That Thing I Do Now - Vol 83

Happy Valentine's Day, ya'll!

Whether you are all romantic and swoony or you feel that February 14th is just another day, I pray that at some point today - you feel the Love of God in real and tangible ways!

Below are some Valentine's-worthy posts that I thought were full of Love and Good News!  It's a little shorter than usual, but that's because as much as I want you to read all the things, I hope you are spending the day with friends and family, celebrating love in it's many forms!

Featured today are posts by Richard Paul Evans, Traci Michele, Lisa-Jo Baker, Katie Davis, a post from right here... and - of course - a video to wrap it all up! 

Happy Reading! 
(Ya'll know to click on the authors' names below to read the entire post, yes?)

* This post by Richard Paul Evans with How I Saved My Marriage...

"I was on book tour when things came to a head. We had just had another big fight on the phone and Keri had hung up on me. I was alone and lonely, frustrated and angry. I had reached my limit. That’s when I turned to God. Or turned on God. I don’t know if you could call it prayer–maybe shouting at God isn’t prayer, maybe it is–but whatever I was engaged in I’ll never forget it. I was standing in the shower of the Buckhead, Atlanta Ritz-Carlton yelling at God that marriage was wrong and I couldn’t do it anymore. As much as I hated the idea of divorce, the pain of being together was just too much. I was also confused. I couldn’t figure out why marriage with Keri was so hard. Deep down I knew that Keri was a good person. And I was a good person. So why couldn’t we get along? Why had I married someone so different than me? Why wouldn’t she change?

Finally, hoarse and broken, I sat down in the shower and began to cry. In the depths of my despair powerful inspiration came to me. You can’t change her, Rick. You can only change yourself. At that moment I began to pray. If I can’t change her, God, then change me. I prayed late into the night. I prayed the next day on the flight home. I prayed as I walked in the door to a cold wife who barely even acknowledged me. That night, as we lay in our bed, inches from each other yet miles apart, the inspiration came. I knew what I had to do."

* This one by Traci Michele with Ten Things You Can Give Your Man This Valentine’s Day...
(The Whole List is great!)

* This post by Lisa-Jo Baker with In which I’m in Love with Some People I Met on the Internet {And a Special Valentine’s Day Invitation from Me and Jackson}... 
"Sure the Internet can be exhausting and mean and make us all feel small and lonely…BUT…it can also be transformative and life-giving and make us all feel that much closer and more connected.

I am CONVINCED that Jesus will use whatever means under the sun to pursue and love and transform lives. 
Whether it be Facebook, blogs, Twitter or Foursquare. He is infinitely creative and there is nothing under the sun that He can’t use to bring His Kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven.

And in the last year He has used YOU."


* This post from Katie Davis with On earth as it is in Heaven... 
"I imagined marriage would be good. Wonderful even. But I did not even begin to understand that it would be this holy. I didn’t know that I would melt under this man’s gaze that is so full of the love of the Father for me. I didn’t imagine the way his delight in me would be my daily reminder of the way my Father delights in me. My husband’s love is just another way God has chosen to pour our His extravagant love on me, another constant reminder that He rejoices over me, and over each one of our daughters."


* This one from right HERE with A Valentiney Post of Sorts --because, of course! (A Look at Hosea)...
"Years ago, I encountered God in a very real, very powerful way and it has forever changed the course of my life and the beat of my heart.

So, maybe next week I will write about Time and How He Knows Us... but today I will recount how I laid with the Lord and He broke through the walls I had built around my heart.

I didn't realize that I had constructed walls of safety out of acts of service... I didn't know that I was growing religious, rather than growing a relationship.  Not until Jesus laid down beside me and grabbed hold of my hand, asking permission to just lay with me. I mean, what does one say to that?

(Yes. The answer is, you say yes!)"

Lastly, we wrap This Thing up with a video because that is how we do... and This Love... it's for everyone!

Happy Weekend!