Blog Archives

Are You as Faithful As A Diehard Fan?

10/30/2015

I am not a big sports fanatic, but don’t mind watching sports and enjoying the game. I usually just cheer for whatever team my husband is rooting for. Watching the sports fans this baseball season made me think about teamwork, loyalty, faith, and hope. Most people will call themselves diehard fans of whatever team they love. They usually inherit their team from their parents, region, or neighborhood that they grew up in. My husband has been ingraining in the minds of our children that they are White Sox Fans since before they could talk. In Chicago, usually if you are from the South Side, you are a Sox fan and if you are from the North side, you are a Cubs fan. People are very passionate about their teams and usually don’t support both. So as the Cubs went to the playoffs this season, I watched as the Sox fans stood in doubt that the Cubs could do it and also saw how the Cub fans had no doubt that their beloved Cubs would win. The Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908, but year after year fans put their faith in their team. All these years of their hearts being broken from failure and they never lose faith. They always put their hope in the next season. They stay loyal to the team of their youth and of their fathers. They will not tolerate anyone bad talking or disrespecting their team. It made me think of marriage. Am I that loyal to Team Rimpson? Do I believe that we can make it through this season in victory? If we are going through a bad season do I give up hope and want to switch teams or do I stick with it knowing that next season we will do better. Am I talking bad and disrespecting my team or letting someone else do so? Am I passionate about my marriage succeeding and being an example that others can root for? Am I allowing nonfans from the peanut gallery to sway my opinions and get me discouraged? Marriage is the greatest team that we will ever have. Just like sports players, we have to work hard at our position. We have to be in flow with one another. If my husband is pitching then I must be at first base waiting to get the enemy out. If my husband is batting then I need to be cheering him on for a homerun, but also ready to bat next and get on base, and prepared with faith and encouragement in case he strikes out. Every season won’t be our best, but we must regroup go over what worked and what didn’t, and strategize new plays for the next season. We can’t fire our coach (if our couch is Jesus). We need to listen for His instructions and follow His playbook (the Bible).

1 Peter 4:8-11
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Hebrews 10: 23-24
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

God is the owner of our team (marriage). He has placed us together to be as one and win for the glory of his Kingdom. Let’s win one for Jesus!

Father, we thank You in the name of Jesus for our spouse. Forgive us for not always believing in our team and doing what it takes to win. Help us stay committed, faithful, loyal, diligent, and forgiving. Give us hope to endure and perseverance to get through every season. We want to be a team that operates as one giving glory to You in everything that we do. Fill us with Your joy that gives us strength and let Your strength be made perfect in our weakness. We understand that when we win, we make Your name great. We declare victory in our marriages. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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Who Do You Belong To?

10/23/2015

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Seeking God’s will for our lives as married people becomes even more challenging than when being single. Not only are we fighting our own will, but also the will of our spouse. We have to come into agreement with each other and seek the will of God together. Our decisions do not just affect us, but our entire household. Thank God that He carries our burdens! Big decisions can be stressful and consuming if we allow them to rule over us. We must not be afraid of moving forward but fervently seek God’s will. God has a good reward by us working together.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NKJV)
9 Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

We are there to help our spouse up when they are down and to show them warmth so they know they are not alone. They enemy wants to take over, but when we stand in agreement with the power of God through the Holy Spirit, we won’t be easily broken.

Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV)
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

We must always seek wisdom when dealing with one another. God wants us to walk in wisdom to help each other grow wiser. When we act out of our foolish flesh we destroy our spouse instead of building them up. This will cause horrible decisions to be made with consequences to match.

Proverbs 10:9 (NKJV)
9 He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.

We must be doing what is right, even when we think nobody is watching. Your family sees more than you think. Even what they don’t see, God sees and will expose the truth. This is why most spouses “know” that something is wrong even before there is evidence. I’m not talking about unreasonable paranoia conjured up from past hurtful experiences. I’m referring to those walking in the Spirit and being in tune when something is off. This is why praying together and for one another is so important. It keeps us accountable to God and to each other. Even when we do make mistakes, it will be quicker and easier to resolve because our hearts will be pierced by the conviction of the Holy Spirit bringing us to repentance and seeking forgiveness. Forgiveness will become easier because we are in tune with the will of God for our marriage.

