The Marriage Dance

Our wedding day 1964

The beauty of marriage is under a concerted ‘acid attack’ designed to deface it by degrading its image and meaning. The Christian view of the mystery and majesty underlining this union of a man and woman has suffered under a barrage of Humanistic attacks. Such a philosophy of life has no room for the spiritual dimension nor for defending what is termed sacred and moral boundaries. Applied to marriage this allows such people to consider same sex relationships, multiple partners and polygamy as valid marriages.

 The only place, and I‘ll write it again, the only place to gain an understanding of marriage is in the Judeo–Christian Bible. Only there will you find its institution with the wonder of its meaning, majesty and mystery. For such a relation didn’t evolve but was God given to men and women through Adam and Eve. Read Genesis chapter 2 for the beginning, Ephesians 5:21-33 for its mystery.

When a man and a woman enter into a marital union they more often than not are ignorant of what underlies such a unique and beautiful oneness. This is a shame if it is never discovered. However in the beginning of becoming husband and wife the intent is to enjoy the rhythm of the wedding dance. This dance of a loving relationship has many steps, different music moods and takes place on various ‘dance-floors’. It takes time and effort, grace and forgiveness, perseverance and laughter.

 I remember as a teenager plucking up the courage to go and learn ballroom dancing. At first it felt awkward. I was nervous, reticent and clumsy. My teacher endured many a sore toe and scrapped shin before I became reasonably proficient in a variety of dances. When I married I began an unending dance. My wife and I were beginners. We did have some good teachers on the ‘sidelines’ encouraging us but it was up to us to learn the steps and sense the rhythm of the dance being ‘played’ at that time. Sore toes or should I say hurt egos that caused concerns. These came about due to each wanting to swing and sway to his or her own tune. This made us want to do our own ‘steps’ resulting in a wrestling match instead of a loving tango. However, we knew ours was an unending dance. Therefore we set our hearts to practice. Perhaps one of the hardest things was to hear the same melody and sway to the same beat. It’s easy to embrace in the dance. It’s another things to maintain the embrace in the movement of life.

 Factors that kept us dancing, even when we had our egos stepped upon or something interrupted the music was the grace of mercy and forgiveness. There was also the healing qualities of communicating, even is hesitantly of what was causing us to be ‘tripped.’ Such sharing requires trust and tenderness and at the same time a willingness to learn from it. Other features in the dance routine of life include the serious and intense as well as the fun provoking jigs mixed with the passion of the waltz and tango. Many of the modern dances portray individuals shaking and shimmering, but not reaching out to the other and learning to co-ordinate their movements. Seems like a modern day metaphor for how people view marriage.

 God intended marriage to be on the ‘dance floor’ of everyday living. Husbands and wives were to feel the rhythm of God’s music in the midst of earth’s cacophony. They were meant to know that the skill in marriage comes though faithfulness and persistence in understanding and appreciating each other. The more time you dance together, the closer you grow together. The closer you are the sweeter the dance. The sweeter the dance the more varied the steps. The more varied the steps the more exhilarating the embrace. The more exhilarating the embrace the more wonderful the music that plays for you to dance.

 For that to be true, God must be the Dance master as well as the Orchestra leader. I have to admit, I like to dance with my wife to the music of the Eternal God on the dance floor of the everyday life. We have been in the dance for fifty years now. While the vigour of the early days may be pleasant memories the vitality of our senior years in the marriage dance is stronger and more meaningful. This is because we discovered the mystery, the meaning and the majesty of marriage. It has kept us dancing together across life’s varied ‘dance floors’.

© Ray Hawkins

For an insight into the three ‘M’s of marriage you could read my 31 day devotional book ‘From Eden with Love.’ Published by Even Before Publishing’ and available in Christian bookshops and Amazon. It is also an Ebook.

