Great Days

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (for Christian Girls)

I’m pretty sure that being single for 27 years and listening to my friends talk about their marriages and dating experiences has made me an expert on relationships. So...I decided that now is as good a time as any to share my vast knowledge and experience with you. Within the next 10 days, you will be able to determine whether a dating relationship is God’s will for you (or simply improve on your marriage). All of these suggestions have been thoroughly tried; and even if you find that this relationship is not for you, you will both be a better Christians at the end.

DAY 1: JOY is a critical characteristic of every good relationship. Therefore, once you find the right guy you should live happily ever after. If you are in a relationship and you aren’t happy, it is the guy’s fault since he is the leader. He is not doing his job very well and should be appropriately punished. I recommend the silent treatment for this. If he is deaf, lots of crying can work too.

DAY 2: Men are, by nature, proud creatures. It is up to us to teach them some Christ-like HUMILITY. So, when your man finishes something, be sure to point out when how he could have done it better, quicker, or cheaper if he had just listened to you. He will probably understand better if you give him an example of someone you know who could have done it better, quicker, or cheaper. If you can’t think of someone at the moment, just point out that the whole project wasn’t really necessary (i.e. – “You know, I actually liked it better when the lawn was up to my waste; it was much easier to hide Easter eggs.”)

DAY 3: Help him learn GRATEFULNESS by making sure he notices every little thing you do for him (i.e. “Did you notice I put mustard and mayonnaise on your sandwich?”) and make sure he thanks you thoroughly and appropriately. If he does not, don’t even think about doing nice things for him again. There is no point.

DAY 4: Test his TRUTHFULNESS by asking questions such as, “Does this make me look fat?” He will probably come up with some cheap nonsense like “You look beautiful in anything.” That is flattery. He is spreading a net for your feet. Of course, if he says “No,” he is probably lying, which is sin. If he says “Yes,” that is...that is...that is just plain mean.

DAY 5: It is very important in any relationship that the man know how to say “I’M SORRY.” So any time you have a misunderstanding or a disagreement, make sure he is willing to say “I’m sorry” and ask for forgiveness first. In fact, he should do it a few times before you actually act like he is forgiven. NOTE: This is true even if you caused the problem to begin with; that is really beside the point. Remember, men are supposed to be the leaders.

DAY 6: Men tend to act childish at times. When they do, it is important to discourage this behavior by treating them as such. In most cases, “the Look” and a few choice words such as “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with an adult” are necessary. Remember, the passages in Scripture dealing with submission do not apply when you, in your sole discretion, determine that your man is not acting like a leader.

DAY 7: PURITY is a crucial quality of a godly man, so be very sensitive if your man notices, compliments, or looks at another girl. If he admits to you that he has ever dealt with lust, get rid of him as quickly as you can. A man who actually admits that he struggles is just not worthy of you.

DAY 8: Never stop looking to see if there is someone else out there who might be better than the man in your life currently. To check to see if you’re as happy as you should be, read other people’s blogs, look at their facebook pictures, and reads lots of romance novels. (TV shows can work too). If being with your man doesn’t give you the same warm, fuzzy feelings that you get from books and movies, than it’s not the real thing.

DAY 9: Your man should give you his undivided attention. If he lets other things, such as sports, become so important that he would rather watch a game than simply stare into your eyes; you’ve got problems. Remind him what a waste of time sports are and how he should be spending his time reading his Bible, praying, and evangelizing the lost.

If this does not work (and it probably won’t), than feel free to resort to the following: Find out who his favorite teams are and google them (www.google.com) to find out who their rivals are. Get some T-shirts, sweat shirts, and a license plate holder for the rival team. Come up with some connection with the rival (i.e. “My cousin thought about going to that school” or “They have a Christian Coach” in a real pinch, “The quarterback is cute” will work unless it’s baseball; then use “I just like their colors.”). Be sure to watch every game with your man and root for the opposing team. In fact, every time you see him say something provocative like “Gators! Losers!”

DAY 10: If he hasn’t proposed by now, he is obviously lacking WISDOM and is not in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Dump him. If he does propose, I suggest you say “yes.” Rather quickly.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

God is in the business of rewarding those who diligently seek Him! The pain we experience on earth is a powerful testimony to the fact that God loves us too much to leave us in the rough, unfinished shape that we are in.
He will take away the things that make us feel secure so that our faith in Him will grow. And as it does, we will discover that He is all we truly need.
I am so grateful that God has not given me what I wanted so I can say with conviction, "His grace is sufficient!"

Saturday, November 29, 2008




Wednesday, December 26, 2007


Just a few Christmas Shots...



Wednesday, October 17, 2007

30 Hours at Lake Tahoe

OBCL Alumni Meeting ...


Continued...




Wednesday, July 18, 2007

A few Photos from Paul's graduation weekend in May...





Thailand Photos at Last...

This is one of those times when pictures just don't do justice. I think I spent some of the happiest days of my life in Thailand this summer...chasing kids and bouncy balls, singing, sharing my testimony, and just watching how God is working in the hearts of children on the other side of the world.




Thursday, June 28, 2007

They Call Me "Teacha"

"Teacha, follow me" said one of the several dozen shorn heads. And then as if they were afraid I wouldn't, six of them grabbed my arms and we headed down a very muddy path away from the Vocational School.

I was a little surprised the kids liked us after we gave them medical exams-something kids in the states can hardly stand; but these girls seemed to have recovered from whatever fright we must have given them.

After a few minutes, we got to an open patch of grass between the corn fields where some of the older boys were playing volleyball and some of the others were engaged in a game of almost-professional soccer with no boundaries.

Since my soccer skills are slightly less than "almost-professional" and because we couldn't all play soccer, we started another game. I won't desecrate the great American sport by calling what we did baseball...but it evolved from that idea.

We didn't have a bat or a ball with us at the time, so we used a long stick to hit a shorter stick. There were two bases, then home. The problem with "home" was that when the kids didn't want to get tagged out, they would take off running across the fields. At first we chased them, but we were no match for their little feet. Especially when we were trying to avoid piles of...uh...stuff.

Another big hit with the kids was playing with bouncy balls inside the school. We had more fun doing that then I've had in a long time...Throwing, catching, chasing, and climbing under furniture with 12 little boys ages 9-11 shouting to each other and rattling off instructions to each other in Karen and Karenni languages. I got more of a workout doing that then I would have had in a month at a gym.

I'm so grateful for the teachers that are investing time and energy in these kids. They are doing a great job caring for both the physical, spiritual, and educational needs of these precious little ones. It was an honor to be called "teacha," even if just for a day.