Marriage Education and the Church

As you know, my wife, Jamie, and I are trained to teach a variety of marriage education curriculums. We have been trying to get a class started at our church for a few weeks now and it has been highly suggested to us that we hold off until August to start our class. The reasons given to us are:

1) It will be too soon after the last marriage class was taught.
2) You will have trouble getting enough people to commit to the class.
3) Church couples don't believe they need the class because they already have a good marriage. and
4) Couples don't want a class that is to personal and will possibly cause them to "air their dirty laundry" in front of other church members.

How sad I felt when I heard this. Especially after one of our elders told me he personally knows of three or four couples whose marriages are in trouble. He also told me the elders support the idea of the class and they know it is needed but they won't take the class themselves. Again that made me very sad.

Divorce rates among active church going people is almost exactly the same as the those who do not attend church or claim any religion at all. People in churches struggle with the same issues as people outside the church and they are just as afraid to seek help for those struggles because of self pride or because they are afraid they will be "embarrassed" and "shunned" by their peers.

What a sad state of affairs when your church family will not act like a church family and support each other when we struggle. We are so afraid that others will look down on us because we are not "perfect" that we let our marriages fail, to attempt to uphold an image of perfection.

Elders, Pastors and other church leaders need to not only support strong marriages with their lips but support it with their actions. They need to take the classes so they can see "first-hand" how these programs can make their flocks stronger and better able to help the communities they serve.

What do you think?

America's Two-Faced Stance towards the Unborn!

When it comes to the rights and liberties of the unborn child in our nation, America has two faces. One face says it's legal to kill an unborn child, with the expecting mother's consent; the other face says it's illegal to take the life of an unborn child. Much like the famous villain Two-Face in the Batman comics, the government of the United States is having a hard time deciding just when to determine that an unborn child deserves the right to live.

In Oklahoma there is a bill before the state legislature that would allow a pregnant mother to use deadly force to protect the life of her unborn child. It seems to me that this is a recognition by the Oklahoma legislature that an unborn child deserves the right to life. We also have other laws in the United States that allows a person who murders a pregnant mother and it also causes the death of the yet unborn child, they can be charged with double-murder. Doesn't that imply that life begins at conception and the unborn child has the right to life?

If a person can be charged with double murder for killing an unborn child and a mother can use deadly-force to protect the "life" of the child within her womb, then why do let mothers make a decision to kill the unborn child because it the conception was "an accident" or the fetus has been determined to have a "birth defect" of some kind, or the child will cause a "disruption to the life of the mother?" Why do allow doctors to perform an abortion when any other person who causes the death of an unborn child to be charged with murder? Why do allow agencies such as Planned Parenthood, even suggest that the termination of the life of an unborn child is even OK at all?

Is the only difference between a murderer and a mother/doctor who chooses to abort a unborn child's life, is the signed consent of the mother to terminate a life. That my friends is a very fine line between plain murder and conspiracy to commit murder. What about the rights of the father? He helped create that child and it is as much his child as it is the mother's. Doesn't he have a right to decide if child should die or not?

Life is Life, and every American, born or unborn, deserves the Right of Life! Protect it!

Someone Needs to Explain the Family Rules to the Cat

Every since our cat Scout, aka: The Fuzzball, had come into our home, he has been acting like he owns the place. He drinks out of your water glass. He sticks his head in the sink while you are shaving, getting in your way. He jumps on the table just to sniff at what you are trying to eat. He climbs into any lower level shelving space, if you happen to leave the door open just a little bit. He will hide in the closet and attack your feet as you are looking for clothes. He moves socks and wash rags all over the house and leaves them in the strangest places. Finally, he sleeps in our bed, right in between my wife and I. Someone really needs to put him in his place.

It certainly won't be my bride, Jamie. She loves that cat, almost as much as the me and the kids. In fact, that cat has awoken a whole new side of her, that I haven't seen in a long time. Her affection for the cat has spilled over into more affection for me and the kids and she is not as cranky. She will let that cat get away with almost anything.

It certainly won't be my daughter, Rachel. She loves that fuzzball and would actually let him eat her cereal, if it just wasn't too gross. She builds play toys for the cat out of cardboard boxes and other materials she finds around the house. Several months ago she used almost $80 of her own allowance money to buy the cat a "tree house" for him to play and sleep in.

It won't be my son, Caleb. He has been trying to lure the cat into sleeping on his bed with him since we have owned him. The cat even tore up one his favorite video game guides and Caleb didn't even care. After all the cat was just being a cat.

It won't be our dog, Schnitzel. The dog will end up blowing out his back trying to play with the cat. Plus, I think the dog is a little scared of the cat, even though Scout does not have any front claws.

I guess it will have to be me. I set the law down with the dog, and Schnitzel loves me more than anyone. I am the only one who puts the cat back on the ground when he jumps on the table or into our sink. I have always heard that dogs have owners but cats have staff. Maybe this cat needs to learn who is the real boss around here.

What...? Oh wait, I will have to finish this thought later, the cat needs his litter box cleaned and changed. Coming....Kitty.

This and That Wrap Up for the last few days of March!

There is nothing really exciting going on at the English household at the moment, so I will just wrap up the past few weeks.

Jamie and I are now, Dynamic Marriages certified and hope to start teaching those marriage classes soon at our church.

The Texas Rangers and the rest of Major League Baseball is about to start the 2009 season and I cannot wait! I think the Rangers will field a pretty good team this year, if their pitching holds out.

Apparently there is some sort of government stimulus check coming to us soon. Not sure where this money is coming from except from our own taxes. If that is the case, then we are paying ourselves a bonus from our own pocket. How nice. I can't quit figure out how the government has any of our tax dollars left to give back to us after giving it all to failing banks and companies.

Twogether in Texas, my current employer, is fighting to keep its funding from being eliminated in the Texas Legislature. Apparently the Texas House of Representatives wants to increase our budget, but the Texas Senate wants to cut it or eliminate it. It seems at the present time, we will still have some sort of funding but how much is the question. It is possible I might have to look for another job teaching school again. I am about to sign up to become certified to teach Math.

My bride, Jamie, had a surgical procedure performed on her last week to prepare her for taking a new drug that will help to prevent her from getting breast cancer. She is still a little sore, but recovering.

My kiddos are tired of school and my son especially is worried about Band Camp. He has heard stories of certain kinds of "hazing" or other mischievous play, and he is worried it might happen to him. There are some older band kids that attend our church who have assured him they will do their best to look out for him. That made him feel a little better.

LTC, Leadership Training for Christ, is coming up Easter Weekend. The kids will be competing in various "competitions" that help them develop their Christian characters. Caleb is competing in Art/Photography, Bible Reading and Puppets. Rachel is competing in Art/Drawing, Daily Devotional & Prayer Challenge and Puppets.

I will try to come up with a good devotional or deep thought soon! Until then, I have been very busy and haven't had much time to do anything, including spend time with my family. I need a solid weekend off.