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Birthday, Movie and Biking Weekend

We had a memorable weekend. My wife turned another year ... better. Sunday was Selma's birthday so we did the whole weekend thing. Now it's gonna sound like we are major movie fanatics, which we are not. We go once in a while but sometimes we go in binges. (Like two.)

Here are some excerpts from our weekend:

FRIDAY NIGHT - We went to see "Up" the movie. It was a cool animated story with a strong marriage underlining the entire movie. Lots of fun. Clean and creative story line. You would enjoy it.

SATURDAY NIGHT - We wanted to see "Night at the Museum 2" but guess what: we hadn't see the first one. So we search all of Rutherford County looking to rent #1 and couldn't find it anywhere. So, we did an impulsive thing (a rarity for us), we went to Best Buy and bought it and watched it that night. Another strong movie in that it was clean and innovative. I had flashbacks of Jumanji when I saw Robin Williams and all those animals running around everywhere.

Now we are ready for NATM #2, if only we can get back to the theater before it is taken off the big screen ...  

SUNDAY - After worship the family gave our gifts to Selma over a birthday lunch. Then, Selma and I loaded up our bikes (30th wedding anniversary gifts from 3 years ago) and headed to Brentwood to conquer another Greenway. We rode for close to an hour and never got anywhere near to the end of the trails. Not only are they long, they are growing!

I gotta say, that is one Gorgeous Greenway. At times I felt like I was in the Smokies! Plenty of hills to keep you awake, but some awesome and shady beauty. I will have fun running on that Greenway, perhaps when I am training for a longer run (another marathon?) this fall ... with Selma biking beside me.

Running update:

I just passed 300 miles for the year. PTL! Doing 4-5 milers, trying to build up after the calf debacles. Feeling well now. Selma did bike with me while I ran Saturday for 4 miles. She liked it and so did I (especially when she had water for me at mile 2!)

LifeWay's 'Marriage Man'

Mark Satterfield is doing an amazing job as the "marriage enrichment guru" (my title for him) at LifeWay. He is constantly looking for ways to help couples improve their marriages either through new events or to give the established ones a new approach.

My kind of guy for sure.

Here is a snippit (is that a word?) taken from a recent posting on his blog. (See the link above.) Check out his blog. He's a cool guy with a cool marriage message.

And although your marriage may at times seem like it is already this old (!), let this brief story be an encouragement to you and your marriage. It can be done!

 Frank and Anita Milford of Plymouth, England celebrated their 81st wedding anniversary last week.  Frank (101 yrs old)
 and Anita (100 yrs old) just so happen to be the longest living married couple in the UK.  They married in 1928 and
 advise couples to never go to bed angry.  What a beautiful couple!

Check out their story on these youtube clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLJQYPJzTEo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McGmmB8Nrow

WOW! Congratulations to the Milfords and thanks, Mark, for sharing that story with us.

A Prayer Concern of Global Porportions

Please remember my friends. We'll call them Rick and Jeanne. They are preparing to service in another country, another culture.

And they are currently experiencing several different types of challenging events in their lives. These are potential roadblocks keeping them from focusing on what they need to be about.

Without going into a lot of detail, please pray for R&J that God will be very real to them in these days. May He remind them frequently that He indeed has plans for them and is working those plans out, even in the detours of life.

They are special people and God is going to do special things for His kingdom with R&J.

Thank-you that I can share such requests with you. My prayer is that God will bless you as you lift up Rick and Jeanne.

From Good to Great? Yes ... but also from Bad to Good!

I recently read this thought out of Stand Firm magazine, May 2009 issue, published by LifeWay. Take a look:

"What proportion of unhappily married couples who stick it out stay miserable? The latest data shows that within five years, just 12 percent of very unhappily married couples who stick it out are still unhappy; 70 percent of the unhappiest couples now describe their marriage as 'very' or 'quite' happy.

"Just as good marriages go bad, bad marriages go good. And they have a better chance of doing so in a society that recognizes the value of marriage than one that sings the statistically dubious joys of divorce."

Of course marriages of all types take work. Sometimes the work is hard. But when you are tired in your marriage, as I hear every week in my job, let these secular stats speak to you.

Hang in there! Sometimes it may seem like all you've got is to hang in there. Reread the above paragraph and take heart. The odds are in your favor.

Psalm 127:1 says "Unless the Lord builds a house, the builders labor over it in vain..." meaning, that God has to be in the mix of your marriage. Any other success will be shallow. Nevertheless, let the thought of the above stats encourage you to slow down, to catch your breath before making any rash statements or burning any bridges.

There are times when simply staying committed to your wedding day vows can be a powerful help to your marriage.