22 Blessed and wonderful Years

If you are on Facebook you've seen all the "mushy" stuff I've been posting about our, Pastor Seavey/hubby and myself,  marriage and how it's been wonderful being married to my awesome husband. Well, I want to say, it's not just mushy stuff it TRUE! So many marriages make it barely a yr while others go 20, 30, 50 some even to 75 yrs. My question is if a marriage can last 75 yrs why can't we learn from that couple? Or why can't we observe these couples who have been married ONE time and are still married to that ONE man or woman. Ladies, when the Bible says to leave and cleave guess what that's till death you part!

I saw this posted and Facebook and wanted to share it here because it takes all of my thoughts on marriage and sums it up:  

Each of those points that are listed are 110% true! Today to the exact day and date is my 22nd anniversary. On 8/24/1991 when Dr Jack Hyles said, repeat after me, "in sickness and in health, (and I know I'm not quoting this exact) in poverty and in wealth till death do you part. Guess What? Bill and I meant EVERY WORD OF IT!! Have we had rough times? YES Have we had sickness? some but you know what we stayed right there by each others side. Have we had times where communication wasn't the best? Oh yea but then we're human that's to be expected, BUT we didn't let the issues of life pull us down. We didn't let it make us decided we no longer loved each other. Instead, we let those issues, those hard times pull us closer together. I could go into some things that were, lets say, well, lets just say many couples wouldn't of made it through them. Why? because if you don't have Christ at the center of your home, there are things that you won't make it through.

See when we got married, maybe even before, we decided that word Divorce was not in our vocabulary. To be honest I hate to even type it. When we said, "till death do us part." We meant that.

 We stayed together through the good (top picture) and the bad *I'm laughing* (bottom picture).... It was windy out on the ocean....... so what can I say :D

 



Friends if you are single, when the Lord sends the right person along you will know it! If you are married tough it out! Is it easy? not always. Is it always fun? no Are the trials and hardships worth it? YES! Is God in control? IF you allow him to be and then guess what you maybe in the valley in the marriage but the grass isn't any better in the next valley. IF you don't learn from that valley, the next one could be worse.

Hebrews 13:4a "Marriage is honourable in all...."

Ephesians 4:6 & 7 "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." 

God is all he is above all, even marriage! That is why Marriage in ONE Man  PLUS ONE Woman! He also gives the grace needed to be with each other. He gives us grace to make it through each day, and I believe in that grace is understanding and getting along with your husband or wife.


 

If God gives it to you, He'll see you through it!

Good afternoon! As I was on a site I use regularly and a good friend was saying how things have been rough for some time now. I, and many people, can understand that. Then someone else says, it never ends! Is that true? NO, See we have the valleys that we must go through, those valleys are there

 in order to have the Mountain tops. If our lives were full of cherries and there was never any pits we wouldn't grow but because we have those pits we have the bowl full of cherries too. *smile*

Psalms 104:8 "They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for him."

See the valley your in has been founded for you! Will you "pass' the test of that valley or will you fail and have to stay in the valley longer. See the Lord knows what we need to grow. This has been a test I have personally failed at many times. I don't, nor does anyone, like the valleys so we need to learn they are there for a reason and God gave it to you, He'll see you through it. In Numbers 24:6 we read, "As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters."  Notice here it talks of the trees by water beds, the garden by the rivers side. Our trials, heartaches, hard times, testing's etc. are for us so we can cont to grow, as the garden and trees grow, in our Christian life.

I heard many Pastors say, "If you are always on the mountain top you aren't growing and you apparently are doing anything for the Lord. Why? The devil isn't worried about you because you've never had to come through the valley!" I don't remember who said that or if I even had it quoted exact but you know there's a lot of truth there. God gives us the Grace needed to get through that which he has given us. In Psalms 138:8 it says, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."

Dear friend, if you have lost a job, had a death in the family or a friend, had financial problems, health issues, or whatever the valley is stay focused. "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."  Philippians 3:14-16

So next time you have a valley, remember If God gives it to you, He'll see you through it! We have a prize to press toward also!


Written by Paula MN Seavey
 

Taste your words

Is what your about to say bitter? Is it kind? Is it hurtful? Will it bring Peace? Will it bring Sorrow? Taste your words! 

You may say OK how can I taste my words? Well, I'm actually glad you asked because words can be and are very powerful. 

This saying is from facebook and yes very true. I try my best to keep my facebook page, my family blog, and this blog positive. Why? I don't want to be the reason someone falls, or quits or maybe changed a decision to serve God because of me. In Proverbs 16:24 it says, "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Are your words as a honeycomb? 

Philippians 4:8 "Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." 

Whenever we speak we need to:

1. Speak the truth

2. Be honest 

3. Speak pure words

4. Be loving in what you say

5. Bear good reports

What do you think would happen if you did these 5 things daily? 

Well, people wouldn't run the other way when they saw you coming. There's a very dear lady friend, I love to see her walk through the door or anywhere for that matter. Why? She's always smiling and has the sweetest spirit and is always positive. What if when I saw her walk into a room I was like, "OH no look who's here!" That wouldn't be good. Instead I'm happy to see her. Which person are you? 

Today as we were traveling from one church members home to another our boys were being typical brothers, but their words became unkind. Yes! Pastors kids, do speak unkind things to each other and to other kids! Shocked? Well, as we have told our children over the past 5 months we know your normal kids but others look at you and expect you to be on a higher level. So anyway, they became unkind to one anther, their Dad also their Pastor, spoke to them. They as any child, should do, had to apologize to the other for what had been said. Their play had turned vicious and although not perfect we try to get our children to always speak the truth, be honest, be sure their words are pure, to love and give good reports. Does this always happen? NOPE! That is where training our children to be Christ-like is so important. 