Romans 12 (NKJV)
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The world tells us that our bodies are our own and that we have a choice. The world would say do whatever pleases us; we are only accountable to our self. The world has redefined marriage, perverted the roles as spouses and parents, and usurped the authority we have been given by God. We have to intentionally take it back! We can’t conform to the world, but know God’s will by studying His word. We belong to God first, then to our spouse. We are not our own!

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV)
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who isin you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

1 Corinthians 7:4(NKJV)
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does.And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

This is God’s will for our lives in marriage. He wants us to be as one, considering each other in everything that we do. He wants us to make decisions together, be gentle with one another, and choosing to love in everything we do and say. This is an ongoing process of prayer, faith, obedience, mercy, forgiveness, trust, faithfulness, integrity, and humility. He wants us to represent Him and be examples of His Kingdom.

Father, we thank you for Your perfect will. We thank You that You have a plan and purpose for our marriage. Forgive us for not always being wise to the destruction of our spouse. Forgive us for thinking that we are our own. Help us walk in integrity. Teach us how to help our spouse up when they fall and keep Jesus as the third strand so that we are not easily broken. We want to be accountable to You and to each other. Help us stay humble and choose to love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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Without Honor In Our Own House

10/16/2015

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Many times in our marriage, we get lost in the business, struggles and distractions of everyday life. We get so used to our roles and the roles of our family members that we expect them to be a certain way and assume certain things will get done. We become familiar with them in a way that removes honor from who they are in our lives. Many times we leave our homes, go do our jobs, schools, churches etc. and people tell us how awesome that we are. They see our giftings and our light shines bright before them. They tell us what a great job we are doing and how wonderful we are. Then, when we are home, it’s like the dishes magically become cleaned, the garbage throws itself out, the food appears when we open the refrigerator, and the money just automatically gets added to the account every two weeks. We forget how hard we all work to make the house run smooth, but we sure notice when something gets missed.

Mark 6:4
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.

Even Jesus didn’t get honored among the people that were familiar with Him. He could do very few miracles in His own town because they didn’t believe. When we don’t place honor on our spouse for the part that they play in our home it limits the blessing that we will receive from their gifts that God has given them. We are missing out on God’s best because our pride is keeping the focus on how much that we have done without recognition instead of honoring what they have done. We have to humble ourselves.

Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.
It takes humility to honor someone, especially if you feel like you are not being honored. It has to begin somewhere. It might as well start with us.

Romans 12:10
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

The New Living Translation says:
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

So not only do we need to place honor on our spouse, but we need to be taking delight in doing so. We can’t just go through the motions begrudgingly. Our spouse will recognize our sincerity and in return reciprocate. An atmosphere of honor will be established and God will be able to do great works in our households!

Father, we thank You that riches and honor come from You. Thank You for the hard work and diligence of our spouse. Forgive us for not placing honor on them because we have become too familiar. Help us see them with Your eyes. Make us aware of all that they contribute and recognize their efforts. Take away any pride that is keeping us from doing so. We want You to do great works in our homes. We place honor on You Lord and give You all the glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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Would You Cut Off Your Arm?

