BALENTINE MEMOIRS

Today, Amy and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary.  I am so very thankful for our marriage.  I love my wife dearly and appreciate that she inspires me to grow every single day.  She brings me so much joy.  Her spirit truly illuminates our home. It seems like we have been looking back and discussing where we were in our relationship prior to being married quite a bit lately.  We have also been talking about our spiritual climb toward knowing God and understanding his Word together over the past 4 years.  As I reflect on this, I tried to come up with some wisdom that has come to me through experience, listening, prayer and reading of Bible scripture.  Here are 10 things I've learned in the last 4 years.  Not an exhaustive list, or a “top” 10 list.  Just 10 things that come to mind as I fill this page. Expecting her to be the source of my happiness sets her up to fail. Speaking gossip to each other causes a slow erosion of our moral fiber.  It takes training and discipline t

Does Jesus point to the dis-ingenuity of the Pharisees in John 9:40-41?  Or is it something different?  The Pharisees ask Jesus an undoubtedly wisenheimer-ish question when they say, "Do you think we are blind?"  Surely he speaks to something we need to understand when he says to them, "You say you can see, but your sin/ guilt/ blame remains."  After reading "The Message" translation, it seems the Jesus might be pointing to the holy stature and posture that the Pharisees claim to have and outwardly portray to the Jews.  These were men who strictly interpreted Mosaic law and were not to be intellectually or spiritually challenged by some unknown vagabond.  In an earlier passage in John, the Pharisees are quoted to have said to one another about Jesus, "Where does he get his knowledge?  He isn't classically trained in Mosaic/ Old Testament scripture like we are, but he quotes it perfectly."  The truly scary thing to them was not just that Jesus