DJ & Kelley YunDJ and Kelley met at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. "We both were there to be part of their missions program," says Kelley. "It was a four-year program that included two years of instruction at the seminary and two years of overseas experience." The students in the program became quick friends - and several often even went jogging together. "DJ and I became good friends during this time," Kelley says. "At first neither of us thought of it as more than a friendship. Our focus was the missions program and heading to our countries overseas." Getting to Know Each Other But the more Kelley got to know him, the more she was drawn to him. "I realized he was the type of man I had been praying for," she says. DJ shared her passion for missions, had integrity, and made her laugh. "He even played guitar and could sing!" Even though she felt herself falling hard, and quickly, she didn't let him know of her interest. They would soon be headed to different places around the world, and she strongly felt the man should instigate and lead the relationship. In August 2002, they parted ways. They tried to stay in touch by email as technology allowed. Kelley says, "During those months of separation I really surrendered our relationship to the Lord as I missed him dearly and wondered what would become of us." In January, the class reunited for additional training. She was excited to get to see him again. A professor pulled DJ aside and asked him what he thought of Kelley. The professor said, "You know, when I saw my wife, I didn't let anything get in the way of pursuing her!" That was all the push DJ needed! He asked Kelley to dinner. She knew something was up. "We had never gone to dinner on our own, but were together with our group of classmates," says Kelley. "During that dinner DJ asked me if we could begin to pursue a relationship for the purpose of marriage. I was jumping up and down inside!" The couple talked with their parents so they could be aware and give the relationship their blessing. The Proposal and Wedding They made a decision to not kiss until they got back to American soil. "We knew we still had a year and a half overseas and did not want to begin any physical aspects with so much time and distance from each other." Just a week into their dating relationship, both Kelley and DJ returned to their respective countries of service. They didn't see each other until the following January. "It was along year, but we stayed in tough through email, a few phone calls, instant messenger, and at times video chat when technology cooperated. Mind you, this was before Skype and Facebook," says Kelley. When the group got together again, their classmates provided accountability. "During these two weeks together we talked a lot about the future, and we were confident that God was leading us to marry in the future," she says. After finishing their last eight months of service, they returned to the U.S. The couple visited his family in Maryland over Labor Day weekend. DJ and Kelley got engaged in September 2004 when he proposed at a Starbucks. "Interestingly, DJ had already had the opportunity to meet my family before we ever left to go overseas," says Kelley. They had visited her on campus in North Carolina and had met him then. "It was cool how God orchestrated this beforehand." They married on January 30, 2005. As an important aspect of their wedding, Kelley and DJ made it a point to arrange their bridesmaids and groomsmen in such a way that they could still see the bride and groom. They also incorporated the Korean tradition of bowing to their parents at the end of the ceremony and presenting their mothers flowers. "It was a way of honoring our parents and thanking them," she says. Married and Family Life "Marriage is more about God than it is about me and DJ," says Kelley. "It's not about me finding satisfaction in marriage and in my spouse, but finding satisfaction in God." God brought them together as they were pursuing Jesus, and now, as a married couple they continue to pursue Him and His call on their lives. "I want people to know that marriage is not the end all, but Jesus is." DJ attended a conference in college where FamilyLife's Dennis Rainey led a breakout session on dating and marriage. "Of the many things he said that were imprinted on me, the most weighty was this, 'Lust can't get wait to get, but Love can wait to give.'" says DJ. "I clung to that truth until our wedding, but it still rings true as we have journeyed in our marriage. Marriage was never intended to be an enablement of lust, but the highest expression of love." Praying for Future Children Another thing a mentor shared with DJ while he was in college was the challenge to not only be praying for his future wife, but for his future children. He asked if he was praying for his future spouse. "'Of course!' I replied, as visions of the prototype smoking hot, godly wife entered my mind," shares DJ. "'Great!' He said, 'How about for your future children?' 'What?' followed by incredulous silence. I lacked visions of prototype children. "'Well you should be!' he said. My mind was blown, this mentor having also been single at the time. Yet this short exchange had made an impact on my preparations for the prototype husband and father that I wanted to be. Was it worth the wait? Yes, but the waiting has just begun." DJ and Kelley now have three children. DJ serves as the lead pastor of Grandview Fellowship. "Marriage is more about God than it is about me and DJ. It's not about me finding satisfaction in marriage and in my spouse, but finding satisfaction in God."