10/9/2015

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Today is a special day in my household. Today is my Husband’s birthday. So as a sit here thinking about how to honor and encourage him, I also began to think about what makes him special and why God blessed me with him. In marriage, sometimes we get so caught up in our day to day schedules, that we forget that we were joined together to be a blessing to each other. When God created Eve for Adam, He said it wasn’t good for man to be alone. He created us from man to be a help, but how many times do we actually hinder what God wants to do instead? When we are joined with our spouse, we become one flesh. We are designed to operate in sync with one another. Just as the body has many functions, so do each of us in marriage. I can’t be the head if my husband is the head or we will create a two headed monster in our home. If he is the head then I can be the heart. This actually makes sense to me since our brains make decisions from facts and learned knowledge and our hearts are moved by compassion and emotion. Using just one of these functions will cause an unbalanced decision. We were made to work together. We have two eyes to see from different perspectives, two ears to hear the voice of God, and two hands and arms to do different tasks. We also have two legs to walk, but even though they are separate, they must walk together. It is impossible for one to go one way and the other to go another. We have different functions but must work together, when we don’t it’s like cutting a piece of our bodies off. Would you cut your own arm off so it can do its own thing? A lot of times we do this unknowingly in our marriage. We hurt because we have damaged our bodies (marriage) by doing our own thing. Often it is the very thing that attracted us to them that is the thing that will also irritate us. My husband is very determined, focused, and strong like an ox. When he starts something, he will finish it to the end in faithfulness and loyalty without being moved. This is mostly a good trait, but in times when I want him to see a different viewpoint, it is hard to get him to look. I am very systematic and organized so in times when he comes to do things his way; I frustrate him with my system. Marriage is about learning each other and how to be in sync with each other. Each leg should be walking separately but in sync with one another to get to the same destination at a steady even pace. One can’t run and the other walk or we will fall. Knowing our part is the start. This comes by prayer and trial and error. We won’t always get it right, but we must learn from our mistakes and most importantly, work together!

Genesis 2:23-24 (NKJV)

23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Father we thank You for marriage. Thank You for giving us help to walk the journey through life. Forgive us for not always placing honor on the gift of marriage. Teach us how to walk in agreement and in sync with one another. Let our marriages glorify You and be an example of the church as You intended. Give us strength to endure times of frustration and solutions to repair the wounds that we have created. You are Lord over our marriage and we surrender it to You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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Power Couple

10/2/2015

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The excitement of marriage and young love brings on so many dreams and goals. As we plan the rest of our lives with the one we vow to love forever, we have images of marriages that we admire. We look in awe to couples that seem to have it all together and are happy and prospering. I’ve heard people call them power couples. This term is actually pretty cool because without the power of God there probably wouldn’t be much to admire. While looking up to a successful marriage as a model is good, we also have to realize that each marriage is joined together with different assignments from God and our households may not run smoothly with someone else’s system and structure in place. It is very important to seek God for our own pattern while staying within the limits and standard of His word. We also must remember that the ones we look to are usually older and more mature. These couples have been through their own process and what they look like now is probably much different from their beginning years. We could learn much from their wise counsel, but also have to let God mature us in our own process as we grow in our experiences with one another. In the first years of marriage, it often doesn’t look like what we imagined it to be as we are learning each other and getting to really see the good, the bad, and the ugly. The only way two people can successful and happily love each other forever is with the help and grace of God! We all have our own annoying habits and quirks that need to be dealt with and only God can help us pray or, accept them, or get deliverance when needed. We must remember that what we desired in our marriage from the beginning God will give us when we trust in Him. We have to delight ourselves in Him, commit our ways to him, and rest in Him patiently (my personal hardest).

Psalm 37:3-9New King James Version (NKJV)
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret--it only causes harm.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.

The years go fast, and when we do things God’s way people will soon be looking at us as power couples and seeking our wise counsel. Be encouraged and let God grow you individually as He grows you together with your spouse. May you be united in the spirit by the bond of peace and rooted and grounded in love.

Father, we thank You for the dreams and desires that You put in our hearts for our marriage. Grow us in unity as we continue to seek You and wise counsel from the ones that you have placed as a model before us. Forgive us for not resting in You patiently as you process us in our journey together. We know that You are faithful and we put our trust in You. Make us diligent and intentional about who You have called us to be and the assignment that You have given us for our marriage. We delight ourselves in You and know that we will see the desires of our heart. We stand on Your promises and commit ourselves to Your ways. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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SECRET GARDEN

Are You as Faithful As A Diehard Fan?

Who Do You Belong To?

Without Honor In Our Own House

Would You Cut Off Your Arm?

Power Couple

Bonnie Kay Rimpson

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﻿SECRET GARDEN﻿

Are You as Faithful As A Diehard Fan?

Who Do You Belong To?

Without Honor In Our Own House

Would You Cut Off Your Arm?

Power Couple

Bonnie Kay Rimpson

Archives

Categories

SECRET GARDEN