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Revenge Is A Lie

By Matt on April 30, 2013 in blog

Revenge is a fascinating concept. The idea is that I should be able to hit you if you hit me. What you do to me, I get to do right back to you. Let me tell you, there have been times in my life when that sounded just fine to me. To be honest, revenge sounded incredibly sweet when it felt like we were walking through Hell. As people we trusted turned their backs on us and a pervert walked free, revenge sounded so very sweet.

There is a one huge problem. Revenge is a lie. It is a myth that doesn’t live up to the hype. Sure I could have gone psycho on the person and had my 15 minutes of revenge, but then what? What comes next is the reality of revenge. It is called regret, remorse and living with the consequences of our actions.

As a Christian I have been instructed by God to not follow the pattern of revenge. 1 Peter 3:9 “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” This isn’t one of those scriptures that gets people all excited and the “Amens” shouting. This is right up there with “Love your enemies.” Why? Because it doesn’t allow us to take the easy way out.

When I disobey the scripture and take matters into my own hands, I take the situation out of God’s hands. When I am left with the aftermath of my actions, I then turn to God and beg Him to fix the mess that I made. Its a vicious cycle that leads to a path I have no desire to go down.

The problem is that walking out a lifestyle that obeys what Peter wrote isn’t easy. On a daily basis we have opportunities to get hurt and have our revenge. Our spouses tick us off and we give them the silent treatment. Or the wife gets mad and locks herself down like Fort Knox and it will take tiny shiny things called diamonds to unlock those locks. We get upset at our coworkers and then secretly plot their demise to get retribution. The other mom at the co-op says something that doesn’t sit well, and you make sure that get your jabbing comment in before you head home. This process starts at a young age. Just the other day I looked out the window to see my twins going Kung Fu on each other because of what one twin did that the other one didn’t like.

It is my job as a husband and father to live a life that reflects the faith I profess. That means I cannot take out the scriptures that I feel are no fun. Instead, I must show my family a Godly man that honors God’s word. I must love, when I really want to hate. I must forgive, when I really want lash out in anger. Doing so is not for the benefit of the others, but for my own. Forgiving when the other person shows no remorse helps me out, not them. It allows me to be removed from the bondage that situation could place me under.

So, stop the cycle of revenge in your life. When your spouse, child, parent, or anyone else you meet, does something that offends or upsets you, respond with God’s love that has been placed inside you. Be a walking example for your children so that they will follow you, as you follow Christ.

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What Is The Foundation Of Your Marriage?

By Matt on April 22, 2013 in blog, Marriage Monday

There are two, newer communities in the Oklahoma City area that were built within the last ten years. These houses look really nice from the street. Going inside you see the new carpet, granite counter tops, tiled bathrooms and overall new “feel” make these houses really desirable. In fact, at first glance they look perfect.

The problem is, there are major issues with the house that you cannot see. The builder decided to cut corners and not cure the foundation in correctly. As a result, the houses slowly began to show signs of major issues. Cracks began to appear on the walls. In some houses the cracks appeared small. Other houses looked like an earthquake had threatened to rip the house into two pieces.

I find it very interesting how similar this situation is to our marriages. When we first get married, the marriage has a fresh and new feel. The honeymoon stage is full of passion, bliss and love tinted glasses. Over time, the marriage begins to settle and take shape. The real world sets in, in-laws rear their heads, and children begin to appear. This is the moment that foundation of your marriage begins to be revealed.

Not every marriage is created identically. What works for one couple will not work for every couple. What the common denominator is that each marriage must have stable footing. For us, that foundation is two-part. First and foremost, we have placed God as the foundation for our marriage. In fact, the times when we may have dipped in our walk with God, we can look back and see the negative effect that has had on our marriage.

We place God as the priority and head over our marriage and family. His word and His will are the guide that we use to chart the paths we take. In times if joy and frustration, we maintain Him as our center and it has worked well for us. We do our best to reflect His love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness in our marriage.

The second part of our foundation is our friendship. It may sound like a cliche, but we actually really, really like each other. When we say we are best friends, we mean it. We love to just sit and talk over a cup of coffee. We go to the grocery store together. I sit in the car patiently as she runs all her errands on my day off. When i am not working, I want to be at home with Heather. When she goes on trips away for a night or two, I genuinely miss her.

When I hear couples talk about their desire for the weekend to end so they can go to work and get away from their spouse, it saddens me. Marriage should never be something that we want to escape from. Just like a house may begin to show wear and tear over time, we have to make the commitment to continually repair and restore our marriage. Any house, no matter how magnificent, will need upkeep. We must have the same approach to our marriages.

I encourage you to ask the question, “What Is The Foundation Of Your Marriage?” Answer it honestly. If you are not satisfied with your answer, then take steps to correct the issue. The most important investment you will make in your lifetime is the commitment you made to your spouse. Honor that like you do the investment you made in purchasing a home. Guard it, keep it safe, work on it constantly and see it thrive over the years.

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Guest Post ~ Kebabs Under The Broiler

By Heather on April 18, 2013 in blog

This is a post from Chad Bonin of Instawares restaurant equipment and supplies company.

What is it?

Cooking kebabs can be an incredibly healthy, easy, and lead to many versatile meals that work for any part of the day. Traditionally, kebabs are cooked over the grill, but it’s not always the right weather to start that up. Using a simple broiler in your oven, you can make kebabs whenever you’d like in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Ingredients

Given the nature of kebabs, you can include however and whatever you want in any quantities. Some suggestions include…

Scallops
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic Cloves
Lamb
Steak
Chicken
Zucchini
Sausage
Red Peppers
Shrimp
Peaches
Plums
Nectarines
Mushrooms
Apple Slices
Potatoes
Beets

Directions

Line a sheet or pan with foil to catch the drippings.
If you are using wood skewers, soak them in water to prevent burning.
Following applicable guidelines per the items you’re cooking (such as, “microwave the potatoes to get them ready” or “peel the wrapping off of garlic cloves”, skewer the items, keeping them as centralized on a skewer as possible. If you want, you can skewer the items through two skewers to ease in flipping all the items.
Turn on the broiler function.
Place your kebabs on the foiled pan, and place the pan under the broiler.
At the appropriate time, flip the kebabs (if you are using metal skewers, protect your hands, as they will heat up).
Once finished, remove from the oven. Optionally, you can either eat from the skewer or remove the items and eat them as finger food or with a fork.