Parents if your children here you always being negative about your pastor, their teachers, each other, about their friends parents; they will eventually start being negative about their Pastor, teachers etc. 

So Adults, teens, young people, children taste your words BEFORE you spit them out! 

I remember hearing my Grandmother say, "If you can't say anything good don't say anything at all" This is so true but so often never crosses the mind before speaking evil or wrong of someone. 

The kids saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is WRONG yes sticks and stones may break your bones but words, well they can destroy a person. I won't name any names but I know of a person who all through their growing up years was told, "Your lazy, your good for nothing, you'll never amount to anything  plus a lot of other things." This person to this day has lived up to what they were told from a child all the way through their teen years. Could this person have changed, YES but after hearing those negative comments day in and day out for well over 18 years and the person believes them. Now this person has been saved but is really struggling with this. Is that what you want your friend, your brother, your sister, anyone to be like? I don't think so. 

So lets have words like honeycombs! Proverbs 16:24 it says, "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." 

By: Paula MN Seavey

Train up a child

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

This teaches us that we are to train up our children, train them in the way they should go. I would like to think that all 5 of my children will not depart from their training, I am pleased that thus far the two that are already on their own are staying by the their training. God has blessed us with a daughter, 4 sons and now another son through the marriage of our daughter. The following is something that I wrote at 1:30 this morning about our children.....

When each of you were born our world changed just a little bit more, not for the worse but for the best! On August 2, 1992 the Lord gave us, Tabitha Jane to us. For 21 years, tomorrow, we have watched you grow, stumble, fall, get up and keep going. 21 years ago if I had been told that you would be 1200 miles away from me I would have never believed it. You my dear daughter have grown to be a wonderful, beautiful young lady! I'm so grateful that you have followed Proverbs 22:6.

Then when you about 10 months old we learned there was to be another baby in our family. I was told by a few people, "you are turning this childs life upside down by having another." Well, I think we were far from turning your world upside down!! On Dec 14th William Paul IV was born on the 15th when we came home, you went right past your mom to the baby!! He was almost as big as you, but that didn't matter you loved him, fed him, helped me in every way you could. I heard 3 more times you are turning their world upside down with a new baby. Every time you and the brother(s) below you proved that to be wrong! Our world was never turned upside down it was made that much better! Paul IV even as little boy LOVED to work! He has continued through his 19 yrs of life to work and work hard. Again he is living Proverbs 22:6 and we thank the Lord for that!

Then in March of 1995 our 3rd child, Caleb Robert joined our family. Now Caleb is our family clown and he has brought many a laugh into our lives... One time in particular we were in at a hotel everyone was sitting around watching a TV program when out of the blue we hear:
"Move your feet!
I said, "move your feet!" then came the response, Oh those are mine ha ha ha ha...
Caleb can look one in the face and be serious and say, "no you diiiidn't" (misspelled on purpose)  Knowing you hadn't done anything or had just done this or that. Caleb is the son that makes everyone and anyone laugh! As he prepares to leave for college in a year my prayer is that he'll too follow Proverbs 22:6.

Because it had been close to 3 yrs we thought the Lord had given us the children he wanted us to have. As I go into the doctors for a routine check-up she asked are you pregnant? My response is no I don't think so.... Well Jan 23, 1998 brought us baby number 4 Samuel Maurice. He's our tenderhearted child
if someone is hurting Samuel seems to catch on immediately to that. Samuel loves to draw and be creative with his hands.

Well our world would be "turned upside down" just one more time that was May 1, 1999. We will never forget his birthday or the others but Jason well he did sort of turn the world upside down... we were members of First Baptist Church in Hammond, IN at the time. May 1st well, that was a BIG day! If I remember correctly we had, had soul winning all week that week and it might have been one of the wonderful Pentecost Sunday's that Dr Hyles LOVED to have. Well... As we had been told several times, Dr Jack Hyles wasn't happy with someone who rented a bus, parked in the back of the handy capped parking lot and NEVER used it!! At the time NO one knew who was suppose to be driving that bus, UNTIL.... about 1 in the afternoon my husband remembers the bus!!! Well, once Preacher learned of the situation he wasn't as unhappy as he was originally that morning.  So the phrase you will turn their world upside down, might have been true with Jason and the big day at FBC Hammond on that faithful Sunday in May of 1999. Jason is well, he's our talker.... He can talk, and talk, and talk. He's cleaner also, especially in the past few years Jason will see a job that needs to be done in cleaning and do it!

We love all 5 of our children and we are Thankful for each and everyone of them. Our world was changed with each but FAR from being turned upside down!

Friends, if you have 1 child or 19  don't give up on them!! Train them up as the Lord commands. We made mistakes yes. We probably made huge mistakes in their training, but God through his mercy and grace has allowed our good aspects of training out weigh the mistakes!

Never compare your children, one may be strong in an area where another is weak. Don't compare them they are individuals. Yes from the same family but individuals, you say they all have the same parents some attributes of us, BUT they are individuals!  I have 4 boys they are as different as night and day. Even with our daughter I can't compare her to the boys or vise versa. A child is just that a child, he's not his sister or brother! God made HIM to be who? To be himself.

Just trust in the Lord, read his word, us his word to train your children through God you will do just fine!

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."