33 Years Old and I'm still learning!

Pam’s Page 24 – “Family Life”

OK, I’m not the age of 33 years (tee-hee) as this title suggests. However - I’ve been "Married" that long and I am still learning. Still learning how to be a better Wife!

Scott and I just celebrated our 33rd Anniversary on Oct.4th. We had dinner at an awesome Italian Restaurant - with special new friends, Drew & Anna.

We had an awesome evening - as the four of us talked about our lives and the direction God is leading us. It was exciting to spend the evening with a young couple that is passionate about fulfilling God’s purpose for their life and for their marriage!!!!!

Our conversation reminded me of an incredible book called - "Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren, who is the pastor of Saddleback Church in California. It is one of those books that Scott and I continue to revisit, underline and really study! This book has even impacted our marriage! (You can view this book on my Blog Book Shelf)
In part of an interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said..........
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God- is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested- in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year- has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think- that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather- than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter- how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter- how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus- on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus- on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness," which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly- that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn- to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
God's Blessings on you today!!!