What is Favor? There are several definitions but I am going to choose this one, “an act of gracious kindness.” You could also say that favor is being blessed (receive an act of gracious kindness) even when we don’t deserve it.
So, you could say that we are all favored (the recipients of gracious kindness) because we have all done things that weren’t the best but [sometimes in the same day] received an act of gracious kindness.
I propose to you that the degree in which we recognize and appreciate the favor that we receive actually entitles you to more favor. If you are a parent, mentor, big brother/sister, or anyone in authority over someone else, when you do an act of gracious kindness to someone and they appreciate, recognize and thank you for it, does it not motivate you to do even more?
So to say that favor isn’t fair, I say is true, because who can actually say on their own merits/efforts/work they deserved to be favored (receive an act of gracious kindness).
So, I charge you, the next time you receive an act of favor (an act of gracious kindness) be thankful and watch more favor enter into your life.
I know, I know.. We all want to be attractive and desired by the opposite sex… but I have to go on record saying this is just a little bit much.
What happened to natural beauty that was actual natural? Why does everything have to be enhanced to an un-natural degree?
Women, I would strongly advise against this because if a man sees you in this, he will expect it. Not saying that looks are everything but you atleast want to get what you think you got. If you are one of those people that says looks aren’t everything, then great… you won’t purchase and wear this product.
I know I would be instantly turned off and worse case, this isn’t even a parody…
How Tiger’s Infidelity is Connected To My Celibacy
Right now Tiger Woods and his private matters have become quite public. This morning as I was watching ESPN they had more coverage on it and I began to think, what can I learn from this situation. One thing came to mind…
The importance of self control.
Now, I was in no way shape form or fashion on the same level of Tiger Woods but I did have an interesting college experience :joining a fraternity freshman year, going on to be Student Body President, starting a company on campus. Looking back, at the time, I could barely fit my head in the same room as other people. I felt like I could pretty much do what I wanted and how I wanted to do it.
So taking that feeling and multiplying by $1 Billion, I had a glimpse to how Tiger could have felt while sitting on top of the world. Now, during part of that time, I didn’t have a girlfriend and like I said, I felt like I could do anything that I wanted. After college, I went through a period of isolation where I dealt with alot of my weaknesses and areas that I had to improve in. Coming out of that, I had a closer relationship with God and a determination to be celibate until marriage.
Now, celibacy definitely started as a major challenge and I had some interesting experiences as I became more comfortable with it. But now since starting down that road 3 years ago, I can see some of the most important lessons that I have learned. If I am to be as successful as I desire to be, I must learn how to control myself when no one else is going to hold me accountable. It is the battle within that is rarely fought while we dress up our exterior.
Now, I do not know if Tiger practiced celibacy or abstinence before marriage but I do know that for myself, that since going down this road, I am a stronger man and I no longer fall for the same temptation. If I continue on the path that I have set out to be on, hopefully I would be protected from any of these types of Tiger Wood’s press releases.
So, I just ask that all of us that have aspirations to be great that we tackle our inner challenges. If not, when put under a international microscope, everything will be revealed. Sex can be a monster… Celibacy can help control it.
My prayers are with Tiger, his wife,and his children during this very sensitive time and I pray that the strength of God and correction of God will rest in Tiger and he will grow to become the internal man that God created him to be, and not just the professional juggernaut he has become. I pray for his wife that she is comforted with the love of God and that she knows that even in this time of betrayal there is one who never betrays and is always with her, Jesus. For his children, I pray that they are protected from unnecessary conversations and exposure, and that through this experience they gain a closer relationship with Christ, as he is the only perfect man to ever live on the earth, and that they will increase in compassion and love for both of their parents. Amen.How Tiger’s Infidelity is Connected To My Celibacy
Right now Tiger Woods and his private matters have become quite public. This morning as I was watching ESPN they had more coverage on it and I began to think, what can I learn from this situation. One thing came to mind…
The importance of self control.
Now, I was in no way shape form or fashion on the same level of Tiger Woods but I did have an interesting college experience :joining a fraternity freshman year, going on to be Student Body President, starting a company on campus. Looking back, at the time, I could barely fit my head in the same room as other people. I felt like I could pretty much do what I wanted and how I wanted to do it.
