![\"\"](\"http:\/\/69.89.31.171\/~girlfrk8\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/bush-wedding.jpg?w=300\" "\\"Bush")
<\/a>This blog is brought to you today by Martha Bush<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cWhat God has joined together, let no man put asunder<\/i>.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0<\/i>[Mark 10:9]<\/p>\n
And with that final scripture spoken over us, we kissed and ran down the aisle to start our new life together.\u00a0 Yes, the bride with teased hair and the groom with a crew top, wearing a white sports coat is Mr. and Mrs. Glen Bush.\u00a0 (60\u2019s style fashion)<\/p>\n
Never would either of us have thought on that blissful day that the time would come when, what God had joined together, would be disconnected.\u00a0 No, not by way of divorce; we are still hanging in there 46 years later.\u00a0 But, a disconnection whereby we were no longer \u201cunited as one\u201d emotionally, physically, and spiritually.<\/p>\n
The disconnect came in various ways, but the one who brought the biggest disconnect was none other than GOD.\u00a0\u00a0 Well, maybe God didn\u2019t directly cause it.\u00a0 But you see, I was a little confused on how to share my faith around my unsaved husband.<\/p>\n
For example:<\/p>\n
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- \u201cI bought you a Bible, sweetheart.\u00a0 Read it, so you can learn more about Jesus.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u00a0\u201cWould you please straighten up your language!\u00a0\u00a0 And, for goodness sakes,\u00a0 put that cigarette out. The Bible says your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cPlease don\u2019t turn off my Jesus tapes; I\u2019m worshipping.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cYou want sex tonight?\u00a0 Oh, I\u2019m sorry, sweetie.\u00a0 The Bible says a couple can refrain from having sex when fasting, if they both agree.\u00a0 You will<\/span> agree to refrain while I am on this 3 week Daniel fast<\/span> with my church, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Finally, one day my husband said to me:\u00a0 \u201cI want my wife back!\u201d\u00a0 \u201cI want a friend and lover,\u00a0 not a mother!\u201d <\/b><\/p>\n
OMG!\u00a0 <\/b>I had been on such a spiritual high to save his soul and help him be able to wear a halo like mine that I had totally disconnected from him.\u00a0 He no longer knew me.<\/p>\n
Changes had to be made.\u00a0 I decided that\u00a0 if I wanted to Stay Connected<\/i> with the love of my life, I\u2019d better\u00a0 INTENTIONALLY take a closer look at what love, \u201cGod\u2019s Way,\u201d was all about.<\/p>\n
Beverly, Jennifer, Donna, and Sara have painted a beautiful picture of love, \u201cGod\u2019s Way\u201d that is sure to help us all Stay Connected<\/span><\/b> with our man as outlined in Chapter 3.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s review their points.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
Monday:<\/b> \u00a0\u201cLove is For a Lifetime<\/b> – –<\/b>As Beverly pondered what she could possibly share about\u00a0 \u201clove being for a lifetime\u201d\u00a0 one word within a sentence on Pg. 56 in our book caught her eye.\u00a0 \u201cGod is freely giving us the secret to a long and joyful marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word that stood out to her in that sentence was secret<\/i><\/b>.\u00a0 From that word, God showed Beverly that the secret to love for a lifetime is in the seven\u00a0 C\u2019s.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n
Commitment\u00a0\u00a0 Compromise\u00a0\u00a0 Communication\u00a0\u00a0 Courtesy\u00a0\u00a0 Charity\u00a0\u00a0 Courtship\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The last and best \u201cC\u201d is Christ<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Beverly said that a surefire way of maintaining these seven \u00a0\u201dC\u2019s\u201d is to:\u00a0 \u00a0pray together as husband and wife on a daily basis. Don\u2019t let busy schedules, the TV, work, or the internet crowd this out. Make it your highest priority to \u201cstay connected\u201d and you will have a prosperous marriage journey that will \u201clast a lifetime\u201d<\/p>\n
May we do likewise.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Tuesday:\u00a0 \u201cAll Things Are Not Equal\u201d – –<\/b>Jennifer\u00a0 poured out her frustrations about love and staying connected to her spouse.\u00a0 No doubt, Jennifer\u2019s frustrations are embedded in many of our hearts.<\/p>\n
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- \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Why do I always have to give and give without ever getting anything in return? <\/em><\/li>\n
- \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Will I always live in this continual bout of frustration?<\/em><\/li>\n
- \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0Why won\u2019t my husband ever see that I am hurting? <\/em><\/li>\n
- \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>Why won\u2019t he anticipate my needs? <\/em><\/li>\n
- \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Why do I have to cater to HIS needs while mine remain unmet? <\/em><\/li>\n
- \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Why won\u2019t he help me in my times of need?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Yes, we often find that All Things are Not Equal in our dream world of having an equal partnership.\u00a0 So, what is the answer to our frustrations?\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n
