Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Let's talk about VOWS

For whatever reason I have been really thinking about vows this week. The true meaning of them. All people who are married have said some form of them at some point, but I am curious to what people think they really mean.

This is what webster says a VOW means:
A vow (Lat. votum, vow, promise; see vote) is a promise or oath.

Wow...a promise or an oath.

Here is what my husband and I shared at our wedding...

I, Christopher Shane Watts, take Sally Lorraine Leo, to be my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part,

I, Sally Lorraine Leo, take Christopher Shane Watts, to be my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part

WHOA! "Did she really say OBEY?!?!"
Yup I sure did...

Here is what my vows meant to me:

I Sally Lorraine Leo, take Christopher Shane Watts, to be my sweet husband, to look after him and make sure he is taken care of, to be okay if his taste in food/music/style aren't always the same as mine, to pick up after him and make sure he has clean clothes, to love him even when I don't like him a whole lot, to take care of him when he is sick, though I may be much sicker, to be okay driving an old mini-van instead of a fancy sports car, to love our home whether it is big or small, to be okay if we have 100 children or none, to cherish the small things he does for me because those are what count, to honor his wishes about our future even when I may not understand or agree with them, to OBEY his vision for our family as my husband even when I may not want to, to follow him and be with him until death and only death parts us.

Interesting isn't it? When I said "I DO", I meant every word of it.


I'm sure most people start out that way. I don't think many people get married just so they can get divorced, but I wonder how many people ponder what they are saying when it is said.
So married couples, and couples thinking about getting married... I URGE you to consider what you are saying when you get married. Marriage isn't something to be taken lightly, it is a holy union, whether you intend for it to be or not!

God made many vows in the bible, as did Jesus. The bible is FULL of scriptures where vows were made for all sorts of things!
 
When we become christians we are in essesnce 'vowing' to devote ourselves to God, and living the life that Christ has called us to live. "I promise to give my life to you fully and to let you take control" Sounds like a vow to me...promise/vow go hand in hand.


What do/did your vows mean???

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Thinking of Daniel

You know as the new year rings in, and we all get excited about things to come, I am looking back and pondering...

Our church is doing a "Daniel Fast" which in itself is difficult to explain, but as for now it is cutting out meats, sweets, and wheat's out of my diet for 21 days. I know your what you're thinking this is what the scriptures say,

 8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.

I know this may seem strange, but it is what we have been called to do. I somehow don't want to get caught up in the "religiousness" of a fast. In case you aren't familiarr, or don't know a fast is where you "give up something" that is important to you, in this case (and biblical ones) food.


I LOVE food, I'm Italian so shoot me okay? I love pasta, and chocolate, and coke, and steak, and cheeseburgers! So, being called to fast such things is a big deal. But I am choosing to look at it this way. The Lord wants me to cleanse my body, so that I can be healthy in all aspects of my life! Mind, body and spirit! 

This was my revelation today...

It was about 1 p.m. I wasn't hungry. Normally about this time I would drive to McDonald's, grab a burger, fries and a coke (maybe a cookie) and chow down. I am almost NEVER hungry when I eat lunch, I just do it, well, because it's lunch time.  I eat until I feel so full that I'm sick, because it is habit. Really it's gross! So today, instead of eating, I prayed. I asked God to reveal to me why I didn't feel the need to eat, and seek some guidance on this aspect of my life.
This is what was revealed...
Eating when I am not hungry is like going to Church on Sunday, just because it's Sunday. It's a habit, a ritual that I perform at a certain time on a certain day. It has no meaning...no feeling...no reason, I do it because I am a creature of habit!

I was like WHOA! So I questioned my motives behind going to church. I go to church because I'm a pastors wife..yes...because I am a worship leader...yes...but I supposed my motives aren't always pure. I'll admit I go sometimes because I have too...and THAT my friends is not okay.

So my goal for this week is to seek out God and what his plans for me as a pastor's wife and worship leader are. So that when I walk into church it is because I have been dying to get there, and not because "it's time"

Ponder that dear readers...What is your motivation behind what you do? Is it routine? Or are you doing it because that is what you really need to do?

Love to all!