Berean Journeymen

We are encouraged to build memorials of how God has worked in our lifes. These memorials in the old testament would be a memorial of stones, but in todays era we have many ways of making memorials. One way is to journal in a notebook, and look back over the years at your notebook and see where God has delivered you from. Another neat way, which we can all use and get benefit is through this blog page. If you feel God has been working in your life, or you've seen God do some amazing things, share them here, as a testimony to God for others to see, and a memorial for yourself to look back on in the future.

I want to share with you all how God has really been at work in my marriage and family. I have an amazing wife and children, but until recently I did not realize how broken and less than perfect my marriage and family were. For years, my wife has told me that I did not listen to her, and she at times felt I did not love her. I had no clue where any of this was coming from as I love my wife very much. My children felt I was difficult to talk to and I didn't listen to their side very often.

Over the last several months, God has really spoken to me about my pride, my critical spirit, and about my selfish and self-centered attitude. I did not realize how much my pride prevented me from having a close relationship with my family. I did not realize how much my pride was preventing me from having a close relationship with God. Through many great sermons on marriage, and reading passages and messages on being a leader like Christ, I have begun to realize that my form of leadership was nowhere close to the example Christ put before me. I began to feel the Holy Spirit convict me day after day of my wrong doings and my prideful heart. Amazingly God has been gentle in his proding. I realized that, when I became aware how ungentle I am in my proding of others. I often found myself reading passages and thinking this is what my wife needs to hear, or this is what my children need to hear, but all along God was saying to me, this is what YOU need to hear.

I cannot say on a given day that everything turned rightside up, but as I look back to where I was, and where I am now with my wife and children I see an amazing transformation. I am humbled to have a wife and children who have tolerated my behavior for so long, and still love me. I am so encouraged because my wife and I have begun relearning the art of conversation. Something I wasn't sure we ever would gain back. We have had conversations, that just amaze me and she says she is so happy that we are talking like we are. She has even shared with me that my children are seeing a big difference. I'm amazed that when we do have a disagreement, how quickly we both are to admit we are wrong, seek forgiveness and not hold grudges, whereas before we would often not talk for hours or even days. I can honestly say I never imagined marraige like this, and I thank God every night that he has given me such a wonderful wife and children. I thank God that he has opened my eyes and allowed me to see the precious Gift that I had in my life, that I was taking for granted. I view my marriage and family as one of the greatest blessing God could ever give me on this side.

I feel God has also blessed my relationship with him because of me working to humble myself, and truly hear what he has to say. God's word has begun to speak to me in new ways over the last couple of months, since I allowed my heart to be softened and have a teachable and humble spirit.

See You at the Altar,

Tim