A Promise of a New Journey

Greetings,

There are times when we are taken down a path in life that we never really expected we would be taken down. In all honesty, I am being taken down more than one of those paths and it has been an eye-opening experience. It has all helped me see the world a little differently and while the paths I am heading down are struggles in their own right, I am seeing changes within that I didn’t know were needed.

Book Review- Marriage God's Way by Pastor Scott LaPierre

Greetings, 

I was recently given the opportunity to read a book written by one of our ministry partners. The book, Marriage God's Way by Scott LaPierre, is a spectacular piece and offers a lot of insight into what marriage should be.  Pastor Scott is the the senior pastor of Woodland Christian Church. He and his wife, Katie, have been blessed with six children and enjoy every crazy minute of parenting as husband and wife they are given. Below you can see a picture of them that links to his facebook page.

Pastor Scott and His Family

I don't normally write book reviews but this book is well worth the time it took to write this small review. The book itself was a bit longer that I originally thought it was going to be but every page I read had some type of helpful information for those that are curious about what marriage should be all about from the biblical perspective. Hands down this books gets 5 stars in my book, no pun intended. 

I completely believe that this book will offer some great insight into any marriage. For those that are newly weds it teaches the basics about everything you need to make your marriage work. For those that have been married for years it teaches about respecting your spouse and understanding their needs better. It's a great read and I encourage you to take a look. The book's cover is captured below and will link you directly to its Amazon page.

Marriage God's Way by Scott LaPierre was a very informative and enlightening book. I can see that the Pastor Scott has really put a lot of thought and prayer into the contents of this book. From beginning to end the Biblical platform presented in a historical way that really could help a lot of marriages. Both encouraging and challenging for both the husband and wife, I wish I had something like this when my wife and I first got married, it would have been a huge asset to our marriage when we were just starting out. Having something like this easy read would have made our journey together so far even better.

As someone who went through marriage counseling before I was married and as someone who has offered counsel to others since getting married, I still found some very good insight into how I should view my wife. The mixture of personal experience with professional and biblical experience captured my attention more than most other books I’ve read. I intend to keep reading through it until I've captured every enlightening aspect in my own marriage. Pastor Scott LaPierre truly has a passion for reaching others for Christ and being a Biblical example of Marriage God's Way that all men should aspire to be.

Making a marriage work is a team effort and many of us lose sight of that along the way. Pastor Scott mentions in the first few chapters of this book that God comes first, A spouse should come directly after that and everything else follows. I really like that philosophy and feel the it is the aspect that really makes marriages survive even the hardest of moments.

Don’t take my word for it though, check it out for yourselves.

-----
Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20

M.J. Elliott

Reflecting Christmas; The Christmas Wreath

  Much like the Christmas tree, the tree that is most commonly used to create a Christmas Wreath is the Evergreen. One would think logically that the Christmas Wreath would have a similar meaning, but this assumption is only partially true. In some cultures, the Christmas Wreath represents eternal life. In others it symbolizes perfection and unity, giving us something to strive for. In the Christian faith, however, this wreath is a symbol of Christ’s suffering at the crucifixion.  They believe that it is the representation of the crown of thorns he bore upon the cross. This is what has led many to the idea that the Christmas Wreath symbolizes eternal life, because that is what Jesus gave us when he died upon the cross.⁴

Photo Credit: www.asc-blogs.com 

   As many well know, a Christmas Wreath is usually formed in the shape of a circle, thus giving it no beginning or end. This is a representation of God who is the beginning and the end of all things. (Revelation 1:8 NIV). Everything in all of creation began with Him and it will, indeed, end with Him. I am reminded of that classic Disney movie, The Lion King. Throughout this movie, there is a lot of talk about something called, “The Circle of Life.” In the first film this mainly refers to what the lions eat and how they live, but as the trilogy continues we see something deeper develop; a connection to something more amazing than anything one could ever comprehend. The films reference ’the great kings of the past’ and how we are all connected to them. As believers, we can connect with the Great King of the past, present, and future, who is the one and only God.  

Photo Credit: www.dailymail.co.uk

  Every moment of our present life is connected to a moment in the past as well as to another in the future. Each one reveals a small part of the masterpiece God is creating within our hearts and throughout history. In the end, these connections will bring unity and perfection to the final chapter of this masterpiece. As we go about each day, we are given opportunities to add our own special strokes to the masterpiece before us. Sometimes the stroke we add can damage the picture being created and another, Jesus, must come along to fix it. Other times the smallest stroke, if made with God’s blessing, will add something beautiful, as He has planned. As you strive to “reflect the spirit of Christmas,” remind yourself that you are indeed part of God’s Masterpiece and that you were created to do the good things he has envisioned for you (Ephesians 2:10 NLT).  

Photo Credit: www.world-wide-art.com

  As the Holiday season continues to make its debut, think about the true meaning behind the symbol of the Christmas Wreath. It symbolizes many things, but in the end it is a really good reminder of God's continuing work in your life. Each moment we experience is another stroke that can be added to God's amazing masterpiece, which is His version of the ‘circle of life.’

Thanks again for visiting "The Gathering Room"

Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV),

M.E.