Restored and Made Whole

Today, I am finishing my article for The Christian Journal in Oregon. The topic is Restoration. Contemplating this topic makes me think of how God restores a hundred fold to those whom satan has taken from. What great love is that? Yet, how much of our time do we really give the Lord? When do we stop to hear His voice? Why is it we are often too busy to slow down for Him? What must we change today that will lead us closer to Him; closer to the One Who misses His time with us? What will it take? Will it take our losing those we love, things we have worked for, friendships we have cultivated or our own self dignity?

The definition of restoration is the act of restoring or state of being restored, as to a former or original condition, place, etc.; the replacement or giving back of something lost, stolen.

Have you experienced being stolen from, ripped off, been deceived or lied to? Then you know the importance of being restored. Health can be restored, relationships healed, items returned and our character brought to light in the presence of God. Restoration is as important as is justice and fairness. Restoration is the whole reason God sent His son, Jesus to die for us. We need restored back unto our God. Someone needed to bridge the gap and Jesus chose to take our place in a sin-filled world with consequences beyond our greatest imaginations awaiting us.

We are living in a world where spiritual acceleration is at every corner. Everywhere we turn is evidence that our time on earth is very limited. There is no more time to choose where we want God to have a place in our lives. Jesus is in the business of restoring lives back to Himself, between ourselves and amongst those who are lost and in need of Christ to save them from themselves. John 10:10 tells us that satan came to steal, kill and destroy, while Jesus came to give us life. Jesus is the restorer of our souls whereas satan harms our conditions, removes us from our positions, and steals our material goods and even our joy God blesses us with. What better way to respond than to thank God for being in the business of restoration and to extend grace and mercy when we have been slighted. Being confident God is turning things around for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes is part of being made whole and being restored.

So many of us welcome restoration with open arms; we seek after it like its substance is that of gold, yet how often do we sit in the presence of the One Whom we seek restoration from, and wait, listen and obey when He does speak to us? It's like seeking the gift but forgetting to recognize Whom the giver of that gift is. We can't have it all our way, heaven is not Burger King. We can't make the rules for they were ordained at the beginning of time by the One Who set the game of life in motion. We surely can't control every circumstance of our lives. Our Father in heaven knows what is best and loves us too much to leave us to our own destruction. Restoration and being made whole is achieved by means of a loving father, an unconditionally loving Son, Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Being restored unto a loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ is at the core of every human's deepest need whether known or not.

Restoration is being restored back to an original position or place. It is being given back something that was stolen or lost. Although gaining our original position or being brought to our previous place is what restoration can be about, often it is the journey to restoration that puts less emphasis on what was stolen or lost and more importance on our relationship with our ultimate Restorers, almighty God and His Son Jesus Christ. Enter into restoration today and receive the wholeness God has for you.

A Marriage Code

My husband and I have been reading The Marriage Code by Bill and Pam Farrel and wanted to share a few things we thought might interest all who are married, and those who might be one day.

Discovering our own secret love languages has imperical value these days. We can find this language through understanding the secret code in marriages. Living in a world that uses codes has its advantages. We have usernames and passwords that get us into our email, facebook, twitter, eBay, blogspot, myspace, craigs list, amazon accounts, why would we not think there might be a code to delve inside the best parts of our relationships? Well there is. Taken right from Bill and Pam's book are a few tidbits to get you thinking.

* It is obvious when the code is in place because your relationship works well.

* It is just as obvious when the code is not in place because almost everything is out of sync.

* Entering the marriage code into your relationship is a daily exercise. In the same way that you need to enter a username and password into your computer each time you start it up, your love relationship needs an access code every day.

* The marriage code is based on the most common needs that men and women have.


Relationships are not as simplistic as you may have well found out by now. Men and women have different needs at the core of their very beings. These core needs shape how life is approached and how relationships are interacted within. Bill and Pam believe every person has these two core needs within them; the need for security and success. Security being the belief it is safe to be who we are. Success being the belief that our lives are workable.

Read more each day to find out what makes The Marriage Code such a life changing book every married couple should be reading!Whether you have figured out the marriage code in your own relationship or not, this book will give you keen insight to help other married couples. It can also be a valuable tool used in premarital counseling to give engaged couples an edge on their lifetime commitment of marriage.