Who Is a Straight Spouse:
You are a straight spouse if you are heterosexual, and is in a relationship with a LGBT person. (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender). You may not know it yet, or you are aware of it, and is seeking answers to the many questions that you may have. Even if you are already out of the relationship, or separated or divorced, you are a straight spouse. Straight spouses come from every socio economic background, race, religion, cultural identity, ethnicity, educational background, sex, and age.
Welcome to our Encouragement Blog... We want to educate you while we encourage you, and help you keep on, keeping on. Everything is possible with God. YOU are not alone!
ENCOURAGEMENT
Things may be really bad for you right now, but all is not lost. There is still hope that you will climb out of this, and soar higher than you ever imagined. Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
A Chip On The Shoulder Weighs A Ton Forgiveness is essential for good human relationships. You cannot give a hug with your arms folded. Our forgiveness for others assures us of God's forgiveness for us. In Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV) Jesus said, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." The weight of unforgiveness greatly drags a person down. It is a tremendous load to carry in the race we're called to run. When faced with the need to forgive and forget, never make the excuse, "But no one knows what that person did to me!" That may be true, but do you know what unforgiveness will do to you? What really matters is what happens in us, not to us. Unforgiveness leads to great bitterness, which is a deadly misuse of the creative flow from above. Great amounts of brain power are used up when you ponder a negative situation and plot how to get even. This kind of thinking is totally unproductive. People who burn bridges will be isolated and alone and will deal with neutrals and enemies the rest of their lives. That's why we should build bridges, not burn them. Vengeance is a poor traveling companion. Getting even always causes imbalance and unhappiness. Never underestimate the power of forgiveness to free you to fulfill your calling. Forgiveness is the one power you have over a person who slanders or criticizes you. The farther you walk in forgiveness, the greater the distance you put between yourself and the negative situation. Forgiveness gives you a spring in your spiritual walk and a second wind in the race of life. -John Mason, from the book An Enemy Called Average
Healthy Parenting and Partnering
"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of
his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 1 Timothy 5:8 (NASB).
I read recently about a man who said, "I failed my son when he needed me most. I was under a great strain from a workload I seemed unable to escape. A gulf came between me and my son, and when I recognized it, it was too late. I have never been able to regain communication. I failed God as well as my
son."
In our dreadfully materialistic culture in the Western world, far too many parents (who are on the obsessive merry-go-round of what the secular world calls success) try to buy off their kids with endless things, and/or get them involved in endless activities so they don't have to spend time with them.
In some of America's most affluent class, madness reigns. Super wealthy parents can give their kids "an 'Atherton Castle' [that] comes with a two-story, seven-foot-square 'fort,' and a ten-foot bridge that connects to another five-level fort with a 'crazy bar' climb—all for only $54,600. If that price seems steep, there's a 'pirate's haunt' for only $35,000." 2. There's far higher priced models too.
We, including our children, were created for relationships with each other—not with things. We all need to be bonded to people, without which we live together alone apart and consequently suffer from emotional malnutrition and die a little every day.
What kid needs any gift—be it large or small—without the loving emotional connection to his mom and dad? More than anything else our kids need our presence, to be with them, listen to them, be kind to them, care about them, help them, and communicate to them through word and deed that we truly love
them. If a child doesn't feel loved, he/she is heading for major problems somewhere down the road—and it may be just around the corner.
And by the way, our spouses have exactly the same need. I have a friend from back home who, when her husband was climbing the ladder of success, used to say, "My husband gives me everything I want … except himself." Needless to say their marriage failed.
When we try to pay off our kids with things and our wives with expensive jewelry and the like, we wonder why our kids get into serious trouble and our spouses have emotional or physical breakdowns and/or get involved in an affair. I had another friend who, when going through chemotherapy, said, "I know why I have cancer. I'm dying of loneliness in my marriage."
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to love my spouse and my children as you love me, and help me to make them, as well as my relationship to you, my number one priority in life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
2. Quoted on Breakpoint with Chuck
Colson, Feb 25, 2005.
NOTHING CAN STOP MY HAND
A WORD FROM THE LORD TO BUILD UP, ENCOURAGE, AND COMFORT YOU.
Do not doubt in your heart or in your mind. Do not waver in your faith, nor in the things I have said unto you. I have not given you Myself, for you to now walk off or to quit so easily. It is not an option to serve Me, but a requirement to walk in all of My Ways.
Think not that you are alone. But know that I have risen up within you and I will also accomplish through you all that I have said. Nothing is impossible for Me or with Me. I am not given to any variance of shadow or wavering, but I AM totally Faithful and True. It is not time to walk in the shadows, but in the fullness of My Light.
Make no mistake, and do not turn aside. But stand. Do nothing apart from My Council, and My Will. There is nothing that can stop My Hand concerning you. It is set, according to My Will, and it will be established. Take your eyes off of the situation and maintain them straight upon Me.
You cannot fail if you trust in Me. But if you continue to walk in indecision and by your own strength, you will be diverted. For you are given over to double mindedness and struggle with fear. Stop now. Speak My Word and stand. Never give place to anything that I haven't spoken to you or shown you. But bring all things to me in prayer and release them.
Stop holding things to your abilities, and learn to trust in Mine. Will you continue to strive with Me? No, you must yield!
Gather your thoughts now, and set a straight path for your feet. Walk according to My Word and see those walls fall that you have erected by your wavering. It is not My Will that you be resisted by the things that you have allowed to be built. But it is My Will that you walk with Me.
