Isaac + Rebekah

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming.

Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?”

The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself.

And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 

Genesis 24:63-67

 BIBLICAL LOVE

This covenant isn't established upon emotions.

God gives marriage for man to participate in covenant. 

Being in relationship shouldn't pursue your own purposes. 

It's al for the glory of God. 

Isaac and Rebekah didn't approach it as a contract, but as a performance. 

If it "lags" don't get out of it.

Divorce is  bigger than a spiritual issue. 

Don't approach love as how it would benefit you. It's a contradiction of what a covenant is. 

A covenant is unconditional. Not conditional. (DIE TO YOURSELF.) 

It is to serve and to give. Without expecting for anything in return.

Falling in love, then getting married is okay. But dating goes straight into looks, then interest, similarities, personalities, character, etc.

That makes you not surrender to unconditional love, but signs you up to can I deal with this? As if it was a contract.

Sign up for covenant, not contract.

Love is a choice and not an emotion.

Love's foundation is choice and will.

That's a biblical covenant love.

Once you start reading the Bible, you will think in terms of covenant. 

And get a better view on how God wants it to be or wants it to look like.

Dating isn't mentioned in the Bible.

It isn't about you or him, or talents, or characteristics.

Its about glorifying God. Otherwise, you're glorifying yourself.

Isaac didn't have a choice, but his father did. 

Be willing to submit to a spiritually new chapter. 

Submit to spiritual authority. 

Listen to parental and pastoral comments. They might not all be right, but take it into consideration. And ask if it's something Godly or if they can see us not being for each other. Consider their wisdom.

Isaac and Rebekah will learn to love each other because they know this is until death and will not want to get out of it, because they want to glorify God in the covenant they decided to have. 

It's all a choice and it doesn't revolve around you. Ever. 

Are you with the right partner?

ARE YOU WITH THE RIGHT PARTNER?


During a seminar, a woman asked,” How do I know if I am with the right person?”

The author then noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so he said, “It depends. Is that your partner?”
In all seriousness, she answered “How did you know?”
“Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it’s weighing on your mind.” replied the author.

Here’s the answer:

Every relationship has a cycle… In the beginning; you fall in love with your partner. You anticipate their calls, want their touch, and like their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love wasn’t hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn’t have to DO anything. That’s why it’s called “falling” in love.

People in love sometimes say, I was swept of my feet. Picture the expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few months or years of being together, the euphoria of love fades. It’s a natural cycle of EVERY relationship.

Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse’s idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship; you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your partner might start asking, “Am I with the right person?” And as you reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone
else. This is when relationships breakdown.

The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it’s learning to love the person you found.

People blame their partners for their unhappiness and look outside for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes.

Infidelity is the most common. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your relationship. It lies within it.

I’m not saying that you couldn’t fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you’d feel better. But you’d be in the same situation a few years later.

Because (listen carefully to this)

The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it’s learning to love the Person you found.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. You have to work on it day in and day out. It takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it demands WISDOM. You have to know
WHAT TO DO to make it work. Make no mistake about it.

Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your partner), just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. If you know how to apply these laws, the results are predictable.

Love is therefore a “decision”. Not just a feeling.

Remember this always: the universe determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go!

side note from alexis: i did not write any of this, nor do i own this picture. it was all from an article that i read and thought i wanted to share with those who partake in my blog. :) its very interesting, in my opinion because i've seen and know what it's like when a relationship crumbles, so this makes it much more clearer as to why they let it fall apart.

c h e e r s to 2014!

i would write something super awesome and inspiring as a new year's post. but to be quite honest, i've got nothing.
all i hope for this new year is that God shows me some deep things about myself, about what He wants me to do, and ultimately, that He shows me more of Himself to me. 
and personally, i've set myself a few small goals to accomplish. nothing crazy. just simple. for example, making an orthodontist appointment for myself. just small things like that.
and trying to write on this blog more often than i have been. but we'll see if i follow through.. or if the wifi follows through. [see, it's not always my fault ;)]
but i'm quite excited and nervous for whatever the future brings. and i hope that i'm strong enough for whatever it entails.  
here's to 2014.