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Tom & Michelle ValleMichelle was 37 years old and working as an English teacher overseas. Many had told her to return to America to find Mr. Right before it was too late. "They said that if I didn't go home at age 30 that I would never marry or be able to have children in the future," says Michelle. But God had different plans. "I told them I believed in God and He guided my life. If He wanted me to marry, He would provide my Mr. Right no matter where I lived." At Just The Right Time Michelle was visiting some friends and a guy named Tom came for a two-day visit. "It really was a 'God meeting'," says Michelle. Later, he emailed me to ask if I would mind him corresponding with me. He said he enjoyed getting to know me over our Over the Bridge noodle dish, and he loved my smile." Of course Michelle said yes! She could tell Tom loved the Lord, wanted to continue to live overseas, and thought he was handsome and easy to talk to. "I loved his honesty and heart for the Lord," says Michelle. "It wasn't love at first sight. We shared our testimonies, dreams... and his heart really attracted me." After corresponding for a while, Michelle asked Tom to reach out to her dad to get his permission to court her with the purpose of marriage in mind. "I told him that I was old-fashioned and wanted to protect my heart," says Michelle. He did. Not long after, Michelle's dad Gary came to visit and celebrate his 60th birthday. "We spent a week together touring around," says Michelle. "On this trip, Tom made it known that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me." Tom had also talked to Michelle's mom over the phone, saying, "I was a very special girl and hard to get." The Proposal and Wedding Leading up to popping the question, Tom gave her a small, black bag each day with a different piece of jewelry in it. While on a scenic boat ride, Tom handed her the bag again, but this time the engagement ring was inside. The couple was engaged for seven months. "We set pretty high standards to guard our purity," says Michelle. "I didn't hold hands with him until we were engaged, and we saved our first kiss 'til our wedding day." Another practical way the pair stayed true to their standards was by not being alone with each other inside either of their homes. She challenges other couples to not be in a rush to find someone. "No matter how long the wait, it is best to marry the right person who truly loves you for who you are," she says. "God gives good gifts, and His timing is always perfect." The couple married on December 31, 2011 in Colorado. "Our kiss was very special," says Michelle. She also enjoyed seeing the slideshow of their growing up years and getting to see siblings and their families at the wedding. Married Life The couple now has two children and are witnesses to God's faithfulness as they live in China. "He proved that He does provide in the perfect timing. It doesn't always look like the world, or what they say it should look like," she says. "Trust Him." "No matter how long the wait, it is best to marry the right person who truly loves you for who you are. God gives good gifts, and His timing is always perfect." I love you, sis-in-law Michelle! Thanks for sharing your story! We are looking forward to the Valle/Buckner reunion and "cousin camp" later this year!
Jim & Margey WatsonJim and Margey met on a blind date. She was a senior in high school, and he was attending the University of Corpus Christi. A friend from Margey's church asked her, "Would you like to meet a big fat preacher boy?" and he asked Jim, "Do you want to meet a girl who giggles a lot?" "It had to be the Lord's doing because why in the world would either of us have agreed to a date?" says Margey. For their first date, the couple double-dated with friends on Halloween. Jim and Margey lived three hours apart so they didn't get to go out again until March the following year. "After that, we started writing letters pretty often," says Margey. That's how they really got to know each other. Some of the character qualities that first drew Margey to Jim was his commitment to the Lord. "But he was also fun and respectful of me," she says. "He says I was the first real Christian girl he ever dated, committed Christian, that is." "Everyone in my hometown liked Jim from the start," says Margey. "I was writing to another boy also, but the mailman was a family friend. He would put kisses on Jim's letters to me and frowns on the other boy's." Both Jim and Margey had made commitments to purity before marriage. "We also committed our relationship to the Lord early on and made it a matter of prayer from the time we met," says Margey. The Proposal & Wedding Margey graduated high school and went to Baylor University. She would wait in the phone booth in Collins dorm every Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. for Jim to call. They would talk three to five minutes, depending on how many quarters he had. Jim proposed to Margey at Cameron Park in Waco, Texas. On Thanksgiving weekend, he talked to her family and gave her the ring. They got married nine months later on August 28, 1959. One of her favorite wedding memories was when she started down the aisle on her father's arm and saw the smile on Jim's face. "All the pre-wedding jitters faded as I realized that the moment had finally come," shares Margey. Married For Life "I've learned that when I said 'I do' it meant standing by him no matter where the Lord called us to serve, making a home where he loved to be, and just enjoying doing life together. Life has not been dull married to this man! I've loved it!" "He says he has learned that even though we are different in many ways, we complement each other," she adds. "The importance of waiting for the right mate, the Lord's choosing, cannot be stressed enough." She challenges others to not let relationships grow out of infatuation but from the sense of the Lord's leadership. "Life will not always be sunshine and roses, but with a special person even the hard times bring you closer together and to your commitment to the Lord. I firmly believe that the wait is definitely worth it - no regrets." "I've learned that when I said 'I do' it meant standing by him no matter where the Lord called us to serve, making a home where he loved to be, and just enjoying doing life together." I have loved you, but you ask "How have You loved us?" (Malachi 1:2), as the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. The Father loves Me and has given all things into my hand (John 3:35). The Father and I are one (John 10:30).