1st - 5th September 2014

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

Is Introducing

Rebecca's Dream



(Even Before March 2014)



By



Carol Preston

About the Book

Rebecca Oakes is thirteen years old when her mother, Suzannah, dies in the small town of Marengo, New South Wales, in 1873. With her older brother and sisters soon involved in their own lives, Rebecca is left alone to care for her ageing father. But Rebecca has a dream for her own life. She wants to make a difference to the world around her; a world where it is hardly possible for a woman to get an education, where women have no rights, no vote, no voice. Rebecca will have to fight the systems of her time if she is to achieve her goals. She must find the courage to stand against sexual and religious prejudice, and resist the pressures of even those close to her, in order to make her way towards her dream, influenced by one man who hates her, who will do anything to thwart her plans, and another man who loves her, and will do anything to make her happy.

Rebecca’s Dream is the second book in the Oakes Family Saga. Background notes and discussion questions are available for book clubs.

About the Author

Carol lives in Wollongong with her husband, Neil. She is a psychologist and has a part time private counselling practice, as well as being an author and speaker. Carol enjoys spending time with her children and four grandchildren, as well as bushwalking, gardening and holidaying overseas with her husband. One of her hobbies over many years has been family history research. It was this research which started Carol on the journey of writing novels.

Her first trilogy is about the Oakes Family; Suzannah’s Gold, Rebecca’s Dream and The Price of Peace, which takes the reader from 1838 when her great great grandmother, Suzannah Casey was transported from Ireland, through to the end of the First World War when Suzannah’s children and grandchildren are involved in the battle, not only to survive the war but to survive the waiting at home. The first two of these have recently been re-released by EBP. Carol’s fourth novel, The Face of Forgiveness, is about two young women who are transported to Australia in 1839. The most recent of Carol’s novel is a series based on her mother’s family, which begins with the First Fleet of convicts to Australia. These include Mary’s Guardian, Charlotte’s Angel, Tangled Secrets, and Truly Free.

For more information about Carol’s books and her other interests she can be contacted on her website: www.carolpreston.com.au, on her Facebook author page: www.facebook.com/writingtoreach

or her Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/carolpreston

Mary, my wife who is a reader addict, has read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. She also recommends the previous books in this family saga from Carol Preston

Beware the Christmas Plague

The Blights of Christmas

Blight according to the World book dictionary ‘is a disease which causes plants to wither and die.’ Used figuratively it points to ‘anything that withers the hope or causes destruction or ruin.’

Christmas is experiencing a plague of such blighters. Their aim is to reduce Christmas and its meaning to ruin in the hope it disappears. Each of the ‘viruses’ attacking this great testimony have a replacement of their own. Before we look at aspects of the Blights be reminded as to the meaning of Christmas.

It was long promised and recorded within the Judeo–Christian Bible. No one with a fair mind will deny that the Old Testament declared someone is coming. It detailed place (Bethlehem) mode of coming (virgin birth) titles (Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Wonderful Counsellor) purpose (Messiah to save His people) Suffering Servant (Isaiah ch.53) to name but a small sample.

The Gospels declared the promised One has come. His name in Greek is Jesus. In Hebrew, Joshua. He is called Lord, Son of Man, Son of God and the Word (Logos) made flesh to dwell among us. People may disagree with such records and Names but such matters cannot be refuted. Nor can the ‘Blighters’ accuse the Apostles and early Church from fabrication. Why? Because the Apostles paid for their hope and convictions with their blood. The governing authorities could not deny Christ Jesus’ existence, teaching, death and resurrection. That is why they resorted to making it a criminal offence to believe in the birth of (Christmas) Jesus and His Calvary and empty tomb testimony. Their attempts to wither and ruin Christmas and Calvary failed. The ‘Blight killer’ was ‘It is written’ according to the Scriptures and verified by Christ’s resurrection.

Today the plague has mutated and is more virulent because it has an element of fun, commercialism and ideology. Such things appeal to the human heart because they destroy the real meaning of Christmas.

