Dear Friends,
July 3rd, Bonnie and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. When people ask how we met, Bonnie often misspeaks and tells people that we met on eBay, to which I respond, “That’s right. She was the only one who would bid!” We actually met on eharmony®.
Neither of us would claim we know all the secrets to a harmonious relationship. As with most marriages, we have good days and bad — Praise God, mostly good.
We know that each of us can have days when we aren’t our normal loving selves. For times like that we have the “24-hour pass.” For 24 hours, we cut each other slack.
We also have learned that there are 10 things about another person that will never change — so try to accept them.
We both believe that praying together at the start of each day helps us keep things in perspective. We have what we call our Covenant Prayer. It is an adaptation of a marriage prayer found in the Book of Common Prayer.
Each morning for the past seven years — whether together or speaking over the phone — we have taken time to renew the commitment we made to each other. We pray that God will continue to be the third strand in the cord that holds us together.
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
In our Covenant Prayer, we also pray, by name, for many of those who are part of our lives. This month, we are praying for over 150 individuals and several groups. It might seem like that would take all day, but it normally takes less than twenty minutes.
For those who have lost a loved one, we encourage you to hold on to the good memories. Bonnie and I are widow, widower. We praise God every day for how God blessed us with our former mates who loved us, nurtured us, and helped prepare us for this phase of our lives.
It is ironic that as we were working on this week’s message we learned that two people we love very much have decided to divorce. We pray that God will guide each of them as they move forward. We also ask you to pray for them and for anyone you may know who has been separated from another by death or divorce.
Verse for the Week:
Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19a-20
Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ
Covenant Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, look with favor on the world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life, and especially on Bonnie & I today, as we celebrate the covenant we have made with you and with each other.
Give us wisdom and devotion each day that we may each be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy. Grant that our wills may be so knit together in your will and our spirits in your Spirit that we may grow in love and peace with you and one another all the days of our lives.
Give us such fulfillment of our mutual affection that we may reach out in love and concern for others. Make our life together a sign of Christ’s love that unity may overcome loneliness, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair.
Thank you for our children, Dawn & Ted, Darrin & Nina, John, and our grandchildren, Shayna & Josh, Sierra, Savannah, & Clay – Keep them safe and protected in your care.
We ask you to protect our country and its leaders, Pastor Rick and the Saddleback ministry team, police, fire, military, and our gate guards.
We are praying, believing it is your will to bless and protect our family, our friends, our neighbors, and those we connect with through letters, emails, or through http://www.becausewelovehim.blog.
We pray for those who don’t yet know Jesus and the power of God’s love.
We pray for the volunteers, the staff, and the residents at Park Terrace.
Lord, we thank you for John & Jeannie and all those, living and departed, who have helped us to become who we are. We ask you to help us forgive any who have hurt us, and to forgive us for anyone we have hurt.
Lord, we praise you and thank you for all the blessings of this life and ask you to show us your will for us and give us the power to carry it out this day and always.
In Jesus name, we pray —AMEN
Because He Loves Us Press 