I invite you to abide {accept or act in accordance with; continue without fading or being lost} in my love (John 15:9). If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love (John 15:10). You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I chose you so that you should go and bear fruit, fruit that should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father for in My name, He will give it to you (John 15:16). And if the Father did not spare Me, but gave Me up for you all, how will He not also with Me graciously give you all things? (Romans 8:32) I have not forgotten you. Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands (Isaiah 49:15-16). I will not forget you for my great name's sake, because it pleased me to make you mine (1 Samuel 12:22). I will not abandon you (Psalm 16:10). I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you - this is why I ask you to make sure your character is free from the love of money, and that you are content with what you have - ME (Hebrews 13:5). I loved you first (1 John 4:19). I want to make my dwelling {place of residence} with you, and walk among you (Leviticus 26:11-12). Nothing can separate you from My love - not death, not rulers, not the past, not the future - nothing (Romans 8:38-39). This is my commandment, that you love others as I have loved you. (John 15:12) Because if anyone has the world's goods and sees someone in need, yet closes their heart toward them, how does God's love abide in him? (1 John 3:17) By this you will know that you abide in Me, and Me in you, because I have given you my Spirit (1 John 4:13). I am waiting for you. I long {yearning desire} to be gracious to you and to show you compassion (Isaiah 30:18). When I ate my last supper on earth, I said, "I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine {wine} until that day when I drink it new with you in the Father's kingdom (Matthew 26:29). Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy {meet the expectations, needs, and desires; to fulfill}? Listen to me, eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food (Isaiah 55:2). I am the Bread of Life, whoever comes to me will not hunger, and whoever believes in me will not thirst (John 6:35). The bread I will give for the life of the world is my flesh (John 6:51). The cross was me saying, this is my body, broken for you (I Corinthians 11:24). So if you are thirsty, come to Me and drink (John 7:37). My steadfast {firm, unwavering} love endures {suffers patiently, remains} forever (Psalm 89:28). Earlier I called a childhood friend of mine. We grew up together in a small Texas town of less than 4,000 people, and today that small town still has about the same amount of people. Heck, probably the same people. I needed a familiar voice. Suburbia and growth can be exciting (and most days I probably wouldn't trade the convenience of having a Target just 10 minutes away), but sometimes I just miss smallness and sameness. She and I hadn't talked extensively for a while but I think that's the blessing of friends, you can pick right back up where you left of. She is a couple years ahead of me in mommyland and spoke several truths to me that I wanted to pass along. "Babies don't stay babies for long." Treasure this season for what it is. I was thinking this morning of J's first birthday coming up this summer and thought, "It isn't fair. We only get 17 more of these." I'm sure somewhere around year 15 or 16 I might be singing a different tune. Ha! "There is nothing more important than what you're doing right now." Put value where you say there is value. If mostly all I have to spend now is time, then I need to spend it where I have placed value. "Jobs will still be there when your kids get older." It's a worthy calling to prioritize the care of your children and home over other demands. Learning where to give "yes" and where to give "no" is a process and sometimes trial and error. "No one is always happy." Don't get caught up in comparing your day, your marriage, or your free time to your 469 friends' social highlight reel. "If it is not fueling contentment, then it's fueling your discontent." I have to limit the amount of time I give our small community's Facebook page. It's more often people complaining than people actually spreading helpful news. "It's OK that this is an adjustment." Something my mom said to me a few months ago was along the lines of You won't regret choosing to be home, but you might regret choosing not to be. While most days I know and feel the gravity of the goodness of this sacrifice, some moments I wish I was doing more. Other times I am so glad to be in PJ's at 8:30 a.m. making homemade muffins, grocery shopping in the middle of the day, or reading a book while J takes his 30-minute nap. Get a friend and speak truth to her. Just as you need encouragement, there's another mom out there, next door, down the office hallway, or across the sanctuary that needs encouragement too. Hit me up for Chick-fil-A or Sonic sometime - I've got gift cards. Marcus and I enjoyed free breakfast at Chick-fil-A this morning. Thank you, Christian chicken! We've created a standing breakfast date once a week that usually lends itself to nerdy talks about how the Church, capital C, can better engage the world, ways we can help make the never-changing Truth of the Bible real for our ever-changing peers.