Santa Claus is Christ Jesus great rival at Christmas. His “HO, HO, HO” drowns out the Angels song. Santa is the myth we want to control and promote. He is the character that seduces our cash from our bank accounts. He panders to our greed and blinds us to the emptiness of our lives.More than that Santa Claus doesn't disturb our lifestyle or ungodly thinking nor impose upon us teachings which are worthwhile but unwanted. Jesus Christ however is still active within the Christmas scene but only to those with eyes to see and ears to hear. Sounds familiar doesn’t it.

Doctrine and ideology also want a piece of the withering process. Atheists and Muslims are surprising linked in their opposition to the Person of Christ. Atheists in denying God’s existence cannot handle the simple yet supreme message that the Lord God would care for wayward ‘junk.’ The teaching that the Heavenly Father set a saving process in motion is anathema. Mohammed called the Gospels and the Old and New Testaments a lie by saying Jesus Christ is not the Son of God. Why? Because Mohammed said God had and has no Son. Therefore the mystery of the Godhead, Father Son and Holy Spirit, is arbitrarily dismissed. ‘No god but god’ is a great cliché but such a god is aloof, indifferent to creation, offers no salvation or hope in life or death. There is no Christmas for Atheists or Muslims. To adopt their attack on the Christian Faith and its historical reasons for Christmas is to create a spiritual plague. It affects your heart and hope of ever knowing the Person of whom Christmas reveals.

The way to bust the Blighters is to discover who Jesus is for oneself. Do this by simply reading the gospels and cross referencing between the Old and New Testaments. Then Christmas will take on new, exciting and enjoyable dimensions. You can still give presents. You can still enjoy special and culturally appropriate meals. You can get together and enjoy carols and worship with understanding and gratitude the Lord Christ. You will know Him as Jesus, Son of God, Lord of Glory and your own Saviour.

He is the One who makes it a happy and meaningful Christmas.

He is the One who takes us onwards into a meaningful life.

For those interested you can learn more about Jesus and the Christmas event from my book 'The Bethlehem Warrior Baby'. It is an EBook available from amazon or in print from Christian Bookshops or the publisher Even Before Publishing (division of Wombat books, Queensland Australia.)www.evenbeforepublishing.com

ACRBA Tour Back To Resolution by Rose Dee

3 - 7 December

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance 

is introducing 

Back To Resolution

(Even  Before Publishing November 2012)

by Rose Dee

Available from Light the dark this week for $12.95 

About the Author:

Rose Dee

Rose Dee was born in Ingham, North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel.

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, decided to try her hand at writing two years ago. The result of that attempt is her first novel, 'Back to Resolution'. 

Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women.

Rose’s other releases include, 'Beyond Resolution' - the second book in the 'Resolution' series. And ‘A New Resolution’ – the final book in the series.

Rose has also co-written a novel in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian Authors; ‘The Greenfield Legacy’.

Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.

Book Description:

Back to Resolution

Bay Anders is lost. She enjoys every privilege a wealthy upbringing affords, but the void in her soul refuses to be filled.
Her mother's dying revelation drives Bay to the brink of self destruction, before a move to Australia changes everything. She embarks upon a search for her father that leads her to his island home, into a hazardous melting pot of hostile locals and a mystery – her father's disappearance.
The only person who can help her is a strong, selfassured and intensely magnetic man. Bay must fight an overwhelming attraction to stay focused on her goal.

Flynn McKenna is hiding from the world. A past filled with mistakes drove him to withdraw from society and live in seclusion. But the arrival of a woman he cannot avoid
shatters his solitary existence. As the search for Bay's father unites them, can he resist his desire for her?
It becomes a race against time as developers try to take over the island.

From the glittering streets of LA, to the beautiful
Daintree forest in North Queensland, to the idyllic island `Resolution', Back to Resolution is a romantic mystery that shows how far a little faith can go.

Website - http://rosedee.com/