Our very own: BRENT McCRAW

Meet and Greet

Meet and Greet our new class members! Welcome to the Newlywed Class!

Warren and Margaret Felkel

Warren and Margaret were married on August 16, 2008.

Marriage Maintance/Checkup/Vitamins

Wrong or Right
He has made everything beautiful in its time.Ecclesiastes 3:11

When you made a covenant to your spouse, it wasn't just a promise to stay married. It wasn't a pass/fail exam. It was a sacred pledge to care for and nourish each other--to meet the other's needs and receive the other--to accept and embrace each other as God's personal provision for your needs.
But obviously, your wedding vows are made long before you really know the person you are marrying--before years of sharing the same house, the same bathroom, the same dishwasher, the same everything. By then you are aware of the maddening little things that just get under your skin.
It's at points like these when some husbands and wives conclude, "I think I married the wrong person." That thought is not abnormal, but it is dangerous.
If that thought has ever crossed your mind, I ask you to think carefully about this timeless advice from author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar: "I have no way of knowing whether or not you married the wrong person. But I do know that if you treat the wrong person like the right person, you could well end up having married the right person after all. It is far more important to be the right kind of person than it is to marry the right person."
All of us inevitably come to places in marriage where our objectives and attitudes clash with each other, sometimes pretty strongly. We don't make it all the way through without encountering stretches of road that are filled with potholes, bridges out and some steep grades. But what would happen if we chose to accept rather than reject, to be thankful rather than spiteful, to give encouragement rather than disapproval?
I guarantee you, Mr. and Mrs. Right are the people in your wedding pictures, even if it hasn't been looking like it recently.

DiscussIn what ways has your perspective changed toward your spouse since you were married?

Reaffirm your commitment to one another in a short letter to one another.

Pray:Ask the Lord to keep your heart contented, committed to a lifetime of not just living but loving one another well.

Devotion by Dennis Rainey

Marriage Maintance/Checkup/Vitamins

Cynthia and I have a wonderful sister named Beckie. She is loads of fun and SO spiritually mature. Cynthia and I often comment on how we wish we lived closer to her so we could get daily spiritual advise and wisdom from her. Anyway, she sent the below encouragement to me and I wanted to pass it on to you. This was written by a young lady named Amanda Jones. (Beth Moore's daughter)

"I think I may have mentioned this book before, but I absolutely love Devotions for a Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. That book is like vitamins for your marriage. I read the following portion earlier this week and have been wanting to share it with everyone. From "A Soul Filled with God" on p. 9:
Personal worship is an absolute necessity for a strong marriage. It comes down to this: If I stop receiving from God, I start demanding from others. Instead of appreciating and loving and serving others, I become disappointed in them. Instead of cherishing my wife, I become aware of her shortcomings. I take out my frustrations with a less-than-perfect life and somehow blame her for my lack of fulfillment.But when my heart gets filled by God's love and acceptance, I'm set free to love instead of worrying about being loved. I'm motivated to serve instead of becoming obsessed about whether I'm being served. I'm moved to cherish instead of feeling unappreciated.
If you looked in my book you'd see furious underlining and a big OUCH! scribbled at the top of the page. Isn't that good though? I would definitely recommend this book to any married couple. It gives you one reading a week for a year. " (Amanda Jones)

Here's to personal worship and loving our spouses well!

Five Love Languages-Quality Time

QUALITY TIME
Some spouses believe that being together, doing things together and focusing in on one another is the best way to show love. If this is your partner's love language, turn off the TV now and then and give one another some undivided attention.

Homework for this week:

Sunday: Develop a working definition of what "Quality Time" means to you and your spouse.

Monday: To get in the habit of speaking all 5 Love Languages, speaks Words of Affirmation twice this week . Ask your spouse to tell you 2 things that happened to you today and how your feel about them.

Tuesday: Read to each other the following scriptures that describe God's desire to have Quality Time with you. Rev. 3:20; Isaiah 43:1-2; James 4:8; and Psalm 37:23-24.

Wednesday: It's time to dance. Get your heartbeats going this time....IE. turn the music on and do the Twist then cool down by slow dancing.