Phil Cooke said, "Hollywood is great at making fake things look real. Christians are great at making real things look fake." (He and I also share a birthday, so I feel an odd connection. Go August 31st-ers). It's been weeks since I blogged, but I felt it rising up in me as I drove home. So here's the best way I can put into words the burden of my heart. 1. The Church needs millennials to help with social media. If social media is where 18- to 34-year-olds spend an average of 3.8 hours a day, and 35- to 49-year-olds spend 3 hours a day, and 50- to 64-year-olds spend 2.4 hours a day (source) then the Church has the responsibility to engage that venue in meaningful ways. Millennials grew up with social media. It comes naturally to us. If our local church does not have a meaningful presence on these platforms, I believe it's our responsibility to serve the Bride by making it so. I'm afraid we've lazily left this up to "the people in charge" instead of offering our expertise to help. As a whole, I believe the Church is very particular about resources, budgeting items and purchases to manage God's money well. But when it comes to managing free platforms like social media, we are lacking. Posts that are three months old, contain grammatical errors, or have long hyperlinks with zero explanation as to why we should click them is not good stewardship of those platforms. 2. The Church needs millennials to help with digital communications. Millennials need to help the Church approach emails with the same intentionality and purpose as it would approach paying for a stamp to physically send a letter in the mail. Open rates for emails are typically below 23% making it one of least effective ways to communicate. We can learn a thing or two from marketers when it comes to communicating via email. If emails contain spelling and capitalization errors, lots of text with no photos, and broken links what we are communicating is a lack of care. If the email doesn't have a punchy subject line, clear purpose, or call to action - the lack of intentionality that would come with a stamp-paid-for letter - receivers can sense that. People receive on average 50 emails per day. Bottom line, we must help our churches communicate their message effectively and efficiently when it comes to email. 3. The Church needs millennials to help communicate to the world in relevant ways. Millennials can help "translate" the Church's heart. Marcus reminded me of a quote we heard on a PBS documentary about Henry Ford. Ford said, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Sometimes churches don't actually need what they want or want what they need. Sometimes the answers isn't a faster horse that runs on hay and water. It's a car that runs on gasoline. If millennials grew up with the internet and went from cassettes with Walkmans to iPhones with thousands of songs streamed on Pandora, think of the changes Generation Z/post-millennials will experience in their lifetime. The modes of communicating the Gospel to the next generation can't be recordings on cassette tapes. They don't carry Walkmans anymore. 4. Millennials need the Church to remind them to put their phones away. A survey found that 93% of millennials use their phones in bed, 80% in the restroom, and 43% while at a red light. Besides being just plain gross or dangerous - I'm guilty of all three of those. Because the Church knew how to connect believers long before these modern tools, millennials need to be around those who know these basics. We need the Church to remind us to be present, to engage with those right next to us, to experience the world without our screens. 5. Millennials need the Church for face-to-face relationships. Where the Church lacks in social media skills, most millennials lack in people skills. Millennials need the Church for wisdom from real-life people who've been there, who've raised kids, been through job loss, helped aging parents, and been married longer than we have. You just can't get that type of relationship, that depth, over the internet. 6. Millennials need the Church to hear Truth. Millennials need to be reminded to keep the Gospel the Gospel. Too many other causes or personal opinions take our center stage. We're quick to talk about our stance on topics like organic produce, vaccinations, social justice, and politics - and we're slow to talk about what the Bible actually says: Jesus is the only way to God. The Truth is that our causes, though many are good things and are helping people, are not the Gospel. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15 For more on the topic, check out "5 Reasons Millennials Stay Connected to Church" by The Barna Group. We're "EO" people! Essential oils became my go-to when I was limited in the types of medications I could take for sinus congestion while pregnant. I relied on peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender to get me through! (Thank you office buddies for letting me smell up the place.)
