You can ask anyone about marriage and the answer will almost always be the same. I want a good, strong, happy marriage. No one stands at the altar and says, “I’ll give you the best five years of my life.”
Polls and surveys share the same information on marriage. The vast majority of people desire happy, lasting marriages, whether rich or poor, male or female, and regardless of cultural background.
The big secret about marriage is that it works. Yes, I said it, marriage works. While out-of-wedlock birth rates are high and divorce rates are higher, marriage works. Look at the last thirty years of research; married couples are happier, live longer, and build greater financial security. Children with married parents perform better in school, have better physical health, have lower rates of suicide, and experience fewer cases of child abuse. Click here for new research on “Why Marriage Matters: Thirty Conclusions from Social Science.”
Deep down, everyone wishes they could have a rewarding lifelong commitment with their spouse. But in the midst of challenges, we forget how marriage can benefit our personal lives. We are losing our determination and the skills to keep marriages healthy and strong.
February 7-14, 2013 is National Marriage Week. This time is set aside to focus on the institution of marriage and strengthen it at a national level. This is a collaborative effort that encourages groups to strengthen individual marriages, reduce the divorce rate, and build a stronger marriage culture. The website offers several marriage resources, event guides, reading lists, and videos on how to build a satisfying marriage.
As we approach Valentine’s Day, let us focus on the skills that can strengthen our relationships and keep our marriages intact. Here are a couple of goals or reminders for a healthy marriage:
- make time for each other (fun, friendship, romance)
- work as a team (instead of me vs. you)
- talk without fighting
Remember why you fell in love and think how hard you worked to maintain your romance. After marriage, we normally encounter a period of time when couples spend less time on their relationship due to kids, careers, and other factors. Take time to reconnect, go on a date, and rekindle the romance in your marriage. Use National Marriage Week as a way to strengthen your marriage and focus on the one you love.
God Squad 
Passover is Important to Everyone
Posted in News & Commentary, tagged chaplain, Christian seder, god squad, haggadah, Jesus, lamb of God, passover, passover lamb, passover meal, pastor, seder, unleavened bread on February 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »
As a military chaplain, I operate in a plural environment. There are people without faith, people of different faiths, and a wide variety of Christians in uniform. A great part of the job is meeting fellow believers. They range from new Christians to stalwarts of faith. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, everyone needs a solid understanding of Passover because it shares so much about the nature of God.
In Exodus 11, God shares there will be one final plague in the land of Egypt. Every family will experience death. All the firstborn of Egypt will die. Everyone from Pharaoh, to prisoners, even the cattle of the field, will feel the pain of loss. While this sounds absolutely horrible, it is the only way that the Hebrews can escape slavery and eventually know the freedom of the Promised Land.
God provides a way of escape for His people so that they will not experience the coming curse. They must select an unblemished lamb, sacrifice it, and put the blood of that lamb on the doorway. The blood of this perfect lamb will be a sign for death to pass over the family.
Moses tells the people of Israel that all these things will happen quickly. They must roast the lamb, eat it with unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. They must also eat it with their clothing fastened, their sandals on, and walking sticks in hand as they prepare for a quick departure out of Egypt.
Today, Passover is remembered by holding a seder. It is a ritual meal that remembers the night God delivered His people from slavery. The Israelites had to eat the Passover meal in haste, but as a memorial meal people can recline and freely enjoy the meal as they remember and celebrate the mighty works of a faithful God.
During the seder, unleavened bread is eaten as a reminder the Hebrews left Egypt in such a hurry that they didn’t have time to let their bread dough rise. Next they serve parsley and salt water. Parsley is a green vegetable that represents life which is created by God. It is usually dipped in salt water to remind people of the tears shed during captivity. People also eat bitter herbs such as horseradish, radish, or onion as a reminder of the bitterness the Israelites suffered while they were slaves. Next the story of Passover is retold and the youngest child at the table is asked four traditional questions from Exodus 12.
Since the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, lamb is not consumed at Passover. Instead, a roasted shank bone is on the table. It represents the lamb whose blood marked the houses of the children of Israel. Wine is shared during the meal. It is a symbol of joy and the four-fold expression of the LORD’s promised deliverance. Four cups are served throughout the seder: the Cup of Sanctification, the Cup of Judgment, the Cup of Redemption, and the Cup of Praise. At the end of the meal, everyone sings or recites a Psalm from the Old Testament. Traditionally, Psalms 115-118 are used.
The story of Passover and the deliverance of Israel, foreshadow a greater deliverance yet to come. God sent Jesus to deliver mankind from the slavery of sin. Jesus fulfilled the Law as the final sacrificial Lamb of God and provided redemption once and for all. Death will pass over us because of the blood He shed on the cross. Passover is important for everyone because it is a reminder of how God redeemed the Israelites from Egypt and how Jesus provided the ultimate redemption at Calvary. As Christians, we continue to celebrate what has been accomplished. Jesus, the Lamb of God, took away the sins of the world.
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