So taking that feeling and multiplying by $1 Billion, I had a glimpse to how Tiger could have felt while sitting on top of the world. Now, during part of that time, I didn’t have a girlfriend and like I said, I felt like I could do anything that I wanted. After college, I went through a period of isolation where I dealt with alot of my weaknesses and areas that I had to improve in. Coming out of that, I had a closer relationship with God and a determination to be celibate until marriage.
Now, celibacy definitely started as a major challenge and I had some interesting experiences as I became more comfortable with it. But now since starting down that road 3 years ago, I can see some of the most important lessons that I have learned. If I am to be as successful as I desire to be, I must learn how to control myself when no one else is going to hold me accountable. It is the battle within that is rarely fought while we dress up our exterior.
Now, I do not know if Tiger practiced celibacy or abstinence before marriage but I do know that for myself, that since going down this road, I am a stronger man and I no longer fall for the same temptation. If I continue on the path that I have set out to be on, hopefully I would be protected from any of these types of Tiger Wood’s press releases.
So, I just ask that all of us that have aspirations to be great that we tackle our inner challenges. If not, when put under a international microscope, everything will be revealed. Sex can be a monster… Celibacy can help control it.
———————————————————
My prayer:
My prayers are with Tiger, his wife,and his children during this very sensitive time and I pray that the strength of God and correction of God will rest in Tiger and he will grow to become the internal man that God created him to be, and not just the professional juggernaut he has become. I pray for his wife that she is comforted with the love of God and that she knows that even in this time of betrayal there is one who never betrays and is always with her, Jesus. For his children, I pray that they are protected from unnecessary conversations and exposure, and that through this experience they gain a closer relationship with Christ, as he is the only perfect man to ever live on the earth, and that they will increase in compassion and love for both of their parents. Amen.
How A Man Married for 52 Years Summed How To Do It in 3 Simple Statements
Those who know me, know that I am not afraid of people. I will approach anyone, at anytime and ask them just about anything (within reason). Those who know me also know that I hardly ever eat at Chick-Fil-A. So, on this particular day, when I felt a strong desire to eat at Chick-Fil-A, , I was expecting something special to happen since I was doing something out of my norm.
When I finished ordering my food, I noticed an open table behind an elderly couple. Immediately, I admired the interaction between themselves and one of the managers they were engaged in conversation with. After a few moments of reading, I decided to ask them how they make their marriage work. So, I set down my book and I said, “Excuse me, I am a young guy, how long have you been married?” The husband replied, “52 years.” That was the beginning of a short, yet profound conversation.
In that conversation he gave me a few principles that I believe can help anyone in or preparing for marriage. I asked him, “How did you all make it work for so long?” Of course many know the first thing, love. Before he was done saying the last letter in the word love, he started on the second principal, “a lot of hard, hard, hard work.” He didn’t say it like the movies pitch it with the man tired and the woman beating him, but he said it softly and with love. After that I smile and let him go because I didn’t want to bother him too much longer, plus I wanted to finish my book.
Later as the couple finished their meal, the gentleman stood up, tapped me on the shoulder and continues (as if we never stopped talking), “The younger generation expects too much too soon. They don’t give each other time to grow, develop and build momentum. [pause] Oh and I never believed in credit and I paid for everything cash. We had to make sacrifices. We were probably the last people in Greensboro to have a color television but I saved a few dollars each week and one day I went, paid $500 and bought my television.” You could tell he was proud of himself.
I thanked him for the wisdom and he very gently tugged on his wife’s sleeve implying that it was time to leave, and just like that, they were gone. They left as sweet and kindly as their conversation.
As I pondered the wisdom shared I realized that those 3 principles (love is foundational and expected) really summed up often forgotten principles of marriage or rather how to make a marriage work:
Work Hard On the Relationship
Work on Building a Foundation Together
Work to Eliminate Debt
Eh, sounds good to me. Simple and direct. Just how I like to learn…
Those who know me, know that I am not afraid of people. I will approach anyone, at anytime and ask them just about anything (within reason). Those who know me also know that I hardly ever eat at Chick-Fil-A. So, on this particular day, when I felt a strong desire to eat at Chick-Fil-A, , I was expecting something special to happen since I was doing something out of my norm.
