5c_p9ARizCyJYb_sd/s1600/TECHCHECK2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PhKF5JAo3dSkEQ0ydOzMbXHSh-M78WCbOCVhiyxO0HevuPUTWS8Kn86GRVQa9AYWXqByDdyppE0nL_joW-MOQ68yFSsUMIv7aAgqgmb9b_8iGtT-nAQX-d5DFwl5c_p9ARizCyJYb_sd/s400/TECHCHECK2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #454545;">It's hard to
fight off distractions on the computer when, for the most part, we have to be
on them so much. At work we may have to sit behind them all day or for most of
the day. Our Smartphone, for most, has become an extension of who we are therefore
used more then ever before. Technology has been a huge blessing, but also a
huge curse and how you use it might say a lot about who you are and what you
find important.</span><span style="color: #454545;"><br />
<br /><span style="background: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How can technology be a blessing?</span></b> We, as husbands can have almost instant access to our wife and our children. We can keep in touch with friends better and stay close to extended family. Letters might still be a classic and cool way of
sending messages, but it's been a dying art of communication for years now. Things have gotten much faster, and we demand answers much faster. We
can reach a wider audience for Christ. One lone person, say writing a blog, can impact thousands
across the world with a simple tweet, Facebook message, or blog post. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545;">The men over at "<a href="http://fearlessmen.com/" target="_blank">Fearless Men</a>" mentioned how much more <u>efficient</u> we are with all of this technology. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545;">There are wonderful
things that tech has brought us and we should be thankful to be alive in a time
like this. How have you found technology to be a blessing in your life?</span></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How is technology a curse</b>?</span> Impossible! Yeah, I
don't think so. With instant access to so much, those relationships that we can
stay in touch with the most can start to fall. How? Spending time with your
friends and all just hanging out on the phone. Arriving at home to your spouse after a long day of work, sitting down on the couch and watching television for the rest of the evening or checking "status updates" all night. Because the latest updates on Facebook are more critical
than your relationship with you wife...?? Easy access to whatever you want to
look at, whenever you want. This can get ugly. Men, we must keep our minds pure and our desires on Christ! How about dependency? Have you ever had your cable go out, your computer breakdown or your phone screen crack? What do you do? How do you feel? Completely helpless? If so, you are too dependent on your tech and maybe it's time for a break... Don't worry, I am guilty on every charge brought up. So how have you found technology to be a curse?</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">What to do?</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #454545;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><u>SET
BOUNDARIES</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Sounds simple enough, but you have to first be
willing to take that step and then follow through <b>consistently</b>, over and over
and over again. This is part of <u>discipline</u>, this is part of growing in <u>maturity</u>
and this is essential to understand on your quest to true manhood. Have set nights where you and your wife
turn off the phones, TV, pads or whatever and spend actual quality time
together. Do a devotional. Pray together. Get creative...<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Having trouble staying honest and pure on your
devices? Again, <b><u>set boundaries</u></b>. If you feel the urge coming to view things you know you shouldn't, don't give in! I
repeat don't give in. By this time you probably know your weak spots, so have a
plan in place. Plan to go running, open up your Bible, turn off the device or
pray. Be ready, don't play dumb and act surprised. Check out the some of the powerful resources from the Men at <a href="http://xxxchurch.com/">XXXCHURCH.com</a>. Know your boundaries!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><u>SET
REMINDERS</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background: white;">At the end of each month I have a reminder to
off on my phone and computer. For three days, I’m reminded why I need to stay
consistent, what my boundaries are, why I don't want to go back to my old ways
and why I want to stay faithful to my wife and Christ. Again, this goes off <u>every month</u>.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">You can do this too on your phone, work computer
or something. Set up a daily reminder to pray. Setup a weekly reminder to read
your Bible and set up a monthly reminder to remind you of what's most important
and why! Share a calender with your wife and have set times to do a devotional. Every Thursday night maybe? No TV Tuesday night possibly? Just try it. Keep the tech a blessing!</span><br />
<br /><span style="background: white;">Remember a good soldier is always ready for <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Battle</st1:place></st1:city>. A great Pastor is
always ready for the Sunday message. And a good, honest, mature Christian man
