Monthly Archives: February 2015

Positive Attitude Wisdom

My Leave Behind

on Tuesday, February 10, 2015

It is said that some people light up a room when they enter it, and then there are some people who light up a room when they leave.  There are also those who will light it neither way, they come and go with no impact.

I think we each leave an influence on everyone we come in contact with.  Some of us will encourage, inspire or brighten the day of those we come in contact with.IMG_0556

Some of us will depress, repel or darken the day of those we come in contact with.

Then some of us will not effect others in any way.  We neither encourage or depress – we just sort of become part of the backdrop in their observation.

As a Christian my influence is also drawing people closer to God, further away from God, or I make no impact on their relationship with Jesus.  Now I don’t know about you, but I consider it shame if I do not bring those in my influence closer to Jesus as a result of the things I say and do.

I told my son that when he takes his girlfriend out on a date he will influence her in one of these three ways.  And she will also influence him in one of these three ways.  When he drops her off she will have become closer to God, the same with God or further away from Him.

Daily we have opportunities to influence others with our social media presence, by passing people in a hallway, phone conversations, eating meals together and intentional time we give the people we love.  I took time to consider this week how do I influence the people I come in contact with.  It made me want to change the way I greet people, and also in the relationship building I do with my family.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

What do you think?  If we do not positively influence others toward Jesus then what good are we?

Wisdom

The woman to marry my son

on Tuesday, February 3, 2015

What kind of woman would I want my son to marry?

My son is a teenager, and I have had cause recently to think hard about what kind of woman I would like for him to marry.  I know I cannot pick his wife for him, but I think I would do a pretty good job if asked to.   However, I can point out positive characteristics and hope that he would want to see those in his potential wife.

Marriage vows silhouette_womanI think part of my job in raising him and helping him transition his affection to a wife is to point out the positive characteristics in his mom.  He will see those characteristics on a regular basis in our home, and he will base what a wife looks like by how she relates to me.  A fault of my son’s dad is he sometimes points out the negative aspects of his mom.  Shame on me, and it is time to correct myself going forward for the sake of my son.

These are four characteristics I would like to see in the woman my son marries:

Love Jesus

First I want him to pursue a woman that loves Jesus.  I would hope she has a growing relationship with Jesus, and their union would only enhance the way each of them serve Him.

Inspire him

I want his wife to inspire him to be a better man.  Not nag him to change, but encourage him to be a better man for his God, family, church and work.  Part of inspiring someone is the willingness to try new things, to get out and explore God’s creation and to look for creative ways to enjoy being with each other.

Submit to his leadership

A man is the head of the household.  Not a dictator or ruler, but the head.  This means he has to lead the family with wisdom.  When a man does that the wife should submit to that leadership.  The Bible clearly teaches this model and puts the burden on him to be right with God in leading his family.

Love him unconditionally

Our marriage vows agree – till death do us part.  For richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health.  We don’t have to necessarily like our spouse all the time, but we do have to love them.  Love does not depend on what we get in return, it is only in a position to give.  The love I am talking about is a verb – not a feeling.

These are the thoughts that come to my mind when thinking of his potential wife.  Of course to see what real love should look like we need to see what the creator of love intended it to be.

In 1 Corinthians 13 the Bible says that love is patient, kind, does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs.  Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.