When I finished ordering my food, I noticed an open table behind an elderly couple. Immediately, I admired the interaction between themselves and one of the managers they were engaged in conversation with. After a few moments of reading, I decided to ask them how they make their marriage work. So, I set down my book and I said, “Excuse me, I am a young guy, how long have you been married?” The husband replied, “52 years.” That was the beginning of a short, yet profound conversation.
In that conversation he gave me a few principles that I believe can help anyone in or preparing for marriage. I asked him, “How did you all make it work for so long?” Of course many know the first thing, love. Before he was done saying the last letter in the word love, he started on the second principal, “a lot of hard, hard, hard work.” He didn’t say it like the movies pitch it with the man tired and the woman beating him, but he said it softly and with love. After that I smile and let him go because I didn’t want to bother him too much longer, plus I wanted to finish my book.
Later as the couple finished their meal, the gentleman stood up, tapped me on the shoulder and continues (as if we never stopped talking), “The younger generation expects too much too soon. They don’t give each other time to grow, develop and build momentum. [pause] Oh and I never believed in credit and I paid for everything cash. We had to make sacrifices. We were probably the last people in Greensboro to have a color television but I saved a few dollars each week and one day I went, paid $500 and bought my television.” You could tell he was proud of himself.
I thanked him for the wisdom and he very gently tugged on his wife’s sleeve implying that it was time to leave, and just like that, they were gone. They left as sweet and kindly as their conversation.
As I pondered the wisdom shared I realized that those 3 principles (love is foundational and expected) really summed up often forgotten principles of marriage or rather how to make a marriage work:
Work Hard On the Relationship
Work on Building a Foundation Together
Work to Eliminate Debt
Eh, sounds good to me. Simple and direct. Just how I like to learn…
I know women love to shop, it is a great thing… but it must be in moderation.
I was in conversation with this one young lady and she was telling me about how much she loved to shop, how many times she would go to the mall and all of that. I was like cool, i mean I want you to be fly… truly I do.. but then it happened…
I begin to think a little long term…
Hmm, if I get with this girl and she gets the ring, the house, the life and she doesn’t change her ways somewhere along the road… she might shop all our money away! This may sound a little extreme but people don’t change just because they are in a relationship or married…
Needless to say, (that wasn’t the deciding factor) but I don’t talk to that young lady any more…
I have been catching (either directly or by proxy) a little bit of heat for a status like “Calvin is loving being single!” So, I would just like to set the record straight.
We live in a culture where every one goes around saying, “it is ok to be who you are, where you are, accept where you are, enjoy life how it is now, don’t focus on future joys, enjoy the joys you have now.”
But the second one begins to do that, especially in an arena like relationships (where so many people desire to have a mate more than they desire to love themselves) it is like a shock or shot heard round the world.
People! Come On! If I desire to be married (which I do), but I am not married (which I am not), then why shouldn’t I love where I am currently in life! Why should I store up my future joy, when I have joy now!
A statement like that has nothing to do with past, present, or future relationships, it has to do with the fact that I as a human being am happy and content enough with myself that I can love being single.
What I ask, is stop looking at situations from your hurt, broken, busted point of view and begin to see how beautiful your current situation is. Being single is a lovely thing. Where else can I travel at the drop of a dime, come home and sleep all day, not be accountable to someone else, have my house exactly the way I want it, play music as loud as I want, dream big dreams and work as hard as I want to achieve them without someone asking me to come to bed. Being single is the time in your life to create the life you want for when you are married.
I am loving the process!
So, if you do not love being single and are (insert word – other than ‘hating’) on the fact that I am loving my process to become a wonderful husband and father, I don’t want to hear it and don’t tell anyone that is going to bring it back to me. I am too busy taking over the world to be bothered with foolish conversation that doesn’t yield profit.
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