Recent stuffy noses have caused us to research essential oils a little deeper. We'd both heard of thieves as being helpful for sinus issues. So off hubby went to the grocery store to find thieves. The mystery oil that could solve our problems. When he came up empty, we did what most people do - we asked google. Surprise! Thieves isn't one oil, its several essential oils mixed together. Who knew? We didn't. The legendary history of thieves is believed to date back to the bubonic plague, where doctors and robbers used it. It's pretty interesting. You can check it out here. THIEVES RECIPE 8 drops clove 7 drops lemon 4 drops cinnamon 3 drops eucalyptus 2 drops rosemary HOW TO USE THIEVES -Put oil mixture in water in diffuser and enjoy -Use carrier oil (such as almond) and apply a few drops to feet and cover with socks. -Add baking soda or water to oil mixture and use as household cleaner BENEFITS OF THIEVES: Promotes healthy immune function Natural alternative all-purpose cleaner Clean scent, or in my opinion, smells like Christmas What's your favorite EO? How do you use oils around your home? In 2011, Marta Castillo was awakened in the middle of the night by her then 8-year-old son Joshua. He was suffering from nightmares that his mom was burning in fire. She wondered what it meant. “I didn’t know what to do,” says Marta. She prayed. After talking with his school counselor, Marta asked Joshua about his dreams. He replied, “What if you die? Who do I go with?” Read the rest of the story here. Trust in Him with all your heart... Sometimes we act like the matters of the heart are not in our control. We say things, like follow your heart and the heart wants what it wants... But the command to trust Him using all my heart points to the truth. I am in control of who and what my heart trusts. Maybe that’s why David so often talked to his heart, telling his soul to remember the Lord, to remember His provision of the past, to remind himself of God’s promises. It seems to lend itself to say, I might be trusting Him with only part of my heart. But God wants it all. No emergency brakes. No backup plan. No self-preservation. All of my heart. All of it. That means the not so pretty parts, too. In my moments of anger. Trust Him. In my frazzled, power-through-it, work hard and you’ll win state. Trust Him. When I feel like all is well, but I analyze possible future circumstances to no end. Trust Him. When I feel inadequate to the tasks I’ve been given. Trust Him. If life feels boring and monotonous in the repetition of dishes, laundry, meals, diapers, nursing, dishes, laundry, meals, diapers, nursing... Trust Him. In anger. I choose to let go of my rights. He will both judge and redeem. Trust Him. In stress. I choose to accept I’m responsible for only what I can do. He will make all things work together for my good. Trust Him. In my thoughts. I choose to enjoy the present. It’s the only place I am. Trust Him. In my humanness. I choose to accept opportunities for growth knowing He will equip me for whatever He calls me to. Trust Him. In my day to day. I choose to accept my calling and use the gifts He has given to serve my family well. To Him this is no small thing. Trust Him. Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. "In exercising faith — trusting fully in the Lord and not leaning on our own understanding — we’re not setting aside our intellect. We’re resting our intellect upon the intellect of God. Nothing is wiser or saner. To do so is to allow Him to direct our paths, which not only lead to ultimate joy, but also make the journey itself, even when laden with sorrow, joyful (2 Corinthians 6:10). And it preserves for us all the pleasures God provides us in the world. To not do this is the height of foolishness and the path to misery. So let us choose joy today by not leaning on our own understanding but in sweet, childlike trust on the sure foundation of our loving Creator’s omniscience." -Jon Bloom |
PodcastListen to devotionals shared at FBCSA MOPS on Kennan's Podbean Podcast channel here.
Marken Media Co.Marcus & Kennan own Marken Media Co. serving the multimedia needs of small businesses. Known by the #devinecolorwall, we strive to foster a space for the community to CREATE • COLLABORATE • CELEBRATE.
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KennanI'm a lover of words. Sometimes I edit, cook, craft, or sing. I'm also a wife and mom. Categories
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