is always ready to defeat the Enemy. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">Have you had a <u>Tech Check</u> lately?</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Maybe you should. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Share what has worked for you or if you need a
checkup.</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #454545;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></b></span>
<a href="http://us.fotolia.com/p/200557168" target="_blank"><span style="color: #454545; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">photo credit: </span></span><span style="color: #454545; font-size: x-small;">© alphaspirit - Fotolia.com</span></a></div>
Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3707947842183381404.post-48935913172389796432013-04-15T04:15:00.002-07:002013-04-15T04:15:12.682-07:00GRACE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUCL0pZmBpUYCYEuYxBcJA1TxF3cVbuu91Jqs10Z2Z9gWOMvsxBgSzxtLu826VzhEQSMvgBvxlaGxYnCzZh930b6WFLls0zanOhAL95biZXez-NOQhaC2Ul65BN6_5wkL9BUGFeehB-Lp/s1600/GRACE+guestpost1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUCL0pZmBpUYCYEuYxBcJA1TxF3cVbuu91Jqs10Z2Z9gWOMvsxBgSzxtLu826VzhEQSMvgBvxlaGxYnCzZh930b6WFLls0zanOhAL95biZXez-NOQhaC2Ul65BN6_5wkL9BUGFeehB-Lp/s400/GRACE+guestpost1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“And after you have suffered a little while, the
God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will
himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” - 1 Peter 5:10.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am by no means a perfect man. Some days it
would be hard to call me good. I have my daily struggles. Some days I come out
on top of those struggles, some days I don’t. But by the <b>grace</b> of God, I am
able to get up every morning and start another day anew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">How I have come to know Christ hasn’t been very
spectacular. There haven’t been any near death experiences, any major crises
that opened my eyes to the Lord. It has been more of a slow build up. Like God
has always been there, just waiting for me to make the turn toward him. And I
believe that he <b>has</b> always been
there, watching me make mistake after mistake, seeing me miss clue after clue.
Each time he has shown me the kind of grace that can only come from the Lord
himself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Like it says in 1 Peter, “…after you have
suffered a little while…” we will be restored by his grace. Like I said before,
I haven’t had to suffer very much. I have been incredibly fortunate to be
brought up in a home with loving parents who are still together. I am happily married
to the love of my life and my best friend. Life has been pretty good to me. So
the suffering that is talked about in that verse, at least for me, has been
internal. I’ve always known <b>about</b>
God. I was raised in the church. But I had never really known him. And at a
certain point in my life, I think I was about 21 and getting close to
graduating from college, I could tell that something was missing. I would come
home on weekends and go to church with my parents and just sit there thinking,
“Why do I feel like this? Why do I feel empty?” And after struggling with these
feelings for months, God showed up in the form of a guy. This guy had come to
our fraternity chapter meeting saying that he worked for the campus ministries
program and he wanted to start a small bible study with anyone in my fraternity
who was interested. Needless to say, this had “work of the Lord” written all
over it. So I decided to jump in. And when I did, it was like my eyes had been
opened for the first time. He told us that being a Christian is more than just
going to church, being a nice guy, and following the rules. To be a follower of
Christ means having an active, fulfilling relationship with him, and that the
Lord wants us to pursue him and to love him as he pursues and loves us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">And it was then that the void that I had began
to fill. I realized that no matter how much I screwed up, he will always love
me. That if I would confess my sins to him, he would forgive me. And to know
that there is someone who loves me that much, someone that shows me that much <b>grace</b>…it makes serving him on a daily
basis that much easier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">As I said at the beginning of this post, I am
not a perfect man. None of us are. And we must strive to become more like him
every single day. We must strive to be better friends, better husbands, better
fathers, and better men. And without the grace of God, we’re dead in the water.
It is a daily struggle, but with the Lord on our side, there is nothing that
can defeat us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">How did you come to know Christ?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Was it a slow build or a sudden jolt?</span></b></div>
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This was a guest post by <a href="https://twitter.com/CMR957" target="_blank">Caleb Reeves</a>. </div>
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Caleb lives in Spanish Fort, AL. He spends his
time with his beautiful wife and two dogs, doing as much fishing as possible
and living life one day at a time. He is taking each day as an opportunity to
become a better man of God.</div>
Manturityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07125020215678025672noreply@blogger.com2