I Am Married

Genesis 2:22-24

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.  The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man."  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

 

August 27, 2009 I made the best choice I might have made in my life, second only to accepting God as my Heavenly Father and Creator. At the time I was 19 living with my current best friend. She and I worked at a restaurant and were fairly active in our social lives, going out or hanging out with another friend or two practically every night. As she and I got dressed for the night, I checked my facebook one last time. I noticed that my first high-school crush was online. I had added him the day before and really thought that never would there be a day he would even remember me. Well, long story short I stayed home from the party and messaged him back and forth until my fingers nearly fell off. We did not stop talking, texting, messaging or hanging out for the next month.

I have now been with my sweet-heart nearly four years. I have followed him throughout his military career from day one, dropping him off at his recruiter to go off to MEPS. We have been through a deployment, we have a two-year-old daughter and two puppies. He and I have been through a rugged beginning, including incidents that possibly only occurred because we hadn't known God's love for us just yet. We can both look back now and be thankful for the hard times.

The bible verse above is the basis of a series called Marriage On The Rock that my husband and I host a weekly group for out of our church. This book (also a dvd) teaches so many principles that many married people never realize. I highly recommend you look into this book, whether you are married or not! MOTR helps one to understand oneself as well as other people. It can definitely be used as a tool for any relationship, but it is based off of God's plan for marriage.

The main thing I have learned in our time together is to out God first, my husband second, my children third, and all the rest will follow.

Thankful for Larry Keirn

In memory of Pastor Larry Keirn
I came to CrossPoint church of Christ only 3 weeks ago and was captivated right away. After spending a month in search of the perfect church for my family, I walked into CrossPoint and was welcomed by Larry Keirn opening the door for me and my daughter. He noticed I was a new face and introduced himself and welcomed me whole-heartedly. After the service, where he preached about everyday chatter and how God wants us to know how to differ chatter from what in life is important, he remembered my name and my daughters. He was glad to hear I would be back and felt so at home.
The following Sunday I did not make it into church as I planned on visiting family. I thought the whole day about what kind of service I had missed out on and what the message was. I am beyond upset that I did not attend Sunday service last week. As I walked up to the church yesterday, I was not greeted by Larry as I was the first time I had attended, instead I was greeted by an unfamiliar face, a face that had so much behind it, wanting to say something but not sure how much I knew just yet. I instead got a slight smile and a nod. I found it a bit strange. As I dropped my daughter off at her Sunday school if you will, I was informed that Larry had passed away on Saturday.
I regret not making it to church the week before as I would give anything to let him know how welcome he made me feel as a new believer. I would have loved to tell him how even just the one sermon I had heard from him has helped me, and how perfectly his sermon fit in with what was going on in my life at that time. I can now show how thankful I am to God instead of telling Larry Keirn, how profound an influence he had on me. 
Because of this man, I have found my place of worship, the place that will help shape me for a long time to come. Thank you a thousand times Pastor Larry Keirn. I am sad to not have the chance to have learned more from you, but I will follow God's plan for me in your honor.
Sincerely,
JS