The Marital Cup

Marriage is like handblown glass, delicate in substance but strong in construction. It can hold the vintage of years gone by. A cup blessed and preserved by God.

What keeps a marriage?

Only the nearness of God.

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Thoughts for Suitors

Some thoughts for guys (suitors in particular)

"This is a bit of a follow-up on my "Musings on Divine Romance" thread, you might want to check that out at some point. These are a bit more of my musings, more specifically for guys who are suitors or aspire to be. It's a bit of the practical outworking of the Divine Romance . . .

Christ sacrifices Himself for His Bride, the Church. And even so, men are called to sacrifice for the ladies whom they would court. Christ from all eternity puts Himself on the line and determines to die for the chosen people even when she is rebellious and wallowing in the mud of sin. Now, not all are called to court a prostitute as Hosea was, but the principle of sacrifice remains.

I have seen a lot of girls--friends and relatives, some on SGS, some not--get hurt by thoughtlessness and a man putting himself before the one he is courting. I'm writing this in the hope that I might help to prevent it from happening again to anyone I care about. These incidents are not only avoidable, but avoiding them should be the FIRST priority of any man who would undertake to court a lady. So here's a list of general principles that I'd like to share. Not all of them are valid in every context, and that is why they are general. But I think they are good guidelines.

1) Seek oversight early. As soon as you cross the line from "hey we're just friends" to "Huh, let's see if there is something here." Make yourself accountable to parents, pastor, and/or elders. This is for your protection and hers. You should welcome it."

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"Her poetic appeals on behalf of women were perhaps not so much an outcry of injustice than a plea for men to have a more complementarian view."

Enjoyed this article Women of the Reformation: Anne Bradstreet by Elizabeth DeBarros. Especially as I have begun to research the topic of complementarian.

There are at least 2 camps regarding women - the evangelical feminist (egalitarian view) or the complementarian view.  I am in the midst of reading a book by Alex Strauch, titled Men and Women, Equal Yet Different.

May Father bless His daughters to be diligent to make their calling and election sure, desiring to be found on par with Sarah.