Jennifer summed it up this way:\u00a0 W<\/em>ith God\u2019s help, we can love without expectation. God knows our every need. God knows every ache of our heart. God knows every desire of our soul. I am here to tell you, as hard as this is to grasp, God is the only one who can meet your every need<\/strong>. If you continue to rely on your husband to meet your every need, you will always be disappointed, because your husband is not God<\/em>.<\/p>\n
May we <\/b><\/em>do likewise.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n
Wednesday:\u00a0 \u201cBring on the Bedroom\u201d —<\/b>Donna brought out that the God-given pleasure<\/span> in staying connected is:\u00a0 Intimacy in the Bedroom.<\/p>\n
Yes, intimacy is a gift from God for a husband and wife, that brings us pleasure.\u00a0 But, Donna points to the fact that, life gets in the way, and intimacy goes on the back burner, thus robbing us of this pleasure.\u00a0 She then challenges us with this statement:\u00a0 We need to make the effort<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Donna shared a few ideas from her own marriage that has kept intimacy between she and her husband alive.<\/p>\n
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- Prayer \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Picnic<\/li>\n
- Texting\/calling at work\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Candles\u00a0\u00a0 (Christi\u2019s choice)<\/li>\n
- Write notes to view at work\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reserve room at hotel<\/li>\n
- Buy a new negligee \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Vacation together<\/li>\n
- Plan a date night \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Attend marriage seminars<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
May we do likewise<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n
Thursday:\u00a0 \u201cWhen You don\u2019t Agree\u201d – –<\/b> Sarah confirms to us that \u201cintimacy in the bedroom\u201d is God\u2019s idea of staying connected by pointing us to The Song of Solomon. This book is dedicated to the story of pursuing love, expressing love, and enjoying love\u2026being able to abandon ourselves to our husbands wholeheartedly and with passion, holding nothing back. God is not a prudish God.\u00a0 He definitely wants us to enjoy sex!<\/b><\/p>\n
However, Sarah points us to the reality that we all might have face answering some tough questions about what goes on in the bedroom with our spouse. In short, how far is too far? <\/b><\/p>\n
Sarah came into agreement with Lynn, our author as to how to answer some of those tough questions.\u00a0 You need to talk about setting boundaries. Your husband married you because he loves YOU, not what you can do for him sexually. He needs to respect your wishes and you need to do the same for him. But he can never expect you to do things you feel are inappropriate or make you feel ashamed. \u00a0If you sit down and talk about what you are both comfortable and not comfortable with, there can be no misunderstandings. The marriage bed is supposed to be a comfortable and enjoyable place to be. Without setting boundaries, you won\u2019t be able to relax and enjoy love making with your husband and that is not what God wants for you.<\/p>\n
******<\/p>\n
Christi added another line of questions that we might be faced with in regards to sexual intimacy.<\/p>\n
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- What about couples who have sexless marriages due to physical problems?<\/li>\n
- What about those women whose husband has no sex drive?<\/li>\n
- \u00a0What about the couple that realizes that physical problems prevent them from having sex, but they are okay with it?\u00a0 They love each other anyway.\u00a0 Is that sexless marriage okay?<\/li>\n
- If, a sexless marriage is truly acceptable to both parties, is this something God would approve?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Christi suggested a list of books that would help us answer the tough questions we might have.\u00a0 But, she concludes with:\u00a0 Whatever you do, PRAY!\u00a0 Pray the Word of God over your marriage, over your bedroom, over your bed, over your husband\u2019s pillow. \u00a0As Sarah suggested above, take the book of Song of Solomon and pray it over you and your husband in 1st<\/sup> person.\u00a0If you have to, read it out loud when you go to bed together!<\/p>\n
Friday:\u00a0 Discovery\/Prayer<\/b>:\u00a0 Father God, no doubt as was Esther, we, too, have been brought into the Kingdom for such a time as this.\u00a0 You have called us to a high calling: \u201cBeing a Wife.\u201d\u00a0 I ask you, in the name of your son, Jesus, to help each of us Stay Connected with our husband, and to live out our life according to 1 Peter 3 before him.\u00a0 The truths you have revealed to us this week are priceless.\u00a0 Help us walk them out.\u00a0 In Jesus name, I pray.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n
_______________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
- \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Will I always live in this continual bout of frustration?<\/em><\/li>\n
- \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Why do I always have to give and give without ever getting anything in return? <\/em><\/li>\n