Nothing can stop My Hand concerning you, and it is time to let Me bring it all together and forth. Let go. Move forth and be free. It is time to see My Salvation. It is time to see the Victory.
It is time to see My Hand establish all things and bring Liberty .
For My Hand is upon you, and with you.
Remember this: There is nothing that you will face today that the Lord can't bring you through. Thank God for what you have, Trust God for what you need .
Financial Fitness: Generosity Reaps Generosityby Rick Warren
The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. Proverbs 11:24 (Msg) If I sow generosity, it's going to come back to me, and I'm going to reap generosity. Every farmer knows this. A farmer has sacks of seed in his barn and he looks at his empty field. He doesn't complain, "There's no crop! I wish there was a crop!" He just goes out and starts planting seed. When you have a need, plant a seed. It seems illogical that when I have a need, I should give. Why did God set it up this way? Because God is a giver. He is the most generous giver in the universe, and God wants you to learn to be like him. He wants to build character in you. The Bible says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce” ( Proverbs 3:9 NLT). This is the principle of tithing. It's the principle that says every time I make $100 -- the first $10 goes back to God. Tithing is an act of worship. We're giving to God. We're saying, "All of it came from you anyway." God says, "Put me first in your life and watch what I do." You may think you can't afford to tithe, but the reality is, you can't afford not to tithe. Learn More About a Biblical Approach to Your Budget. Your finances are important to God. Managing Our Finances God’s Way,
Know R-E-S-P-E-C-T by Eddie & Alice Smith The secret to winning a woman's heart is found in the pages of God's Word. Years ago a couple came to us for marriage counseling who were on the verge of divorce. Why? Because the husband continually failed to lower the toilet seat! Thankfully, we can report that they are happily married today. Generally speaking, however, men really don't understand women. But why? God created men and women with diversity. He gave them both a need and a desire for one another. But He wired them biologically and psychologically differently. Your failure to understand this will create continual tension and frustration in your relationships. 1 Corinthians 7:3 says, "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband" (NIV). It is a husband's job to learn God's expectation for him and understand his wife's needs. In the process, he earns her respect. And just what does a woman respect? 1. A woman respects a man with a sense of humor. In poll after poll, when asked what they want most in a man, women answer, "A good personality and sense of humor." A woman loves a man who can laugh--and make her laugh. She is impressed with a man who sees the cup as half full, rather than half empty (see Phil. 4:8).
Trusting When You’ve Been Violated by Chris Stump I never thought I would need to accept this reality. Nor did I think I’d come to a place to admit to myself and others that this happened. I never thought of embracing the fact that what happened to me at ten years old had a colossal impact on how I perceived the world around me, my relationships, and how I interacted with others. I never thought I’d utter these most pungent words — “I’m a sexual abuse survivor”. I never felt shame as an abuse victim, mainly because I didn’t think I was abused. I just saw those few instances as mere opportunities for an older guy to provide me what I was already hungry for. I was just as responsible for what happened as he was, I thought. It was merely an experience in the past with no consequences to my soul or well-being. Having gone through a recovery program I should have known better.
Make the Lord Your Trust
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust...”(Psalm 40:4, NKJV)
TODAY’S WORD
Did you know that trusting in the Lord is a decision we make just like we choose anything else in life? You chose what you are wearing today, you probably chose what you would have for breakfast, and you can choose to trust God every day, too! When you choose to trust God, there is peace that settles in your heart. There is joy because you know the outcome, and there is blessing in store for you because your hope is sure.
No matter what you are facing in life today, trust that Almighty God will come through for you. Trust that His Word is always true. In Psalm 32, David calls God his “hiding place.” In other words, when you place your trust in God, you can find refuge in Him. You are actually hidden from the enemy when you choose to trust.
Always remember, when circumstances seem overwhelming, don’t look at what’s happening around you; look to God. He is the author and finisher of your faith. Choose to trust that He is the one who is ordering your steps. Find security in knowing that He is making your crooked places straight and your rough places smooth. Trust in Him and live in the blessing and everlasting life He has prepared for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, today I choose to put my trust in You. I know You are a good and faithful God, and I trust that You have my best interest at heart. Help me stay focused on Your goodness today in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Discovering the Truth You could argue that men just don't know how to tell the truth! Why will they not disclose the truth? I think that the basic problem is fear. Fear that, even if they have done nothing outside the marriage: They will lose their wife and her love and friendship. They will lose their children. They will lose their security. They will lose everything. They will incur the anger of their wife and children that they are not who or what they appeared to be.
They will be forced into a corner from which they will not be able to get out. If they have been active outside the marriage, their is the fear of being found out that: They have been unfaithful (men or women). They may have exposed their wives to possible health risks through sexually transmitted diseases. They may have had contact with people who are potentially a threat to their wife and family (e.g. unscrupulous men who are using them to get to their children).
Smoking gun ...... Even with apparently a "smoking gun" in their hand, men are capable of denying all knowledge, proclaiming their innocence, and will continue to do so, even when conclusive evidence is presented to them, such as compromising photographs, e-mails, records of sites visited on the internet, discussion groups, dating and so on. If they cannot find a reason for denial, they will try to put the blame elsewhere or refuse to talk about it altogether.
When we come to think about it, is this any different to the way politicians behave when forced into a corner? Is it therefore surprising that people can behave in this way? The frustration for wives and girlfriends is finding ways of unlocking the door, getting to the truth and then working out what to do next: Accept what has happened and move on inside the relationship move on outside the relationship. Find some sort of closure. "They can lie all they like but in her heart 'n' soul a woman knows......"
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