Thursday: Set the timer for a 15 minute House Rescue, then discuss with each other what additional tasks need to be completed around the home. IE. mopping, kitchen floor...cleaning bathrooms. Make a plan and then work the plan.

Friday: Answer the following questions: 1.If God were to give an "11th" commandment to you or your partner, what would it be and why? 2. If you could do away with one household chore for the rest of your life, something you would never have to do again, which one would you choose?

Saturday: Make a special effort to A. Come to Sunday School and Worship tomorrow; 2. Invite someone to come with you and C. park away from the building to make room for our guests.

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES

Oh, do you remember the good 'ol days when we were dating? Things were so fun and exciting. Everything seemed so fresh and new. Once upon a time, he opened the car door for you and brought flowers. Perhaps she complemented you and actually watched football all day long sitting right by your side. During those dating days, we were all about impressing each other. THEN, after the marriage, something like this may have taken place.....

Em vez de observar futebol todo o dia longo, ela pode querer que limpasse a casa. Em vez de trazer você floresce, acaba de querer você sentar-se e observar futebol todo o dia longo. Tentamos de amar, mas às vezes nós amamos na linguagem errada.

Sometimes it seems we are speaking a foreign language to each other. Learning a foreign language takes time and effort and as a couple we want to commit to learn our mates language.

As a quick review, the Five Love Languages are:

1. Words of Affirmation
2. Quality Time
3. Gifts
4. Acts of Service
5. Physical

If you are not sure of your primary love language, take the 30 second test

Let's remember, When someone speaks my primary love language, I am drawn to that person because he or she is meeting my basic need to feel loved. When a person does not speak my primary language, I will wonder if he or she really loves me, because emotionally I am not understanding that person.

Receiving Love in my language provides the emotional security of knowing that I am Number One in his or her mind. You say, "I am married to you and choose to look out for your interests. "

This week we encourage each of you to concentrate on Words of Affirmation. The question to ask, "What are you "saying" to you spouse?"

The tongue has the power of life of death in a relationship. (Proverbs 18:21) "See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire." (James 3:5-12) If your spouse needs encouraging words to feel loved....Critical words are even more destructive.

When using words of affirmation
1. Use KIND words and tone of voice, even when expressing hurt.
2. Be SINCERE with your words
3. Praise SPECIFICS
4. Praise your spouse in front of others.

HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEK:

Sunday: Agree with your spouse that you will do your best to suspend criticism and complainants this week. Ask God to sensitize you to your critical words.

Monday: Give a word of Affirmation 5 times this week. Sunday morning we passed out snack bags of plain M&Ms. Mixed in with the other colors are 10 "green" ones. Do what you want with the other colors, but save the green ones for your spouse. Each time you receive a Word of Affirmation form your spouse this week, give him/her two green M&Ms.. The goal is not to have any green M&Ms at the end of the week.

Tuesday: Read to each other some of Jesus' encouraging words to us. Husbands read John 5:24, 6:35, 6:40 & 10:27-30. Wives read Revelation 22:12-13 & 17.

Wednesday: Turn the music on and dance.

Thursday: Set the timer for a 15 minute House Rescue, (put things where they belong) then read what you wrote on the 3x5 card on Sunday. (what do I admire about you) GET READY FOR GAMECOCK FOOTBALL!

Friday: Answer the following questions: 1. When was the last time the two of you together found something really funny...so funny that you literally could not stop laughing? 2. As a couple, if you could do anything you wanted as a team and were guaranteed not to fail, what would it be?

Saturday: Surprise your spouse by doing something they would not expect you to do today.

Sunday: Come to church

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES - GARY CHAPMAN

If you can give an example of how your spouse gave you WORDS OF AFFIRMATION, please share them in the comment below section. Let us spur each other on to LOVE and good works. (Hebrews 10:24.)

Pizza and a Scavenger Hunt

Our Friday night social was a blast. The pizza and dessert were so yummy. Thanks to everyone who brought desserts.
Our scavenger hunt was so fun. (Stayed tune for the pictures) A big thank you to Cynthia for getting the PRIZES for our winners. Way to win....Hudson and Emily, and Joey and Lindsey.