How to Date your Wife

She's Still your Girlfriend

     Seven years ago next week, I married my girlfriend.  She is still my girlfriend today, and we still date like we were teenagers.  We still hold hands in the car, bring each other surprises, and schedule times together as "Date Nights."

     I counsel with a lot of couples, and the main thing I hear from women is they want to be "romanced" by their husbands.  All men are good at romance; that is how they win their wife.  But life gets in the way of romance instead of romance getting in the way of life.

     My first advice to couples who are needing to rekindle that spark in their relationship is the creation of a date night.  I suggest that it is done every week.  And, I suggest that the man plan it.  It takes time, work, and creativity but the payout is always excellent.   I somewhat suggested this in the post:

10 Things to Make your Wife Fall in Love Again

But here, I want to help them men out by listing some ideas that are FREE and even low cost alternatives for date nights.  Let me say that my favorite date night is simply going to a movie, (we normally eat Cinnabon before hand, don't judge) .  The following is a list of ideas, suggested by my great friends on facebook:

1. Going fishing
2. Frisbee Golf
3. Pick strawberries
4. Nature hike or trail walk
5. Redbox movie with popcorn
6. Community events page for free things like concert
7. Drive-In Movie
8. Order Happy Meals, and have a picnic
9. Go watch airplanes take off and land
10. Bicycle ride
11. Paddle boating
12. Trip to the Zoo
13. Board game night
14. Turn lights off and dance
15. Cook dinner together
16. Go to a cooking class
17. Go to a painting class
18. Go to an art museum
19. Have a picnic in your own yard
20. Camping trip
21. Late night grocery shopping (without the kids)
22. Make home-made ice cream
23. Plan tennis
24. Raquetball
25. Jogging
26. Dream Shopping (picking out things for a dream house)
27. Trip to farmer's market
28. Visit pet store and play with puppies
29. Paint her toenails
30. Down-town walk, and foot dip in the fountains
31. Bird watching
32. Star/Moon Observation
33. Shopping
34. Walk around the mall
35. Test drive nice cars
36. Egg someone's house
37. Last one was a joke
38. Go to a church service
39. Serve at a shelter
40. Visit relatives together
41. Go park on a backroad
42. Ride go-carts
43. Golf balls at driving range
44. Lazer Tag
45. Ice Skating
46. Visit library
47. Walk through nice hotels
48. Scavenger Hunt
49. Geocaching
50. Pickin' wildflowers
51. Visit an auction
52. Stroll through Antique Stores

There you have it men; 52 weeks of ideas.  Surprise your wife, and tell her date night is this Friday.  Go and have fun.  Rekindle that romance.  Let her know that she will always be your girlfriend.

How to Disprove Evolution

We Sure have Come a Long Way

     This is an introductory post on the evidence against evolution.  Actually, each one of these items could be a whole separate post in their own right, which I may do eventually.  But for now, this is a basic outline why some of the smartest minds in the United States and across the world believe that the universe displays evidence of being designed by a brilliant intelligence.  For more information on the conspiracy against Faith - see the movie "Expelled" by Ben Stein.

I've taken the word DESIGN, and created an acrostic out of it.  

1. Design shows a Designer
2. Evidence is Lacking 
3. Structure Doesn't Arise from Chaos
4. Irreducible Complexity
5. Genesis of Life
6. No Continuity 

By familiarizing yourself with the six principles, you will have a grasp of evidence and logic against the "theoretical" science of evolution.  There are two types of science; observational and theoretical.  The first observes things that we can see and things which can be replicated in a laboratory.  The second, deals with things we can't see and can't be replicated in a laboratory.  Much of it is conjecture.  The good thing about

Why is the Bible hard to Understand?

Is the Bible hard to Understand?

Many times, I have friends and family tell me that they have a hard time understanding the Bible.  They ask questions like:

1. Why does the Old Testament seem confusing?
2. Are Christians still supposed to read the Old Testament?
3. How should I read the Bible when it doesn't make sense?
4. Which parts of the Bible should I read?

This morning I was reading an article by one of my favorite preachers: John Piper.  Here is the article:

How to Dig Deeper in Bible Study

As I was reading, a few things started occurring to me after he said this:

"When Paul says it is all inspired by God and that it is profitable so that you will be equipped for every good work, I believe he means that even the parts that are hard to read, or even sometimes confusing, will in the long run have an effect on your mind and your soul that will shape you into the kind of person who can stand strong all your life for Jesus..."

Pastor Piper was referring to this scripture from Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

When it says that all scripture is God-breathed and is useful, it is referring even to those scriptures which are hard to understand or that you don't understand at all.  Even though you don't understand them, they are still able to edify your spirit, and are still able to water the seed of the Gospel which is planted in your heart.

Aren't there many other things in life we don't understand, but they do benefit us?

1. I don't understand how medicine works, but I still take it to help my body.
2. I don't have understanding while I sleep, but it is good for my health.
3. I don't understand everything about a computer working, but I still use it for benefit.
4. I didn't understand why a coach made me do something thirty times in a row, but it made sense later.
5. I didn't understand why my mother wouldn't let me do some things, but I understand now.  

1 Corinthians 14:15 shows us there is a difference between what our mind understands and our spirit understands:

"What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also."

Sometimes we are not aware that prayer is helping us, but it is.  We are not understanding that worship is helping us, but it is edifying our spirit.  The same is true with the Word of God.  

Since being a Minister for 10 years, there are things I read in scripture 10 years ago which God is just now revealing to me.  Every day is a new joy as I open the Word of God, and God builds revelation upon revelation when we are faithful to the study of the Word.

Even when you don't understand the Bible - keep reading.  Even when it seems like a chore and you are not enjoying it - keep reading.  Even when you have a million things to do which seem like a benefit - keep reading.

As the Apostle Paul spoke to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13 - "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching."

Do you know that Paul studied the scriptures for years while he was killing Christians, but never understood it?  But then Jesus revealed himself to Paul, and the prophecies of the Messiah made sense.

10 years from now, you will thank yourself for what you started reading today.  Read with the spirit, not just with understanding.  May God bless you through his Word today.