The Right Time

There are three things I love to talk to people about.; one is their salvation story, two, their love story, and three, their baby story/stories.  I believe it is because they are all miracles.  They are personal stories that people are passionate about and all are different.   It is funny to me that the world will tell us to wait until the right time for all of the above.  What does that mean?  For us, had we waited until we were sinless we would be without God.  Had we waited until we had finished college or had the perfect jobs we would have not got married for several years past the time we married.  Had we waited to have kids until we had enough money and patience for them, I don't know when that would have been.  The right time in my opinion is very relative.

Children are such miracles.  The "older" I get the more of a reality this miracle is.  I do not take for granted the children God has given to us.   David was in his senior year of college and I was still a ways out from graduating when we had Alex.   We have absolutely no regrets for having Alex when we did.  Were we in the best of finical situations, no.  Were we real mature, patient and selfless, no.  But we were willing to bring life into this world and the blessings we received from our decission is far above what we had ever expected.  God has grown us in all those areas and I'm blessed to have had all my children, even exceeding the "normal" family size.

Our family

Marriage, Marriage, Marriage, what can I say about that.  I went to a concert the other day.  Warren Barfield, the writer of the song"Love is not a Fight," from Fireproof  shared his love story.  I wish you could all hear it but the abbreviated version was: he was young and not in a stable job but was in love and certain that this woman was the one God had for him.  He talked to his mom about this and told her how obviously this was not "the right time."  His mom encouraged him to marry this girl.  They got married and now have two wonderful children and God has been their provider.  Many times marriage is thought of as something we wait for until we have done this or that and are ready to be "tied down."  I really hate that analogy of marriage as a negative thing.  God instituted marriage in the beginning.  He saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone.  He knew that Adam needed a partner.  Could God have been that, maybe, but that was not his plan.  God blessed Adam with a wife, his helper.  This is the great mystery (Ephesians chapter 6) .   Marriage is a calling, a sacred union, a mystery to show the World Christ and the church.  Two are better than one because their return is better.  We more than double what we can do when we have a Christian spouse (Leviticus 26:8, Deut 32:30).  Marriage is not to be entered into lightly and I don't want to encourage anyone into a marriage that is not what God has for them.  I pray that marriage would be seen as a blessing and not an end of the fun, a beginning and not an ending.  My advise is that you seek God and the advice of those around you who love you before you enter into the union of marriage.  Your ministry should only increase when you marry.  Marriage is a blessing, a good thing.  The party is not over but just begun.  I am so glad that I am the wife of David's youth.  We have shared our whole adult life together.   The trips we took, were trips we took together.  The first home we bought was one we bought together.  Our adult struggles and accomplishments we shared together.  I guess what I am trying to say is that Marriage is a blessing and when God tells you it is the right time then be blessed until death do you part.   You can listen to Warrens song he wrote by googling "Warren Barfield the right time."  It is a great song.

our wedding as we were both 19

Our first trip together, our honeymoon

after splash mountain

our first, puppy, house and Christmas

Ok so I have saved the best for last.  The best is God loves you and gave His son for you.  Today is the day of salvation.  We have no guarantee of tomorrow.  Choose you this day who you will serve.  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  I have heard people say that they just aren't ready to serve the Lord.  They want to play in the world some more first.  That is just what Satan wants you to do, consume you with the things of this world so that the things of God have no value to you.  God loves you and this world has nothing to offer you that is good.  Only God is good.  Once God is first in your life and is your Lord, your life is better, your marriage is better and your children will be blessed.  Every day I have lived with Jesus is truly better then any day without.   I am not trying to say that being a Christian, a spouse, or a parent is easy but they all come with a blessing when we follow God's word and honor him with what we do and say.   May God bless you and I pray that you all know him as your Savior.  God bless and have a great day.

Isabella's baby dedication as we commit our children to the Lord

Our pastor praying over us and our children

Alicia